For some, Hollywood remains a catchall for all that's wrong with US movies, but the same company, NBC Universal, that bankrolled King Kong is also behind Brokeback Mountain. Ang Lee's film found studio backing partly because the time was right for this story and partly because the independent-film movement of the 1990s, while short-lived, provided Hollywood fresh blood. Batman Begins, after all, was directed by Christopher Nolan, who also made the indie cult film Memento, while the love interest in The 40-Year-Old Virgin is Catherine Keener, an indie film goddess. Genuine independent filmmakers like Andrew Bujalski (Funny Ha Ha) face a brutal time in today's market, but the DIY ethos that spurred filmmakers to edit on Macs now finds them self-distributing: you can buy Bujalski's latest, Mutual Appreciation, online at www.mutualappreciation.com.
The brutality of this market also means that today's film lovers, especially those living outside the major movie markets, often have to work harder and wait longer than they might like to see the good stuff, but the good stuff is out there -- if not necessarily at the local multiplex, then in film festivals, video stores, mail-order rental outfits and those online companies that sell movies from around the world.
The committed moviegoer has more and arguably better choices than at any time in history. That's especially true if you live in New York or most other big cities. And if you do, don't blame Hollywood if you haven't yet seen A History of Violence or any of the year's best films. Nobody put a gun to your head and forced you to see King Kong.
RSS