A little experimental sleeper hit and a claymation.
Third up is Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's 2010 "Howl." I think I
just accidentally happened on this movie one night last year. It turned
out to be surprisingly really good. It's probably
in my top 15 for that year. James Franco (an actor in everything
nowadays) stars as Allen Ginsberg. I call the film experimental because
of the way it explores the life and poem ("Howl") of Allen Ginsberg.
It's nonlinear, it re-enacts Ginsberg's performance of "Howl" (as well
as interprets some of it with animation), and it shows Ginsberg's life
before and after (during the 1957 obscenity trial) writing "Howl." Fans
of beatniks and this time period won't want to miss this. Ignore the
naysayers! This is a fantastic celebration of what cinema and poetry can
do. You'll be surprised about how good it is; I was! It's leaving
Netflix Instant by the 15th, so, hurry, hurry, hurry!
Fourth up
is the Australian, dark-comedy, claymation, "Mary and Max" made by Adam
Elliot in 2009. Come to think of it, this was another little sleeper
hit that I just seemed to happen upon. It's pretty funny in a dark sort
of way. Poor little Australian Mary does not have much going for her.
Her father is a drunk, her mother is a klepto, and she's got quite the
birthmark on her forehead. One day she decides to write to someone in
New York. She selects Max (voiced by Philip Seymour Hoffman) randomly.
Max also does not have much going for him. He's obese, he has anxiety
attacks, and he has Asperger's syndrome. However, he eventually decides
to write little Mary back and the two become close friends. The rest of
the film follows their odd, sweet, and funny relationship over a few
decades. This animation is probably not for the kiddies, but I'm sure
many adults will enjoy. Check it out on Netflix Instant before they get
rid of another 1800 streamers! Also, it's in black and white! How cool
is that!?
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