Indie Picks: At The Movies This Weekend

The Weinstein Company

It's the first Indie Picks column of the year and both of the new releases worth talking about in town debuted locally at the Austin Film Festival last fall. Just be warned that if you watch these two movies back to back, you may need to spend some time with a therapist.

Blue Valentine (Alamo Drafthouse Ritz, Regal Arbor)
It's unfortunate that the second feature from Derek Cianfrance became so well known for its rating controversy before most people knew anything else about it. Viewers expecting a steamy, almost NC-17 rated film will walk out of the theater disappointed. Everybody else will leave with a stronger appreciation for the work of Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling. Even the small contingent of critics who haven't cared for the film have praised the performances. We fully expect to see it snag several Oscar nominations on January 25th.

Rabbit Hole (Regal Arbor)
John Cameron Mitchell shows incredible depth and maturity with his third feature film, an adaptation of David Lindsay-Abaire's 2006 play. Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart star in this poignant drama about the wildly different ways a married couple deal with the loss of their young son in a car accident. On the heels of the sexually explicit Shortbus, Mitchell couldn't have been the most obvious choice for this project, but he delivers a remarkable story of grief with great tenderness, understanding and, perhaps most surprisingly, sharply observed humor.

Also worth checking out over the next week:

- The Paramount Theatre is screening a Film Noir Double Feature on Friday and Sunday. You can see Laura (1944) and Out Of The Past (1947) for the cost of one ticket!

- Speaking of needing a therapist, Gaspar Noe's mindblowing Enter The Void continues to screen in its original uncut festival version at the Alamo Village with evening shows from Monday-Thursday. IFC only struck one of these prints in 35mm and after its exclusive Austin run, it's moving on to New York and Los Angeles. If you have even the tiniest bit of interest in seeing this one, we fully endorse catching it on the big screen. This is one of those film experiences that will be greatly diminished when watching at home.

- SXSW's new Best Of The Fests series is bringing Lena Dunham's Tiny Furniture to the Alamo Village on Wednesday night.