Sundance 2012
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
loved these films. they made my day:
celeste and jesse forever
Rashida Jones (Parks and Recreation) is wonderful as a serious businesswoman trying to cope with the breakup of her high school romance/marriage to a free spirit played by Adam Samberg. Realistic. Sad. Romantic. Funny. Surprising.the end of love
The film’s director, star and screenwriter does an amazing job holding his own against his co-star: the most winning 2 year old ever. When Mark’s wife dies he has to grow up fast to deal with his new life as a single father. So real it feels like a documentary. So compelling and moving you don’t want it to end.Finding North
DOCUMENTARY. Not a great film but an important topic. I’m glad to have seen it and encourage others to seek it out. While all of us know there are children are starving in Africa, did you know there are 16 MILLION kids in the U.S. who are starving? Disturbing. Truly unimaginable. It would be nice if this film could trigger some good old American activism … but alas I think we are way too busy debating contraception to worry about feeding starving American children.Hello I must be Going
You have seen her in a number of other films, but always as a secondary player. But in this really terrific, engaging film Melanie Lynskey is superb. She is jointed by Blythe Danner as a 35 year old recently divorced, what-am-I-going-to-do-with-my-life-now role. Then, in walks a charming 19 year old and together they take strides to take their lives back – oh, and if this process includes great sex, all the better.Hit record at the movies
If you ever have a chance to participate in Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s online community, take it. www.hitrecord.org is an online site that brings artists together to work on each other’s projects. A lot of fun.Me at the zoo
DOCUMENTARY. The story of a truly outrageous and engaging video blogger from a small town in Tennessee. Chris Crocker’s “Leave Britney Alone!” YouTube post was a sensation. The controversial rise of an internet folk hero isn’t for everyone, but it is fascinating.red lights
Wow. Two investigators of para normal hoaxes (Sigourney Weaver and Cillian Murphy) come face to face with a legendary blind psychic (Robert De Niro) and try to figure out how he pulls out his “tricks”. Spooky. Scary. Engrossing.safety not guaranteed
Surprising , outlandish and wonderful. Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) as well as the rest of the cast is charming, quirky and fun. It all begins when 3 magazine employees are sent to investigate a personal advertisement by a guy seeking a partner for time travel.Award: Screenwriting Award
smashed
A young married couple’s bond is based on love … and booze. When Kate, an elementary school teach decides to get sober it materially alters the couple’s relationship. Surprising. Oddly refreshing. Insightful.award: US Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing
the surrogate
Wow. a 36 year old man in an iron lung (John Hawkes is brilliant) with the help of professional sex surrogate (Helen Hunt as you have never seen her before) “becomes a man”. He is helped along this journey by his priest (William H. Macy). Sad, funny, enlightening. Simply remarkable.award: US Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting
the words
I wanted to see this film again immediately after the credits rolled. Bradley Cooper is a struggling writer who longs to be the next big literary phenomenon. An award worthy performance. When he happens upon a manuscript in a briefcase while browsing in an antique store it changes his life. It is a story he wishes he could write, so he “borrows” it and becomes an overnight sensation. Thus, a moral dilemma is born. To tell or not to tell. Riveting. Wonderful performances by Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde and Zoe Saldana. A film you will want … no, NEED … to talk about afterwards.AWARDS:
From OK, to it won’t hurt you, to ???:
2 Days in New York
I wanted to love this film because Julie Delpy is generally so terrific. Chris Rock is her live in boyfriend and she has an amazingly dysfunctional family who descend upon them in their tiny NYC apartment. Interesting but not quite engaging enough to recommend.A fierce green fire
Documentary. The history of the environmental movement. Glad I saw it. A bit slow.Filly Brown
The lead actress (Gina Rodriguez) definitely captures your attention as a young, Los Angeles hip-hop artist but the story (sleazy producer, former gangster father – Edward James Olmos - with a heart of gold, a discarded boyfriend once her star rises) just seemed obvious and sort of Lifetime Channel-like.Goats
Wonderful and weird characters in an affecting story about a college bound boy whose upbringing has been extremely strange. Graham Phillips (the son in The Good Wife) is perfect. David Duchovny, Vera Framiga, Ty Burrell, Keri Russel round out the parents who could actually learn a great deal from the kid.price check
Parker Posey in an over the top role as a high-energy (read manic) executive who seduces an unassuming, married office slug in a failing supermarket chain. Funny at times but ultimately forgettable, verging on trite.OK, so maybe the acting was good or the filmmaking slick, but … yuck :
FOR ELLEN
Paul Dano is an aspiring rock star . His wife wants nothing more to do with him. His daughter Ellen is a stranger to him since he has abandoned his family to go on the road with his band. Seemingly on a whim he decides to file for joint custody of Ellen. That the 2 are awkward with one another is an understatement. I wanted to care about the characters, but didn’t because they were such caricatures. Like watching lumpy paint dry.Middle of Nowhere
This film tries to provide the answer to the question: What happens to a woman who quits medical school after her husband is arrested for gun trafficking so she can visit him in prison more frequently. The acting is fine, but I didn’t really care about the characters and their choices were unfathomable. Frustratingly slow.AWARD: U.S. Directing
the bad & UGLY
red hook summer
This film entered the festival with a lot of buzz because it is a Spike Lee film, but exited with a thud. A young, middle class boy is dropped off at his preacher grandfather’s house in the ghetto and told to “enjoy the summer”. Replete with many of the grandfather’s mind numbing (boring) sermons, a predictable romance, and a reveal that the grandfather is (?)/was a pedophile. Pointless. Disappointing.Good “buzz” but 5 films a day is my limit:
arbitrage
Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Tom Roth and Brit Marling star in a suspense thriller about love, loyalty and high finance.The Atomic states of america
Documentary about growing up in a nuclear reactor community. Especially relevant in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan.Bachelorette
Sounded like some loved this film, while others despised it. A Bridesmaids-like plot but with lots of foul language, booze and coke thrown in for good measure.beasts of the southern wild
This film won awards but reading about it and talking to people who saw it, it just didn’t appeal to me at all. A 6 year old’s father dies and nature goes whacky (armies of prehistoric beasts?). Described as mythological, anthropological, folkoric, apocalyptic.AWARDS: Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic, Cinematography – US Dramatic
chasing ice – documentary
Answers the question: “How can one take a picture of climate change?” May be on PBS later this year. I really, really wanted to see it.Award: Cinematography – US Documentary
compliance
Viewers either loved this film or hated it. There was no in between. About a middle-aged manager at a fast food restaurant and a teenaged counter girl accused of stealing money – which she vehemently denies. Overworked, the manager goes along with the police officer and tragedy ensues.The d word: understanding dyslexia
Demystifies the learning disability. Sounds really, really good. Hope it will be on PBS.ethel
DOCUMENTARY. Everything you ever wanted to know about Ethel Kennedy. Will play at San Francisco Film Festival.The invisible war
DOCUMENTARY. An estimated 30% of service women and 1% of service men are sexually assaulted during their enlistment. Few perpetrators are tried or convicted.AWARD: Audience Award - Documentary
Liberal arts
Josh Radnor, Elizabeth Olsen, Richard Jenkins, Allison Janney, Elizabeth Reaser. Disillusioned, 35 year old boy meets sophomore girl at his professor’s retirement dinner. Sparks fly.Putin’s kiss
DOCUMENTARY. A smart, young ambitious teenager works as a political organizer for Putin until she befriends a group of liberal journalists, critical of the government.AWARD: World Cinema Cinematography
robot and frank
Lots of positive, enthusiastic comments going around about this film. Set in the future, this dramatic comedy, buddy picture is all Frank Langella and a robot. With Susan Sarandon, James Marsden, Liv Tyler, Peter Saarsgard.searching for sugar man
A man once hailed as the greatest recording artist of his generation disappears into oblivion until the filmmakers find him living a totally different life.AwardS: World Cinema Audience Award, World Documentary Special Jury Prize
Twenty-eight hotel rooms
Chris Messina and Marin Ireland are a novelist and a corporate accountant who find themselves in bed together. She’s married, he’s seeing someone.The Queen of Versailles
A couple aspire to build the biggest house in America – a 90,000 square foot palace inspired by Versailles – the the economy (oops) goes bust. Will be shown at the San Francisco Film Festival.AWARD: US directing Award
