300 is poised to dominate the box office yet again this weekend. But if you're like me, big action CGI-fests aren't your cup of tea, you might be thinking about looking to the independent film offerings in between St. Patrick's Day parties. Unfortunately, it's not going to be a great weekend for indie lovers, either.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley
In the spirit of the holiday, IFC Films is releasing The Wind That Shakes the Barley, a drama about the Irish struggle for independence from Great Britain. Set in 1920s Ireland and starring Cillian Murphy (best known as Scarecrow from Batman Begins), The Wind That Shakes the Barley won the Palme d'Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.
Pickings must have been pretty slim at Cannes last year though, because Barley isn’t much of a standout piece. The acting is good (with the exception of the melodramatic Orla Fitzgerald) and the story of Ireland's suffering at the hands of the English and ultimate guerilla rebellion is undoubtedly significant to many. But in case the fact that the IRA is still around and active didn't tip you off, there isn't much resolution to the story. Scenes are way too long, redundant, and drag, and the dialogue feels inappropriately improvised at times.
ReelzChannel Rating: 
Caffeine
The English didn't exactly do themselves proud, either ,with John Cosgrove's Caffeine, a "comedy" about a crazy day at a London coffee shop. Although it attracted actors like Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy), Breckin Meyer (Clueless, Road Trip), and Mena Suvari (American Beauty, American Pie) to be in it, Caffeine is essentially a talky exercise in meaninglessness.
It follows several different people in the Black Cat Café - staff and different patrons - none of which are particularly amusing. Nor are the characters' stories related in any real way--unless you count their all being subject to the poor plot device of having them all under the same roof at the same time. And I'm fairly certain that my dog can do a better English accent than Mena Suvari.
Overall, those are 88 minutes I desperately wish I could get back.
ReelzChannel Rating: 
Nomad (The Warrior)
And finally, from Asia, The Weinstein Company is bringing us Nomad (The Warrior), an epic movie set in 18th century Kazakstan about the struggles of nomadic tribes to come together and the boy who is destined to unite them.
Starring Kuno Becker and Jay Hernandez, this movie also has quite a bit of a martial arts feel to it, as well. As such, it really isn't my cup of tea. But I suspect that those who are into movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or The House of Flying Daggers might find it a decent watch.
ReelzChannel Rating: