SUNDANCE & SLAMDANCE 2009
THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY
loved these films. they made my day:
500 Days of Summer
Delightful! Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zoey Deschanel are ADORABLE,
intriguing, quirky and thoroughly watchable in a film described as: Boy
meets Girl … Boy falls in love … Girl doesn’t. Terrific filmmaking and
wonderful performances.
A Quiet Little Marriage (SLAMDANCE)
A quiet, extremely beautiful and thoughtful film with characters you can
believe in … wonderful first time performances and a simple, powerful
screenplay. Dax and Olive have a happy marriage, until she decides she
wants a baby. She pokes a hole in her diaphragm while he starts slipping
birth control pills into her morning coffee. WINNER AUDIENCE AWARD BEST
NARRATIVE FEATURE.
At Any Second (SLAMDANCE)
Fabulous thriller with mesmerizing performances. German with English
subtitles. A Crash-like story line - multiple lives converging into a heart
breaking finale. Sarah and her coke snorting boyfriend falls in love with
Ben, a psychiatric hospital doctor with a terminally ill child has an
illicit affair and so on and so forth. Very well done.
Don’t Let Me Drown
No stars, no “wow” cinematography, just a really great, thoughtful film
about 2 high school students in Brooklyn a year after 9/11. Both of their
families - one black, one Mexican – have been severely affected by the
destruction of the Twin Towers. Both are wildly prejudiced against their
son/daughter’s romantic choice. This film feels authentic and the
performances by the leads are outstanding.
Finding Bliss (SLAMDANCE)
Described as “a sexy romantic comedy that explores the adult film
industry”, a would be screenwriter, unable to find a “real” job (Leelee
Sobieski) takes a job at Grind Productions where she meets the director
(Matt Davis) of really, raunchy, trite films. If you are offended by
nudity, don’t see it. If you are in for a fun farce, see it.
In the Loop
Laugh out loud funny … but wait, the story line is relevant, thought
provoking and really, really smart. A British cabinet minister must meet
with a US State Department official to build consensus about an impending
war (sound famililar?). What ensues is lies, faulty intelligence, real
bungling, petty rivalries and obsequious aides jockeying for favor. SEE
THIS FILM!
Moon
A slow paced, methodical, gorgeously shot film with a dynamite performance
by Sam Rockwell (supporting cast Kevin Spacey). Twists and turns abound as
Sam, the lone occupant on a lunar mining module prepares to return to Earth
after a 3 year stint away from home. Trouble is, the monotony and isolation
has caused Sam to start to unravel and when he crashes a lunar rover and
wakes up in the sick bay … life is not what it seems to be …
Paper Heart
The most unique, imaginative film I saw … not for everyone, but really,
really fun. Charlyne Yi is on a quest to make a documentary about true
love. She is a skeptic. Of course she discovers that Michael Cera
(Superbad) might be the exception to the rule. This film has a style of
it’s own, one I suspect will be copied by other filmmakers. WALDO SALT
SCREENWRITING AWARD.
Peter and Vandy
I loved this film. Quirky, fun to watch and whoa, does it ever make you
think. A seemingly simple story about a young couple in Manhattan (played
brilliantly by Jason Ritter and Jess Weixler – a real movie star in the
making) this is based on the play of the same name. Inventive, fascinating
filmmaking.
Sin Nombre
Wow. Powerful, unforgettable AND outstanding performances by first time
actors. This is the story of a teenage girl who, with her father and
brother, is escaping Honduras to come to America to forge a better life.
Their mode of transportation - riding on the top of trains. Pair this with
the mesmerizing story of the unbelievably violent Mexican gangs who prey on
these immigrants and you have one of the most unique and authentic chase
films ever. US DRAMATIC DIRECTING AWARD & EXCELLENCE IN CINEMATOGRAPHY.
Taking Chance
Kevin Bacon in a quiet, powerful role as a Marine who volunteers to take
the body of a soldier killed in Iraq back to his family. Moving and serious
and amazingly detailed about how our heroes return home. Purchased by HBO.
Weather Girl (SLAMDANCE)
Fun, fun, fun. An all star cast and an all star script. A Seattle weather
girl flips out on live TV when she finds out her boyfriend – the show’s
anchor – has been cheating. She has to move in with her slacker brother
while she tries to figure out what one does AFTER being typecast as a crazy
weather girl.
OK/good/interesting/intriguing/FUNNY …
you fill in the blank:
Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
John Krasinski’s (The Office) directorial debut which is provocative and
dark. Oh, and funny, but not in a laugh out loud way. A doctorial candidate
in Anthropology is left by her boyfriend and so begins her quest to find
out WHY. To do this she records the outrageous, banal and bizarre
experiences her subjects – all men – have had with women/girlfriends.
Cold Souls
Stylish, spare, beautifully shot, the story of a man (Paul Giamatti) who
alleviate his suffering by having his soul frozen … and then wants to get
it back again. The frozen souls can be implanted in other people and the
woman who has his doesn’t want to give it back. Science fiction with a
twist.
Sergio
Documentary about the United Nations trouble shooter Sergio Vieira de Mello
who was killed in 2003 at the UN headquarters in Baghdad. Sergio was
described by friends as a cross between James Bond and Bobby Kennedy and
the film does delve into some of his many accomplishments while leading UN
missions around the world. Sadly, the film isn’t as gripping as Sergio’s
life because the filmmaker choose to focus on the details behind the
bombing that took Sergio’s life. DOCUMENTARY EDITING AWARD.
The Missing Person
Michael Shannon BEFORE he was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor award
at the Academy Awards and Amy Ryan do a terrific job in a film noir – a
detective, a babe, a missing middle aged man, the FBI etc.
won’t hurt you, but forgettable:
Motherhood
Uma Thurman, Anthony Edwards and Minnie Driver TRY to make this a
believable chronicle about the trials and tribulations of motherhood … but
boy, do they ever miss. Trite, overplayed and in the end, not very
interesting or revealing. A made-for-TV (on the Lifetime Channel) movie.
OK, so maybe the acting was good or the filmmaking slick, but … yuck
:
Big Fan
I could hardly wait until this film ended, but maybe if you like Patton
Oswalt or like fat, obnoxious, do-nothing else football fans who paint
their faces and obsess about their favorite football team, you might enjoy
this.
Manure
Who would have thought that Billy Bob Thornton, Tea Leoni and Kyle
MacLachlan could be in such a piece of $#%*. The “story” of a manure
salesman which I guess was supposed to be funny – or poignant – or ???
Not Forgotten (SLAMDANCE)
I thought – oh, it stars Simon Baker. I like the Mentalist. How bad can it
be? OMG. What a disaster. Senseless violence, a convoluted story line and
characters you couldn’t care less about … SKIP THIS.
Push: Based on the novel Sapphire
I guess I’m glad I saw this film, but unless you are REALLY in the mood to
see a film about a 14 year old girl who can’t read or write, is pregnant
with her father’s child – for the second time – and is routinely violently
abused by her mother, I would recommend skipping this film. It certainly
captures all forms of abuse in one neat package. Despite this the girl
turns her life around, so if you can stand to stick with it, you might even
find it somewhat uplifting. GRAND JURY PRIZE – DRAMATIC & AUDIENCE
AWARD
Unmade Beds
OMG. Self indulgent, unattractive teens who you could care less about live
in an abandoned building and proceed to tediously sort through their MANY
personal problems. Ick.
Good “buzz” … couldn’t fit them into my schedule, but am putting them on my
netflix list:
Adam
The ever charming Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne are two young Manhattanites who
do NOT follow the predictable romantic storyline because Hugh is autistic
and unable to decipher nonverbal signals. This is a tricky, frustrating,
complicated relationship.
Adventureland
A recent college graduate finds out instead of going to Europe after
graduation he has to work at an amusement park. Sounds awful, but it turns
out to be a good thing.
An Education
Set in London in 1961, this is a coming of age story written by nick Hornby
with Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina and Emma Thompson.
Carey Mulligan is apparently amazing. AUDIENCE AWARD – WORLD DRAMATIC &
EXCELLENCE IN CINEMATOGRAPHY.
Arlen Farber
A reclusive author (Jeff Daniels) has redefined spirituality for an entire
generation … then he collides with a single mom and her 7 year old son and
a boy fresh out of rehab who hope he has answers for them. He doesn’t have
a clue.
Art & Copy
Think about a commercial you can’t get out of your mind … this is a
compelling documentary about the people who create them.
Crude
Documentary that answers the question: Who is responsible for the dumping
of 18 billion gallons of toxic oil waste in the Ecuadoran Amazon.
I Love You Phillip Morris
A charismatic and resourceful con man journeys from being a small town cop
to a flamboyant white-collar criminal. Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor
Smile Til It Hurts (SLAMDANCE)
Bet you have forgotten the group Up With People, a clean cut singing youth
group who believed they could change the world in the ‘60s. They eventually
sang in 47 languages in 3,600 countries … this is their story.
Spring Breakdown
Unhip, bosom buddies pushing 40 get “stuck” at a resort during spring break
… supposed to be hilarious. Amy Poehler, Parker Posey, Amber Tamblyn.
The Cove
Thanks to a brave group of activist documentarians, the secrets of the
picturesque town in Japan where dolphins are bred is exposed … and what you
learn is horrifying. AUDIENCE AWARD – US DOCUMENTARY
The Greatest
Expect to cry. The death of their teenage son is too much to bear and it
has complications for all the members of the family. Pierce Brosnan, Susan
Sarandon and (the widely acclaimed Shana Feste in a “break out”
performance).
The Maid
The (complex) relationship between a well intentioned family and their long
time maid. GRAND JURY PRIZE – WORLD DRAMATIC & WROLD DRAMATIC FOR
ACTING.
The Messenger
A soldier, healing from the wounds he received while serving in Iraq agrees
to be a Casualty Notification Officer – letting families know their loved
one has been killed. The messenger falls for one of the young widows. Ben
Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone.
