It's not possible for every movie to receive the same amount of attention. There are literally hundreds of movies that came out every single year, and out of those maybe two or three will end up in your local multiplex. The rest will unspool at the art house or possibly On Demand, and really it's never been easier to get your hands on high-quality films at all times. But even with movie lovers having greater access than ever, there are still plenty of movies that slip beneath the cracks. So to kick off my end-of-the-year round up, I've selected ten of the movies that I absolutely loved that didn't have a lot of buzz....or didn't make a scratch at the box office....or were just severely under-appreciated. Two of these, Blue Caprice and Crystal Fairy, I caught at Sundance and my reviews suggest that I had some extremely high hopes for them. Just goes to show my radar is on the fritz more often than not. These are in no particular order, by the way.
Computer Chess
Director: Andrew Bujalski
There have been a lot of great movies about chess. There have been a lot of
great movies about nerds. What do you get when they're put together? You get
Andrew Bujalski's retro, offbeat charmer, Computer Chess. Shot in black
and white and extremely grainy analog video, the film is set 30 years ago as
tech geeks gather for to test out the next wave of computer chess software in a
weekend tournament. Technological paranoia and social awkwardness make for a
hilarious and offbeat mix as Bujalski methodically pulls back the layers of his
quirky cast of characters with his trademark naturalistic dialogue honed
through years in the "mumblecore" movement. There couldn't be a less
commercial film than Computer Chess but it's well worth the effort to seek out.
+1
Director: Dennis Illiadis
Cast: Rhys Wakefield, Ashley Hinshaw, Logan Miller
Part Invasion of the Body Snatchers, part Can't Hardly Wait,
Dennis Illiadis' +1 pretty much had me at 'Hello'. Basically one big "end
of the year" bash gets sent to The Twilight Zone when clones of the
partygoers start showing up, and since we're talking about a room full of
drunken, drug-fueled, hormonal teens all their poor decisions have a chance of
being repeated again and again until their world collapses in on itself or
something. Yeah, the actual sci-fi stuff is a little messy but no other film
has a girl making out with her own clone, or a dude watching himself have sex.
Hope he took notes. At Any Price
Director: Ramin Bahrani
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Zac Efron, Clancy Brown, Heather Graham, Maika Monroe
It's understandable that audiences didn't turn out for Ramin Bahrani's
heartland drama At Any Price; his movies weren't made for the multiplex
experience. But critics....really? Where are you? Especially now during awards
season there should be some heat behind this powerful melodrama, which explores
the idea of the American Dream in today's corporate society. Dennis Quaid has
never been better (and I mean that, like ever) as a struggling farmer forced
into some dirty tactics just to compete with his rivals. Although it's a low
bar, Zac Efron gives the finest performances of his career as Quaid's racer
car-driving son, who has no plans of ever joining the family trade. Issues of
family loyalty, professional obsession, and the corporatization of America
collide in this intimate, old fashioned film. There's a reason why Roger Ebert
called Bahrani "the director of the decade", and At Any Price
is a perfect example of his gifts. Crystal Fairy
Director: Sebastian Silva
Cast: Michael Cera, Gaby Hoffman
I typically turn up my nose at drug comedies. They've just never done much
for me and as someone who has never so much as lit a cigarette, I always feel
like I'm missing out on the joke. But Crystal Fairy isn't your typical
drug comedy by a long stretch. Michael Cera plays a boorish, drug-addled American
on a frenzied quest through Chile to partake of the San Pedro Cactus'
hallucinogenic qualities. While it's fun to watch Cera play a character that
is a bit rougher around the edges, Gaby Hoffman steals the show as the titular
eccentric hippie weirdo accompanying him. With her bizarre outfits, hairy
armpits, and apparently foul body odor, it's the sort of character that easily
could have fallen into cliché. But Hoffman never lets it get that far, and Crystal
Fairy becomes an honest, empathetic story about being true to one's self.A Hijacking
Director: Tobias Lindholm
Cast: Pilou Asbaek, Søren Malling
My colleagues probably got tired of hearing me say that Tobias Lindholm's
Danish thriller A Hijacking was better than Captain Phillips but
I've yet to find someone who disagrees. While it lacks the true-life aspect of
Paul Greengrass' film, A Hijacking more
than makes up for it with an engrossing, in your face style that straps you in
right alongside the victims of a sudden Somali pirate attack. You’ll have a
hard time convincing me Tom Hank's anguished-but-calculated performance
compares to Pilou Asbaek's quiet desperation. Branching out beyond the ship to
the real world impacts, we see the effect the kidnapping has on the crews'
family, and what happens when the hostages' freedom is negotiated by the company
CEO. Suffice it to say, you don't want your boss thinking about stock prices
when lives are at stake. Gimme the Loot
Director: Adam Leon
Cast: Tashiana Washington, Ty Hickson
You hear about the plot of Adam Leon's SXSW hit Gimme the Loot and
it's hard not to worry: Two African-American graffiti artists cook up a plan to
bomb (spray paint for you lay people) that stupid Mets apple in Citifield.
Hollywood would do unspeakable things to a plot like this; fill it with
racially insulting stereotypes of urban youth and refashion it into some sort
of manic heist film. Fortunately, Leon's film rattles to the beat of its
own spray can with a defiant, anti-mainstream spirit that channels the old
school hip-hop movement. With an eye towards the early street-level works of
Spike Lee, the film is led by Ty Hickson as brash Malcolm, who wears his
braggadocio like a badge of honor; and Tashiana Washington as his best friend
Sofia, a whip smart tomboy just beginning to flower into a beautiful young
lady, although she'd never admit it. Endearing, optimistic, and totally free of
pretension, Gimme the Loot should be the model and not such a rare find.Drinking Buddies
Director: Joe Swanberg
Cast: Jake Johnson, Olivia Wilde, Anna Kendrick, Ron Livingston, Jason Sudeikis
If you're one of those who follows my Pinterest
board (thanks to those who do!), then you might notice that Joe Swanberg's
Drinking Buddies was one of the most recent movies I saw. The truth is I've not
been very interested in it, largely because so many of my colleagues have sung
its praises for so long. Sorry, that's just how I'm wired. But finally catching
up with it I discovered that not only is Drinking Buddies hysterical and
chock-a-block with unexpectedly terrific performances, but it may be the
smartest relationship movie of the year. New Girl star Jake Johnson and the
ubiquitous Olivia Wilde are best friends working at a local brewery, and
there's rarely a scene when a beer isn't in somebody's hand. There's an obvious
romantic attraction but both are involved with others who may or may not be a
better fit. It's a film that explores whether men and women can just be friends
without the pull of sexual entanglement, and if not can they at least be good
drinking buddies?The Hunt
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Cast: Mads Mikkelsen, Annika Wedderkopp, Alexandra Rappaport, Thomas Larsen
One thing you won't find a lot of in a Thomas Vinterberg film? Laughs. His
latest harrowing personal drama The Hunt returns to the familiar theme
of sexual abuse, explored in his breakthrough film The Celebration fifteen
years ago. Teaming with co-writer Tobias Lindholm, who appeared on this list
earlier for A Hijacking (these guys just don't do funny), the film
features a Cannes Best Actor-winning performance by Mads Mikkelsen as a small
town teacher falsely accused of molestation by a young student. The firestorm
that sweeps the village engulfs his personal and professional life, while
internally he's reeling with the incredulity that his claims of innocence are
falling on deaf ears. It's a harrowing, surgical look at how only a few small
words can reduce a person's life to ashes.Blue Caprice
Director: Alexandre Moors
Cast: Isaiah Washington, Tequan Richmond, Tim Blake Nelson, Joey Lauren Adams
I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Blue Caprice didn't play
anywhere outside of the Nation's Capital. Heck, it barely played here and
frankly I don't blame theaters for not wanting to run with it. The impressive
directorial debut by Alexandre Moors dares explore the twisted logic of the DC sniper
John Allen Muhammad, played with remarkable intensity by Isaiah Washington, who
frankly should be in the Best Actor race right now. This isn't just another
blow-for-blow depiction of the three week ordeal that paralyzed DC eleven years
ago, but a terrifying look inside the mind of a monster. In fact, the
killings themselves soon fade into the background, which only makes Muhammad's
twisted philosophy, one he spreads to the mind of a young Lee Boyd Malvo
(Tequan Richmond), all the more disturbing. It's a delicate balancing act
trying to figure out Muhammad without sympathizing, but Moors pulls it off
effortlessly. In a World...
Director: Lake Bell
Cast: Lake Bell, Demitri Martin, Fred Melamed, Michaela Watkins, Nick Offerman, Ken Marino
My good friend, voice actor, and WETA Around Town colleague Robert Aubrey
Davis will probably faint with joy that Lake Bell's In a World....has made my list of great overlooked movies. Bell, who has always been a talented
lady in front of the camera, does literally everything to make this film about
the sexist world of trailer voice-over actors shine. As director, producer, writer,
and perky lead she delivers a charming and insightful comedy about a career
path none of us having given a lot of thought to. In a way it's like a cousin
to those terrific Christopher Guest movies like Best in Show, only a
whole lot funnier if you ask me. She gets a lot of help from a hilarious
ensemble of comedic heavyweights such as Fred Melamed, Dmitri Martin, Ken
Marino, Michaela Watkins, Rob Corddry, Demetri Martin, Tig Notaro, and Nick
Offerman (with a couple of sweet cameos best left unspoiled), but it's Bell
whose voice is loudest and most welcome. Hopefully we'll be hearing a lot more
of it.
