Indie Picks: At The Movies This Weekend

Tom Cullen and Chris New star in Weekend (Sundance Selects)

There are not a lot of smaller films opening this weekend, but we can easily grant our highest recommendation to Weekend. Also, if reading about Margaret last week piqued your interest, you better make plans to see it by Thursday night. It's already down to two screenings a day at the Regal Arbor and is unlikely to make it to a third weekend in town.

Weekend (Violet Crown)
Director Andrew Haigh follows up his debut film Greek Pete with this honest portrait of two gay men who start with a casual hookup, but find that they have a genuine connection. Weekend had its World Premiere at SXSW this year, where it won the Emerging Visions Audience Award. The film has been picked up by IFC & Sundance Selects and it begins its local run at the Violet Crown Cinema with some extra assistance by aGLIFF.

It's nice to see a gay-themed movie that doesn't thrive on stereotypes or come across as a B-movie. As gay romances go, it's charming but doesn't sugarcoat the way that the relationship begins as a result of cruising at a club. Russell and Glen are living very different lives, but the morning after makes it clear to both of them that they want more than one night together. There's no pretension here, it's just a raw, well-crafted, dialogue-driven drama that is highly relatable no matter what your sexual orientation may be. With gorgeous cinematography, terrific lead performances and a spot-on soundtrack, Weekend is one of our favorite films of the year.

Also this weekend:
El Bulli: Cooking In Progress (Violet Crown)
This documentary follows Ferran Adria and the staff of his world-renowned restaurant El Bulli as they close for six months to create their next 30-course menu. This was the actually the first film this year to sell during SXSW, picked up by Kino Lorber as the inaugural theatrical release for their new Alive Mind Cinema brand.

- Where Soldiers Come From has a screening presented by SXSW on Saturday afternoon at Alamo Ritz.

- Austinite Todd Rohal & SXSW present The Catechism Cataclysm on Sunday night at the Alamo Ritz in advance of the film's upcoming release by IFC Midnight.

- Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is featured on Friday & Saturday nights for Late Show screenings and on Sunday as part of the Big Screen Classics series this weekend at the Alamo Ritz.