Indie Watch
By Dan Krovich
May 2, 2013
BoxOfficeProphets.com
VOD Pick of the Week
The First Time
Dave, a high school senior, and Aubrey, a junior from a neighboring school, meet outside of a Friday night party. You can tell they are a bit different than their classmates as they have separated themselves from the debauchery going on inside the house. They have an instant connection, but Dave is in love with a girl who only sees him as a friend, while Aubrey is dating an older guy. Dave is an earnest romantic with his life planned out, while Aubrey is an arty alternative girl who likes to project a cynical, sarcastic, tough image. When the party gets broken up by the cops, Dave walks Aubrey home, which begins the weekend that they spend together off and on.
Though it does not quite reach the same heights, The First Time does work as a John Hughes-esque version of Before Sunrise. A large portion of the movie consists of conversations between the two teens as they discuss modern life, their future, love, and of course sex. While it does technically fall into the teenage sex comedy genre, the material is handled more sensitively than usual, and although the characters speak in movie language banter and monologue that is not exactly naturalistic, their thoughts do feel genuine.
The movie kind of sneaks up on you. At first it is easily possible to find yourself rolling your eyes a bit as the characters spout too perfect dialogue, but they will win you over as Dave’s sincerity breaks down Aubrey’s defenses. The young actors are a big reason the movie works. Dylan O’Brien plays Dave as the type of guy that girls say they want even as they throw themselves at jerks. He is sensitive and vulnerable and actually pays attention to what a girl says because he really cares how they feel. Brittany Robertson as Aubrey reminds me of (a pre-break with sanity) Amanda Bynes, which is actually high praise coming from me.
Considering that the title of the movie telegraphs it, it’s not really a spoiler to say that the weekend culminates in Dave and Aubrey having sex for the first time. This does not turn out to be the climax that they perhaps thought it would be as instead of being the final destination of their relationship, it just creates even more complications. The First Time is a sweet and earnest movie. If you are unable to check your cynicism at the door it probably won’t be the movie for you, but if you can go along with it, it provides a pleasant change of pace.
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New theatrical releases for May 3rd
The Iceman: Oscar nominee Michael Shannon portrays contract killer Richard Kuklinski, who killed over 100 men between 1964 and 1986 in this based on a true story crime thriller. All along, his life as a killer for hire for the mob was kept separate from his life as a seemingly normal family man with his wife and daughters.
Kiss of the Damned: Another addition to the current vampire fascination, Xan Cassavetes’ Kiss of the Damned takes on a notable retro vibe with a nod to 1960s and '70s Euro horror. Djuna is a vampire who, unable to resist the advances of Paolo, a human screenwriter she meets in a video store, eventually sleeps with and turns him. Djuna is one of those conflicted vampires who resist feeding on human blood, but her sister Mimi views humans as disposable blood dispensers. When Mimi shows up, she endangers Djuna and Paolo’s idyllic existence.
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Available at Vudu
Love is All You Need: Susanne Bier follows up her Oscar winning In a Better World with decidedly lighter fare in Love is All You Need, a romantic comedy that serves as an alternative to the recently released The Big Wedding. Philip, a middle aged widower, and Ida, who has just been left by her husband for a younger woman, first meet on a trip to Italy to attend the wedding of his son to her daughter. Bride and groom are not the only romance in the air as the lonely Philip and Ida discover that they may just need each other.
Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s: Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s celebrates the famed Manhattan department store on its 111th anniversary. The landmark has launched the careers of many famous fashion designers and continues to be the place where aspiring designers want to sell their clothes. The documentary features interviews with a bevy of designers and fashion icons, including Oscar de la Renta, Domenico Dolce, Stefano Gabbana, Michael Kors, Vera Wang, Georgina Chapman, Giorgio Armani, and many more who shed light on the impact and history of Bergdorf Goodman.
Something in the Air: Olivier Assayas is on a roll with Summer Hours, Carlos, and now Something in the Air, a semi-autobiographical new feature. Clement Metayer plays Gilles, a graduating high school student in 1968 Paris. It is a time of the rise of the counterculture and the turbulent student movement. Gilles finds himself in conflict as he is more interested in expressing himself through his painting and filmmaking, but he is drawn into escalating political protests by his organizer girlfriend.
What Maisie Knew: Though we try to hide the harsh realities of the adult world from them, kids generally know more about what is going on than we give them credit for. Though written in 1897, Henry James’ novel translates easily into the modern world, told through the eyes of a child whose parents go through a bitter divorce with her stuck in the middle and used as a pawn. What Maisie Knew tells the all too familiar story of a child’s loss of innocence way too young.