DIRTY GIRL is Super Sweet

Over the weekend, I caught a new indie movie called DIRTY GIRL.  The title is somewhat misleading as this was the sweetest and most surprisingly indie I've seen in a while. Set in 1987 (OK--so I may be a little biased), it's about a slutty high school girl, played perfectly by Brit actress Juno Temple, who goes on a road trip to find her father.  Along for the ride is an overweight gay kid she is paired with in a health class, newcomer Jeremy Dozier.

The film truly feels like something from the late 80's with its spot-on soundtrack (four Melissa Manchester songs!) and hazy, pastel look (shot on real film, of course).  It's a bit ramshackle and thrown together but that's part of its charm, as well as featuring some winning performances from the two leads and a colorful cast of well-known supporting characters, like Mary Steenburgen, William H. Macy, Milla Jovovich and Dwight Yoakam.  I don't know why the film has gotten some less than shining critical notices as audiences seem to really be enjoying it...including me!  The film is a fun mix of sweetness and reality, magic and mayhem, with a few music videos thrown in too.

It's only playing in NYC right now but opening in other cities over the next few weeks. So if you'd like a fun alternative to the usual studio fare, this is a great movie to check out.  And a much more enjoyable movie than the other '80s retro film out there now, DRIVE (which I've previously blogged about). Go see DIRTY GIRL and support indie film!  

DRIVE Soundtrack Is An iTunes Hit

DRIVE is a stylish new film starring Ryan Gosling as a stunt car/getaway driver opened this weekend to great critical acclaim.  I saw it this weekend and have to say it is one of the most cinematic movies of the year.  The director, Danish auteur Nicholas Winding Refn, knows how to create some beautiful images and truly creates a mood reminiscent of a Miami Vice episode or a Michael Mann movie, with a sleek 80s vibe.

A great deal of that vibe comes from the film's soundtrack which, not surprisingly, is doing even better than the film.  The movie opened in the number 7 position on the Box Office charts while the soundtrack shot to number 5 on iTunes.  The album has a mix of some great new songs, along with scoring by Cliff Martinez that sounds like an update of Tangerine Dream, who did the memorable score for RISKY BUSINESS.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), I think I like the music is better than the actual movie, which sorta fell apart about halfway through due to a weak screenplay.  But it's great to see audiences embracing a film which is moody, interesting and a real, old-fashioned movie in that it tells its story visually and with a certain, deliberate pace rare in the Hollywood hyper-editing we've grown accustomed in the post-Michael Bay world. And Ryan Gosling is an actor who can definitely keep your attention, even when he's doing nothing but chewing a toothpick.