What I Like to Call "Tweeners"

You know those movies that small-ish production companies put out that are advertised just enough that you hear about it once and would like to see it, but then you miss the window of opportunity and never end up watching it? The films that do not come with billion dollar budgets and a predictable ending? The ones that aren't exactly independent films per se (which pretty much guarantees you an unhappy ending), but they're somehow not conventional either? These are what I like to call Tweeners and I'm gaining a rapid appetite for them.

Thanks to my newfound freedom afforded me via Netflix (see earlier post), quite a few Tweeners have found their way into my DVD player of late. It seems to me that films like these combine the best of both worlds: they're not afraid to tackle a particularly interesting/different/challenging content, yet you don't see the ending coming from 30 minutes in (either as the cookie cutter perfection that Hollywood tends to feed us, but also not the inevitable downer ending that indie films tend to favor).

So far, I'm finding them to be emotionally very rich and surprisingly delightful. I'm left with the same feeling I get after a good novel: my brain is still processing the complexity of the plot/characters/emotional relationships and I'm craving a "book club" discussion.

Next time you get the chance - pick one up. I've had good luck with Lionsgate and Focus Features so far (and I think also Fox Searchlight Features).