Metropolitan (1990)

Whit Stillman’s first feature film, Metropolitan, follows outsider Tom Townsend (Edward Clements) as he makes his rounds of the Christmas-break Manhattan debutante gala circuit as an escort.  Initially skeptical and disdainful of the whole “UHB” or “Urban Haute Bourgeoisie” scene, Tom slowly becomes an integral part of a circle of privileged, preppy friends after being taken under the wing of the opinionated, abrasive Nick Smith (Chris Eigeman).  The group enjoys playing bridge and engaging in intellectual conversation (along with drinking, smoking, and the occasional game of strip poker).  Although serving as an escort to well-read, sensitive, Jane Austen-loving Audrey (Carolyn Farina), Tom is clearly still hung up on his fickle ex-girlfriend Serena Slocum (Ellia Thompson).  As a Fourier-style socialist and a young man of fairly limited means, Tom is never quite at home in his new environment throughout this film which lightly pokes fun at Manhattan’s young elite. (more…)

Last Days (2005)

Although Gus Van Sant’s Last Days is very clearly based on the story of Nirvana front-man Kurt Cobain, it really could be anyone’s story.  As his record exec asks him when discussing whether he has been in touch with his daughter, “Do you say, ‘I’m sorry that I’m a rock and roll cliche’?”  And that’s truly all that Blake (played by Michael Pitt of recent Boardwalk Empire fame) is in the end.  In this artistically shot fictional mini-biopic, Van Sant takes the audience along for a heart-breakingly personal ride through the final days of a talented young rock star’s short life. (more…)

Trees Lounge (1996)

“Everybody’s fucked up, but nobody wants anybody else to think they are, but everybody knows they are anyway,” states Tommy Basilio (Steve Buscemi) in Trees Lounge.  This line aptly describes all of the colorful characters in the film, most of all the protagonist, Tommy.  Trees Lounge, Buscemi’s debut as writer/director of a feature-length film in which he also triples as the lead actor, is completely underrated.  Largely well-reviewed by critics of all sorts, this is clearly a film that suffered from a lack of distribution and not being seen by enough audiences.  This was one of the best indie films I have seen and has definitely become a contender for one of my favorite films. (more…)