Whilst the world is on pause and your Filmhouse Sunderland visits aren’t possible, we’re keeping the independent cinema flag flying with our new weekly watch lists from Chris & Jonny, the people behind the project.
Each Friday, we’ll post a list of four films that are currently available across BBC iPlayer, All4, Netflix and Amazon Prime that we think you should seek out.
This week’s selection is…
20th Century Women (15) (2016) (BBC iPlayer)
Annette Bening shines in this 1979-set tender comedy drama about Dorothea, a Santa Barbara single mother and boarding house landlord who decides the best way she can parent her teenage son Jamie is to enlist her younger tenants to help. They are punk photographer Abbie (Greta Gerwig), chilled out handyman William (Billy Crudup) and her son’s sharp best friend Julie (Elle Fanning), and all serve as Jamie’s role models in a rapidly changing world. Loveable and delightfully nostalgic, 20th Century women is a must-see.
Rams (15) (2015) (All 4)
This award winning black comedy about sheep farmers facing a crisis in a secluded Icelandic valley is a real treat! Estranged brothers Gummi and Kiddi live side by side tending to their prized ancestral sheep stock, despite not having spoken in 40 years. When a lethal disease suddenly infects Kiddi’s sheep, all the animals in the area are culled to contain the outbreak, with many farmers abandoning their land. But the brothers don’t give up so easily and each tries to stave off the disaster in his own fashion: Kiddi by using his rifle and Gummi by using his wits.
Midnight Cowboy (18) (1969) (Netflix)
John Schlesinger’s cult Oscar winner is still powerful after over 50 years. Out-of-town hustler Joe Buck (John Voight) is trying to make ends meet as a sex worker in downtown New York, eking an existence out of his looks and living in a derelict flophouse hotel. When he teams up with his new ailing ‘manager’ Ratso Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman) it looks like Joe’s luck might be in. But the streets of New York City are unforgiving…
Wild Rose (15) (2018) (Amazon Prime)
Uplifting, heartfelt and with a dazzling performance from Jessie Buckley that you won’t be able to turn your gaze away from, Wild Rose tells the story of young Glaswegian mother Rose-Lynn, recently released from prison and on a mission to become a country and western star. Will her raw talent be enough to escape her past and fulfil her dream? Buckley is incredible, capturing the fury and focus of Rose-Lynn with uninhibited abandon, and she’s ably backed up by Julie Walters as her frustrated but loving mum.
We’d love to hear what you think of the films we recommend – let us know!
See you next week,
Chris & Jonny