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by Melissa Parkin
December has arrived, and just like the youth of America,
our favorite TV shows will be going on Winter Break. So what’s a person to do
for some fresh viewing pleasure? We have Redbox, Netflix, and movie channels to
keep us occupied, but we crave new content. HBO and Starz continue playing the
same hit movies over and over again. Redbox is chockfull of all the summer
blockbusters that we already enjoyed on the silver screen. Netflix keeps giving
us the same recommendations, even if we’ve already watched them. We’ve seen the
classics and the new releases. Is there anything worthwhile left to watch? With
the convolution of the film industry, it’s a matter of mathematical certainty
that good movies fall through the cracks. So this month at Look to the Cookie we’ll be unveiling some great under-the-radar
films from every genre, to give you cinephiles some sweet gems to enjoy during
the holidays. Let’s start with a few heart-warmers.
What
If (2014)
Having discovered that his girlfriend cheated on him with
his Anatomy teacher, Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe) decides to drop out of medical
school and moves into the attic of his single-mom sister’s house. Down on his
luck and having lived the past year in social seclusion, he finally resurfaces
after his best friend Allan (Adam Driver) forces him to attend a party. There
Wallace meets the utterly adorable Chantry (Zoe Kazan). He quickly becomes
smitten by the animator as the pair shares a wisecracking evening. Then, at the
end of the night, he learns that she already has a boyfriend. Wallace genuinely
likes Chantry as a person, and he soon finds himself in the most miserable
place known to mankind: the friend-zone.
With a delightfully witty script by Elan Mastai and a
perfectly casted set of actors, What If
is essentially the modern-day When Harry
Met Sally, begging the age-old question: Can a man and woman REALLY be just friends? Radcliffe and Kazan share
wonderful chemistry and the forever scene-stealing Adam Driver delivers the
perfect balance of dry humor and slapstick. Cleverly crafted dialogue flows
effortlessly from start to finish. Director Michael Dowse gives us a
sophisticated take on the romantic comedy, riffing perfectly between the
lighthearted conventions of the genre as well as the deeper examination of real
relationships. What If is an
irresistible charmer for sure.
Perfect
for fans of: When
Harry Met Sally and Definitely Maybe.
Ruby
Sparks (2012)
With a world-renown debut novel looming overhead, young
author Calvin (Paul Dano) suffers from a severe case of writer’s block as he
struggles to recreate his earlier success. Crippled by this fear, he turns to
his therapist (Elliot Gould) who gives Calvin a one-page assignment to write in
an attempt to get him out of his funk. To his complete and utter surprise, the
project works, inspiring Calvin’s fictitious muse, Ruby Sparks. Situated at an
old typewriter, Calvin begins writing his new story and subsequently falls in
love with his character. He then wakes one morning to find Ruby (Zoe Kazan) actually in his apartment. Initially
believing he’s hallucinating, he soon discovers that the feisty redhead is in
fact REAL, and that his imagination somehow invented her. Everything that
Calvin writes about Ruby comes true. And with great power comes great
responsibility….
The idea of Ruby
Sparks can easily turn into a by-the-books raunchy comedy, but screenwriter
Zoe Kazan (who also plays the title character) elevates the premise into being
something quite fantastical and heartfelt. On the surface, it’s a comedy-drama,
but the exploration of real life relationships in the guise of fantasy makes Ruby Sparks a very unique viewing
experience. And the film’s whimsy finds itself in perfect hands with
co-directors Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton (Little Miss Sunshine). Ruby
Sparks is quirky, funny, insightful, and deeply satisfying, made all the
more absolute by real life and on-screen couple Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan.
Perfect
for fans of: Stranger
Than Fiction and Midnight in Paris.
Kinky
Boots (2005)
After the death of his father, reluctant young marketer
Charlie (Joel Edgerton) desperately searches for a niche market to save his
family’s failing shoe factory. A chance encounter crosses his paths with a
sassy drag queen named Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and the two strangers form an
unlikely partnership. Despite the profound skepticism from the employees,
Charlie and Lola reinvent the straitlaced company by custom designing sexy fetish
heels for drag queens.
The concept of a business resorting to out-of-the-box
strategies to save itself isn’t exactly new, and it’s hardly a stranger to
comedy either. Dodgeball: A True Underdog
Story is a prime example. What
makes Kinky Boots so watchable isn’t
its groundbreaking formula. It rests solely in its touching message and superb
cast. There’s a standard nowadays when drag queens are put to film. They’re
either pre-surgery transgender or flamboyantly gay to the point of being an
offensive parody. They’re rarely portrayed as actual human beings; they’re
caricatures. Chiwetel Ejiofor’s portrayal of Lola dives into this unobserved
world by peeking behind the curtain and seeing the real person.
Lola isn’t just a sassy singer with a fierce strut and
perfectly manicured nails. She’s a fighter. Being a drag queen is a great way
to express yourself, but it also opens the door for ridicule and harassment
from the close-minded. The way Lola handles herself shows just how much heart
she really has, while also presenting the vulnerability underneath. As Lola
says in the film: “Put me in heels and I can sing ‘Stand By Your Man’ to a
crowd of strangers. Put me in jeans and I can't even bloody well say hello.”
Seeing the layers peel away is quite heartwarming, and so fantastically unique
that you can’t help but fall for Lola. This role showcases the versatility of
Ejiofor. He snatched a Golden Globe nomination for the role, yet the movie flew
under the radar. His Oscar-nominated performance as the lead in 12 Years a Slave thankfully gave him the
recognition he so deserves and made him a household name. Kinky Boots follows in the step of plenty of other delightful
British comedy-dramas, but Ejiofor’s take on this fish-out-of-water tale makes
it a cut above the rest.
Perfect
for fans of: The Full
Monty and Calendar Girls.
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often for more great underrated films.
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