Starring: Ben Kingsley, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby
Director: Jonathan Levine
Country: USA
Genre: Dramedy
Coming of age isn’t just for teenagers.
The coming-of-age film can usually be riddled with independent film clichés bogging down any semblance of tenderness the story may hold, but if the film is really driven from a personal place and passion it can usually overcome these obstacles. Such is the case with Jonathan Levine’s The Wackness. The cast is as solid as they come, with strong performances from both experienced veterans (Ben Kingsley = greatest actor ever,) as well as newcomers (the underrated Olivia Thirlby, and under seen Josh Peck.) It’s a tale of first love, a journey into manhood, and a huge slice of nostalgia as it takes place in the mid-nineties and boasts a soundtrack of the greatest era of rap music. Like the best independent dramedies, it balances its quirkiness with its darkness really well, and ultimately creates a portrait of what it was like to take the first step toward growing up at age 18 and at age 50.
Starring: John Cameron Mitchell, Michael Pitt, Andrea Martin
Director: John Cameron Mitchell
Country: USA
Genre: Music
It’s not so much a performance as it is a genesis.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch serves up a bizarre viewing experience that’s half train wreck, half raw emotion, and half heart attack. The result is one and a half times the exploits of a normal film. The character is a bit paradoxical in that on the surface most of the audience shouldn’t be able to connect with a transgender lead singer of a punk rock band from East Berlin… but for whatever unabashed reason, it’s almost impossible not to. It feels outlandish saying it, but Hedwig and the Angry Inch wears its heart on its sleeve, and that opens up an emotional link with the audience that’s unavoidable. Did I mention it’s a rock opera? A performance piece? A pseudo-documentary? The character of Hedwig has so much depth, that John Cameron Mitchell doesn’t create so much of a performance as he does a genesis. I’d been putting this film off for far too long, after too many recommendations, and am finally glad to be recommending it to others.
Starring: Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdu
Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Country: Mexico
Genre: Foreign, Fantasy
The Grimm Bros have nothing on this dark fantasy.
Fairy tales have always been pretty dark at their core. Somewhere along the timeline of passing stories from generation to generation they have become sugar coated to shield children from the horrors of life, (does the current version of Hansel and Gretel have them pushing her into the oven, or do they all sit down and have a democratic discussion about their hardships? I’ve lost track.) With Pan’s Labyrinth, Guillermo Del Toro brings us all back to the reasons fairy tales exist… escapism, metaphors to understand our surroundings, pure hellish childhood delight. It’s as complex as Del Toro’s previous foray into his personal projects, (The Devil’s Backbone,) as it reflects the harsh reality of war with the mysterious curiosity of fantasy. The real star of the film is Del Toro’s imagination and the creations in which it manifests. Not since Jim Henson’s heyday has there been such enchanting creatures.
Starring: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett
Director: David Fincher
Country: USA
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
He was born under unusual circumstances.
David Fincher has brought us some of the darkest tales over the last two decades, which is what makes this film quite of a surprise. While it is certainly dark, it’s more of an undercurrent to a touching and insightful story of a man’s life who was born old and ages backward. It has been compared to Forrest Gump numerous times, understandably, but the two films couldn’t be more different. It’s more than a documentation of an extraordinary character’s life. It’s a dissecting exploration on old age, youth, death, life, and everything that matters in between. Though it’s obvious why Brad Pitt was cast, he definitely pulls his weight and puts in a terrific performance, but this film is just further proof that Cate Blanchett is disgustingly talented.
Starring: Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl
Director: Judd Apatow
Country: USA
Genre: Comedy
It’s all fun and games until someone pops a baby out.
After his 2004 gem The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Judd sharpened his hooks to sink into a more mature story with immature characters. Apatow and gang know how to craft a crude yet insightful coming of age comedy that can glide between its main character tripping on mushrooms to the fear that comes from having a child. Few films that attempt their hand at both comedic and dramatic can boast success, but then there definitely aren’t enough that give it their all. Knocked Up does, and there’s no question whether or not it works because it all just feels so natural. Most of the funniest comedies, and even some of the most dramatic films could find here a lesson in genuineness.
Starring: The best ensemble ever.
Director: Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris
Country: USA
Genre: Comedy
Not to be confused with the writings of Roger Hargreaves, as I’m pretty confident there wasn’t a character with heroine addiction in the series.
It’s not easy being a dramedy. So few films can balance outrageous comedy with personal character drama and pull it off. If not done properly, this hybrid will end up somewhere not too funny and not too emotional. Little Miss Sunshine handles both extreme ends of the spectrum with so much care that it makes the extravagant humor hysterical and the quiet moments of self-realization heart-breaking. We follow this family of six on a road trip from New Mexico to California to allow their quirky young daughter compete in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. Little do they know, it’ll be a trip both The Griswolds and Timothy Hutton would(n’t) envy.
Starring: Hugh Grant, Toni Collette, Nicholas Hoult
Director: Paul Weitz, Chris Weitz
Country: USA, UK
Genre: Comedy
About a Boy is a story of two boys growing up. One of them just happens to be in his thirties.
Fresh off of their highly successful* 2001 film Down To Earth starring Chris Rock, Paul and Chris Weitz turned their focus on a slightly different type of comedy. About a Boy is a simultaneous coming-of-age story between a boy and a selfish man. One comes to terms with growing up, and the other comes to terms with high school. This film is really sweet, but most importantly, it doesn’t pull any punches. It deals with some heavy issues, (suicide, depression, Mystykal,) and doesn’t water itself down to conform to a general audience. That’s not to imply that it doesn’t have wide appeal, it does, which is why this film is so enjoyable. But you really can’t do much harm when Nick Hornby is your source for story and characters.
* highly successful = not at all successful
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby
2008 Films | this guy over here March 6, 2010 | 
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