Tired of the so-so, FX-heavy, plot-light summer "blockbusters" (which includes "Iron Man 2", sadly), I sought solace this past weekend in the indie movie scene. I went to a small theatre here in Atlanta called Tara, which has four screens, and shows a lot of fare that doesn't get wide release. I took my wife to see "Mother and Child". It's an emotional telling of a woman (Anette Benning) whose life has been all but ruined by a decision to give her child up for adoption, and the cold and empty life that now adult child (Naomi Watts). Good movie, deliberately paced, not for the Transformers crowd.
While at the movie, I was intrigued by a trailer for a film called "Kings of the Evening", which was evidently completed last year. It's a Depression -era drama starring Tyson Beckford, Lynn Whitfield, Glynn Turman, Steven Williams (star of "21 Jump Street" and "Linc's"), and Lou Myers. The film has earned accolades at festivals around the country. It's only got limited release: the Tara in Atlanta this weekend, Chicago, Cincinnati, LA in the upcoming weeks. Still, looks like it might be worth seeking. Check the site below for a trailer and actor info: http://www.kingsoftheevening.com/ After two years in jail, Homer Hobbs (Beckford), returns home during the depths of the Great Depression. Homer finds a kinship with four strangers as they find hope, dignity and a chance at a new life: Benny (Dorsey), the eager hustler, Gracie (Whitfield), the gracious owner of a boarding house, local oddity Clarence (Turman) and Lucy (Washington), a young beautiful woman with a mysterious past. Each finds comfort with the other and life turns for the better when on Sunday nights the men of the neighborhood piece together their finest attire to compete in an unusual contest. The winner might go home with the big five dollar prize, but also something priceless... the chance to feel like a king, if just for an evening.
