I loved both Mutual Appreciation and Funny Haha, along with many films made by Cassavettes and Jim Jarmusch who Bujalski is often compared to.
Does anyone have any recommendations for other up and coming directors or movies which are breaking new ground completely under the radar?
any suggestions?
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sharepuffy chair....lol....dance party usa....old joy....half nelson
share'Stranger Than Paradise' (Jim Jarmusch)
'Slacker' (Richard Linklater)
Jarmusch and early Richard Linklater are the two famous directors that are definitely inspirations for mumblecore films, and someone mentioned The Puffy Chair, which was great. Definitely check out movies like Old Joy, The Guatemalan Handshake (both starring Will Oldham, who is also a hell of a musician), Bubble by Steven Soderberg, LOL, Kissing on the Mouth, and the Dogma-95 films, especially The Celebration.
sharetry garden state
shareIf you like the dialogue and acting style of Mutual Appreciation, you should watch The Forest for the Trees (http://akas.imdb.com/title/tt0386862), directed by Maren Ade.
shareIn terms of this year, I'd recommend Old Joy, which focuses on what some of these characters might be like later in life. For other films about recent college graduates, I'd recommend Kicking and Screaming by Noah Baumbach (not the Will Ferrell movie with the same title), which is very incisive and bittersweet.
shareI'd try early French New Wave especially Jules and Jim, Breathless, A Woman is a Woman and Band of Outsiders. I've also heard Eric Rohemer films are similar to Bujalski's stuff but I haven't seen them. Richard Linklater especially Slacker and Before Sunrise/Sunset. I also like David Gordon Green who has seemingly improvised dialogue. George Washington is great and All the Real Girls is mostly great. His stuff is much more rural and southern than Bujalski.
shareRiver of Grass by Kelly Reichardt
Somebody to Love or also the somewhat unwieldy 13 Moons by Alexandre Rockwell
there was an article the other day in the Guardian newspaper about Bujalski and others making indie films at the moment. Gives a lowdown on similar film-makers. Here's a link: http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,2081768,00.html
shareOld Joy
All the Real Girls
Half Nelson
Puffy Chair (to an extent)
Obviously, anything by Cassavetes.
"Wanna play stuffed animal parade?"
Slacker (Richard Linklater)
Half Nelson
The Puffy Chair
Walking and Talking (I really recommend this one)
Friends with Money
Kissing on the Mouth (Joe Swanberg or something, he's making a film with Bujalski soon too)
I also recommend All the Real Girls. For older 'neo-realist' type films, I like the director Rob Nilsson, and some of the early John Sayles (Return of the Secaucus Seven) and a film called "The Cool World" by Shirley Clarke.
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