CINEMATIC UNDERDOGS
Five surprising summer flicks
Every summer there is at least one buried treasure among the big films that dominate movie theatres from May to August.
Last year, the modest The Fault in Our Stars qualified as a summer sleeper hit. It raked in more than $307 million US worldwide with only moderate expectations when released in early June.
Certainly, major movie studios continue their counter-programming in the hope of scoring big with small films during the summer holidays, which tend to be the prime seasonal target for the ploy.
The Sixth Sense might have started the trend back in 1999 when the ghost story about a child who sees dead people caught on. The success surprised even the distributor when the thriller became a cultural phe- nomenon and massive August hit, a month considered a cinematic dumping ground.
Quirky works, too. Napoleon Dynamite (2004) and 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine received lots of summer love, as did the raunchy Superbad in 2007.
Most unexpected smashes connect with the zeitgeist of the moment, but big-picture fatigue may be a contributing factor.
“Summer is a great time for cinematic fast food,” says Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst with research company Rentrak. “But the movie-going diet has to be varied to make it interesting.” Among the superhero flicks and special-effects action films lurk potential low-profile stories that could become high-profile talking points, not to mention an antidote to the mega-movie syndrome.
Here are five films that may offer an alternative to the big bangs of 2015 blockbusters:
ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL
(June 12 in Toronto; later expands to select Canadian cities)
Student filmmaker Greg (Thomas Mann as the Me) is cajoled by his mother into visiting a high school colleague and neighbour Rachel (Olivia Cooke as the Dying Girl) after she is diagnosed with leukemia. The teens develop an awkward bond with help from Greg’s filmmaker buddy (newcomer RJ Cyler as Earl).
The bittersweet story, based on Jesse Andrews’ debut novel, relies on compelling emoting from Mann and Cooke. Veterans Nick Offerman, Connie Britton and Molly Shannon, who play parents trying to understand a younger generation, provide worthy support in this affecting tale.
MAX (JUNE 26)
Get out your handkerchiefs. In this family adventure, Max is a Belgian Malinois and a military dog stationed in Afghanistan. When his handler (Toronto actor Robbie Amell) is killed in action, the canine becomes traumatized but is eventually adopted by the lost Marine’s family.
Stateside, the dog and the family both try to recover from their loss. Grounding the harrowing exercise in emotion are Thomas Haden Church (Sandman from Spider-Man 3) and Lauren Graham (from TV’s Gilmore Girls), who play the grieving parents caring for the damaged dog.
SELF/LES S (JULY 10)
It’s a modestly budgeted sci-fi trip with some high-profile performers in lead roles. Ben Kingsley plays a wealthy financier who is dying of cancer. He agrees to undergo a risky medical procedure that attempts to transfer his consciousness into the body of a healthy young stud of a guy (Ryan Reynolds).
Naturally, things don’t go as planned when the former essence of the new body tries to regain control from the uninvited invader. Expect close encounters of the bizarre kind from director Tarsem Singh.
MR. HOLMES (JULY 17)
Ian McKellen knows all about fantastical roles after playing Magneto in the X-Men movies and Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit flicks. McKellen returns to a more familiar portrayal, but just as iconic, with his interpretation of a 20th-century Sherlock Holmes.
Mind you, his Sherlock is a feeble soul recalling an unsolved case involving a mysterious woman who ultimately forced the famous sleuth to retire.
With assistance from expert director Bill Condon, McKellen takes us on a slowly building journey of intrigue that includes wit, wonder and melancholia.
MASTERMINDS (AUG. 19)
Who doesn’t like a heist comedy? Mixing it up in the genre is the odd Zach Galifianakis, the eccentric Kristen Wiig, the unconventional Jason Sudeikis and the peculiar Owen Wilson.
In keeping with irregular theme, the film is directed by Jared Hess, who co-directed the exceedingly eccentric comedy Napoleon Dynamite.
There’s more. The script is cowritten by Jody Hill and Danny McBride of HBO’s Eastbound & Down fame, so throw in some R-rated strange.
Even stranger? The film is based on an actual armoured car robbery by a confederacy of reallife dunces.