Lame Mainstream, Hot Indies

Just read an article entitled “Worst Weekend Box Office in Years..”  Here’s the link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/09/worst-weekend-box-office_n_1868916.html

So what’s out there now? The Words (a writer steals another person’s work- Dullsville) and The Cold Light of Day (a family is kidnapped and secret agents are looking for a briefcase- Clicheville).

Contrast that to the independent films now showing or will very soon.

First, there’s David Cronenberg’s new film Cosmopolis, an adaptation of Don DeLillo’s novel. Here’s the link to the movie website: http://cosmopolis-movie.com/

Coming September 14th

Detropia is coming soon. Detroit is on the brink of dissolving as a city. Detropia documents the rise, demise, and potential abandonment of Detroit. The story is universal to all decaying cities in America. Here’s the link: http://www.detropiathefilm.com

Coming September 21st.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s new film The Master looks, well, masterful. Philip Seymour Hoffman gets better and better with age, not to mention Joaquin Phoenix. Here’s the link: http://www.themasterfilm.com/

Finally, top that off with September 21st and 22nd midnight showings of Iron Sky. Here’s the link:  http://www.ironsky.net/

There are awesome movies out there, you just have to know where to look- not at a mainstream theater.

A Dangerous Method Movie Review

Barb and I go to matinees at our local art-house movie theatre, the Main in Royal Oak, a lot during the winter. On Sunday there may be six or seven people during a screening (we’re not complaining- we generally have the place to ourselves). We expected the same last Sunday when we went to see the new David Cronenberg film, A Dangerous Method. THE LINE WOUND AROUND THE LOBBY and the concession stand may have run out of popcorn. I was pleasantly surprised that so many David Cronenberg fans abound. If this afternoon crowd was an indicator, A Dangerous Method may be Cronenberg’s most successful movie to date, and I’m thrilled.

One Line Synopsis

Carl Jung hooks up with a chick who gets off by getting spanked while Sigmund Freud simmers with jealousy.

Director

David Cronenberg

Screenplay

Christopher Hampton based on John Kerr’s book A Most Dangerous Method.

Standout Actors

Keira Knightly (convincingly disturbed) as Sabina and Michael Fassbender as Carl Jung.

Best Bit Part

The servant holding the silver platter of food during dinner with Sigmund Freud and family.

Two scenes in the film (aside from Knightly’s jaw-jutting, psycho moments) stood out for me. The first is where Freud is put in his social-strata place when he and Jung board the ship bound for America. Jung is escorted to a stateroom while Freud travels second class. This deepens the rift between them. The second and most profound moment for me is when Jung explains the difference between Freud’s world view and his own. Freud wants his patients to understand the world in order to live in it. Jung wants his patients to understand who they are or were in order to become who they want to be. I opt for the Jungian point of view.

 Grade: A