IMDb Picks: 5 Indie Movies for May
Each month we turn a spotlight on the indie films we most want to see. This May, a Star Wars documentary and the latest from writer/director Whit Stillman are at the top of our list.
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- DirectorJon SpiraStarsPaul BlakeJeremy BullochJohn ChapmanActors and extras reminisce about their time on the set of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) and how making the film affected their lives.With affection and nostalgia for Star Wars at a record high, thanks to the success of The Force Awakens, this unassuming documentary couldn't have arrived at a better time for fans of the enduring film franchise. Instead of focusing on household names and familiar faces, this movie takes a look at 10 bit actors and extras on the set of A New Hope — small roles, to be sure. But the film's impact on these folks' lives was immeasurable, in profound and subtle ways, from the man who wore Darth Vader's costume to the actor who plays the much talked-about Greedo. — Bret
Opens in limited release Friday, May 6 - DirectorWhit StillmanStarsKate BeckinsaleChloë SevignyXavier SamuelLady Susan Vernon takes up temporary residence at her in-laws' estate and, while there, is determined to be a matchmaker for her daughter Frederica--and herself too, naturally.Writer-director Whit Stillman just enjoyed a Criterion Collection release of his first three movies, and his latest project, a period piece — though one could argue his approach to writing dialogue has always felt from a different era — features the reunion of his Last Days of Disco co-stars Kate Beckinsale and Chloe Sevigny. Some of my favorite reviewers have called this one of the best Jane Austen adaptations they've ever seen, with Beckinsale, Sevigny, and Stillman in the finest form of their respective careers. — Arno
Opens in limited release Friday, May 13 - DirectorJosh KriegmanElyse SteinbergStarsAnthony WeinerHuma AbedinJordan Zain WeinerAn examination of disgraced New York Congressman Anthony Weiner's mayoral campaign and today's political landscape.For a couple of election cycles, no politician found himself more ensnared in the media's clutches than disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner. This documentary, which snagged the Grand Jury Prize at this year's Sundance, takes a sobering and up-close look at the New Yorker's road back to cultural relevance and personal rehabilitation during the 2013 New York City mayoral race. And in this election year, Weiner's story might serve as a delightful distraction from the other larger-than-life figures currently dominating the political stage. — Bret
Opens in limited release Friday, May 20 - DirectorWill AllenStarsWill AllenDimitrius PulidoPhillipe CoquetAn inside look at Buddhafield, a West Hollywood cult formed by a charismatic teacher in the 1980s that eventually imploded.I love reading the histories of Southern California cults (see also The Source Family) and know very little about the Buddhafield, the spiritual group of which director Will Allen was a member for two decades and where he served, among other roles, as its official videographer. The movie generated a lot of talk at Sundance not just because of its subject matter but because Allen, who was finalizing interviews up until the premiere, took an initial 'anonymous' credit for the project as not to jeopardize his on camera sitdowns with former members. — Arno
Opens in limited release Friday, May 20 - DirectorAthina Rachel TsangariStarsVangelis MourikisNikos OrfanosYorgos PirpassopoulosA fishing trip in the Aegean Sea among a sextet of friends becomes the perfect setting for a relentless contest of male dominance. Everything can spark a fierce competition; but, only one can wear the precious chevalier. Who will it be?A female director examining the male ego? I'm in. Writer-director Athina Rachel Tsangari also made Attenberg, which co-starred Yorgos Lanthimos, director of Dogtooth and The Lobster. Tsangari's work flies under the radar compared to those of her contemporaries, though I love seeing that the movie won a few "Best Undistributed Film" festival awards before Strand Releasing picked it up. — Arno
Opens in limited release Friday, May 27