This Week in Movies
What to watch: Epic war and indie cult drama on Austin screens
While The Avengers takes over the majority of screens in Austin, those looking for quality indie releases are not out of luck. This weekend one should skip the opening-weekend madness to see an epic Korean war drama and a small indie with a sci-fi twist.
This Weekend at Regal Arbor Cinema
It's been a while since a new Korean film has opened in Austin, which is a shame because the film industry there has been churning out consistently great product. In My Way, Tatsuo Hasegawa (Joe Odagiri, Adrift in Tokyo) moves with his family to Korea during the Japanese occupation of the Asian peninsula during World War II. They live with Kim Joon-sik (Jang Dong-gun, Tae Guk Gi) and his family, and the two discover they both have a passion for marathon running and soon competitiveness (and deep-seeded nationalism) breeds rivalry. When they are conscripted into the Japanese Imperial Army and captured by the Soviets, they must set aside their differences in order to survive.
Director Kang Je-kyu is no stranger to war epics, his last film was 2004's Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War which was the emotional and explosive journey of two brothers fighting side-by-side (and sometimes against each other) during the Korean War. If My Way has even a fraction of that movie's emotional resonance, it will be an experience worth seeking out this weekend.
This Weekend at the Drafthouse
You may remember Brit Marling from last year's sci-fi drama Another Earth. She made waves at Sundance 2011 not just for that movie, but for the one-two punch of it plus an even more intimate film with a touch of science fiction called Sound of My Voice. Young couple Peter and Lorna are aspiring documentary filmmakers on the trail of a small cult operating out of the basement of a private home. The alluring head of this cult is Maggie (Marling), who claims to have come from a troubled future. At first operating out of skepticism, Peter in particular begins to fall victim to the charms of Maggie and becomes entangled in her grand plan.
The minimal flash and style in Sound of my Voice works to its advantage, allowing tightly scripted scenes to play out with unsettling candor. All the actors are up to the task and Marling here, more so even than in Another Earth, is an electric force of nature, a presence befitting of her cult leader character. Small indie films this good are rare- don't miss it.
Beyond the Weekend
The Alamo Drafthouse, Mondo and Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation have teamed up for a screening and poster series. The first of these screenings, each a restored 35mm print of a classic film, is Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt on Monday. In the film, a young girl believes her Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten) is the "Merry Widow Murderer." It's a more subtle thriller than many of Hitchcock's other films anchored by wonderful performances by Cotten and Teresa Wright as Young Charlie. Come out to see the film on the big screen and stay to buy a poster in the lobby afterward.
