Sorry about yesterday, where I reposted some Sundance reviews by Bobbin. Today, I know these are hot out of the inbox. As I said, a whole buttload of reviews by Bungion Boy.
Literally. We measured. A metric buttload.
Hey, Harry and co. Bungion Boy here. Just got back from Sundance. Was planning on writing longer reviews while I was there, but there was no time. Here is my wrap up with mini reviews and ratings of the films that I saw, in the order I saw them.
The Pool-(2) This was the first film I saw at the festival. It’s the very sweet story of a poor boy in India who everyday stares at the swimming pool of a rich family in the town. He strikes up a relationship with the father and daughter who own the pool, originally with hopes of being invited for a swim, and the film shows what happens as a result. The film is directed by documentary filmmaker Chris Smith, (American Movie, The Yes Men), and in his Q & A he talked about adapting the book on which it was based and changing its setting from Iowa to India, because a change of venue would make it more interesting. Sadly that wasn’t the case. With the same story and characters, this could have been a wonderful film in the hands of another director. But Smith makes a very quiet film centered around two characters that deserve to have a louder voice. There are some nice scenes that show the film’s potential between the three young people in the film, but they never speak in an open way that you’d expect them to. Smith won a special award for this film and I’m not sure why. It was for singularity of vision, and I guess that I agree that this was a film only he could make, because another director might have brought more to the table.
It Is Fine. Everything Is Fine!-(4) This was the second film in Crispin Glover’s film trilogy, and co-directed by David Brothers. If their first film, “What Is It?” was surreal and reminded of Fellini, then this film might be his homage to Bergman. Or maybe I’m just reading too deeply into this, but at times I was reminded of “Scenes From a Marriage.” This film was written by and stars Steven C. Stewart, who died right after filming, after living with cerebral palsy all his life. His voice is nearly completely incomprehensible, but it takes place in a fantasy world where everyone can understand him perfectly, (even if the audience can’t), and where he is viewed by women as a great lover and ladies man. There is graphic sex in the film between Steven and various women, but the twist is that he is also a serial killer and strangles all the women he sleeps with.
This is not the kind of film that I could ever truly recommend to anyone, but at midnight in Park City, it was perfect and was an experience I’ll never forget.
Snow Angels-(5) The new film by David Gordon Green may also be his best. Green is a master of tone, and many of his detractors cite that signature mark to argue that all of his films are the same. “Angels” carries the same style and tone but is also perhaps his most plot-heavy film to date. It’s an ensemble film that focuses primarily on Glenn and Annie, a married couple who has split ( the always excellent Sam Rockwell and the excellent for the first time in a long time Kate Beckinsale), and what happens with them when a tragedy occurs. I don’t want to say too much about this one. I knew virtually nothing going in and it made the experience that much more excellent. The cast is supberb, including Griffin Dunne, Amy Sedaris, and Nicky Katt, but as juvenile lovers who parallel where Glenn and Annie probably began their own relationship, Michael Angarano and Olivia Thirlby steal every scene and provide a much needed uplifting storyline in a very sad film.
Rocket Science-(5) Quite possibly my favorite film that I saw at the festival. Directed by Jeffrey Blitz, who made the doc “Spellbound,” this is a story of a young teen named Hal Hefner who stutters so much that he can’t even finish a sentence. When the school’s star debater has a breakdown, his partner seeks a new teammate and decides that she sees greatness in Hal because he has something to prove. She begins to train him and he falls in love. There are so many obvious directions that the story can go in, but “Rocket Science” doesn’t choose any of the clichés of the genre. It surprises and entertains at every turn. This is a perfect parallel to “The Pool” because both were made by documentary filmmakers who’s previous films were known for profiling unique and fascinating characters. Chris Smith was unable to invent the same kind of characters for fiction but Blitz has a whole cast of characters with fully fleshed personalities and hilarious quirks. This has a similar tone to a film like “Election” and is one of the best films about high school since that one. Blitz says his next film will be a doc about Lottery winners, but I for one can’t wait for his next narrative film. I can’t recommend this one enough.
Weapons-(1) Certainly my least favorite film I saw at the festival. I’m not one usually offended by violence, but this was just gratuitous and disgusting. This is kind of like a slightly more mainstream take on a Larry Clark type film. Certain lies lead to events which leads to revenge. This film feels like a retread of a lot of indie films. The most tired device is the story being told in chapters out of order. And wow, the director Adam Lough reeeeeeaaaallly likes the play with that “slow motion button.” This has a few interesting performances by Nick Cannon, Paul Dano, and the great Mark Weber, but I just wanted this one to be over.
Eagle vs. Shark-(4) A cute little film from New Zealand. Everyone I talked to who saw it called it the New Zealand “Napoleon Dynamite.” It’s too bad it’s being labeled as that because it’s a much better film. I was not a fan of ND, and my main reason for that was it seemed that none of the characters in the film truly wanted something. They were pretty much just content with being quirky characters and existing only to be weird and give out one liners. This film is about two nerdy losers, but at its core it’s a love story. Loren Horsley plays Lily who falls in love with the bizarre guy who orders burgers from her every day named Jarrod. If the film is better than ND, then my complaint would be that Jarrod’s mannerisms are a little too similar to Jon Heder’s sometimes, but I still prefer Jarrod to Napoleon. This sometimes gets caught up with its silly subplots. The training for a much anticipated fight goes on for too long and I wanted to learn more about Jarrod’s family, but Loren Horsley is so adorable and fun that she totally carries the movie and I never wanted to leave her. She alone bumps the film up from a 3 to a 4.
On the Road with Judas-(2) A film that suffers from too much concept and not enough story. J.J. Lask, (who acted way too high and mighty during his Q & A. He kept modestly comparing himself to the likes of Woody Allen and Charles Bukowski.), adapts his own book, and directs the film, and casts himself, and makes himself a character in this film. Kevin Corrigan plays Lask who has written a book called “On the Road with Judas” which is being made into a movie. He then imagines himself on a meta talk show, hosted by the real Lask, in which his fictional characters that he created talk about their story, as do the actors who are playing these characters in the film. We see scenes reenacted by both the real characters and the actors playing them. What starts out of a really clever framing device ultimately turns tedious and dull. Corrigan is hilarious and a lot of fun, but after the first 20 minutes, he barely appears in the film again. If this had been a short, I might have loved it. And I give Lask points for trying something really unique, but it just can’t keep up the energy it starts out with.
Starting Out in the Evening-(2) There’s nothing much wrong with this film, there’s just also not a whole lot right with it. Andrew Wagner, who made the interesting, albeit slightly gimmicky “The Talent Given Us,” takes a very straightforward approach with the story of an elderly writer who has been forgotten, (played very well by the great Frank Langella), who is approached by a young college girl, (Lauren Ambrose) who is a big fan and wants to write her thesis about his work and life. He is reluctant but she is persistant and he gives in. A creepy and odd romance kind of begins, which wouldn’t work at all if Langella didn’t play these scenes so well. Lili Taylor plays his daughter who has problems of her own. This was a very nice film that I might have enjoyed more if I saw on DVD or something. It was just a little too simple (and long) to spend 2 hours watching at Sundance when there were better films to see. There might be a good movie here, but the problem is that there are about 5 movies and where the movie should have ended, it still had 3 storylines to wrap up.
The Good Life-(5) Another great ensemble drama. Mark Weber stars as a young man who is depended upon by everyone in his life, and how it begins to overwhelm him. The cast is phenomenal. Harry Dean Stanton, Zooey Deschanel, Bill Paxton, Donal Logue, Deborah Rush, and a surprisingly excellent Chris Klein. This isn’t a new concept. Small town drama about unhappy people, but it’s very well done and a beautiful story. Everything comes together in a way that surprised me. My only complaint is that the voice over at the beginning and the end is a little heavy handed and doesn’t seem to fit the rest of the film.
Teeth-(4) One of the most talked about films at the festival. This truly is the “Citizen Kane” of Vagina Dentata films. But it’s still a silly horror film that I wish had been a little scarier. It adheres to strict horror formula for the genre and does it very well. The film mostly succeeds because of Jess Weixler, who won a special award for her performance. She’s adorable and has a real gift for comedy. It’s all in the eyes. For a genre pic, this was great fun, and the vibe in the midnight showing was ridiculous fun. Apparently Lion’s Gate bought the film and will release it uncut, despite whatever rating it will get. This might limit its potential audience but at least we won’t miss out on any of the hilarious gore and (he he) biting satire. Also important to note, the film was preceded by a great little, gross short called “Songbird,” which had a great look and style. Almost like live action stop motion. One to look out for.
Year of the Dog-(3) The directorial debut for screenwriter Mike White. I’ve always really liked his films. None are perfect and they all have a similar tone that can be “love it or hate it,” but he has a gift for creating sweet and funny characters. This film stars Molly Shannon, who was in White’s very short lived and underrated sitcom “Cracking Up.” I’ve always thought Molly Shannon was talented but also thought that she was almost always wasted. In this she’s finally given the opportunity to carry a film and she does, but sadly, the film isn’t able to completely support her. She plays Peggy, who lives for her adorable beagle. When it dies she goes into a fit of depression. Her eccentric friends and neighbors try to distract her and cheer her up. The supporting cast is great, featuring the likes of John C. Reilly, Regina King, Laura Dern, and Peter Sarsgaard. As a big dog lover, I initially thought that this film was perfect for me and for people like me. The first half was funny and sweet and completely relatable. But then it takes a weird turn that isn’t really bad, but just in contrast with the film and the characters. At first only to impress a guy, Peggy becomes a vegan, starts donating to animal rights groups, and through the course of the film adopts over 15 dogs. She loses her job, ruins relationships, and becomes seriously mentally unbalanced. This would be fine but the ending doesn’t seem to resolve to let Peggy learn any lessons or see what she’s done is wrong, and so it just felt like White made a preachy film about his personal beliefs, and not one for or about dog lovers at all.
Padre Nuestro-(4) The grand jury prize for dramatic film. A great, thrilling story of two young men who come from Mexico to New York, and one steals the other’s identity, introducing himself to the other’s father who never knew he existed. It’s complicated but very engrossing. The cat and mouse story reminded me a bit of “Infernal Affairs,” or “The Departed.” I was so sure I knew where this movie was going while I was watching it, but it ended up really surprising me. There’s also a great, star-making performance by Paola Mendoza. I hope this gets picked up and becomes a big hit, because if it doesn’t, it’s sure to be ripped off and made into an English language and Americanized film. Too bad because despite the constant subtitles, this really is an American film and one of the best about newcomers in New York that I’ve seen.
The Savages-(5) Even the best films that I saw at Sundance weren’t perfect and could benefit from a little editing. However this film, which was in the premier section, really felt finished and ready for release. I’m sure it won’t be out until fall though because there’s plenty of oscar buzz to come out of it. It stars Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney as siblings with severe problems. As complicated as their lives are, they’re made worse when their father, (a superb Phillip Bosco), enters dementia and they decide to put him in a nursing home. After the opening scene which has a shocking and hysterical moment, I was sure that this film would be cynical and about crazy people doing inappropriate things. Instead it’s a very sweet and honest film about taking care of a parent more for reasons of guilt than love. We see the “parents entering homes” stories at the end of many films, but I cant think of one that used it as its main subject. This was an exceptional film and one of my favorites of the festival. Oh, and hilarious.
Chicago 10-(5) One of the most entertaining documentaries I’ve ever seen, if not quite the best. Like he did with “The Kid Stays in the Picture,” Brett Morgen puts a visual spin on the documentary format. Morgen’s film shows amazing archive footage of Abbie Hoffman and the other Yippies protesting and rioting in the park at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The footage is amazing and my jaw was dropped by this event which I had read about, but never actually seen the real thing. The other half of the movie is the trial, which scripted by the court transcripts, is done with motion capture animation, and features the voices of Hank Azaria, Jeffery Wright, Roy Scheider, Nick Nolte, and Dylan Baker. The film has a great visual style and a kick ass soundtrack, but it’s the subject and archive footage that really spoke to me, and the rest of the audience who gave this a standing ovation.
The Ten-(3) One of the most anticipated films for me going in and one that kind of disappointed. I love David Wain’s “Wet Hot American Summer,” and this just doesn’t come close. 10 stories, each about a commandment, and introduced by hilarious segments starring Paul Rudd. Those were the best scenes in the film. Of the 10 stories, about 3 of them were really funny. My favorites involved a woman going to Mexico and falling in love with Jesus, (the real one), two neighbors fighting and buying dozens of cat scan machines to out do one another, and a mother’s black sons meeting their real father, sort of. As for the rest of the film, there were often some hilarious lines and moments that were as random as the best moments of the show “Stella.” The problem was that the situations in the stories weren’t very funny. Winona Ryder having sex with a dummy isn’t funny, but some of the individual jokes were. That’s how most of the movie plays out, though I feel that seeing it a second or third time might improve on the funny. At least I hope so. This is a funny crew and I’m sure some funny slipped past me.
That’s all for me. Hope this was informative. Now I’m all movie’d out.
-Bungion Boy
