Showing posts with label indie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label indie. Show all posts

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Review: (500) Days of Summer

2009
Directed by: Marc Webb
Written by: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Zooey Deschanel, Geoffrey Arend, Chloe Moretz

(500) Days of Summer is a lovely little film about breaking up (yes, it's not a love story). I loved the use of anachronistic storytelling, it actually drew you in more instead of being confusing. Plus, it's kind of the way you think about the past - not usually in chronological order like a traditional story, and there's the 'oh wait right that happened' aspect.

Gordon-Levitt is adorable and so is Deschanel... their interactions make a lot of sense and seem so realistic. They're both somewhat average characters - as in, you probably know people like that. The message is mostly that yeah, there will be girls (or guys) like Summer who will be total bitches, but in the end life doesn't end when the relationship does. There are other people out there.

The movie reminded me of one of my all-time favorites, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It was similarly quirky and disjointed, though not quite as weird. There are also little tidbits that push it to that next level, like the 'author's note' in the beginning, and Tom's friend's comment that "you should turn it into a novel." Kind of great.

Grade: A

PS - Awesome soundtrack, too. Two Regina Spektor song including "Us" which might be my favorite of hers, the Smiths, and a bunch of indie stuff I'd never heard before but really liked.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

What I'm Listening to Now: Tegan and Sara

Jeff got me into Tegan and Sara (as he has gotten me into many other great things) recently. They're sisters, and they make fabulous music. It's kind of indie pop/folk, and it's breathtaking. Also they're Canadian, in case you wanted to know. Now the music:


Speak Slow, which is a pretty cool song.

Here's a live video for Take Me Anywhere, which I really love.

I just love their voices and their writing, and the way that most of the songs are so understated since the music is so simple. Beautiful! Now, go forth and find ye more!