Camden New Journal - Movies: Pick of the indies

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The Review - AT THE MOVIES with WILLIAM HALL
Published: 24 May 2007

Pick of the Indies

THERE’S a noir-ish tinge to my picks this week which I am entirely unrepentant for. If, for some reason, you don’t like your films on the dark side, with moody visuals, cracking dialogue and a labyrinthine plot, look away now.
Starting with one of the darkest: Chinatown, Roman Polanski’s twisted, tortuous and deeply satisfying homage to the genre is at the Barbican on Saturday and has knockout performances from Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and a sinister John Huston (director father of Angelica).
Babel, the final – and best – film in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s ‘death trilogy’ ( the others are Amores Perros and 21 Grams) is at the Prince Charles this week. Not strictly film noir – more the bastard child of noir and Italian neo-realism, Iñárritu’s film is stunning for its moral complexity and depth of humanity.
Lantana, Jindabyne director Ray Lawrence’s earlier work, is part of an Aussie double-bill at the Phoenix on Sunday. Like Babel, it’s a darkly multi-layered film with a brilliant script and fine ensemble cast that shouldn’t be missed.

Fans of US and Canadian indie films can look forward to the Declaration of Independence festival, which opens in Bloomsbury’s Renoir cinema on June 1. Running until June 7, highlights include the British debut of immigration drama Sweet Land, and Vancouver-set comedy Everything’s Gone Green, the screenwriting debut of Generation X novelist Douglas Coupland.

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