No Movie for Us on Saturday

Just to wrap things up, we were unable to get tickets for "Toy's House" on Saturday. Many people show up in Park City without any tickets in hand and then try to wait list into the movies they want to see. This is what we attempted to do Saturday morning. We showed-up at the theater more than two hours before the scheduled movie time. There was already a short line, but it looked promising. Exactly two hours before the movie starts, they hand out wait list numbers. Jois and I were numbers 29 and 30. A sign in the lobby said that the average number of wait list tickets sold at each movie at this particular theater was 33. Again, it looked promising.

With our numbers in hand, we were then free to leave the queue, so we headed to a little restaurant down the road for breakfast. We returned to the theater an hour later, lined back up by number and crossed our fingers. I think fewer than 20 people in the wait list line got in to the movie, so we were sent away movie-less. Darn!

In retrospect, many things worked against us. First, it's a fairly small theater (it's actually a hotel conference room converted to a theater.) Second, there was a lot of talk about "Toy's House" after it premiered earlier in the week. The story of three young men who decide to run away from civilization and "live off the land," it seemed to be the surprise hit of the Festival -- at least with audiences. Third, it is one of the few comedies showing in what proved to be a pretty heavy line-up of films -- a very desirable trait that late in the Festival. And finally, it was Saturday. It definitely felt like there were more movie goers on the weekends then during the week.

Hopefully "Toy's House" will make it to Portland and we can see it then. We have a few movies that we were unable to see this year that fall into that category, so we'll see. We are already working on housing for Sundance 2014, so it looks like the Sundance Outsider Blog will be resurrected once again. In the meantime, I'm going to make the most of Portland's rainy season and try to catch up on the Academy Award nominees that I haven't seen.

I'm so Upset

We just got out of our last movie of the day and I'm going to start by talking about that film and loop back around to our first movie. Actually, it was my first movie. Jois and Kim went to a 9:00 AM movie and I headed up to the box office around 7:00 AM to see if I could exchange or sell some tickets. We had two tickets for a 9:00 PM movie at The Sundance Resort (which is an hour outside Park City) and, after exploring all options -- shuttle, taxi, hitchhiking -- we abandoned hope of getting there at a reasonable price. I successfully exchanged those tickets for two tickets to "Fire in the Blood."

Fire in the Blood

This is one of those documentaries that every American should see. You will start out sad and end up pissed. Dylan Gray does an excellent job of explaining why the same antiretroviral drugs that have changed the outcome for thousands of Aids patients in the U.S. are not being utilized in third world countries. I'll give you a hint, the big Pharmaceutical companies are not very nice (unless you happen to be running for office.) The result, poor people in places like Africa and India are dying by the millions. That's not OK. Please visit the film's website, www.fireintheblood.com to hear more of the story and find out how to get involved. By the way Oregonians, I talked to one of the advocates featured in the film and he said Ron Wyden has been helpful, but it wouldn't hurt if he heard from his constituents.

Shopping

Earlier in the day, we saw a dramatic film set in New Zealand in the '80s. Based somewhat on the filmmakers' lives, it told the story of Willie, an 18-ish kid who is fiercely loyal to his little brother, torn between the two cultures of his mixed-race family and gets involved with a traveling band of petty thieves. The little brother steals the show, but the intensity and honesty displayed by first-time actor Kevin Paulo, who plays Willie, is pretty remarkable. This is why I love Sundance: During the Q and A we learn that the filmmakers "discovered" him while he was eating butter chicken at a food court at the mall and the brother scenes were mostly improvised. I'm not sure it has commercial appeal, but we suggested they submit it to the Portland International Film Festival. We'll see ...

We capped the day with some lousy Chinese food (our favorite burrito joint was closed), packing and a little perusing of the real estate ads. Anyone want to go in on a condo in Park City with us?
We are out of tickets now, but that's not going to stop us from trying for one more movie tomorrow.

P.S. The title of tonight's post refers to both the documentary and the bad Chinese food.

Best Movie We Have Seen So Far

Once we got flights and shuttles figured out for our three friends who were trying to fly home yesterday (the Salt Lake Airport cancelled all morning flights due to ice), we saw two very different movies. The first was a Georgian -- as in Eastern Europe, not Southern U.S. -- documentary and the second was in the U.S. Dramatic Competition and was based on a true story.

The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear

In the past 10 years, I have seen a lot of movies at Sundance that I didn't like, but I don't think I have ever described any of them as boring. Maybe I'm just tired, but the first hour of this documentary put me to sleep. The young Georgian filmmaker attempts to shed light on life in contemporary Georgia by interviewing its youth. The film is made up of these interviews combined with footage of the interviewees going through daily life. A couple of the subjects, who appeared in the second half of the film, had interesting stories and the film picked-up a little bit. But, it wasn't enough for me. I really felt as if the Director had two short films here, rather than a feature. Both Jois and I felt them film could have also benefitted from a little more contextual information about Georgia -- its recent history, economy, etc. It also further bolstered our new theory that directors from countries where there is not a thriving film industry are more likely to be selected than those in countries that are already well represented.

Fruitvale

See this movie! I have been so impressed with films by very young filmmakers this year and "Fruitvale" falls right in line. Based on the true story of Oscar Grant who was killed on New Year's Day 2009 on a platform at the Fruitvale Bart station in Oakland, CA. The train was packed with New Year's Eve partiers and many of those on board filmed the incident with their cell phones. Ryan Coogler (the 26-year-old writer/director) takes those eye witness accounts, police depositions, interviews with family and friends to craft a very honest story of what happened and a loving tribute to the man who lost his life.

I'm seeing two movies today and hope to wait list for one more tomorrow before we head down the mountain and back to Portland. It's been a different kind of Sundance -- fewer big stars and a little more low-key feel -- but the indie film biz is alive and well and I'm excited about all the talented first-time filmmakers we have seen this year.

Girl's Rock!

Today we saw two films written and directed by young, female directors. Although two very different films, I was struck by how each was an embodiment and almost a tribute to the woman who made it. Both drew from personal experience to write the screenplay and worked tirelessly to get them made. Referring to their films as their "babies," these women should be proud to let these "babies" out into the world.

The first film, "Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes," wove two stories of loss. 18 year old Emanuel, who's mother died giving birth to her, befriends the new mother who has moved in next door. An unlikely bond develops, things aren't as they seem and drama unfolds. This is a gorgeous film, sprinkled with dream-like sequences that enhance the drama and help the audience to understand Emanuel's emotional turmoil. While this film starts out about loss, it's really about unlikely alliances and how hard it can be sometimes to get unstuck.

We went from that movie to "In a World..." -- our first comedy! Directing herself as the lead, Lake Bell, leads through a hysterical story of living in the shadow of a famous father and breaking into a career traditionally dominated by men. Bell, stars as Carol, a voice coach who lands a couple of key voice-over roles, upsetting the balance of power at home. Her dad, top dog in the movie trailer voice-over business, has a hard time envisioning any woman, let alone his daughter, being taken seriously in the industry. Relationships form, relationships unravel, feelings are hurt and feelings are mended. I particularly loved Bell's crazy energy; the cameos by stars like Eva Longheria, Geena Davis and Cameron Diaz; and the cohesiveness of the primary cast -- completely believable as a messed-up family.

I don't know if these two films will make it to Portland, but if they do, they are worth a watch. Photo 1 below is Francesca Gregorini, Writer and Director of "Emanuel and the Truth about Fishes." Photo 2 is Lake Bell (Writer, Director and Star), Michaela Watkins, and another cast member from "In a World..."

It's the Year of the Extreme Close Up

We saw two very different films today, but liked them both. The first, "The Spectacular Now" will be in theaters eventually. The second, called "Mother of George" was beautifully made, but may not make it to commercial theaters.

"The Spectacular Now" was about a high school senior who was a totally "living in the moment, life of the party" kind of guy who has no plans past high school. An unlikely girlfriend enters the picture and things start to change. What we loved about the film was how brilliantly the actors portrayed high school kids, it also had humor, heart and a well-told story. Not everyone we talked to agreed with us and I will concede there were some story holes (for example: if you drive drunk and your girlfriend ends up in the hospital as a result, there really should be a consequence), but when you have seen slow, plodding, mostly silent movies for two days; action, dialogue and a progressing plot is a welcome change.

"Mother of George" told the story of a Nigerian couple living in Brooklyn, NY. When, after two years, they fail to conceive, the cultural differences come to a head. This was one of the most creatively filmed and beautifully executed films we have seen so far. Contrasting rich traditional African dress against the busy, grey landscape of modern-day Brooklyn added a layer of richness and texture to an already rich story. While I didn't love the out-of-focus close-ups that eventually came into focus, I appreciated the unique style and the way the cinematography, styling and lighting added an unspoken emotional element to the film.

We realized today that this is the year of the close-up. There seems to be an epidemic of pointing the camera at the actor doing the listening during intense dialogue, to the point where you are not always sure who's doing the talking. We have seen close-ups of feet, close-ups of hands and close-ups of the back of the neck. And I wasn't going to mention the various barnyard animals, but I just did. I'm hoping at some point during the Festival someone can explain to me how filmmakers from all over the world, telling extremely different stories have all adopted this one technique.

Here are some photos from today's movies. The first is Miles Teller (actor) and James Pondsoldt (Director) from "The Spectacular Now" and the second is Andrew Dosunmu, Director of "Mother of George."

More Pigs, Lots More, Can You Believe it ?

Ok, I'll admit, yesterday's pig theme was a bit of a stretch. I really liked the oil pig portrait at the restaurant we went to and the first film we saw partially took place on a farm, so I made it a theme. Boy was I surprised today, when our first film of the day had pigs, many of them, in a supporting role.

The film was called "Upstream Color" and told the story of two people who had been abducted and drugged with some kind of organism. After their lives are completely destroyed and while they are in the rebuilding phase, they meet each other and latch on. It takes a while for them to figure out they have both been through the same thing (that thing which includes blue mold, some kind of worm and an eventual surgery that removes the worm, but somehow links them to a pig.) Kind of sci-fi, kind of horror, mostly confusing. While still painfully slow for our taste, the upside of this film was it had a plot and was very well made. It was the first film we saw that didn't feel like the filmmaker's grad school thesis.

We dashed from there, missing the Q & A where we might have been able to ask the director to fill in some of the plot holes, to our first documentary. Finally, a film I can recommend without reservation. In "When I Walk," documentary filmmaker, Jason DaSilva turns the cameras on himself. At the age of 26, he learns he has a very aggressive form of MS and for the next seven years films his steady decline. With a great sense of humor, strong sense of purpose and a completely unsympathetic, yet totally supportive mother, Jason soldiers on.

I don't want to give it away, but the film is much more about living than it is about disease. It has moments of gut-wrenching frustration followed by moments of joy and hope. Did I mention the strong, no-nonsense mom? She provides the plain truth and the levity in the film, but it's really Jason -- his commitment to film making, his reluctance to yield to the disease and his honest look at his life -- that makes this film so magical.

Jason and his wife Alice were on hand after the screening to answer questions about the film and, together they have become big advocates for people with disabilities. Completely frustrated by the difficulty Jason deals with in navigating New York in a scooter, they are working to improve accessibility for all. Check out their website/app: axsmap.com where you can add accessible businesses to a map of your area. This way your disabled neighbors will know where they can and cannot go. How great is that?

We have two more films tomorrow and a night time trip to Main Street. Hope to be hanging with the cool crowd. Yesterday, we did bump into Chris Matthews, of MSNBC fame. Here's my friend, Julia, chatting him up.

Check Out The Copper Onion

It's not a good movie day when the highlight of the day was dinner. Who knew you could get awesome mussels in land-locked Salt Lake? If you are seeing movies at the Broadway Centre Cinemas, be sure to make reservations at The Copper Onion.

OK, enough about dinner, on to the movies. We saw two movies in the World Dramatic Competition -- one from Austria and one from Indonesia. Both were terrible.

The first, called "Soldate Jeanette" (Soldier Jane), attempted to address the issue of wealth disparity. This could have been interesting, but the story was told in such a slow, tedious and incomplete way, that we actually passed a flask of Makers Mark (good idea, Julia) to get through it. Later the filmmaker told us he started out by casting the film and never had a screenplay. Isn't that a little like hiring employees without job descriptions. If you love long, slow shots of cows being released from the barn and don't care if the characters ever speak to each other, this is the film for you.

Next up, "What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love." Set in a high school for hearing and vision impaired students, this film could have benefited from a plot and judicious editing. While better than the first movie, there was very little dialogue, a completely confusing story line and many frivolous scenes. Not only did the flask make another appearance (side note to filmmakers: if you are going to film someone brushing her hair 100 times, please start the scene at 90), but Julia left in the middle to watch the Ravens/Patriots game.

Tomorrow, we have three movies and all we ask for is a plot and some dialogue.

By the Numbers

As this is my 10th year attending the Sundance Film Festival, I can't help but think about the numbers. And, boy, does Sundance have numbers. Before we even book our flight, the Sundance jury has reviewed approximately 12,000 submitted films to come up with a 10-day festival that includes 113 feature length films and 50 short films, divided into 11 categories, playing from 8:30am until midnight in 16 different theaters.

In ticket buying, the numbers game continues. First, we and 12 of our closest friends register our intent to buy individual tickets. This enters us all into a lottery that randomly assigns ticket-purchase time slots. Of those 15 people, four were assigned time slots on the first day of individual ticket sales. This is important, because many movies are sold out prior to the start of individual ticket sales. (Thank you high roller pass holders and movie execs.)

During each time slot, we are allowed to purchase up to 20 tickets, no more than four for each movie. We spend hours pouring over the film catalog to come up with a list of movies to try to see. This list looks at the films that are playing the days we are there, the times they play, the venue, and the film description. The film descriptions tend to be very brief and vague, but over the years, we have identified several "red flags." Here are a few examples:

• The words "non-linear" time frame.
• Any film described as surreal, haunting or macabre.
• Or this actual excerpt from one of this year's film descriptions;  "From the demented minds that brought you last year’s V/H/S comes S-VHS, an all-new anthology of dread, madness, and gore." No thanks!
• Any film starring Ashton Kutcher.

That being said, we did use five of our ticket-buying time slots to purchase a total of 59 individual tickets to 19 different movies. A couple that I am excited to see include: Mother of George, which tries to paint a true portrait of the African immigrant life; In a World, a comedy about a voice-over artist struggling to find her voice despite having a father who's the best in the business; and When I Walk, where a documentary film maker chronicles his fight with MS. With 19 movies, I'm sure there will be some duds and some delights. Wi-Fi permitting, I will share photos, highlights and movie reviews throughout the festival. Oh, and I'm hoping to have at least one close encounter with Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

We Ended on a High Note

Our last Sundance movie was "Filly Brown," the story of an up-and-coming Latino hip hop artist. Filly, passionately played by Gina Rodriguez is using her music to tell the immigrant story and help her struggling family. Rodriguez received all the attention around this film as a previously undiscovered actress who delivers a dynamic performance, but I don't want the film itself to be overlooked in the wake.

Filly Brown is a story with a huge heart. It's about the immigrant story, yes, but it is also about family, loyalty and being true to oneself. Lou Diamond Phillips is great as Filly's dad and the almost all Latino cast crackles with energy and anger throughout. The original music (sung mostly by Rodriguez) illuminates the Latino hip hop scene, provides a pulsing backdrop to the film and may even convert a few dyed-in-the-wool rap haters into fans.

I'm not sure if this film will make it into mainstream theaters. If so, check it out, if not, put it in your Netflix queue. Here are some other much-talked-about films that premiered at Sundance this year:

In the Dramatic Category
The Surrogate
Beasts of the Southern Wild
Compliance

In the Documentary Category:
Ethel (about Ethel Kennedy)
Finding North (about Hunger in America)
Searching for Sugarman (about a 70s rocker whose music becomes a hit in South Africa)

This year's award winners have also been announced: http://www.sundance.org/festival/blog-entry/2012-awards/. Check them out for more interesting Netflix options.

Where are the Writers?

Jenn and I saw a shorts program and a feature film today and all total heard about 20 lines of dialog. Ok, that's a slight exaggeration, but we have heard several filmmakers say that "they wanted the relationship to be communicated through body language" or "they wanted the story told through the character's eyes." A little of that is fine but a whole movie of brooding looks is tedious and slow.

Such was the case with, "For Ellen" featuring Paul Dano and basically, only Paul Dano, as Joby Taylor an almost-rock-star sorting out his feelings about being a deadbeat dad as his divorce is finalized. The movie plays out mostly in his head. In the Q and A the film maker says she was going through a bit of a midlife crisis when she wrote it. I say, have your crisis... in private ... don't bring us all down with you.

I don't even know what to say about Shorts Program III. We have seen some great short films over the years, but the six films in this program were a bust. One of the films had no dialog at all and it was actually one of the better ones. Four of the six played like a small segment of a larger story. They had no resolution and left the audience to finish the story. The one we liked best (and that's not saying much) was a comedy by a Polish director called "Frozen Stories." It focused on two incredibly lonely people who are pushed into entering a reality show/contest called "The Unhappiest Person in the World." Yep, I said comedy. 

One more movie tomorrow and we are hoping to end on a positive note. We'll see ...

This is Why we Come to Sundance

On Wednesday, we saw three films that really represent the Sundance experience. One quietly elegant film set in Kashmir, one a moving exploration of grief and fatherhood, and the last one a comedy featuring an over-zealous boss.

Valley of the Saints
This film is simply gorgeous and made even more beautiful by it's story. Set in Kasmir around Dal Lake, it is a story of struggle and friendship and poverty and  hope. While ever-present in the background, the country's political unrest is not the primary focus of the story. Instead, the story centers on the Lake and the people who live there. Using mostly untrained locals as actors (the lead actor still makes his living taking tourists for boat rides on the lake) gives the film its heart. The film makers took many risks in making this film and I'm grateful they did. For an intimate look at an often overlooked part of the world, this film is so worth seeing.

The End of Love
Directed by and starring Mark Webber, The End of Love tells the story of a recently widowed father trying to find his way alone with his son. We were amazed to learn that every scene involving the 2 1/2 year old boy in the movie was unscripted and shot in one take. Webber was able to accomplish this by casting his own, incredibly cute, son in the role. Not a terribly uplifting story, it was compelling without being overly sad and uses an extreme situation to explore some of the sacrifices that come with being a dad.  

Price Check
Because Sundance features so many realistic films dealing with painful subject matter, a comedy is always a welcome break. Price Check features Parker Posey as a somewhat crazed boss and Eric Mabius as one of her star employees. The premise is not new -- compromising one's dreams to earn a living and support a family -- but  P.P.'s over-the-top performance and the scene where one particular employee gets a new nickname is worth the price of admission.

Day Two -- Movies Three Through Five

We started our day with a 9:00AM movie (something I would only do at Sundance), Julie Delpy's 2 Days in New York. A comedy, the story unfolds as Marion's (played by Delpy) family descends on the small apartment she shares with her boyfriend Mingus (Chris Rock) for a visit from France. While the whole cast is great, Delpy's father steals the show as - who else - Marion's father. While this movie won't blow your socks off, it has some very funny moments and anyone who has had a stressful weekend with familial house guests will relate to it. 

Gypsy Davy was our next film. The film maker, a very angry daughter, turns the camera on her father, who abandoned her and her mother. Her father is a flamenco guitarist who travels the world leaving a trail of women and children in his wake. Using a combination of home video, interviews and narration, a very personal story unfolds. In the end, the film feels a little self-indulgent. Father and daughter are on better terms in the end, but I personally didn't need to go along for the ride.

Our third film was a documentary about Ai Weiwei, the Chinese artist and dissident. Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry is a brilliant portrait of is artist and it was created by a very young, first-time film maker. I was already a big fan of Ai Weiwei, but after this movie he has moved up to hero status. His art is provocative and thoughtful, and his politics are communicated passionately and rationally. Currently silenced by the Chinese government, follow him through the film's Twitter account: AWWneversorry. If this film comes to the Portland International Film Festival, see it!

Kid-Thing ... So not my Thing

We saw two movies and a short film on our first day of the Festival. The second film redeemed the day for us. But first, I will try to describe the terrible short film and depressing feature film that kicked-off the day. As I seriously doubt that these films will be shown anywhere but here, I don't think I'm spoiling anything for you.

The short film was called Don't Hug me I'm Scared. It featured a crafty (and I mean that literally) set made entirely of felt. Picture a felt refrigerator. A talking notebook (also made of felt) encourages three puppet-like characters to use their brains and "get creative." In the course of this less-than-10-minute film, things degenerate into rolling brains in glitter and slicing a brain-filled cake. Blech, blech, blech!

The feature film that followed at least had human characters. Primarily one very alone, bored and neglected 11-year old girl named Annie. As you follow her through one empty day after another, you get the point ... this girl is completely lacking supervision and any sense of a moral compass. The bleakness of her life is further amplified by the ridiculously slow pacing of the movie and almost non-existent dialog. (How many cars do we need to watch ram into one another to understand the character is now at the demolition derby?) When Annie discovers a woman who has fallen in a remote well, she has a chance to make a good choice. In the end, she makes several very wrong choices and jumps in the well herself. The End. Blech, blech, blech!

Luckily we ended the night with Mike Birbiglia's comedy based on events from his life, Sleepwalk With Me. Already a fan of Mike's from The Moth (search his name on www.themoth.org or check out birbigs.com.) I was really hoping I would like this film. And I did. Throughout the movie Birbiglia (renamed Matt Pandapiglio in the movie) speaks directly to the audience as he takes us back through the events that brought him to the present. Despite the name change, the movie is clearly autobiographical. A fine cast, a story-telling format and a series of unbelievable dream/sleepwalking sequences all work together to keep the audience engaged.

At the start of the film, Ira Glass (one of the Producers of the film) says he just wants the audience to leave liking Mike the way he likes him. We did. In true Sundance fashion, we bumped into many of the cast from this film having lunch in the booth next to ours the day after the screening. I congratulated them and then slid into the booth next to them for a photo. Carol Kane played Mike/Matt's mom in the film and we were all proud of ourselves for resisting the urge to quote lines from "The Princess Bride."

I Can't Believe it's Year 9

As Sundance 2012 quickly approaches and the flurry (aka stress) of ticket-buying subsides, I decided I better dust off the old blog and do some postin’. I wouldn't want to disappoint my fans (Hi Mom and Dad.)


To bring you up to date, my sister, Jenn, and I spent the long Christmas weekend pouring over the Film Guide and carefully crafting the Ultimate Sundance Viewing Schedule. As with previous years, that plan was completely scrapped once we discovered the lack of available tickets. We did however end up with an interesting mix of movies that even includes some of our first choices (thanks to the fact that Jenn has put off getting an Oregon driver’s license, so still "appears to be" a Park City resident.)


Reading the Film Guide is an exercise in code-cracking. As this is our ninth year, we have learned a thing or two about how to interpret the two-paragraph descriptions for each film (see previous posts about completely awful movies.) Here are some examples of actual descriptions that cause our red flag to fly: 

“Using a non-linear timeframe…”

“…a funky, surreal, world of deadpan absurdism.”


And this one right from the description of Wuthering Heights (yes, that Wuthering Heights): “A stark cinematic expression of the novel’s fierce beauty. Stripping the story to its elemental form, [the filmmaker] dispenses with narrative embellishments, music, literary sheen and romanticism – leaving a wondrous, spare aesthetic of somber hues and harsh textures dominated by nature, natural sounds, animals, and the craggy, windswept terrain.” This description, coupled with the fact that there is no mention of the actors’ performances makes me think it’s a film comprised of brooding looks and physical tension rather than dialog. I’ll pass.


We prefer (and are seeing) films with descriptions that include:


“…propelled by an exceptional cast, and fused with a fierce hip-hop score…”


“Chris Rock … who convincingly plays the straight man…”


"Parker Posey” (You had me at P-uh.)


And this little gem from the Australian movie Kid-Thing: "...a carefully observed film that is both harsh and poignant, but one that retains [the filmmakers’] idiosyncratic humor – you will learn how to ‘blow a chicken’s mind’." Could be useful in chicken-centric Portland.


If these little snippets aren’t enough and you have a half day to spare, check out the on-line film guide in its entirety at: http://filmguide.sundance.org/


The Festival kicks off on Thursday, January 19, but we will not be arriving until the weekend and plan to see movies every day from 1/23 to 1/27. In the meantime, you will have to do with my musings and ramblings about the films we plan to see and the wines I plan to pack (it is Utah after all.)

We Were Here, Taking Shelter on Another Earth (This will make sense later)

Our last day at Sundance 2011 and we saw three very different movies. We all agreed that we like every movie better after the Q & A session that follows each movie. We call this the “Sundance Factor.” Keep that in mind as you read my reviews.

Another Earth

Part tragedy, part science fiction, Another Earth explores the opportunity to right a dreadful wrong. It begins with the discovery of a new planet -- completely identical to earth, right down to the folks that live there. On the night the planet is discovered a young girl causes a tragic accident. As she struggles to get her life back on track and make amends to the man whose life she destroyed, the rest of the world is tuned-in to unfolding news about this new planet.

This is a smart film. I love the way a real-world situation is juxtaposed with this big “what if?” scenario. The characters are relatable and it plays as two-stories-in-one until the end when they come together. The very young, very hyper Director, Mike Cahill, was hugely entertaining in the Q and A, including a Sundance first where he stopped to zip his fly in front of 1200 people. My sister swears he was joking around, but I’m not so sure.

Possibly coming to a town near you, see it with friends so you can have your own “what if” discussion.

      The Cast and Crew of Another Earth

     Director, Mike Cahill, who was very excited to be there.

Take Shelter

It’s never easy watching a film about mental illness and this film is no exception. It is, however, a brilliant portrayal of one man’s decline into irrational fear and the impact that has on his family. Punctuated with special effects and ghoulish nightmares, the audience is placed in this man’s head as much as possible. Set in rural Ohio, the film is an actualized rendering of the impending doom that the filmmaker senses many Americans are currently feeling. The tension in the film was such that I had to remind myself to breathe.

Casting was right on. Michael Shannon played the main character, Curtis and it didn’t seem to be too much of a stretch. He seemed as disquieted in person as his character was in the film. I particularly loved how his wife’s character was written. Played with subtlety and grace by Jessica Chastain; she was a strong, take charge woman, who stayed by her man even when he was at his least lovable. Their deaf daughter was played by Tova Stewart, a young student from the nearby School for the Deaf. Her first role ever, she came across as a seasoned professional.

I think this film has already found distribution, so if you like an edge-of-your-seat, psychological thriller featuring a loving, hard-working family in a small town, be sure to check it out.

      Jessica Chastain and Tova Stewart

     Michael Shannon

We Were Here

Chronicling the gay revolution in San Francisco starting in the 1970s, this documentary is an intimate and deeply personal portrait of the Aids epidemic. From the nurse who dedicated her life to caring for Aids patients and helping to find a cure, to the men who lost countless partners and friends; the story is told chronologically through interviews and hundreds of archival photographs. Bottom line, it’s sad, very sad.

If I thought it would make a difference, I would love to force every one of those protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church to watch it.

Sunday we set out with high expectations. This is the day where we have three Premieres in a row at Eccles, the Park City High School Performing Arts Center, which is the biggest and nicest of the venues.

Higher Ground

Our first film of the day, Higher Ground, was directed by and stars Vera Farmiga (of Up in the Air fame) and is based on a memoir called This Dark World written by Carolyn Briggs. It tells the life story of Corinne, who marries her high school boyfriend, has kids and finds God (not necessarily in that order.) It’s a story of a spiritual journey and a story about being true to oneself. I must admit this film hit close to home for me – I could totally relate to Corinne’s character and I appreciated someone telling an honest story about faith and doubt. It was a very personal and emotional directorial debut. I don’t know if this film will find a wider audience, so I’m glad I was able to score a ticket at Sundance.

Vera Farmiga discusses Higher Ground.

Another Happy Day


Another Happy Day is one of those "Sundancey" films that really has no plot and features dysfunction on every level. An all-star cast tells the story of a family with big issues that completely boil over when they all come together for a family wedding. Ellen Barkin is terrific as a mom at her wits end. Ellen Burstyn and George Kennedy play her parents and Thomas Hayden Church plays her ex-husband. Demi Moore is great as the controlling and somewhat slutty new wife, but I particularly liked the two boys who play Ellen Barkin’s sons. Ezra Miller plays a brilliant, but drug-addicted son with Tourettes while Daniel Yelsky plays his precocious little brother. Together, they provide what little levity exists throughout the film and delivered all the best lines.

Despite the excellent cast, this sarcastically-titled film is so relentlessly sad that it is hard to enjoy and I even found myself wishing it would end. A person can only take so much of Ellen Barking crying.  The truly remarkable thing about this film is that it was written and directed by 25-year-old, Sam Levinson. To be that young and create a story that authentically gives voice to three generations is a true gift. I predict bigger and better things to come – he’s definitely one to watch.

Sam Levinson, unknown guy (sorry, whoever you are), Ellen Barkin, Demi Moore and Kate Bosworth

Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids is one of the hottest tickets at Sundance this year – partly due to its well-known cast and partly due to the fact that it is one of the few comedies. It stars the loveable Ed Helms (Andy from The Office) as a small-town insurance salesman who travels to the big city (relatively speaking) for an insurance convention. John C. Reilly steals the show as the glad-handing, potty-mouthed roommate. I wish I could remember all the off-color euphemisms he delivers -- suffice it to say he had colorful phrases for everything from a white guy hugging a black guy to having sex with a red head. This film is part coming-of-age, part moral dilemma and completely hilarious.

Other stars include Ann Heche, Isiah Whitlock and Sigourney Weaver. A little smarter than The Hangover, this could be your guilty pleasure movie for 2011. Here's a link to the trailor if you want a sneak peak: http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1067817753/.

 Ed Helms, with Director, Miguel Arteta right behind him.

The cast and crew of Cedar Rapids

Movies!

Saturday went much better than Friday. We spent a lovely 12 hours at the picturesque Sundance Resort and saw a total of five movies (two feature-length films and three short films.) Between films, we walked along a postcard-worthy stream to hang-out in another building which houses a restaurant, bar, gift store and deli/coffee shop. Everyone there was friendly, the staff was very accommodating and the facilities were top notch. Now that we know how comfortable it is to see movies at the Resort, I’m sure we will make it a point to spend at least one day there every year.


Pariah

Our first movie of the day was our favorite of the day. Pariah tells the story of a teen African-American lesbian whose family is having difficulty accepting her lifestyle. This film is remarkable for several reasons. First, it shed lights on a common issue for gay teens in a very authentic and honest manner. Second, it is beautifully acted. Each actor portrays his or her character were such sensitivity that you find yourself sympathizing with all of them. And third, this is a very complete and polished film created by a team of mostly young, unknown talent. It is Director Dee Rees’ (photo below) debut film. Newby Cinematographer, Bradford Brown, did an amazing job and the cast poured its heart and soul into it. By the end of the movie everyone in the building was crying, including the cast and crew.

Documentary Shorts II

Three short films were bundled together to make this shorts program. The first two should be seen by every American, the third … not so much.

Living for 32

This is the story of Colin Goddard, a Virginia Tech shooting survivor who is now dedicated to lobbying for gun law reform. In light of our recent experience in Tucson (we were on vacation there and not far from the site of the shooting when it occurred) this young man is my new hero. He was shot four times and is one of seven survivors in a classroom of 17 people. After dedicating himself to getting better physically, he has now dedicated himself to making America a better place. He is involved in the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. I plan to get involved when I get home. Here’s the link if you are interested in knowing more: http://www.bradycampaign.org/.

The Barber of Birmingham

This film provides a snapshot of the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of 85-year-old James Armstrong. Armstrong was a Civil Rights Foot Soldier, his sons were the first black kids integrated into a Birmingham elementary school and you cannot help but cheer along with him as he tearfully watches Obama’s inauguration. A hard-working barber, this delightful man fought the fight with humor, grace and relentless dedication. He passed away shortly after the film was made and I hope this film will find audiences across America so his story will continue to be told. Much of his family attended the screening and his legacy will definitely live on through them.

Animals Distract Me

The group was split on this film. Personally, I thought it was a frivolous waste of time and film. Directed by Isabella Rossallini, she tells about her infatuation with animals in a completely meaningless, nonsensical way. If you have ever seen her two-minute shorts series on the Sundance Channel called Green Porno, you will have a sense of the film. It starts with charming childhood photos of her very famous family and their pets. From there, it goes downhill fast. It is a series of cheesy segments that range from a visit to Mario Batali to discuss guilt-free eating to Isabella dressed as a bug that lives on eyelashes being smeared with mascara. This film tells us nothing new and can't even be called art. To me it seems to exist merely as a vehicle for Isabella to put herself in front of the camera.

The film seemed even more frivolous in that it followed two hard-hitting, well-made documentaries about serious social issues. My sister is a big Isabella Rossillini fan, so we did get a photo of the two of them together. My “big dork” moment came earlier in the day when we saw Ms. Rossillini at the restaurant and, seeing a familiar face, I said “Hi.” Even though I did not look a bit familiar to her, she was gracious enough to say “hello” back. This is why I don’t talk to celebrities.

Restoration

A very quiet, slice-of-life film about an Israeli man trying to save his antique furniture restoration business and sort through his feelings about his son, this film is not very everyone. It drags in places, has very little action and is in Hebrew with English subtitles. That being said, it is beautifully made and acted. This is a case where I liked the film better after hearing the director discuss it than I did while watching it. I didn’t like the fact that many parts of the story are left untold, so it was nice to have the Director fill in some of those holes at the end. I doubt it will find U.S. distribution, but if it does, skip it.

Friday is Dubbed "Operation Get Movie Tickets."

Operation “Get Movie Tickets” begins before the sun comes up Friday morning.


First Plan A:

Up by 5:30 and out the door by 6:15 to head to the Box Office. Each morning the Box Office releases a few more tickets for the movies that are playing that day. By being there an hour before it opens, we were hoping to be able to score tickets to at least two movies. The other advantage of going to the Box Office is we should be able to exchange some of our extra tickets for Monday for Friday tickets. This saves us the hassle of trying to sell those tickets.

Plan A did not work out so well. We waited in line for 90 minutes and by the time we got to a ticket seller, there were one or two tickets available for a few Friday movies – nothing that met our needs. So, we left empty-handed. While we were unable to trade in our unwanted tickets, we did sell the bulk of them to people in line. Yeah, cash on hand!

On to Plan B:

Now that we are almost over our outrage over this crazy non-ticket-buying process, we are going to take another tactic to see two movies. We are headed to The Library Theater two hours before show time to see if we can get wait list tickets to see Buck (the horse whisperer documentary.) After that we will move to the Yarrow Theater, again two hours before show time, to try to get wait list tickets for Old Cats (a very quirky Spanish film in the Spotlight Category.) This is a tedious, time-consuming way to try to get tickets, but we are determined.

We are here to see movies, damn it, and see movies we will!

OK, so we saw one movie. We ended-up not getting in to see Buck. We had wait list numbers 47-50 and the theater filled-up about six people ahead of us. It’s playing again tomorrow, so we plan to try again. By sacrificing any other afternoon activities, we were able to get seats for Old Cats. We thought this was going to be a funny, charming look at old age and difficult mother/daughter relationships. Yeah, not so much. Instead it was a plodding, sad look at old age and difficult mother/daughter relationships. It was made by two Chilean film makers whose charming personalities almost made up for the lack of charm in the film.

Highlights of the Day:

• Being called “Sundance Fairy Godmothers” by a group of USC Law students who were trying to navigate the Sundance scene for the first time.
• Making a quick trip to Main Street and the Sponsor Co-op, where we scored everything from a free L.L. Bean tote bag to a tube of L'oreal lipstick.
• Jennifer, craving a chocolate chip cookie, insisted we stop in at an Internet Café. When she turned around, she literally ran into Elijah Wood. There weren’t many people around, so we are still kicking ourselves for not asking for a quick photo.
• Meeting all kinds of wonderful people in line. Including Jeremy from Chicago, who stars in a low-budget, handcrafted film that premieres Sunday and proudly shared photos of his 18-month-old daughter. And Mohanned who works for the Royal Film Commission in Jordan and travels to film festivals around the world, scouting movies and promoting Jordanian-made films.

This is what we love about Sundance.

Old Cats Directors Pedro Peirano and Sebastian Silva

The Saturday Line-Up

Despite my down-beat post earlier this week, we did manage to get a few movie tickets. This year we will be seeing movies at The Sundance Resort for the first time (http://www.sundanceresort.com/.) The Sundance Resort, founded by Mr. Redford himself, is a high-end get-away at the base at the base of the Timpanogos Mountains. During the Festival, it has one theater showing movies and is host to workshops and panels geared toward those folks in “the biz.” Other times of the year, the Sundance Resort is a place for skiing, hiking, art and fine dining. At some point we hope to partake in the last of those four.


Saturday, for our day at The Resort, we are seeing:

Pariah

Produced in part by Spike Lee, this film tells the story of a 17-year-old Lesbian who is keeping her true identity hidden from her conservative family.

Documentary Showcase II

One of our favorite parts of Sundance is seeing the variety of short films they present. Last year we really enjoyed the documentary shorts, so we re-upped this year. Typically a shorts program will have five to seven films. This one only has three, so I guess they are long shorts. One is about a Virginia Tech survivor lobbying for gun control (interesting in light of current events), the second is about an African-American barber in Birmingham, Alabama and the third (directed by Isabella Rossellini) is a 47-minute stroll through New York through an animal-lover’s eyes (huh?)

Buck

We don’t actually have tickets for this documentary, but we are hoping to waitlist in. It’s the story of Buck Brannaman, the real-life horse whisperer. Jenn's a horse-person, so for her, we'll wait in line.

Restoration

The first Israeli-made movie we have seen at Sundance, Restoration (in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition) tells the contemporary story of the owner of a failing antique furniture-restoration business trying to save his business. Jois is married to an Israeli, so for her we'll read subtitles.

We have now arrived in Utah and are looking forward to picking up our tickets at the box office tomorrow, collecting the other two members of our posse from the airport and hitting The Bombay House for our traditional Indian feast! Still hoping to score some tickets for Friday.

Dear Sundance

Dear Sundance:

As I prepare for my eighth trip to the Sundance Film Festival, I have never felt so much like an outsider. I am completely discouraged and disheartened by the lack of ticket availability. We jumped through your hoops. We registered ahead of time for the on-line ticket sales lottery and were excited when we got two buying time slots for the first day. That excitement quickly turned to frustration when we realized most movies were already sold out.

I understand the filmmakers and industry executives need tickets to the movies. I understand the pass holders pay big bucks to go to whatever movies they like. I understand you take care of the locals first. And I understand the number of seats in each Park City venue is finite. What I don't understand is how there cannot be a single decent ticket left on the first day of on-line ticket sales.

I know the Festival attracts the wheelers and dealers, the celebrity watchers, the party-goers and people who can afford to rent a condo in Park City that week. But we have had many conversation over the years with people who are there for the same reason we are. They love film, particularly independent film, and Sundance is one of the best places to see the latest and the greatest.

So, for those of us film lovers who have already booked our flights and reserved accommodations, please figure this out! Let me know if I can help in any way.

Sincerely,

The (Literal) Sundance Outsider