Weekly Alternatives: 'The Station Agent,' 'The Music Never Stopped' and 'Frailty'
Don't like the major theatrical offerings, try these instead
| The Station Agent |
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| You'd probably recognize Tom McCarthy as a pretty reliable character actor from blockbusters like 2012 and Meet the Parents, but as a writer-director he has also asserted himself as one of independent film's most refreshing voices in recent years. His third film, Win Win, opens in a handful of theaters today and I'm not afraid to call it the first great film of 2011. If you live in New York or Los Angeles, go see it. It's that simple. If not, be patient. I predict it will have a long and successful theatrical run, much like The Kids Are All Right had last year. In the meantime, you might as well familiarize yourself with McCarthy's work. I'm sure many of you have seen The Visitor, McCarthy's 2007 offering that earned lead actor Richard Jenkins an Oscar nomination. I actually prefer his 2003 debut, The Station Agent. It's the sweet story of a man born with dwarfism (Peter Dinklage), pried out of a life of solitude by two strangers after his only friend dies. It also showcases the considerable talents of Bobby Cannivale, a truly hilarious scene stealer in Win Win. | |
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| The Music Never Stopped |
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| I was lucky enough to see The Music Never Stopped the week it premiered at Sundance. It was actually picked up by Roadside Attractions prior to the festival, and it opens in 32 theaters today. Though it can be a bit fluffy at times, the outstanding cast (including J.K. Simmons, Cara Seymour, Julia Ormond and Lou Taylor Pucci) keeps it from feeling like made-for-TV fare. It also didn't hurt they somehow managed to obtain the rights to songs from Bob Dylan, The Beatles and The Grateful Dead, just to name a few. It's well worth seeking out. | |
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| Frailty |
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| Given Matthew McConaughey's apparent venture back into serious acting, I found it appropriate to recommend one of his better films. A Time To Kill seemed like an obvious choice, but one we've discussed a lot in the past few weeks. So I went with Frailty, my favorite McConaughey flick and the gutsiest performance of his career. He stars as a man confessing to a series of murders he committed as a boy along with his father (Bill Paxton, also making his directing debut), convinced they were doing God's work by killing off "demons." This used to get a lot of play on late-night cable. I really wish they'd bring it back into rotation. | |
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And if for some reason you haven't seen The Fighter yet, get ahold of it by any means necessary. Rent, buy, steal or borrow. It's only my favorite movie of 2010 for crying out loud!
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Frailty is a great concept and well done… it's a shame it never found an audience when it was released.
I really enjoy this column, thanks for the recommendations. Will definately check out Station Agent and Frailty in the next couple weeks.
Frailty is awesome. A completely forgotten film.
nice to see Frality get some props, I love this movie and would constantly reecommend it while working at Rogers video when it was released