The Collegian

Issue date: 4/23/09 Section: Arts

Hollywood's summer movie season looks promising, with highly anticipated sequels and under-the-radar independent films waiting in the wings.

Beside big budget productions, such as "X-men Origins: Wolverine" and "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince," some independent films are scheduled for release, promising to offer quality and quirky alternatives to the rash of action-packed flicks. The popular interest in indie films continues to grow since the 2007 success of "Juno."

Most independent films premier at the Sundance Film Festival, where Hollywood producers then select films to widely distribute. This summer, several indies will make their national debut and, based on the previews, the following four films stand out.



"Away We Go," an endearing comedy directed by Sam Mendes and staring John Krasinki ("The Office") and Maya Rudolph ("Saturday Night Live"), depict an expectant couple roadtripping across the country in searching of the perfect home to start their family. Alison Janney, Jim Gaffigan, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Catherine O'Hara add comedic elements as friends and family the couple meets on their search. "Away We Go" will show in select theaters June 5.



"The Brothers Bloom" seems vaguely similar to "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," telling the story of a skilled pair of brother con-artists, who decide their last heist will involve a mysterious rich woman and traveling around the world, meeting unexpected twists along the way. The movie is fantastically cast with Adrien Brody and Mark Ruffalo playing the swindling brothers, Rachel Weisz as their target and Rinko Kikuchi as the brother's pyromaniac sidekick. The movie opens in theaters everywhere May 29.

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