Sundance 2014

Sundance 2014
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

I loved these films. they made my day:

I origins

A startlingly fresh, unique, thought-provoking and downright fascinating film with Brit Marling and Michael Pitt. A molecular biologist and his lab partner uncover evidence that could change society as we know it. Distribution deal.

Little accidents

Wow, a star is born. Boyde Holbrook is mesmerizing as a confused and angry survivor of a mysterious mine accident. Elizabeth Banks is great as the lonely wife of a mine company executive who is – surprise, surprise – hiding things from the community. Together with a young boy they delve into the disappearance of a teenage boy and land squarely in the center of a web of secrets.

Rudderless

A well done, engaging film about a grieving father who stumbles upon his dead son’s music and forms a rock ‘n roll band. It has an excellent cast: Billy Crudup (amazing), Anon Yelchin, Felicity Huffman, Selena Gomez, Laurence Fishburne and William Macy. The music is terrific and the story well thought out. I would see this movie again.

the skeleton twins

Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader are estranged (and strange) twins who are unexpectedly reunited which gives them a chance to figure out how their lives have gone so wrong. Engagingly funny at times. But mostly it is an inward looking film that is both sad and hopeful. With Luke Wilson and Ty Burrell. waldo salt screenwriting award. Distribution deal - $3.5 million

song one

Ann Hathaway’s character returns home when her brother is left comatose after an accident. Between visits to the hospital she traces his life as a musician and tracks down his favorite musician. Their unexpected relationship buoys the movie – and the music is sublime – but this is not a Hallmark movie and in the end they are forced to face the reality of their lives. Fascinating and gorgeously shot in Brooklyn.

whiplash

won both u.s. dramatic grand jury prize and audience award u.s, dramatic. This one film alone made Sundance worthwhile this year. Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons give spectacular, award worthy performances. A ruthless (verging on sadistic) instructor directs a talented young drummer to pursue perfection at any cost. Distribution deal.

wish i was here

This is a thoughtful, feel good movie with Zach Braff, Kate Hudson, Mandy Patinkin and Josh Gad. Famously funded by a Kickstarter campaign it is about a 35 year old struggling actor trying to find purpose in his life after the death of his father. Well acted and directed. A heart tugger. Distribution deal.

From OK, to it won’t hurt you, to ???:

they came together

Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd have a good time in this spoof of the romantic comedy genre. Entertaining and slight but fun.
so maybe the acting was good or the filmmaking slick, but … ick:

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

I had high hopes for this film. A woman moves in with her brother and his wife after a nasty breakup. Anna Kendrick and Mark Webber try their hardest to bring some life to this film, but in the end, the plot veers into stupid land and is so contrived you really don’t care what happens to any of the characters.

dear white people

The one thing this film has going for it is the title. Four black students at an Ivy League college cause a riot over an “African-American” themed frat party. (Amazingly, this is a mini phenomenon across the country.) Supposedly this is a tongue in cheek look at “exploring racial identity”. Instead the tone and antics trivialize this topic. The acting was fine, the direction, not so much.

Jamie marks is dead

A bleak and confusing film about a dead kid who comes back to haunt one of this former classmates. I’m sure there was a point, but I – for one – didn’t get it.

The sleepwalker

From Norway (I usually like Norwegian films) comes a film which – at first – you think might be fascinating, until you wait and wait for it to come together and it never really does. About a young couple renovating a house on a secluded estate who are interrupted by 2 unwelcome guests. It purports to be about the “unraveling of the lives of four disparate characters”.

Rich hill

Won US Documentary Grand Jury prize yet I found it disjointed and lacking in emotional appeal. It is about a rural American town and the families who are trying to make a go of it. It should have been compelling, but just missed.

the bad & UGLY

the voices

The first movie with Ryan Reynolds I didn’t at least on some level enjoy. Touted as a “genre-bending” film about a mentally ill factory worker who turns serial killer, complete with a talking cat and dog and lots of graphic violence, this film was horrifyingly bad.

Frank

Based on a true story about a wannabe musician who joins an avant garde rock band led by a person who hides himself inside a large, fake head (yes, you read that right). Absurdly meaningless story (at least as told by this filmmaker) accompanied by music that made me want to cover my ears. Michael Fassbender, Maggie Gyllenhaal. Distribution deal.

To kill a man

This won the World Dramatic Grand Prize but I wish I hadn’t seen it. From Chile, a family man gets mugged, confronts the attacker and gets himself shot. Violent, yet somehow unemotional ,since it’s hard to care about any of the characters.

Good “buzz” but 5 films a day is my limit:

Alice inside: a story of music & memory

documentary about a man who works with Alzheimer’s patients in nursing homes who – through music – is able to ease pain and awaken memories. world cinema jury prize, dramatic.

camp x-ray

Kristen Stewart is a guard at Guantanamo Bay. She forms a friendship with one of the detainees.

difret

From Ethiopia about a lawyer who helps women and children until one case threatens her very existence. world dramatic audience award.

Fed up

documentary about the campaign by the food industry to confuse the American public which has resulted in one of the largest health epidemics in history.

god help the girl

A musical (!) about messed up boys and girls and the music they make. world cinema dramatic, special jury prize for best ensemble.

Happy valley

documentary about whether Penn State’s football coach Jerry Sandusky’s abuse of young boys was an open secret for years before he was finally brought to justice.

hellion

Aaron Paul, Juliette Lewis and an amazing 13 year old delinquent.

Infinitely polar bear

Mark Ruffalo as a manic-depressive father tries to win back his wife, Zoe Saldana by attempting to take full responsibility for their two young daughters.

laggies

Keira Knightley, Sam Rockwell and Chloe Grae Moretz in a coming of age story. Distribution deal.

Life itself

Documentary about film critic Roger Ebert.

Private violence

documentary about the one in four women who experience violence in their homes. Why don’t they leave?

the case against 8

DOCUMENTARY about the case to overturn California’s ban on same sex marriage. u.s.documentary directing award.

The green prince

documentary about one of Israel’s prized intelligence sources who is a spy.

The trip to italy

Steve Coogan, and Rob Brydon provide rivalry and laughs in this Michael Winterbottom film.

Web junkie

documentary. China is the first country to label “internet addition” as a clinical disorder. This is about a rehab center for Chinese teenagers.

White Bird in a Blizzard

Shailene Woodley’s life is turned upside down by the disappearance of her mother (Eva Green). With Christopher Meloni and Thomas Jane this is a film everyone seems to like.
Janice Anderson-Gram
anderson-gram@comcast.net
@jandersongram