#8
7 Chinese Brothers
Dir. Bob Byington
I have only seen Bob Byington‘s previous film Somebody Up There Likes Me (at a previous SXSW), and despite it not fully coming together narratively, I could tell Byington had a very unique sense of humor and style which I did thoroughly enjoy. Here, he has Jason Schwartzman as his lead, and I am very interested to see how Byington’s material meshes with Schwartzman’s voice. I think the two could match up extremely well. And I look forward to seeing how he has changed as a storyteller, if at all.
Jason Schwartzman portrays Larry, an inebriated sad sack who rides a tide of booze onto the shores of an undiscriminating Quick-Lube. The only bright spot is probably his boss, Lupe (Eleanore Pienta).
Will Larry keep it together long enough to win the girl, provide for his French bulldog (Schwartzman’s real-life dog Arrow), laze about with his friend Major (TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe), and do his cantankerous grandmother (Olympia Dukakis) proud?
#7
Adult Beginners
Dir. Ross Katz
Ross Katz has a pretty good resumé as a producer, with Lost in Translation and In the Bedroom, the latter being pretty great and the former being one of my favorite films of all time. This is Katz first time as a feature director (he did direct the pretty good TV movie Taking Chance with Kevin Bacon). Marry that with a story by the hilarious Nick Kroll (who also stars in the film), and you certainly have me in the theater. Also, Rose Byrne. She’s great always.
Adult Beginners begins with one yuppie’s disaster. On the eve of the product launch designed to shoot his career into the stratosphere, Jake discovers that, because of a single misstep, his life has plummeted into the dirt. Having lost his girlfriend, his credibility, and over $2.5 million in investor money, Jake retreats to the one place where he’s always welcome: his childhood home, which is now occupied.
#6
Ned Rifle
Dir. Hal Hartley
I am, unfortunately, a complete neophyte when it comes to Hal Hartley. The man has been making films for decades, and I really don’t have an excuse for not seeing one. So, Ned Rifle playing at SXSW gives me the perfect opportunity to see what this guy is all about. I have no idea what to expect with Hartley’s style, which makes this rather exciting. The film also features Aubrey Plaza and Parker Posey, and that certainly doesn’t hurt my anticipation in the slightest. I look forward to finally checking Hartley off my list.
At once a saga concerning the Grim family of Woodside Queens and how their lives are turned upside down by the arrival of the self-proclaimed genius, Henry Fool, the trilogy is also an illustration of America’s grappling with ideas, art, politics, and religion over the course of twenty years. In this swiftly paced and expansive conclusion, Henry and Fay’s son, Ned, sets out to find and kill his father for destroying his mother’s life (Parker Posey). But his aims are frustrated by the troublesome, sexy, and hilarious Susan (Aubrey Plaza).
#5
The Final Girls
Dir. Todd Strauss-Schulson
SXSW always proves a good places for fun genre twists. Last year, there was The Guest. A couple of years prior was The Cabin in the Woods. This year, it may be The Final Girls. The high-concept premise, which you can read below, sounds like it could make for quite a bit of fun if handled properly. I never saw A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas, so I don’t know what director Todd Strauss-Schulson can bring to the table. But the premise has me in. The film also stars Taissa Farmiga who from the slate of films is looking to be the breakout star of the fest (more on here later).
The Final Girls is an unconventional comedy about Max, a high school senior, who is mysteriously transported with her friends into a 1980s horror film that starred Max’s mother, a celebrated scream queen.
Trapped inside the movie, Max finds herself reunited with her mom, who she lost in real life. Together with Max’s friends, they must fend off the camp counselors’ raging hormones, battle a deranged machete-wielding killer and find a way to escape the movie and make it back home.
#4
The Overnight
Dir. Patrick Brice
The Overnight premiered at Sundance in January, and all the reviews I’ve seen for it have been rather pleasant. I am typically not one for sex comedies, but the setup to this one sounds promising. Taylor Schilling, Adam Scott, and Jason Schwartzman (popping up again) are all very high quality performers, and I look forward to seeing how they play off one another. As a guy who focuses a lot on performance in a film, getting an ensemble together to see what they do is really entertaining for me. So, I hope this one turns out to be worthwhile… and funny.
Alex, Emily and their son RJ are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte and Max. A family “playdate” becomes increasingly interesting as the night goes on.
