Possibly the best night of Indiefest this year, with some truly powerful movies.
SOME FREAKS starts as a simple high school outcasts romance, but takes some strange turns and never ceases surprising. Matt has is missing an eye and teased for his eye patch. Jill is the new girl in school and significantly overweight, but with a smart abrasive personality that makes certain people (e.g., me) like her immediately. After a bit of awkwardness, they hook up and have a great senior year romance. She also happens to be the young aunt of Matt's best friend, openly gay and even more openly dorky Elmo. Then they all go off to college, and I don't want to spoil anything but it starts taking viciously dark twists. A well made movie about flawed characters who show that it's not their superficial traits that make them freaks, but their horribly damaged psyches.
And then the Indiefest jury award winner (insider secret--the IndiePass holders are the jury, and that includes me) HUNKY DORY. The trailer has been quietly making me tear up all week, and I'm pleased to report the full movie lives up. In a just world, this would be a star-making turn for Tomas Pais, who plays Sidney, a wannabe rock star who makes a living as a drag queen and borderline male prostitute. Equally great is Edouard Holdener as his 11 year old son George. A hectic weekend starts with George showing up at Sidney's home, after his mentally ill mother dropped him off and disappeared. Sidney clearly loves George, and does his best to not let on how horribly inconvenient his appearance is, at a time when his personal demons are tearing him apart and about to lead to some pretty drastic decisions. The chemistry between the two leads is amazing, showcasing the infinite capacity for a father's love and a son's forgiveness. Beautiful and amazing.
Total Running Time: 185 minutes
My Total Minutes: 419,252
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