I like to try to keep on top of movies, even if they’re not the major studio blockbusters. Here are a few upcoming movies you might not have heard about yet, but might also be interested in checking out.
The Armstrong Lie
A filmmaker set out to make a film about then-hero Lance Armstrong during his comeback year. It was put on hold due to doping allegations. And then the truth came out. And the film regained traction as Lance came to set the record straight. What emerges is a story, not just about a sport and an athlete, but about power and deception. I’m excited for this documentary because it examines not only the man who fooled the world, but the fools themselves. I was one of them. Who didn’t want to believe that this man could beat cancer and return to the top of the cycling world? To be honest, after his terrible cameo in Dodgeball, I didn’t believe him capable of lying any convincing way, let alone carrying on a years long charade that made him a God among men. How many others like him have we idealized? How far will we go just because of a desire to believe in men like Armstrong?
A Case of You
I like movies about love that have little gravity about them. On occasion, I’ll enjoy a fluffy rom-com, but in general, I’d much rather watch a film that makes a statement about the nature of love itself. A Case of You looks to be one of those films. Sam, played by Justin Long, has become quite disillusioned with the idea of finding someone to have a real let’s-spend-the-rest-of-our-lives-together feelings about. He finally meets a girl, Birdy (Evan Rachel Wood), who makes him feel like things are possible again—but then he realizes he might screw it up. So he checks out her facebook profile and molds himself into the man of her dreams, and she begins to fall in love with him. But he realizes that she’s not in love with the real him and is faced with either living a lie or risking loneliness. I think this movie can and will get some laughs, but more importantly, I think this story is being handled with some real sympathy for people living in a world where it’s easier than ever to escape the difficulty of chasing something worthwhile by betraying our authentic selves. It could have been a light rom-com, but I’m glad they’re not going that route with this. It’s going to be a movie about love, authenticity, loneliness, and fear.
Unhung Hero (NSFW content warning)
This documentary is the real life story of a man who goes on a journey to answer the question: Does size matter? Our hero’s name is Patrick Moote. He proposed to his then-girlfriend at a UCLA basketball game and was rejected. It was caught on camera, broadcast, published on youtube, and went viral. He asked her after the incident why he was rejected, and she says one of the big reasons she couldn’t commit to a life with him was that he was too small in the downstairs area. This documentary certainly won’t be for everyone, but I think it will be a fascinating look at a very sensitive topic. I also think this story is being told from the right perspective. It’s not just about raw sexual power—it’s about a man who wanted to be with a woman forever and was turned down over this one little thing. (Sorry guys, too easy.) It also involves perspectives outside the western world, which I think is important as this is a pretty universal discussion. Whether or not you want to see the film, you have to admit, it takes immense courage to be so open and honest about such a personal and even embarrassing journey.
Sweet Dreams
After the genocide in Rwanda, an all women’s drumming group forms to provide support, comfort, and healing to and from women from both sides of the conflict. The group decides to partner with two American women who own their own ice cream store to open Rwanda’s first ice cream shop. This documentary is a piece about transformation and hope. How do you survive one of the worst episodes in human history, and then build a community of healing, support, and frozen delights? This is not a lighthearted, sunny, feel-good film—this is a heart-wrenching examination of the realities these women have been living and how they have overcome the hurt with support, music, friendship, and ice cream. I want to watch the hell out of this movie, but I’ll probably have to do it alone, bundled up in a blanket, with a box of tissues, and the knowledge that my absolute bawling won’t drive another person insane.