2005 Summer Indie Preview - Part 1
The Major Independents
By Dan Krovich
June 21, 2005
BoxOfficeProphets.com
The first group of films are those that come from the major independent studios. These include the indie arms of major studios (Fox Searchlight, Paramount Classics, etc.) as well as Lions Gate.
The Break-Out Hits
Hustle & Flow
This film, produced by John Singleton, had the most buzz heading into the Sundance Film Festival and followed through by becoming the hottest ticket, winning the Audience Award, and being the biggest acquisition of the festival as it was purchased by Paramount Classics. Sundance success doesn't always translate to box office success, but the hefty price tag for the film does at least indicate that it will get a big push from Paramount Classics, which will also use the marketing power of MTV to sell the film. The good news is that in this case, the film delivers, too. While the hype might still get out of hand, the story of a Memphis pimp who decides to pursue a rap career in response to a midlife crisis rises above standard fare with great performances. Terrence Howard will receive much deserved acclaim, but the supporting performances from Taraji Henson, Taryn Manning, Anthony Anderson, DJ Qualls, Paula Jai Parker, and Elise Neal really propel the film. The major challenge will probably be to convince the audience that might usually shy away from a "rap film about a pimp" that this is a film for them too, but it should have critical support to help in that regard. And while it won't help a summer box office run, Hustle & Flow is likely to receive some Oscar consideration in several categories, particularly if the year-end titles fail to deliver.
Night Watch
Already a box office smash in Russia, besting Return of the King, Spider-Man 2, and Troy at that country's box office last year, Fox Searchlight hopes the supernatural thriller will translate to American audiences this summer. Searchlight has more than just a foreign film release on its hands. It hopes to launch a franchise with the film, as Night Watch is the first part of a trilogy. Searchlight also has the rights to the sequel, Day Watch, which is in post-production and plans to make the third film as a big(ger) budget English language film. All these plans will at least hinge somewhat on making Night Watch a successful release. The heavy special effects and stunning visuals will have to overcome the normal aversion of U.S. audiences to foreign films, but a universal story of good versus evil should translate better than subtler or denser fare to move Russian film at least slightly more into the mainstream.
The Indie Stalwarts
Broken Flowers
There is perhaps not a director who better epitomizes modern independent filmmaking than Jim Jarmusch. Of course, while that might be good for critical acclaim and accolades at Cannes, it doesn't necessarily translate to big box office. The presence of Bill Murray in his latest film looks to perhaps give Jarmusch his largest audience ever, though admittedly it would only take a gross of about $5 million to do that. Murray plays a womanizer and devout bachelor who receives an anonymous letter telling him that he has a son. The revelation causes him to look up his old flames, and while searching for clues he is forced to examine his relationships with women. Murray's recent career has consisted mainly of giving strong performances in independent films, and his performance here is certain to again bring up talk of an Oscar nomination. Jarmusch's reputation also attracted a strong cast of supporting actors, including Jeffrey Wright, Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange, Tilda Swinton, and Julie Delpy.
Last Days
After a dalliance with the mainstream, Gus Van Sant has returned to his indie art film roots with his recent work. If there's any doubt as to which category his newest film falls into, the trailer eschews mentioning Good Will Hunting, instead advertising the film as from the director of Drugstore Cowboy, My Own Private Idaho, and Elephant. Elephant is the most obvious comparison as both films use a specific real-life event (the Columbine school shootings for Elephant and Kurt Cobain's suicide for Last Days) as a jumping-off point to examine a more universal theme. Michael Pitt plays Blake, a Cobain-esque, troubled rock star in the last days before his suicide. Van Sant again uses a non-linear narrative and a more meditative impressionistic approach as opposed to traditional storytelling, so beyond perhaps a few curious Nirvana fans, the audience is likely to be limited to Van Sant's arthouse fans. They may not be for everyone, but his recent "trilogy" of Gerry, Elephant, and now Last Days seems to have revitalized him as a filmmaker.
The Documentaries
March of the Penguins
People like to watch cute animals. Heck, there's even an entire cable network devoted to them, and Winged Migration proved that people are willing to leave their couches and head to the movie theater to see a movie about them as it became one of the biggest documentary hits in what was a breakout year for documentaries. That's the major reason that a documentary about Emperor Penguins becomes one of the more anticipated films of the summer movie season. The film follows a year in the life of a group of penguins through migration, mating, and the hatching of and caring for new young. With narration by Morgan Freeman and the inherent cuteness of penguins, it should be a nice, family-friendly movie that adults can enjoy with their kids. On top of that, the icy climes might be just the thing moviegoers are looking for to beat the heat.
Grizzly Man
Timothy Treadwell and his partner Amie Huguenard spent many years living among bears in the Alaskan wilderness, observing their behavior and trying to come to a better understanding about the lives of these animals while working as activists to protect them. Treadwell had written books, made videos, and appeared as a guest on talk shows such as David Letterman, discussing his experiences and educating people about the bears. Events took a tragic turn when the bears he worked to protect killed and devoured him and Huguenard. The mystery only deepened after his death as it turned out that Treadwell had invented many of the details of his life. Legendary German filmmaker Werner Herzog directed the film, so this fascinating story lies in capable hands.
The Period Pieces
A Good Woman
Late summer always seems to be a good time for a fun, light, period film, and this adaptation of the Oscar Wilde play Lady Windermere's Fan will fit the bill this year. As is standard in Wilde plays, A Good Woman features verbal sparring, catty comments, and comic misunderstandings. Helen Hunt plays Mrs. Erlynne, a mysterious woman who shows up in the 1930s Italian Riviera and turns the lives of the vacationing high society upside down. Rumors of infidelity abound as Robert Windermere begins to spend time with the new arrival, while neglecting his new young wife. Helen Hunt and Scarlett Johansson provide a bit of starpower, and they are ably supported by a respected cast of largely British actors such as Tom Wilkinson, Diana Hardcastle, and John Standing.
The Libertine
One of the many films affected by the departure of the Weinstein brothers from Miramax, this Johnny Depp starrer is scheduled to be released before they officially leave the company. Depp plays John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester - a poet, playwright, and original party boy who lived an infamously debauched lifestyle in 17th century England. His complete disregard for authority and proper behavior alienated him from those in power and led to his demise. While Miramax will have a lot going on during the transition and it remains to be seen what kind of attention these final releases will get, the presence of Depp should generate interest. John Malkovich and Samantha Morton are no slouches, either.
Imported Directors
The Constant Gardener
Director Fernando Meirelles burst onto the scene with his Oscar nomination for City of God and quickly became a hot property in Hollywood. What happens to hip indie directors? Why, they get signed to make a comic book movie (a la Bryan Singer and Christopher Nolan) or thriller (a la Doug Liman and Paul Greengrass). Meirelles takes on the best-selling novel by John le Carré (The Tailor of Panama and The Russia House.) Ralph Fiennes takes the lead in this tale of intrigue about a multinational drug companies who may be up to something sinister in Kenya. The sociopolitical element of the West's treatment of Africa will definitely add an element to a standard thriller plot. It's perhaps long overdue that films take a look at our role in the continent, but it does seem to be an emerging trend, with films like Hotel Rwanda and The Interpreter tackling issues in very explicit or at least in tangential ways.
An Unfinished Life
Since garnering an Oscar nomination for his 1987 Swedish language film breakthrough, My Life as a Dog, director Lasse Hallström has become something of a go-to guy for Miramax prestige projects, directing both The Cider House Rules and Chocolat to Best Picture nominations. His latest effort for the studio has all the markings of another awards contender, starting with the cast led by Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez, and Morgan Freeman. The film was pulled from the 2004 release schedule, perhaps so Miramax could concentrate on The Aviator, but maybe it also had something to do with some apparent similarities to Million Dollar Baby, the film that bested The Aviator at the Oscars. An Unfinished Life is about a grizzled older man who has turned away from the world after a previous tragedy, who now only trusts his one last friend (played by Morgan Freeman). When a young woman (in this case the wife of his deceased son) enters his life, the set-in-his-ways man must open himself up. This is another of the films that Miramax is releasing before the Weinsteins leave the company. Again, it does remain to be seen how much attention they are able to give their final films at Miramax.