Movies for Grown-Ups
Although I can't find the reference on Google, I could swear that I once heard a critic refer to Lost in Translation as a grown-up version of Before Sunrise. I couldn't agree more. In the same way, I think Raising Victor Vargas (thanks for the recommendation, George) is the grown-up version of a whole generation of failed coming-of-age films. Like Lost in Translation, it has all the wonderful characteristics of a mature film: nuance, emotional depth and a reliance on the bare performances of talented actors. Special effects may win Academy Awards but they are seldom truly moving.
Using words like "mature" and "grown-up" to describe a film conventionally translates to lots of sex and/or violence but in fact the exact opposite is true. Generally speaking, the films with the most sex and violence are the most adolescent. It would have been easy for either of the aforementioned films to succumb to this kind of shallow resolution, but they were too smart for that. Instead they thrive on subtlety (Bill Murray's hand drifting over to cup Scarlett Johansson's foot, etc.) and complexity beneath the surface to cut much deeper.
It is difficult to find films like this without wading through a lot of mediocrity on the way, but it's an admirable task and I will use my two hours of available time each week to pursue it. Recommendations are welcome and appreciated.