We reviewed these two indies a few weeks ago, here they are in basically the same form, possibly a few tweaks with perspective, but our thoughts haven’t changed on them and neither have the grades. Both these film open in limited New York, Los Angeles on August 1. Presumably (and hopefully) they expand after that.
Frozen River (full review)
What is it about some indie filmmakers, and many of that Sundance mien, that want to torture you with the abject misery that befalls their already down and out hard luck characters? “Frozen River,” the big Grand Jury Prize winner at Sundance 08, definitely falls into this category of witnessing near-tragedy and accursed fortune befall people that already have it pretty rough. Set in frozen, upstate New York, Melissa Leo (best known as Benicio Del Toro’s tortured wife in “21 Grams”) plays a rode hard and put away wet single mom who leads a hardscrabble life trying to fend for her two kids. Mounting debt, despondency and a deadbeat husband soon lead her to a scamming Native American girl (a revelatory Misty Upham) involved in a cross-border illegal alien smuggling operation over the frozen St. Lawrence river into Canada. With the law closely watching, the proposition is ludicrously risky, but the temptation to score and balance that makings-ends-meet budget is too alluring. At times, ‘River’ is too excruciatingly bleak, but the performances are top-notch and overall the film is a powerful depiction of desperation, but next time, here’s to hoping Hunt gives her characters even the slightest glimmer of hope along the way to redemption. [B]. The film’s score is composed by Winnipeg singer Keri Latimer and features some songs by Pompous Pilate and others.
In Search Of A Midnight Kiss – dir. Alex Holdridge
Have you ever seen a budget indie film that’s simultaneously terrible and charming? Similar to Kevin Smith’s “Clerks” in its wanton trying-to-be-clever amateurish and mumblecore in its DIY (and sometimes endearing) spirit, ‘Midnight Kiss’ chronicles the 24-ish some hours leading up to New Year’s eve and one despondent frageelay, indie kid’s desire to not be alone on New Year’s Eve. Bolstered by an executive producer of “Dazed & Confused” who lent their name to the flick, the movie’s dialogue is sometimes painfully awkward, the presentation is shoddy and clumsy and the whole thing feels like a crude, rookie film school project, yet somehow it reveals a bittersweet winning quality in the end that makes it not entirely worthless. It’s not good, per se, but a cautiously auspicious start. [C] Somehow, this seemingly no-budget film was able to afford an indie-riffic soundtrack by Shearwater, Okkervil River, the Mendoza Line, Sybil and Paleo. [trailer]
Trailer: “Frozen River”
Trailer: “In Search Of A Midnight Kiss”