Sundance: Day Three

[I know this is quite a delayed post; I just found it in my drafts folder. It may be a bit incomplete in terms of the day's agenda, but it is still telling of recent wide releases.]

Once we got to the cashier for Day Of tickets, I got a ticket to Touchy Feely later Saturday at noon and Breathe In for 8:30am Sunday morning (see Day 4 blog!). So thankfully I got an hour nap before the screening-- especially because I just had about 3-4 hours sleep...on a cold, tile floor.

I was extremely excited for Touchy Feely- I've kept an eye on Rosemary Dewitt ever since her role on United States of Tara. The director introduced the film and was extremely happy to be a part of Sundance US Dramatic Competition once again, especially because she is one of the eight women competing. Yet, I was disappointed by the film. Don't get me wrong, Lynn Shelton incorporated interesting techniques that illustrated Abby's internal conflict; microscopic rack focus shots of the skin show Abby's impending claustrophobia towards her massage patients. A later ecstacy-scapade also creates a surreal environment for the drugged characters. The supporting cast is impressive with Allison Janney topping the lot. Josh Pais' awkward Paul, a dentist who mysteriously gains healing powers to cure TMJ in his patients provides most of the comic relief (is it coincidence that all of the supporting casts' lives get better once Abby undergoes mental distress?). The main reason why I was disappointed with the film was by the short ending that really didn't explain the resolutions. Character's emotions and thoughts drive the narrative, yet the conclusion is so abrupt. Another highlight is Tomo Nakayama's "Horses" (found here) which he plays during the climax of the film. The song captures the delicacy of each character and his/her struggle to discover himself/herself. His voice is stunning, but his character reminds me of a similarly awkward Michael Cera from Juno.

I was excited to see Ellen (and get her autograph), Allison, Lynn, and Rosemary after the screening behind Eccles!!

The rest of my day can be summed up shortly with cinematic disappointment. After the screening I went to the Morningstar Farms restaurant with a newly made filmmaker friend. The restaurant is famous during the festival because they are serving FREE lunch & dinner: veggie burgers and veggie chili. Can't go wrong with free food! Then after lunch I went to wait in line for the premiere of Toy's House. I was 7th in line, with Nick Robinson's aunt and friends ahead of me (he's the lead in the film). I think I arrived around 4:15 and waited until 8:30, and after they let 6 people into the screening, I was the first person to not be given a ticket :'(  I was devastated, but for a happy ending, see Day 5... I really wanted to see Mud and Interior. Leather Bar. which were premiering at the same time, but since I HAD to try to get to the premiere of the film I was an extra for, I had to deal with only seeing 1 film today.

Goodbye, Summer...

With the summer winding down, I was trying to make a Best Of Summer list and quickly realized it was an amazing summer for indie & Sundance films! The Spectacular Now definitely makes the Top 5 along with The Bling Ring, The Kings of Summer, Before Midnight, and Fruitvale for the independents and The World's End, World War Z, This Is The End, Star Trek: Into Darkness, and Despicable Me 2 for the blockbusters (take into consideration that I did miss out on some other good ones, apparently). I'm not big on star-studded, action-popping blockbusters but I do enjoy a mind-numbing cinematic experience from time to time. Other Sundance films that have been making their rounds include: Blackfish, In A World..., Don Jon, Ain't Them Bodies Saints, The Way, Way Back, The East, Stoker, Top of the Lake, Stoker, Austenland, Adore/Two Mothers, Upstream Color (now on Netflix), We Steal Secrets, After Tiller, and soon to be released: Kill Your Darlings (!!!!!!), Concussion, A Teacher, Afternoon Delight, Breathe In, and A.C.O.D. (Jobs, Lovelace, Touchy Feely, and The Book of Love among the Black Sheep of the lot).

What other films did you love this summer and which do I NEED to see stat??

UPDATE: ESCAPE FROM TOMORROW (the illegally filmed and apparent acid trip into Disney World) GOT A RELEASE DATE FOR OCTOBER 11 AND WILL BE IN COLUMBUS IN NOVEMBER. CAN YOU TELL HOW EXCITED I AM?!?

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A Post-workout milkshake/smoothie:
1 serving

1/2 banana (frozen or fresh)
1 handful strawberries (just to sweeten)
1 spoonful (chocolate) protein powder
2 Tbs. peanut butter
1/2 cup ice
cover ingredients in blender with (vanilla) soymilk

Delicious!!

The Spectacular Now

I'm not really sure how to even begin to translate the emotional shock I'm in right now into words. Most of all I just feel disappointed in myself for not giving The Spectacular Now a chance during Sundance this year. The characters, the story, the hardships, the hope, the future. A seemingly redundant high school flick soon turns into an emotional journey for two vastly different (yet very true) personalities in small town-paper route America. The cold open (so to speak) allowed the audience to quickly understand Sutter's role and his alcoholic crutch. His uninhibited nature allows the intensity to build to the slap-in-the-face title frame where the towering NOW could only mean a deeper look into Sutter's imperfect mind. The awkwardness between Sutter and Aimee Finicky is so palpable that it becomes part of and creates the reality with which the audience falls in love. The best of the script lies in the pain family causes both teenagers, discovering yourself with and through someone else, and allowing yourself a potential future even with considerable imperfections. Let alone the phenomenal cinematography and my geeky side that fell in love with the many long takes.

I was considerably surprised by the weight this film carries in terms of emotional power, sensuality, and honesty, and its ability to merge these milestones with such grace. Sutter is your typical high school bro, looking to score with girls, have fun at parties, and get by in school without working too hard. It is so frustrating to see him constantly looking at Cassidy when he has Aimee comfortably in the palm of his hand; yet, his flip-flop tendencies caused by raging testosterone levels are actually 100% real in high school (and college...) populations. While his transformation from start to finish is expansive, it is definitely believable and possible unlike in many movies. Even I began to see a part of Sutter inside of myself.

Sutter leaves the audience with some of the best advice: "The best part about now is that there's another one tomorrow." Live your life, laugh, and definitely love. The film shows how easily you can live without fear simply by letting your guard down and allowing someone to believe in and love you. Realizing that change is always present will make you stronger and keep you fighting for what you truly love.

You'll leave the theatre with a new understanding of the word 'spectacular.'

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Because-I-have-a-ton-of-baby-spinach-lying-around smoothie:

Ingredients

1 banana (small frozen ripe, peeled)
2 cups baby spinach
1 tbsp peanut butter
3/4 cup milk (almond or soy to be healthy)
1/2 cup plain or vanilla greek yogurt

as seen here.

Sundance: Day Two

I've been so caught up in the Sundance experience that exhaustion is a common thread that has (ironically) held my body together these past few days. So even though I haven't been updating everyday, I still plan on writing about everything I've seen! So I started off Day Two with getting a taxi to the Box Office at 5am. My friend and I waited until 8 (we were about 15th in line) to see if any tickets were available for Day-Of showings. Even though most films were sold out (once films are sold out, the only other chance one has is by waiting in the waitlist line, which can begin anywhere from 2-5 hours before the screening), we did get tickets to Sightseers. This film, directed by Ben Wheatley, was promoted as one of Sundance's favorites that premiered at Cannes. Sidenote: Sightseers is in the Spotlight category and not In Competition.

So this film, premiering at 11:30 at the MARC Theatre, is quite hard to explain without revealing the true atmosphere it creates. The "cold open" immediately evoked laughter, and it left me in such awkward and artistic yet interesting confusion. The juxtaposition of photos of a white terrier with a man pinpointing pit stops on a map, played to an offscreen moaning noise isn't what you first expect from any film. What follows is a melting pot of genres that details a harrowing, yet still comedic journey of a couple travelling to museums around England ("Chris, can we go to the Pencil Museum now?"). Road genre, romcom and gruesome horror slasher is the beginning of the awkward relationship that blooms from the couple. In a way Ben Wheatley becomes a British Tarantino. At each stop along the way, Chris and Tina meet people that rub them the wrong way, leading to their unfortunate- albeit hilarious and hard to watch- demise. The backstory to the introductory shots the dog, later discovered to be the late Poppy, is disturbingly revealed in (once again) an over-the-top fashion.

I can see most audiences having a polarized response to the film, either loving or hating it. The conflict between human vs. nature is prevalent throughout, especially in the many shots of nature and historical locations. So the gruesome, almost unwatchable scenes could easily overshadow Ben's artistic elements which are easy to love and entrancing. I haven't seen Ben's other films but I'll be adding them to my list, regardless of how conflicted I am by the film.

Later Friday Night I waitlisted for Two Mothers, a story of two mothers (*shocking*) who have affairs with each others' sons. Each of the four leads- Naomi Watts, Robin Wright, Xavier Samuels, and James Frecheville- exudes a unique chemistry with the other characters. The cinematography is stunningly beautiful! The Australian landscape becomes an important character itself, providing a home to the characters that don't want to leave for Sydney. The capital city, only being shown in two shots, is immediately disguised as impersonal to the relationships the characters form. Even though Sydney borders the ocean, the beach and beach house provide a flourishing and intimate setting. Water is such a key symbol- swimming, surfing, motion of the tide- that immediately reveals nature's central importance.

The film's homosocial depictions are hard to misconstrue. Even in the first sequence with younger versions of Lil and Roz swimming to the pivotal dock out at sea, the framing of their feet swinging through the water lead me to believe they could be more than friends. Later Roz, played by Robin, reminisces about a kiss they both shared as kids when Lil (Naomi Watts) asks her, "Are we lezzos?" Even shots of the two children, Ian and Tom, question their playful relationship; however, the high eroticism is attributed to the more-than-often thinly dressed, or naked, cast. The repeated capture of butts becomes a symbol of the juxtaposition between young and old and frames the question of maturity in the film. The situation is definitely odd, but the characters learn to deal with the consequences and portray a believable, emotional compromise.

Naomi, recently Oscar-nominated for The Impossible, was beautiful on-screen and on-stage for the post-screening Q&A. Anne Fontaine, the French director, misunderstood some of the questions asked during the Q&A. For example, when asked why both mothers kept their wedding rings on throughout the entire film (there are reasons why this may seem unconventional), she responded in confusion. Even after multiple people tried to rephrase the question (I understood), she finally concluded with "Why not?," which is an upsetting answer to an intriguing detail and possible continuity blooper.

The final sequence, as described by my friend as reminiscent of the Horse Head scene from The Godfather,  is so beautiful that I would see the movie again just for the penultimate shot. I have to see it again regardless, but for another reason that links itself to film circuit experience. During the more awkward moments, the audience would erupt in laughter. The first comment that Anne made after the film was that she was definitely not expecting such a comical response. I felt bad during the screening because I was not laughing (there are definitely purposeful humorous moments) and it broke up the dramatic intensity of the scene.

In conclusion, I definitely recommend seeing Two Mothers! It's sure to be released later in the year (it is part of the Premieres category), so keep your eyes peeled!

After the screening Megan & I went to the Box Office to check on Day Of Screening tickets, and since there was a good amount of tickets to screenings we wanted to see, we decided to quickly get food then sleep over- YES, SLEEP OVER- in the building so that we could get a good chance at tickets!  (see Day 3 for more!)

Sundance: Day One

Day One at Sundance was incredibly unforgettable and surreal! I can't believe that I'm finally here and I think how tired I am can attest to my full exhaust. Once we arrived, I immediately left for the Eccles Theatre so that my friend and I could wait in the waitlist line. We were about 15th in line- not counting the 5 people who ended up cutting in front of us- and finally 22nd. We got in line at 3:30 and finally heard that the first 25 people were being admitted to the screening of May In The Summer. I COULDN'T BELIEVE I ACTUALLY MADE IT IN TO TO THE FIRST SCREENING!!!

Cherien Dabis, the director, opened the film- and in turn the entire festival- with a quote that her mother once said to her: "This is Sunny Dance." And what an introduction to my first Sundance film ever! It was a beautiful film with so many real-world conflicts: parent/child relationships, May at a crossroads in her life in many respects (leading to the overall Sundance theme of arrows and moving forward), and acceptance in religion, sexuality, age, and gender roles & rights.

Also, random celebrity appearance goes to...Bill Pullman!

Afterwards, Cherien explained parts of her filmmaking process, leading to her "speaking star" in casting herself as the lead. She believed in herself and the film, allowing it the chance to flourish with endless positive energy.

Overall, I give the film a 3.5/5. I definitely still want to see her directorial debut, Amreeka.

We've basically been planning all day for tomorrow which is definitely going to be an even more exhaustive day, let alone the 3 or 4 films I plan to see. 3:55am wakeup call, here I come...

Welcome to the Rileys

There isn't a more expressive way to start a movie than by introducing a faceless character in complete darkness.  Not only does this accurately show the dark tone that underlies the film, but this also gives the audience a chance to identify with and characterize the actor's mental state.  As I first stated, this is a pretty bold way to start off a movie, and in doing so Doug (James Gandolfini) is shown as a melancholic middle-class husband always needing to get away from the haunting present that so deeply has affected his family.  Running away to his Thursday poker nights and affair with a waitress, Vivian, at a diner only makes things worse for the two Rileys.

As we are constantly reminded, Doug "the waffle man" and Lois "like the Superman" Riley will have been married 30 years this June.  But remember, it's quality not quantity.  There is always distance between the couple, caused by the death of their daughter 8 years ago.  I was definitely intrigued by the introduction of this loss because it was subtle and not approached like Rabbit Hole, for example, where the audience watches the couple deal with the grief and loss of their loved one.  No flashback to the incident.  No pictures or shots of their daughter.  Instead, the audience only partially sees the inside of the daughter's room and when Doug visits Vivian's grave due to a heart attack, we also visit Emily's grave and officially discover that she died when she was 15 years old.  Ironically, he sees a gravestone for himself and his wife there, too!  This only thrusts him into a impassionate fight with his wife, blaming her for the things that have come to fruition between them (the death of their daughter included...).

Another part I found really interesting and well done in the movie is Lois's (Melissa Leo) transformation from a distraught, unaffected "widow mother" to a much more content and lively wife.  Lois literally hasn't left her house for 8 years.  I haven't had to cope with such a close loss before, but it must be extremely heartbreaking because I cannot even begin to understand leaving one's house for 8 years.  When Doug leaves for a convention in New Orleans, there is a shot of Lois through the kitchen window as she regretfully and sadly watches him leave.  She regrets not being able to leave her own home.  She regrets what her life has become.  She wants to be closer to her husband, but they have never put forth an effort to work on their weaknesses.  And as she looks out that window, I realize the window is there for a purpose.  It acts not only as a physical, but also an emotional and mental barrier for Lois from the outside world.  A mother's world is dependent on feelings, and by isolating herself, she has metaphorically burned her fingertips: no more feeling or identity.
After she finally approaches her issues head-on, she ends up at a hotel on her way to visit Doug in New Orleans. She carefully steps outside of her hotel room and comes across grass.  A feeling so insignificant to an ordinary human, yet so raw and fresh to someone who is accustomed to the artificial threads of the living room carpet.  This is such a seemingly unimportant scene at first; but when examined, it becomes a breakthrough scene for Lois and anyone going through such a powerful transformation.  The veil has been lifted and this is a definite sign she is on a fulfilling road to recovery.  One of the final shots of the film is taken from the inside of the Riley's home looking out on Doug and Lois. So subtle, yet so complementing of the full circle the film and characters have made.  Lois has accepted the past and is ready to move on with a happier life with Doug.  Doug has filled the void that has for so long etched at his heart and desire for another female in his life.

Mallory, played by a prostitute Kristen Stewart, becomes the replacement daughter for the Rileys in the eyes of Doug.  Through coaxing and an extreme makeover, Doug and Mallory become friends and embark on an interesting journey through the slums of New Orleans.  Lois, Doug and Mallory go through a very dysfunctional, yet appropriate mission of renewal, acceptance and inspiring change in this form-fitting drama of melancholic times.  A worthwhile success from this year's Sundance Film Festival!