Under-the-radar films worth a second glance

Summer is known for Hollywood blockbusters, “Shrek the 20th” and “Die Hard With Repetition,”… Summer is known for Hollywood blockbusters, “Shrek the 20th” and “Die Hard With Repetition,” but behind all the explosions and big-budget animation lies a collection of independent films you won’t want to pass up.

“Rescue Dawn.” From German director Warner Herzog, whose last film was the Oscar-nominated documentary “Grizzly Man,” comes another story of man vs. nature. Well, man vs. nature, man vs. man, man vs. himself, you name it. Based on the true story of a German-born U.S. fighter pilot who was shot down during the Vietnam War, “Rescue Dawn” focuses on protagonist Dieter Dengler (Christian Bale). Dengler has it pretty bad: He winds up in a notoriously awful prisoner-of-war camp, trying to keep his own sanity while inspiring those around him (a crew that includes Steve Zahn and Jeremy Davies) to escape from their containment. “Rescue Dawn” may be heard from again come December when Oscar nominations come out, but you won’t want to wait until then to catch this film.

“Interview.” Steve Buscemi is better known for his quirky character turns in films like “Fargo” and “The Big Lebowski,” but the thespian is also an accomplished director. In his fifth feature, “Interview,” Buscemi tells the story of a beleaguered journalist compelled to interview a spacey soap opera star (Sienna Miller, famous for ill-timed anti-Pittsburgh remarks). The film, a remake of the late director Theo Van Gogh’s earlier work, plays like a foreign film for perhaps just that reason. Like Buscemi’s better prior work, it’s a smaller character study that leans heavily on the actor’s skill to carry the sometimes-static story forward.

“Goya’s Ghosts.” Originally slated for release last year, “Goya’s Ghosts” was pulled for additional editing after some poor test screenings. That’s not encouraging (the same fate befell “All The King’s Men” before it’s ignominious release), but the talent level associated with this project is undeniable. Two-time Oscar winning director Milos Forman leads a cast of Oscar nominated actors including Javier Bardem, Natalie Portman and Randy Quaid. Plot-wise, “Goya’s Ghosts” is sort of a Spanish “Scarlet Letter,” centering on a painter (Bardem, playing the titular Goya), who is faced with a difficult decision when his muse (Portman) is arrested for heresy during the Inquisition. At least in the category of “Catholic Church as the baddies” films, “Goya’s Ghosts” would have to be truly abysmal to knock “The Da Vinci Code” from the bottom slot.

“Becoming Jane.” Not far removed from the success of 2005’s “Pride and Prejudice” comes what could serve as the ultimate companion piece: “Becoming Jane,” the story of Jane Austen, the woman behind the novel. The Georgian Era wasn’t predisposed to female authors, as Jane Austen (Anne Hathaway) finds out. Complicating her budding literary career is a romance with a young Scotsman, played by James McAvoy (of last year’s “The Last King of Scotland”). For Hathaway, “Becoming Jane” provides a chance to flex her acting chops after the vastly overrated “The Devil Wears Prada.” Biopics have proven popular with the Awards-givers, as have British period pieces. Combine the two and double the praise? Come Aug. 10, you’ll be able to find out.

“Penelope.” Imagine this plot: a contemporary fairy tale of a princess who was cursed with a pig’s snout and who must find her true love in order to break free of it. That’s “Penelope,” which attracted a strong cast including Christina Ricci, Reese Witherspoon, the aforementioned McAvoy (who also has two other films poised for release) and Peter Dinklage, as well as strong advance reviews. Mark Palansky’s first film is quite adventurous. The last big-budget fairy tale – M. Night Shymalan’s ostentatious “Lady in the Water” – and the last high-profile satire – “American Dreamz,” which wasted the collective talent of Dennis Quaid, Hugh Grant and Mandy Moore – fell flat. Hopefully “Penelope” will prove different.

“The Hottest State”: Ethan Hawke is prone to involvement in bad indie films, you know, the ones that feed that stereotype of the pretentious, drugged-out, incoherent mess (look no further than 2001’s “Chelsea Walls”). But Hawke’s upcoming release, “The Hottest State,” sounds promising. Based on Hawke’s novel, the movie centers on an actor (Mark Weber), who sets out in search of a musician (Catalina Sandino Moreno of “Maria Full of Grace”). OK, an actor known for vanity art projects, directing a film about an actor – warning signs are flaring. But if Hawke can drive this one home, it will be well worth a watch.

So, if you’re hoping for more than comic, explosion-packed action and films featuring rats (not in reference to a certain documentary on health industry lobbyists), don’t feel dejected: There are still movies for you due out before the leaves turn orange and crinkly.