Sundance 2013
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
I loved these films. they made my day:
A.C.O.D.
This translates as “a child of divorce” and is about a young man (Adam
Scott) trying to negotiate his way around his parent’s (Richard Jenkins and
Catherine O’Harar) toxic divorce. Trying to broker a peace between them for
the sake of his younger brother he enlists the help of a therapist (Amy
Poehler).
before midnight
Richard Linklater does it again (Before Sunrise and Before Sunset which was
nominated for an Academy Award). It is two decades since Ethan Hawke met
Julie Delpy on a train bound for Vienna. They are now in their early 40s
and vacationing in Greece with their children. Lovely, thought provoking
and magical.
breathe in
Loved the pairing of Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones as a middle aged
musician falling slowly for the foreign exchange student who comes to live
with the family over the summer.
don jon’s addition
Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes his directorial debut in a film about a guy
addicted to pornography. I wasn’t sure I would be interested in this film
but the story pulls you in and in the end I was rooting for him to discern
the difference between sex and love. With Scarlett Johansson, Julianne
Moore and Tony Danza.
history of the eagles
Rock out to this fascinating documentary about this enduringly popular
band.
inequality for all
Follow UC Berkeley Professor Robert Reich in this documentary as he
passionately argues about the widening income inequality which threatens
our economy and democracy. AWARD: U.S. DOCUMENTARY SPECIAL JURY FOR
ACHIEVEMENT IN FILMMAKING.
in a world …
Lake Bell is a struggling vocal coach and daughter to the snarky king of
movie-trailer voice-overs. She is mesmerizing. Welcome to the world of
voice-over stars … you’ll never again see/hear them without thinking about
this film. AWARD: WALDO SALT SCREENWRITING AWARD: U.S. DRAMATIC
Jobs
Having read the book Jobs by Walter Isaacson I thought I was going to be
disappointed, but I wasn’t. This film does a very good job compressing
Jobs’ life from his early work with Steve Wozniak (Josh Gad) to Apple’s
corporate ups and downs. Ashton Kutcher IS Jobs right down to his smallest
mannerism.
mud
A slow moving story about a charismatic outlaw (Matthew McConaughey) and
two young boys.
pussy riot – a punk prayer
A timely and fascinating documentary about the female Russian punk rock
band who steadfastly demonstrate against president Vladimir Putin. Young
and radical, nothing, including jail time will convince them to cease and
desist. AWARD: WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY SPECIAL JURY FOR PUNK SPIRIT.
stories we tell
A deeply affecting “documentary” about Sarah Polley’s family. When she
pulls back the layers of stories told by her siblings differing perceptions
and buried secrets emerge.
the east
Brit Marling is an ex-FBI agent who infiltrates an underground movement
that is attacking big corporate CEOS and forcing them to Skarsgard,
Patricia Clarkson and Ellen Page.
the gatekeepers
See this film! Everything you wanted to know about the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict from six of the former heads of Shin Bet, Israel’s internal
security agency.
the lifeguard
A wildly smart former valedictorian on the verge of 30 whose seemingly
perfect life in New York crumbles when her love life dissolves decides to
spend the summer in the Connecticut suburb where she grew up. Kristen Bell
is amazing as she reunites with some of her former friends and embarks on
an affair with a young boy she meets while serving working as a lifeguard.
the spectacular now
My favorite film. Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley are seniors in high
school. He’s the life of the party, a budding alcoholic and has no plans
for the future. She’s the “nice girl” who read science fiction and has big
dreams. Somehow they are drawn together … and it is tremendously authentic
and beautiful. AWARD: MILES TELLER & SHAILENE WOODLEY U.S. DRAMATIC
SPECIAL JURY AWARD FOR ACTING
twenty feet from stardom
Loved this film about the (unsung) story of the backup singers for everyone
from Bruce Springsteen to Mick Jagger. Fabulous!
two mothers
A story of love, lust and friendship where Naomi Watts and Robin Wright are
best friends who fall in love with each other’s sons. Intriguing to watch.
very good girls
Dakota Fanning is best friends with Elizabeth Olsen and as they spend their
last summer together they meet and mutually fall in love with Boyd Holbrook
(a star in the making!). Tragedy brings the whole situation into focus.
the way, way back
From the writers of The Descendants, this tells the (wonderful) story of a
14 year old boy’s awkward, funny and heart warming summer trying to survive
his mother’s (Toni Collette) overbearing boyfriend (Steve Carell). Thanks
to his mentor at a local water park - Sam Rockwell is amazing – the boy
survives.
From OK, to it won’t hurt you, to ???:
C.O.G.
This is an adaptation of a David Sedaris story about a prideful young man
who decides to spend time on an apple farm in Oregon to figure out his
life. While this was billed as funny and poignant, I wasn’t enthralled.
concussion
Definitely fascinating, about a woman who, after she’s hit in the head with
her son’s baseball bat discovers she wants to lead a double life – as a
housewife and a prostitute. The lead (Robin Weigert) is amazing and
believable.
emanuel and the truth about fishes
Strange and intriguing in a sort of weird way, this is about a teenager
whose mother died giving birth to her. When a young mother – who looks like
pictures of HER mother - moves in next door and asks her to babysit, things
get really strange.
lasting
From Spanish/Polish the story of a couple who are head over heels in love
during their summer holiday, but when the boy has an encounter with an
unsavory property owner, it turns their world upside down. AWARD:
DOCUMENARY CINEMATOGRAPHY
the machine which makes everything disappear
A documentary from Georgia this could have been fascinating, but just
missed. The filmmaker posts an ad for youth to audition for her film.
Facing the camera, they talk about their struggles and dreams. AWARD:
DIRECTION WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY
upstream color
This film isn’t for everyone, but I really liked it. Some will remember his
debut film at Sundance – the weird and wonderful Primer. The program says
it is about ”two people who search urgently for a place of safety within
each other as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of their
wrecked lives.” Hmmm, not much I can add to that other than to say it is
quite intriguing. AWARD: SHANE CARRUTH & JOHNNY MARSHALL U.S. DRAMATIC
SPECIAL JURY AWARD FOR SOUND DESIGN.
so maybe the acting was good or the filmmaking slick, but … ick:
soldate jeannette
German/French and a real mess of a film. A formerly rich woman falls from
grace and has to ultimately live on a remote farm with pigs. There she meet
another young woman and together they vow to overcome their circumstances.
sweetwater
I had high hopes for this film by the Miller twins who did last did
Touching Home with Ed Harris. What a train wreck of a disappointment. Ed
Harris, January Jones and cast try hard to make this film about the
American Old West interesting, but fail - violently.
Good “buzz” but 5 films a day is my limit:
afternoon delight
Plagues by purposelessness a young mother goes to a strip club and becomes
obsessed with saving one of the strippers. AWARD: DIRECTING U.S. DRAMATIC
after tiller
A documentary about the assassination of Dr. George Tiller in Kansas in
2009, one of only 4 doctors in the U.S. to perform third-trimester
abortions.
Anita
A documentary about Anita Hill a young law professor who sat before the
Senate Judiciary Committee testifying to the lewd behavious of Supreme
Court nominee Clarence Thomas.
austenland
If you guessed this is a take off on Jane Austen fanatics, you are right.
Audiences loved this film with Keri Russell.
citizen koch
A documentary about the Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United
case lifing the ban on corporate election spending.
dirty wars
An investigative reporter traces the rise of the Joint Spcial Operations
Command – drones anyone? AWARD: DRAMATIC CINEMATOGRAPHY.
fruitvale
Based on a true story of a young boy who is mistakenly killed by a police
officer. AWARD U.S. GRAND JURY PRIZE + AUDIENCE AWARD
gideon’s army
This film follows 3 public defenders, each juggling hundreds of cases … and
their salaries barely cover their expenses.
kill your darlings
Daniel Radcliffe is Allen Ginsberg.
linsanity
About backup point guard Jeremy Lin’s rise in the NBA.
wajma (an afghan love story)
A clandestine relationship between students breaks all the rules of their
society. When Wajma discovers she is pregnant her father must decide
between his love for his daughter and upholding the family’s honor. AWARD:
SCREENWRITING WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC.
we steal secrets: the story of wikileaks
The title says it all.
which way is the front line from here?
The life and time of photojournalist and filmmaker Tim Hetherington.
