9. Better Luck Tomorrow

When I first saw this film (which exploded at the Sundance Film Festival), I was captivated by its energetic style and was taken in by its appealing array of characters and their obstacles. Though my opinion was not as grand in my second viewing, I still quite admired its ambition and the film’s ensemble as a whole, between the directing, writing, and the cast’s execution.

The film takes a look at a segment of society who are not often depicted on the big screen, and is presented in an angle that is not often thought about. The story does have a dark side to it that may turn some people off, but it does reveal a lot of truths within its characters that translates off the screen as well.

With very fine acting, a hip editing style, and an ending that made my jaw drop open in shock the first time I saw the movie, the film is quite engaging and is also periodically funny. Better Luck Tomorrow is not a film for everyone, but its fans will be grateful that they discovered it.

8. The Station Agent

The Station Agent is a very character-driven film that thrives off a simple yet meaningful story, with very good acting, and solid direction for a film that takes place in only a few settings outside New Jersey. Peter Dinklage, who is now known for the role as the dwarf-sized client in Elf, shows more of his acting range in this role and proves that he might have quite a talent.

Though the movie is a personal drama in one angle, the film is also quite funny and enjoyable when the main character (played by Dinklage) meets two other friendly people while on his search for isolation and peacefulness outside of a small town. His character is searching for a hidden place to relocate after his small body size had been a social burden in his former town. After finding a new and quiet spot, he runs into a hot dog vender and a kind but emotionally distraught woman (Patricia Clarkson) whom are both trying to become a part of his life when he first refuses their presence.

The film circulates around the relationship that evolves between these three different individuals, and handles its themes of loneliness and friendship quite well without spoon-feeding its lessons directly to the viewer. The Station Agent also has a sense of humor that is sometimes very funny and manages to be entertaining even with the more personal sides of the story. When this rather short film ended, I wanted more (in a good way), which is something that I don’t often say and wish that I could say a lot more often.