Independent Films

It’s no secret that Hollywood films often lack the depth of independent motion pictures. While there are exceptions to the rule, movies made within the Hollywood scene generally resemble products off an assembly line: they are undistinguished material made for the masses. Unfortunately, these films (while extremely popular) are stripped of any sort of artistic merit or creative risk. On the other hand, independent movies are the flip side of the coin. Known as “art films” in certain circles, these pictures relish in their own uniqueness.

"The Artist" won the Oscar for Best Picture of 2011. It is a throwback to the silent era of movies.

Unbound by conventional Hollywood “guidelines”; independent filmmakers make up their own rules and focus on the “art” side of the movie business. As a result, indie films feel profoundly personal. One of the most powerful films I've ever seen was Darren Aronofsky’s “The Wrestler”, a film which earned Mickey Rourke an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The movie is about an aging professional wrestler whose glory days are long gone. Suffering from old age and loneliness, Randy (Rourke) makes a last ditch effort to salvage relationships and find some peace in this world. The film is gritty and unflinching, and feels very true to life.

Mickey Rourke and director Darren Aronofsky on the set of "The Wrestler".

What I love most about independent films is their intimacy that big-budget movies lack. Some are character studies that feel authentic in their depiction of the real world. “The Wrestler” doesn’t have a happy ending. In fact, it is a very sad film that almost brought me to tears. Where dramatic Hollywood films can seem manufactured; independents feel almost organic in comparison. They feel “alive” because of their emphasis on character, time and place. Another great indie, “Crazy Heart”, is about a down-and-out country singer set in the American Southwest. It is a film that accurately captures the look and feel of the region by being shot on-location.   



Jeff Bridges won the Academy Award for his portrayal of a down-and-out country singer in "Crazy Heart".

Just a few weeks ago, I watched "Shame" at the Bijou theater located inside Crossroads Mall. It's a powerful, harrowing film about sexual addiction that earned an NC-17 for explicit sexuality. The movie stars Michael Fassbender as a successful New Yorker who suffers from the sickness. The picture is uncompromising and bleak in its depiction of the subject matter. I found it to be sad and true, if not very enjoyable (how could it be?!). Independent films are projects of passion that revel in creativity and artitisic expression. And since I am a movie nut, I'm always interested in seeing one.



Michael Fassbender portrays a man who suffers from sexual addiction in "Shame".