Indie Picks: 6 Movies on Our July Radar
Here are some of the indie, foreign, and documentary movies we want to see this month.
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6 titles
- DirectorEric WeinribStarsRoseanne BarrMichael MooreRosie O'DonnellComedian Roseanne Barr embarks on the most off-the-rails presidential campaign in U.S. history. What begins as a political journey becomes a raw and revealing portrait of a comedic icon.This documentary, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, chronicles Roseanne Barr's campaign for the White House. Sure, she knows she has no chance of winning, but her candidacy provides the canvas from which we get to see a very outspoken and original thinker muse on culture, politics, her career, and her life. Joining her along for the ride are a host of celebrated and accomplished women in their own right, who help to put Roseanne's significance as a comedian and personality in interesting perspective. No, it's not the Roseanne Barr you came to love in the 1990s. But it's a Roseanne who's evolved tremendously and adopted new contours. And she remains unafraid as ever. — Bret
Opens in limited release on Friday, July 1 - DirectorRoger Ross WilliamsStarsOwen SuskindCornelia SuskindRon SuskindA coming-of-age story about a boy and his family who overcame great challenges by turning Disney animated movies into a language to express love, loss, kinship and brotherhood.Oscar-winning documentarian Roger Ross Williams stresses that this is not a story about a young man with autism; instead, it's a universal story about the power of film to transform lives. Anything that can tamp down my cynicism at this point in life, I'm fully behind. And this story, however you choose to view it, looks life-affirming. — Arno
Opens in limited release on Friday, July 1 - DirectorAlex SimmonsStarsDavid GiuntoliFlula BorgClaire CoffeeWhen a former child actor is dumped by his fiancé days before the wedding, his excitable German best man takes him on the honeymoon instead: a backcountry trek in the remote mountains of Oregon.The premise of the movie shouldn't strike you as unfamiliar: Guy gets jilted, and well-meaning best friend swoops in to help pick up the pieces. The promise of this particular rendition? The chemistry between "Grimm" headliner David Giuntoli, who stars as the recently dumped chump, and Flula Borg, late of Pitch Perfect 2, who plays the hapless but earnest would-be best man to a tee, not to mention the Oregon wilderness as their backdrop. Think East (Germany) meets (Pacific North)West. — Bret
Opens in limited release on Friday, July 1 - DirectorSusanna WhiteStarsCarlos AcostaRadivoje BukvicStellan SkarsgårdA couple finds themselves lured into a Russian oligarch's plans to defect, and are soon positioned between the Russian Mafia and the British Secret Service, neither of whom they can trust.Though I doubt this will compare with the recent "The Night Manager," fellow John le Carré fans know that adaptations of his work are typically worth a watch, and I'm one of those people who will watch Naomie Harris in anything. That said, it's hard to take my focus off of Damian Lewis when watching the trailer since he's showing indications of scenery-chewing in the best possible way. — Arno
Opens in limited release on Friday, July 1 - DirectorHeidi EwingRachel GradyStarsNorman LearJohn AmosBea ArthurA look at the life, work and political activism of one of the most successful television producers of all time, Norman Lear.You start to form words about Norman Lear, and you remember that he's the writer, and you're just staggered by his contributions to culture and history. So it's fine to state, quite simply, that any documentary on his work is going to serve as a reminder that he was the greatest creative mind to ever make television, and there's so much more to the man than just that singular accomplishment.
Opens in limited release on Friday, July 8 - DirectorSteven Caple Jr.StarsJorge Lendeborg Jr.Moises AriasRafi GavronFour teenage boys in Cleveland, Ohio pursue dreams of professional skateboarding over the summer to escape inner city life but entanglement with a local crime boss endangers their brotherhood and lives.Director Steven Caple Jr. has been riding a high since his first movie premiered at Sundance earlier this year, where it earned strong reviews. This doesn't seem to be a case of festival hype that might ultimately seem unwarranted. Instead, The Land — slang for Cleveland, where these aspiring pro skateboarder kids live — has been praised for its characters, atmosphere, and authenticity. Not seen in the trailer: any glimpse of Momma, the drug queen-pin played by Linda Emond to whom the main characters must answer. I hear Momma is like no one you've ever seen or observed. — Arno
Opens in limited release on Friday, July 29