IMDb Picks: Our Indie, Foreign, and Documentary Picks
IMDb's editors turn a spotlight on some of the arthouse films on our radar this December.
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- DirectorJustin BareMatthew MieleStarsHarry BensonCarl BernsteinBryant GumbelWhat we know today about many famous musicians, politicians, and actresses is due to the famous work of photographer Harry Benson. He captured vibrant and intimate photos of the most famous band in history;The Beatles. His extensive portfolio grew to include iconic photos of Muhammad Ali, Michael Jackson, and Dr. Martin Luther King. His wide-ranging work has appeared in publications including Life, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker. Benson, now 86, is still taking photos and has no intentions of stopping.If there was a larger-than-life public figure or unforgettable cultural event from the last half century, chances are photographer Harry Benson captured it with an image you find familiar. I'm looking forward to learning more about a man whose eyes and empathy for his subjects have influenced our memories. — Bret
Opens in limited release Friday, Dec. 9 - DirectorPablo LarraínStarsGael García BernalLuis GneccoMercedes MoránAn inspector hunts down Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, who becomes a fugitive in his home country in the late 1940s for joining the Communist Party.Pablo Larrain's will probably receive more attention for his other movie this year, but the director has received equally strong (perhaps a touch stronger) reviews for his inventive take on the life of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. I'm looking forward to seeing Luis Gnecco, who played an integral part in Larrain's No, star as heavily fictionalized version of Neruda, and Gael Garcia Bernal as the completely made up private investigator on his tail. — Arno
Opens in limited release Friday, Dec. 16 - DirectorKen LoachStarsDave JohnsHayley SquiresSharon PercyAfter surviving a heart-attack, a 59-year-old carpenter must fight bureaucratic forces to receive Employment and Support Allowance.Powerful and urgent, Ken Loach's critical look at the British welfare system won the top prize at Cannes and has continued to make headlines, with the UK Prime Minister recently challenged to see the film during a debate in the Houses of Parliament. While it may not be an easy watch, it is certainly an essential one. — Michael
Opens in limited release Friday, Dec. 23 - DirectorKeith FultonLouis PepeStarsVonda VilandJulia AlexanderLaura AmbrosiusA group of teachers at a Mojave Desert high school take an unconventional approach to improve the lives of their struggling students.In every corner of the country there are true heroes to be found, instilling hope in the lives of those who need it most. This documentary, which won the Special Jury Prize at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, follows the story of an inspiring educator, Vonda Viland, who refuses to allow the struggling students of Black Rock High School to think they can't achieve the goal of earning a diploma. — Bret
Opens in limited release Friday, Dec. 23 - DirectorMaren AdeStarsSandra HüllerPeter SimonischekMichael WittenbornA practical joking father tries to reconnect with his hard working daughter by creating an outrageous alter ego and posing as her CEO's life coach.This hilarious father-daughter story topped critics lists at this year's Cannes Film Festival and has been picking up audience awards ever since. If you've never seen a German comedy that runs for nearly three hours, make this your first. — Michael
Opens in limited release Sunday, Dec. 25 - DirectorMike MillsStarsAnnette BeningElle FanningGreta GerwigThe story of a teenage boy, his mother, and two other women who help raise him among the love and freedom of Southern California of 1979.Beginners director Mike Mills is back, this time with a story that's a tribute to his mother and clear shot for Annette Bening's fifth Oscar nomination. Personally, I'm a sucker for this time period, locale, genre, and actress, but I would also love to hear what Bening might have to say on stage at the Academy Awards this year. — Arno
Opens in limited release Sunday, Dec. 25