5 Indie Films I’m Looking Forward to in 2015
The Revennant
Leonardo DiCaprio in The Revenant (Image Credit: Entertainment Weekly)
Directed by Birdman Director Alejandro González Iñárritu, how can I not want to see “The Revenant?” The man just won for Best Picture and Best Director and we’re all waiting to see how his next film will fair. If the director’s name isn’t enough to entice you, then the cast list definitely should. Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, and Domhnall Gleeson are three big names that are starring in the film. “The Revenant” will feature these actors as 19th century frontiersman and cowboys that are the center of a classic Western style revenge tale.
Despite having many great things surrounding this film, it has had trouble finding footing with funding. It’s been dropped by two production companies but luckily someone (Megan Ellison) decided to fund the film and now we can look forward to a December 25, 2015 release date.
Jane Got a Gun
Natalie Portman in Jane Got a Gun
We’ve got a male-driven western with “The Revenant” and then we have Natalie Portman leading the western “Jane Got a Gun.” I have to admit I’m just excited to see Natalie Portman take a role as a western heroine since the last female gunslinger I remember was Sharon Stone in “The Quick and the Dead.” She’ll also be joined by Ewan McGregor in the film which will be a variation in the types of roles he normally plays as well.
“Jane Got a Gun” was originally set to be directed by Lynne Ramsay but she left the film and it was taken over by Gavin O’Connor (“Warrior”). While this and other problems have plagued this film, the plot and Portman’s involvement have me excited. Natalie Portman will play the role of a woman forced to protect her husband who is being hunted down by a gang that he was formally a part of. If done right, this could be a shift in the usual male-dominated western genre and create an empowering role for a female audience.
