Winston Duke leads an all-star cast in “Nine Days” (Sony Pictures Classics), a contemplation of souls jockeying for position to be born a violinist and a movie star, both Americans, fall in love in Ireland in “Finding You” (Lionsgate) in “Ma Belle, My Beauty” (GDE), two women formerly involved in a polyamorous relationship cross paths and revive both passions and wounds from the past. This moving and funny tale of a legendary hairdresser’s final assignment ranks among the year’s smartest and most charming indies.Īlso available: Believe the hype - Nicolas Cage gives a performance in “Pig” (Neon) that’s measured, powerful, and unforgettable Ben Platt gets to play his own age in “Broken Diamonds” (FilmRise) as a writer forced to take in his mentally-ill sister, played by Lola Kirke earthquakes, circumcisions, and yes, video games play major roles in the lives of four 1990s-era Filipino teens in “Death of Nintendo” (Altered Innocence). One of those smaller-release movies that shouldn’t get lost in the shuffle of awards season - particularly since another film with the same title is just around the bend - Todd Stephens’ “Swan Song” (Magnolia Home Entertainment) features indelible performances by Udo Kier and Jennifer Coolidge (both given a rare opportunity to play against type), but it’s also an all-too-rare character study of a gay man who survived the AIDS era only to find himself facing aging and death without his friends beside him.
