It’s been a little over a week since I got back from the Sundance Film Festival (Yup, that’s me in picture 11) – it was the experience of a lifetime. An avid lover of art and film, Sundance was a little slice of heaven for me. The energy of the festival was incredible, the people? Oh the people! Not only are the Volunteers some of the most interesting/fascinating people I’ve met in a while but you’re constantly surrounded by Celebrities. Actors. Directors. Writers. Production Artists. Photographers. Ridiculously talented people who do and live what they love. Being there was inspiring; I came back feeling like I need to create and recreate. It was just what I needed.
Although art and music play a huge part of the festival, Sundance is all about films. One of the perks of being a Volunteer is getting vouchers to the screenings, a perk I used to the fullest. Curious about what I watched? Check it out…
Waste Land
I’ve been fascinated with Vik Muniz for a while now, so when I heard a documentary followed his work I was immediately intrigued. This was one of the films selected for the Volunteer Screenings at Sundance, and it was a delight. In Waste Land we follow Vik as he visits his home town of Sao Paolo to work with Pickers (searchers of recyclable materials) of Jardim Gramacho (the world’s largest landfill), in the hopes of documenting their lives through art. The result of his work with the people of Gramacho is life-changing; the art is even better. One of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen.
Frozen
Another one of the films selected for the Volunteer Screenings, I had high hopes for Frozen. We join three friends on a ski trip that goes terribly wrong as they get stranded for a week in the resort, on the chairlift, thousands of feet above ground. The description made it sound like a psychological thriller, the reality was drastically different: Frozen made me want to throw up. The film was extremely gruesome, grotesque and right out nauseating, so much so that my friend sitting next to me sat through it with her eyes closed. No thanks!
happythankyoumoreplease
How I Met Your Mother & Arrested Development are some of the funniest shows on TV right? Josh Radnor (Ted in HIMYM) and Tony Hale (Buster Freaking Bluth!) are part of the amazing cast that makes happythankyoumoreplease one of the best movies I have seen in a while. It’s easy to identify to Sam, a struggling writer in his late 20s, and the life he leads: one of love, friendship, and self-discovery. happythankyoumoreplease was my favorite film at Sundance, I loved it. Apparently so did the rest of the audience; it won the audience award for the U.S. Dramatic category. Here’s to hoping it gets picked up and released everywhere!
Howl
The Beat Generation was known for its expression of emotion, sometimes to the point of obscenity. Howl gives us a snap shot of one of the Beat Generation’s greats, Allen Ginsberg, and his controversial poem. James Franco plays Ginsberg flawlessly transforming before your very eyes into an eccentric, proud homosexual writer who just wants to be heard. The cinematography, although unexpected, is perhaps the most captivating asset of the film: crisp color scenery, black and white flashbacks and animated interpretations of Howl provide a feast for the eyes. Although the film wasn’t wait I expected I really enjoyed its quirkiness.
Jack Goes Boating
Philip Seymour Hoffman’s directorial debut, Jack Goes Boating created a lot of buzz at Sundance – everyone wanted to see what this great actor could bring to the screen. The plot centers around Jack’s (played by Hoffman) life and his attempts at conquering his fears in love and friendship. The acting was good however, the storyline was weak. I kept waiting for the climax and it never came. Monotone much?
Hesher
Three words: Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He blew everyone away at the festival with his portrayal of Hesher, an angry and rude teen who injects himself in a troubled family’s life. Through wrecking their lives Hesher forces the family to finally deal with issues they’ve been trying to avoid and start loving each other. Rock and roll, crude dialogue and graphic metaphors make this film dark and sad yet hilarious. I’m a fan.
I’m Here
Unconditional love can sometimes be damaging, especially when you’re a robot. This is the premise of Spike Jonze’s short film I’m Here. Heartfelt and charming, you can’t help but love this short…then its underlying message hits you in the face: if you’re not careful, you can lose yourself to love to the point of extinction. Also one of my favorites, I’m Here kept me thinking after I watched it, there’s something about it that really hits a chord. Word, Spike. Word.
The Killer Inside Me
I’m a Casey Affleck fan and was excited to see him in a lead role as a disturbed murderer, that is until I saw The Killer Inside Me. The plot is gruesome and bloody, very hard to watch at times. Through unnecessary explicit sex scenes, punches to the face that lead to disfiguration (among other things), this almost three-hour flick attempts to tell the story of a small-town cop gone psycho. Casey did well but the story was just too long and not interesting enough to keep your attention.
Blue Valentine
A real look at relationships, Blue Valentine is the story of a couple struggling with their marriage. The acting and dialogue in this movie is superb – Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams killed it! The little girl who plays their child is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. It was funny, touching, intense, really well made. It is not a feel good movie by any means; you walk out of the theatre feeling heavy and a bit sad; your emotions are definitely stirred. Gosling can wreck me any day.
Douchebag
Greatest movie title ever! I’ll be honest, I went to watch this movie solely for the title – it lived up to it. Two estranged brothers are reunited by one of their fiancées as she tries to mend family ties. Their reunion is awkward and forced, so is the road trip they embark on to find the younger brother’s fifth grade girlfriend. Throughout the course of their trip the big brother shines in douchebagchery in a dry, almost British way. I enjoyed the humor, the dynamics between the characters and the plot; it was an enjoyable film.
The Extra Man
Anything with Kevin Klein is worth watching, the man is an entertainer to the core (well, except for Dave, that movie was dumb). The Extra Man tells the story of a young man obsessed with Fitzgerald who moves to New York City with hopes of being a writer. He finds a sublease owned by Klein’s character, an eccentric escort who makes a living entertaining older women of society. Soon the two men develop a friendship, Klein takes Dano (the young writer) under his wing and teaches him the ropes, Katie Holmes contributes absolutely nothing to the movie (she came across as having the personality of a card box in the Q&A) and there you have it: The Extra Man. The film itself was just okay, nothing grand, but Klein is pretty hysterical.
11 Films in 5 days — I squeezed in as many as I could. I will definitely go back next year and I can’t wait! Best Week Ever.