Generation Um Review

It has been nearly 15 years since I have seen an independent movie that truly fits the independent genre in scale, style, writing, and acting.  Today it seems that independents are more of a fad, being called “indie films” and featuring weirdly dressed over analytical characters all with the same modus operandi – lost in the city and lost in love.  We independent lovers have had to settle for movies that could fit the bill such as Happythankyoumoreplease and Dan in Real Life.  Though these movies were amazing and their styles could suggest some independent leanings, they were mostly about love or finding love.  I find that true independent films, the independents that made me love the genre have nothing to do with love.  They are intimate accounts of horrendously flawed lives and the events that grant revelation or progress or clarity in the middle of chaos.  Sometimes the movie ended with no point at all, like in Kids and Welcome to the Dollhouse.  The film just ended and so did your glimpse into the life and situation of someone else.  

Generation Um brings us back to the true spirit of independent films.  Starring Keanu Reeves and Daniel Sunjata and written and directed by Mark Mann the movie features two lesser known actresses, Bojana Novakovic and Adelaide Clemens, in lead roles (also characteristic of independent films).  The movie highlights Reeves who is an older, mysterious guy sharing a cheap NY apartment with his cousin and a cat.  It is not clear what Reeves does for a living until the end of the movie.  But he gets his hands on a movie camera and decides to film the ladies he works with.  He asks them probing questions about their lives and families and what brings them to where they are in life now.  The result is a razor sharp account of broken families, abuse, and lost innocence.  Though the story is not about love, this reviewer’s opinion is that the main characters’ desire for genuine human connection is strong and endearing.  This film will leave you wanting more details about the lives of the characters but thoroughly satisfied with the glimpse you got.  And just like that, independent film is reborn.

4.5/5 Stars