Labor Day weekend is upon us! If you're still searching for something to do during your extended weekend, why not try an off-beat movie or two? Up To Date's indie, foreign, and documentary film critics have a list of recommendations sure to keep you entertained and relaxed. After all, that's what the holiday is all about, right?
Steve Walker
Patti Cake$, R
- In a thrilling breakthrough performance, Danielle Macdonald plays a 23-year-old white Jersey girl whose dreams of being a successful rapper are fueled by her raw talent but hindered by her dysfunctional mother, played by Manhattan, Kansas, native Bridget Everett.
Columbus, Not rated
- After his famous architect father falls ill, a Korean translator (John Cho) sets out to watch over his dad in Columbus, Indiana, not coincidentally home to an extraordinary number of modernist architecture masterpieces.
Ingrid Goes West, R
- This sharply-etched black comedy about the hunt for truth and realness among virally obsessed, conveniently malleable millennials is wonderfully acted, especially by Aubrey Plaza as an outcast seeking inclusion.
Cynthia Haines
Ingrid Goes West, R
- Unable to tell "likes" from truly meaningful relationships, a social media stalker moves to Los Angeles to meet her Instagram idol IRL. Aubrey Plaza stars in this lol-worthy satire of technology's role in modern life.
Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story, Not rated
- The relationship between a storyboard artist and film researcher is a refreshing break from the Hollywood underbelly. A great film for those interested in the unsung, behind-the-scenes movie heroes who receive little to no credit.
Maudie, PG-13
- Based on the true story of Canadian painter Maud Lewis, Sally Hawkins deftly portrays the renowned folk artist, who was first hired as a housekeeper for the painfully introverted man she eventually falls in love with.
Bob Butler
Patti Cake$, R
- A white suburban girl who's behind on her bills embarks on a journey to become the next hip hop superstar. Despite a trope-filled premise, the movie delivers amazing performances and quite a payoff.
Brigsby Bear, PG-13
- A strange, endearing comedy about an abducted child raised by a fake children's television show who must adjust to the real, outside world he knows nothing about after being rescued by a local police officer.
Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story, Not rated
- An inside look at the mysterious magic behind movies, storyboarding. Told through the lives of the married couple involved in The Birds, Scarface, and Fiddler On The Roof, the narrative makes for an engaging tale.
