Under the radar: Twang, Salinger and bold type
Our annual compilation of overlooked films. Each reviewer chose five films to highlight.
“Wheeler”: Stephen Dorff’s highly affecting, career-best performance as a late-blooming country singer-songwriter who heads to Nashville for a shot at the brass ring anchored this terrific, docudrama-like tale from director Ryan Ross, who co-wrote with Dorff. The actor also made impressive contributions to the fine score and soundtrack.
“Churchill”: This superb June release, directed by Jonathan Teplitzky from a script by Alex von Tunzelmann, was as strong, if not stronger, than this year’s far more widely touted Winston Churchill drama “Darkest Hour.” Brian Cox’s towering turn as the iconic British prime minister was easily on par with Gary Oldman’s performance in “Hour” — and that’s saying a lot.
“Rebel in the Rye”: Danny Strong, creator of TV’s “Empire” and writer of “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” made an auspicious feature directing debut with this smart, absorbing biopic about “Catcher in the Rye” author J.D. Salinger, well-played by Nicholas Hoult. Strong also scripted this evocative portrait, based on a book by Kenneth Slawenski.
“California Typewriter”: Egregiously denied a place on this season’s documentary Oscar shortlist, Doug Nichol’s rich, lovingly crafted look at the heart, soul and history of the classic writing machine included engaging profiles of such typewriter fans as Tom Hanks, John Mayer and the late Sam Shepard.
“Obit”: Vanessa Gould’s love letter to journalism, the art of obituary writing and the New York Times staffers who crank out those biographical recaps of the famously departed, proved a deeply engaging and illuminating documentary, one that also somehow escaped serious Oscar attention.
Yes, please: Major studio features such as “Mother!,” “The Post,” “Downsizing,” “Roman J. Israel, Esq.” and “The Greatest Showman” proved that everything released by the big boys these days doesn’t have to be a tentpole, sequel, prequel, remake, reboot, genre pic or raunchy comedy.
No more: After this year’s “Wonder,” “Wonder Woman,” “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women,” “Wonder Wheel” and “Wonderstruck,” let’s give the W word a rest for awhile.
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