16 Days of Birthday, Day 7: Little-Seen Movies That I Love

Year after year, there are those huge blockbusters that everyone sees, and then there are those awardsy indies that all of us film people see. But what about the films that only a select few of the world's population have seen? Okay, so these aren't the most obscure choices. Because the only 'obscure' movies I have access too are those that are in the preview drawer...and they are so obscure I can promise you that you would have to be Sherlock Holmes to sniff them outside of a video store. I like to watch little-seen gems a lot more than I like watching the more popular stuff (because, even though I don't want to admit it, the popular stuff sucks). Here are ten which I especially liked:

Cemetery Junction - Maybe it was popular, maybe it wasn't. But I don't actually know anyone else who has seen it, apart from my friend who was forced to watch it by me. It has everything going for it in the 'popular' side of movies: it's written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, it has a pretty good cast (including my main man Ralph Fiennes who is as menacing as ever, like usual), and it's a movie made for the young (because they can relate to it) and the old (because it'll take them back). Cemetery Junction wasn't exactly well-received, nor was it widely scene, but I really enjoyed it. Plus, it looks like Felicity Jones, who plays the love-interest, is headed for big things, now.

City Island - I'm quite a fan of little independent comedies. Especially ones that deal with families. City Island does this almost perfectly. Sure, it gets pretty ridiculous at points (I would actually love to know if half the shit that happens in this movie has ever happened to a family in real life), but it does have some perfectly realistic points. The acting is pretty brilliant too - Andy Garcia gave an Oscar-worthy turn, I thought.



The Disappearance of Alice Creed - There are three characters in this movie. Only three. And if I remember correctly, there are only three different settings (around about). This movie is pretty minimal, but it shows you don't need a hell of a lot of stuff to make a film work. It's a taut and intense thriller with a few unexpected twists and turns and a bravura performance from my current girl-idol, Gemma Arterton. She, who has starred in many blockbusters where she's just made to look pretty, basically looks very dirty in this movie. In fact, she looks like a normal person, which was refreshing.



I'm Here - Okay, it's a short film. But now I've told you about it, there is absolutely no reason why you can't see it: it can be find here on Youtube. This devastating sci-fi short is directed by Spike Jonze and stars Andrew Garfield (who still manages to be cute even though he is a robot) and Sienna Guillory. The love story is so cute and really makes you think about how far you would go for the one you love. This film achieves so much in 29 minutes. It really must be seen.

Mary and Max - On second thought, maybe this is more popular than I originally made it out to be (it's in IMDb's Top 250). But if you haven't seen it, you pretty much need to. This isn't the kind of animation that is done for kids. It follows a couple of pen pals, one being a young girl in Australia who has an alcoholic mother and a birthmark on her face; the other being an overweight man living alone in New York, suffering from Asperger's disorder. Obviously, it's a pretty bleak little movie, but it's a pretty interesting take on a different sort of friendship.

The Messenger - Yeah, it was nominated for a couple of Oscars last year. But it took freaking forever to get to New Zealand shores (and even longer to be released in UK cinemas). This film, which looks at a couple of soldiers who go around notifying families that they have lost their loved ones in the Iraq war, is a minor revelation. Not only does it feature mindblowing performances from Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson and Samantha Morton, it is a perfectly realistic film. In a world where war movies generally take a look at all of the action going on, this one looks a what happens to the grieving families back at home - and it does it amazingly well.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - Yes, I've gone on about this movie a lot. I'm sorry, you're probably all sick of me harping on about it. But I absolutely love this movie. It's pretty much a fluffy romantic comedy, but it's not the kind that you see the likes of Kate Hudson or Katherine Heigl starring in. This is one that is superbly well-acted, with both Amy Adams and Frances McDormand giving beautiful performances. It also handles the back-drop of the oncoming World War II quite well. Also, it's worth seeing the film just to hear Amy sing 'If I Didn't Care'.

The Poker House - Y'all know Jennifer Lawrence, right? Yes...she's the one who starred in a little indie flick called Winter's Bone, which scored her an Oscar nomination at the young age of 20. After that, her career sky-rocketed, because everyone knows that she's pretty much going to be the best actress of our generation. But if you're looking for some Lawrence before she became the 'next big thing', look no further than The Poker House, a biopic written and directed by Lori Petty. It's the perfect look at the life of a teenager who has it rough...and believe me, she has it rough. I was pretty damn angry by the time I finished watching this movie. Oh, and I should point out that this has Chloe Moretz in it, pre-Hit Girl days.

Waitress - This is one movie which I enjoy watching often, even though it pains me every time. Written and directed by the late Adrienne Shelly, this is a charming and often depressing story of a pregnant waitress with a horrible husband who is trying to have her last attempt at happiness, even though she feels that having a baby isn't the way of achieving that. Waitress is pretty funny, but you should never watch this movie on an empty stomach. Every time I watch this I wish I was good at making pies, because the ones you see in this look delicious!

Waterloo Bridge - Of course, me being Vivien Leigh's biggest fan, I've seen most of her films. Waterloo Bridge is one of my absolute favourites. It's such a tragic love story, made even more beautiful thanks to the fact that there's a lot of Tchaikovsky. There's also a lot of similarities between this and Black Swan, which go further than the fact that both Nina Sayers and Myra Lester both happen to be participating in a production of Swan Lake. As far as I know, this film can be found on Youtube, but if anyone could track it down on DVD for me, I'd be eternally grateful!

So, what do you think of these movies - if you've seen them? Any little-seen movies that you love?

What an R18 is Like for Someone Too Young to Watch Them

NZ isn't like America. The censorship system here is a load of crap. We have our G's and PG's, which absolutely anyone can hire or buy. Then we have our M's, which anyone could watch, but some shops which are far too strict with their DVDs say that people under 16 can't buy them, simply because the label says "Suitable for mature audiences 16 and over." But I could go and see any M rated movie at the cinemas without any trouble. Then we have an R rating, which means that people under 16 can only watch the movie if they have parental guidance. The same goes for RP13 and RP16 movies, but they are extremely rare. And of course, we have our restricted movies. First is an R13, which of course means that you have to be 13 or above to watch it legally. Following that are the R15 (very rare), R16 and the very worst, R18 movies. About 50% of the movies I watch are R16's, and I'm still a little shy of actually being 16. And to be honest, no one gives a crap about censorship anymore.

I usually refrain from watching R18 movies, since none of them are really that great unless they're directed by Quentin Tarantino or David Fincher, but the ones I have watched have mostly deserved such a strict rating. Yet, I haven't gone and shot anyone because I was so affected by the film. After watching a certain R18 film the other night, I decided I'd list some of the worst offenders of the great rating that I've seen. No, Antichrist or The Human Centipede are not of the list.

Offender One

Now, I admit, I wasn't disturbed by American Psycho's violence and killing and whatnot. Instead, I was disturbed by Christian Bale. We all know that Christian Bale is pretty much very different in every role he rakes, whether he be scarily skinny or huge and buff. But in this movie, he's just...scary. He really has fun with being this guy obsessed with status and power, and having the perfect business card with a watermark. But from the moment I saw him pulling off his facemask I was disturbed by this character. Seeing him run naked down a hallway with blood all over him after a hooker with a chainsaw only made it worse. And I do admit I let out a rather large gasp when he said he ate some of his victims brains. American Psycho is gloriously violent, even though it isn't the non-stop killing spree I'd thought it would be. So, while I wasn't so disturbed by the fact that he had heads in his fridge and likes to dance to 'Hip to be Square' before he axes a colleague, I was just disturbed by Patrick Bateman. He was an odd fellow, that's for sure.
The effect it's supposed to have on young kiddies like me: I'd probably want to go and kill people just because I want to. I might want to get a tanning bed. I could feel drawn to eating people. Om nom nom.
Actual effect on me: Since seeing the film, I really wanna get a morning routine. And "I have to return my video-tapes" is the best escape line ever.
The R18 verdict: 90% R18. I probably wouldn't rate it any less, as it is pretty graphic and the extended sex scene really doesn't do it any justice.

Offender Two

Ever since I first saw Requiem for a Dream I believe I haven't been the same. The movie literally damaged me. Now that's not because the movie is graphically violent or it has loads of sex or whatever in it. I think it's just an R18 because it is emotionally disturbing. Like, I don't ever want to turn out like any of these people. I don't want to get my arm chopped off (I must say I watched that scene through my fingers). I don't want to get addicted to diet pills because I have false hope. I don't want to turn to prostitution just because I want to pay to live in a fucked up life. I just can't stand to think that some people live like this. That's why, on the two occasions that I've experienced this movie, I cried so much it was like the world was ending. And I don't think it's so much a content issue as to why this movie is so heavily rated, it just must be because the rating people know that it isn't the most pleasant movie to watch. It was rated NC-17 because of that sex scene that happens in the middle of the film, but I don't think that adds much to the rating.
The effect it's supposed to have on young kiddies like me: I will suddenly be drawn to drugs. I'll want to lose weight via diet pills. I will do awful things just to get what I want.
Actual effect it had on me: I felt like my happy life ended after seeing this movie.
The R18 verdict: 50%. As far as content goes, it's actually not that bad. But then again, I wouldn't allow anyone under the age of 18 to watch it for their own sanity.

Offender Three

Any film depicting rape is at once worthy of the R18 sticker. Ironically, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was originally rated R16 when it was released in cinemas. However, when it was released on DVD and a lot more people started seeing it, it started receiving a lot of complaints for it's brutality, and about a month or two after the DVD was released, the rating was changed, and instead of just containing "sexual violence" it got changed to "brutal sexual violence". I'm actually glad the movie got moved up to such a rating, because that rape scene, in itself, is so graphic that it shouldn't really be seen by the young. But I could take it...twice. Apart from the rape scene, there are a few graphic murder-themed tales and scenes, as it's a very dark film. Other than that, there isn't much to complain about. I still wouldn't recommend that anyone my age watch it, though, because I know that people three times my age can't handle it.
The effect it is supposed to have on young kiddies like me: 'Men who Hate Women': the original title pretty much sums it up.
Actual effect on me: Even though it looks like a lot of shit goes down there, I still really really really wanna go to Sweden.
The R18 verdict: 75%. There are a few really shocking scenes scattered throughout the film, and it is a very hard film to watch.

Offender Four

Again, any movie with a rape scene is worthy of a high rating. The Poker House, a little seen gem starring Jennifer Lawrence before Winter's Bone shot her to fame, has a rather graphic, horrible rape scene in it, which gives it the R18 sticker fair and square. Like, after I saw that one scene, I just about wanted to shoot myself. It was freaking depressing to see someone who looks as fragile as Jennifer Lawrence being tormented by a big hulking guy. Other than that, the movie only has a bit of swearing, some violence, underage smoking/drug use and it's a little bit emotionally scarring. I'd totally recommend the movie though, especially coz I think I'm the only who has seen it.
The effect it is supposed to have on young kiddies like me: I guess I should probably want to smoke more.
Actual effect on me: I learnt to stay away from my Mum's pimp. Except she doesn't have a pimp, so that lesson is pretty much useless.
The R18 verdict: 30%. The rape scene is the only thing that gets this movie the R18 rating.

Offender Five

The last R18 film I have chosen is Kick-Ass, one of my favourite movies, and one that I could watch over and over again. This rating is rubbish. I believe, if a film is to be an R18, it should have swearing, sex, lots of violence and it should be emotionally scarring. Okay, so Kick-Ass uses the word 'fuck' probably 200 times. That's R16 level, to me. There ain't much sex in this movie, as such, but there are a lot of suggestions about that matter. I think it's the violence that gets the film such a high rating, because the only reason I can think of as to why this movie would possibly be damaging is when Nicolas Cage is burning alive going "TAAAAAAAAKE COVERRRRR CHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILD! NOW SWITCH. TO KRYPTONIIIIIIIIIITEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Yes, that was emotionally scarring. However, the violence is gloriously giddy and it's really happy just throwing around blood. What really hangs me up though is that people get really pissed when they hear someone young like Chloe Moretz using the foul language she does, because that's not okay. But yet she can kill around five people in one scene with her own bare hands and no one bats an eyelash. Because swearing is worse than killing people.
The effect it is supposed to have on young kiddies like me: I shall want to wear a funny costume and going around killing bad people. I might want to swear all the time. I should probably get the wrong idea about superheroism.
Actual effect on me: Like Nicolas CAGE I have learnt TO put emphasis on THE wrong WORDS. I also MUST now name every CAT I see Mr. BITEY.
The R18 verdict: 10%. The violence is definitely at an R18 level, but I'm pretty sure everyone my age can handle it. Same goes for the swearing. Swearing is nothing to me anymore, as I'm pretty sure there aren't as many different swear words as their used to be.

Other notable R18 films I have seen which actually haven't really affected me:
Pulp Fiction, Fight Club, Machete, Reservoir Dogs, Se7en, Unthinkable, The Killer Inside Me, Perfect Blue, Harry Brown, Brooklyn's Finest, Women in Trouble, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, The Wackness.Plus, I'm a huge fan of True Blood, which is probably the biggest offender of all when it comes to the R18 sticker.

So, the point is, the R18 rating is merely a warning. People know that it isn't going to be all fluffy unicorns dancing on rainbows because it's rated the highest possible censorship rating. And half the time, the content doesn't even match the rating. Bottom line is, when I finally turn 16, I'll be over the moon because I can finally go to R16 movies. When I turn 18, I'll be excited for...other stuff.

Reviews Round Up: Black Death, The Switch, Cyrus, The Poker House (post #500!)

Can you believe it? I'm at post number 500 already. I believe 100 posts ago it was Christmas Day. Anyhoo, here are some quick paragraph long reviews on what I have seen in the past week:

Black Death

Yeah, while America has just got this in limited release at the theatres, we in NZ have had this on DVD since November. It was sitting in the preview drawer so I decided to give it a spin, and surprisingly, I liked it. The film is pretty much set in the times when the bubonic plague was just starting, and through word of mouth it is revealed that there is a village with a woman who has the power to bring people back to life. A group of men decide to search for this village, but when they come to it, there's something more sinister about the place. This movie was pretty gruesome (I mean, one guy in the film literally gets ripped in half), and it sure held a few surprises. It wasn't at all perfect, but it was surprisingly interesting in many places. It was also extremely religious and more gothic horror than I expected. Maybe I should stop doubting the quality of films in that preview drawer.

What I expected:

What I got:

The Switch

One of the most popular kind of movie out there at the moment is the good old Jennifer Aniston comedy. Just after that another popular movie type is one about artificial insemination. Jennifer Aniston+Artificial insemination=POPULARITY! Not even. I thought that having Jason Bateman in this movie would make this LOL-worthy but lordy, I don't think I even laughed. This movie was so bland and too over dramatic. I still think Jason Bateman has credibility, though. As for the Aniston...well, this movie was better than such outings as The Bounty Hunter and Love Happens. Just one more thing: what were Patrick Wilson and Juliette Lewis doing in such a film? This movie had such a killer cast, and I must admit, Lewis was pretty funny (just not laughable funny) and definitely made a stand out. The end really pissed me off. Like, I could have pretty much guessed that from the very beginning.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

Cyrus

I kinda didn't feel Cyrus. I quite liked the movie, but it felt really slight. Like it felt as if I was going to forget it straight after the credits rolled. I don't like that feeling. However, I do remember it for the slightly strange relationship between mother and son Jonah Hill and Marisa Tomei. Jeez, that was beautifully played out by those two actors. John C. Reilly was brilliant and as confused as I was about these two, and I genuinely liked the way the characters interacted with each other. But several times during the movie I felt like switching it off and going to sleep (funny thing was, I finished watching this at 10.30pm-ish, and didn't end up getting to sleep until 12.30am). That's not saying it was a bad movie. It was just that the movie wasn't as witty or as electric as I had hoped it would be. The performances really got me through.

What I hoped for:

What I got:

The Poker House

Heard of The Poker House? I'm impressed. Haven't? Well, it stars Jennifer Lawrence, who recently got Oscar nominated for her performance in Winter's Bone, Selma Blair as her junkie mother and Chloe Moretz, who, of course, was Hit-Girl in Kick-Ass and is a part of the young taking over Hollywood. Basically, this was a precursor to Moretz and Lawrence's rise to stardom in 2010. Lawrence, particularly, was amazing. Here she plays a 14 year old who is living in a world of sex, drugs and near poverty, feeling like she ain't good enough for anything. Her performance is so heart breaking that it literally lifts the movie from the same old same old mould it has come from. It is based on the life experiences of actress Lori Petty, who wrote and directed the film quite well. I was surprised by this movie, as I thought it would just be an average thriller that came straight out of the preview drawer. Again, I should expect more from these movies. This one was brilliant.

What I hoped for:

What I got: