FILM FESTIVAL - SXSW, "Sorry Thanks"
Yes, the South By Southwest (SXSW) film festival is nearly upon us. It's the next prominent American film festival on the annual festival calendar, right after the granddaddy of them all, the Sundance Film Festival.
And just as I did with Sundance, I've scrubbed the list of films accepted into SXSW, in search of any black faces in front of and/or behind the film cameras. But unlike Sundance this year, SXSW doesn't have much to offer in that regard, compared to last year's edition of the Austin, TX-based festival, where Barry Jenkins' Medicine For Melancholy made its debut, on its way to an eventual IFC distribution pick-up!
One film that fits the bill from this year's selection, is the "Mumblecore" produced Sorry, Thanks, a film I first heard about almost a year ago, but didn't pay much attention to. I recall stumbling across the film's website then; however there was little info for me to swallow at the time.
The film stars newcomer, Kenya Miles, and Willey Wiggins, both pictured in the image above.
The synopsis is as follows:
"Sorry, Thanks" is an un-romantic comedy about two people who are glad they met, sorry they slept together, and self-destructive enough to “keep in touch." Upon visiting her ex-boyfriend's apartment to collect her belongings, Kira (Kenya Miles) launches into the dating scene for the first time in years and fixates immediately on the disheveled Max (Wiley Wiggins). Disaster looms when Max (who already has a girlfriend) decides to dabble in two new pursuits: an obsessive-tending interest in Kira, and the mystery of whether he may in fact be an ass. Kira, meanwhile, continues bewildered: fighting to win a job she's far too smart for, then sabotaging her only meaningful romantic prospect when her best friend lays it on the line.
By the way, like Medicine For Melancholy, Sorry, Thanks was shot entirely in San Francisco.
From the looks of the trailer, it looks like yet another indie romantic comedy, full of stock quirky characters, in their 20s/early 30s, naturalistic dialogue, seemingly mostly improvised, and, of course, likely shot with a hand-held prosumer digital camcorder.
Kudos to the filmmakers for their accomplishment; but, I can't say that I'll be rushing to see this one, if it ever reaches a theatre near me.
I'm calling for a moratorium on the indie romantic comedy/relationship movie! They all start to look the same after awhile.
The film's website: http://www.sorrythanksfilm.com/
Here's its trailer:
For the full list of films scheduled to screen at SXSW next month, go to http://www.sxsw.com/.
The film festival runs from March 13th to the 21st.
BASTA!
FYI: the lead actor, Wiley Wiggins, was the freshman Affleck tormented in Dazed and Confused.
I'll pass. Looks extremely annoying, like the characters in the film
Thought his name (Wiley Wiggins) was familiar, but I didn't bother looking him up.
I think it's time for a Mumblecore parody film. Who's with me?
I can never get enough of those quirky "indie romantic comedy/relationship movies". Nope, nope, nope. They like totally rock my world (at least when they're good).
GB - HAHA! Great idea! I think that would actually attract lots of eyeballs. Or maybe some kind of spoken humorous faux critical essay dubbed over scenes from Mumblecore films. Do it!
SOL - Boooo :o)
Haha! Long live mumblecore.
Maybe this IS a mumblecore parody film? Where does it say it's "mumblecore"? And totally, "the freshman"!! He so much older. Didn't recognize him. He looks like he's funny here, actually. And that girl looks like the real deal.
I think it's a little fucked that every filmmaker under 40 is getting stuck with the 'mumblecore' label just because they help each other out. Every generation of filmmakers have collaborated to some degree, that doesn't mean that they're all part of some movement. Now anytime someone makes a non-studio funded movie that doesn't have rocketships and kung-fu ninjas in it, it's 'mumblecore'. Some people are actually still interested in movies about people and events that might actually happen in real life.
I don't think anyone is tarring all sub-quadragenarian filmmakers as Mumblecore. No one is calling Ballast or Push Mumblecore. But when you make urban (in the true sense of the word, not as a euphemism for black) romantic comedies focusing on over-educated, under-employed people floundering in neurotic inertia, then that does seem like Mumblecore.
So I don't think any film not directed by Michael Bay or focusing on "real life" is Mumblecore. But "Sorry, Thanks" which even features Andrew Bujalski, does fit the category. Maybe its a good film, but it is clearly related to this movement.