If you know Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant, then you’ve probably been a fan since The State or Reno 911.  If you don’t know them, then you surely must be familiar with their enormously successful Night at the Museum series.  Having made their millions with these broad family comedies, they’ve decided to get back to their absurdist sketch roots with Hell Baby, which premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.  Its cast boasts some of today’s best improv and sketch comedians, including Keegan Michael Key, Riki Lindholme, Paul Scheer, as well as monsieurs Lennon and Garant themselves.  But with such a big chasm between their types of films that these two are capable of making, where does Hell Baby land?  Check out the review to find out!

 The Players:

• Director(s): Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon
• Screenwriter(s): Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon
• Cinematographer(s): Charles Papert
• Starring: Rob Corddry, Leslie Bibb, Keegan Michael Key, Riki Lindhome, Paul Scheer, Rob Huebel, Thomas Lennon, Robert Ben Garant, Kumail Nanjiani

Synopsis:

When expectant couple Jack and Vanessa (Corddry & Bibb) move into a fixer-upper in New Orleans, they discover that the house is haunted, and Vanessa is soon possessed by a demon.  In order to save her and her child from the forces of evil, they enlist the help of their new neighbor (Key),  Vanessa’s Wiccan sister (Lindholme), two detectives (Scheer & Huebel), and a pair of the Vatican’s most elite exorcists (Lennon & Garant) to rid their new home of evil spirits.

The Good:

The Bad:

• Goofing Off - While a strong group dynamic can be extremely beneficial to a comedy (just look at any Apatow film), there’s a line that can be crossed where the actors are working to amuse each other, rather than service the film.  I’m not saying that Hell Baby crosses that line, but I will say that it comes awfully close.  Several scenes often devolve into the performers trying to one-up each other with silliness, and go on for too long.  Some of the running gags are over used, and lose their effectiveness.  These include Key’s appearances out of nowhere, Lennon and Garant’s badass priests furiously smoking cigarettes, and characters loudly enjoying Po’ Boy sandwiches a la Bill Murray in What About Bob.  It just seems as if they were having so much fun amusing themselves that making a consistent movie may have fallen by the wayside, at times.  It’s fun to watch, but ultimately comes at the expense of the movie.

Overall:

Hell Baby is a fun movie, plain and simple, as long as your expectations aren’t set too high (which admittedly, as a fan, mine were).  I was hoping for something resembling cult favorite Wet Hot American Summer, another The State alumni film, but that’s not quite what ends up being delivered.  There’s nothing groundbreaking or transcendent about either  comedy or horror elements, and its cinematic.  But it is at times very, very funny, and certainly a preferable option to Lennon & Garant’s Taxi or The Pacifier.  Definitely worth checking out.

Rating: 7/10

At the Sundance Film Festival, it’s important to consider the sequence of movies you’re seeing.  Odds are you’ll want to save something pleasant, uplifting, or fun for the end.  That way you can walk away with a positive feeling, instead of being weighed down by the heavy subject matter that’s typical of Sundance dramas.  Thankfully, Oscar winners Nat Faxon & Jim Rash (The Descendants) brought their years in the making passion project The Way, Way Back.  This charming coming of age story has been one of the more popular films of the festival.  Check out the review to find out why!

The Players

• Director(s): Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
• Screenwriter(s): Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
• Cinematographer(s): John Bailey
• Starring: Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph, Liam James, Rob Corddry, Amanda Peet

Synopsis

Sullen 14 year-old Duncan (James), while on summer vacation with his divorced mom (Collette) and her smarmy boyfriend (Carell), meets local celebrity Owen (Rockwell), who offers him a job at his water park.  As the summer goes on, Duncan is drawn out of his glum shell, and learns to assert himself and find his own path to happiness.

The Good

• Palatable - The Way, Way Back is extremely watchable.  Faxon & Rash have a remarkably sensitive and humane compassion when it comes to writing their characters and comedy.  There is nothing deliberately mean about any of these characters, and almost nothing that happens comes at the expense of people’s feelings, leaving us to simply enjoy the ride.  Allison Janney, Maya Rudolph, Rob Corddry, and Faxon and Rash (who cast themselves in small supporting roles), bring strong humor to the film, but also manage to ground it with believable personality and feeling.
• Sam Rockwell  - Rockwell absolutely owns this movie.  He’s usually the saving grace of whatever film he’s in (let’s just pretend Cowboys & Aliens never happened), but this movie really lets his trademark goofy and sarcastic charm shine.  Though there are moments at which we’re left wondering “Why would this man take this kid under his wing?” they only come after his scenes are finished, because he’s so engaging on camera that nothing matters but how well he drives the movie, as well as Duncan’s growth, along.  His also brings a self-awareness to his performance, but not in a “meta” kind of way.  It’s more of a guarded cognizance of this character’s lot in life, and awareness of reasons for his immaturity.  While the story of the film revolves around Liam James’ Duncan, Rockwell’s Owen is the real heart of this movie.

The Bad

• Formulaic – The structure of the film feels fairly elementary.  There’s nothing innovative about it, and especially by its resolution, it feels as if you’ve watched any other movie with a similar tone.  This includes films many of these actors have already starred in, like Little Miss Sunshine, Juno, or even Choke.  This is the flip side of the coin about its comfort and ease; it’s because it’s so familiar already.  It comes off as substantially less mature than their award winning effort in The Descendants.
• Low Stakes - The central conflict of this movie is that Duncan is basically bereft of personality, and struggles to put himself forward and behave confidently.  Although this does resonate well with anyone who had an awkward adolescence (i.e. most living humans), it’s not as if there’s anything on the line if he fails along the way.  Even the most mature story line in the film, the strife between Collette and Carell in their budding post-divorce relationship, doesn’t ring out as especially threatening to either of their lives or emotional states.

Overall

The Way, Way Back  is certainly enjoyable and charming enough to justify a wide release to broad audiences, and its quirky cast and sensitive performances make it a strong fit for the Sundance Film Festival.  Though this story of family dynamics may not be as emotionally powerful as Rash & Faxon’s celebrated previous work, it definitely will help to counteract any bad vibes you carry into the theater, and have you leaving with a warm fuzzy feeling in or around your heart.

Rating: 7/10

Last year, the Sundance Film Festival hosted V/H/S, a collection of short, low-budget, indie horror films, helmed by horror/camp aficionados Simon Barrett & Adam Wingard, as well as other upcoming horror directors.  It was met with enthusiastic reception from indie horror fans, as well as some pretty visceral reactions from uninitiated audiences.  This year, Barrett, Wingard & Co. return with a badass, stakes-raising collection of new films which elevate the series to a whole new level.

The Players

• Directors: Simon Barrett, Jason Eisener, Gregg Hale, Eduardo Sánchez, Adam Wingard, Gareth Huw Evans, Timo Tjahjanto
• Writers: Simon Barrett, John Davies, Jason Eisener, Gareth Huw Evans, Jamie Nash, Timo Tjahjanto
• Cast: Kelsy Abbott, L.C. Holt, Hannah Hughes, Lawrence Levine, Adam Wingard
• Cinematographers: Tarin Anderson, Stephen Scott, Seamus Tierney, Jeff Wheaton, Abdul Dermawan Habir

The Plot

A private investigator and his assistant, searching for a missing student involved in something sinister, stumble upon a cache of video casettes, each containing a different horrifying story.  The vignettes include:  A man whose digital, prosthetic eye leads him to see malicious ghosts; A mountain biker who gets caught in a zombie outbreak; A documentary crew getting caught in an apocalyptic cult ritual; and a group of teens being abducted by aliens while their parents are away.

The Good

• Improving the Franchise - Though the format of the overall film is pretty much the exact same as its predecessor, S-VHS is a vast improvement to V/H/S.  The first movie had a couple of clunky segments, which had an amateur feel to them and dragged on a bit longer than necessary.  This time around, it feels like every filmmaker is right in their wheelhouse, presenting a polished, terrifying vision.  Even the wraparound segment, whose function only really needs to be expositional, has a much more compelling element to its mystery.  At no point are we left wondering, “How long until the next one?”
• Found Footage - I am often especially critical of found footage films.  I find it to be a cheap and lazy device, which removes any cinematic quality from a movie.  This is not the case with S-VHS, which often uses multiple cameras to cut between shots or scenes, and motivates their use with something much stronger than “Dude, why are you always holding that camera?” or “I gotta get this for posterity or whatever!”  It doesn’t shatter my suspension of disbelief when a mountain biker attaches a GoPro camera to his helmet to record a ride (which provides a for fun first person perspective after he gets bit by a zombie), or that there would be multiple cameras running at a documentary film shoot, or that a group of kids would video tape a prank war.  And sure, a prosthetic eye that makes digital recordings is a stretch, but there’s some fun trickery in the video distortion which makes for good scares, as well as some impressive shots of Wingard looking straight into a mirror, leaving us to wonder “How did they manage that shot?”
• “Safe Haven” - This segment is one of the most mind blowing things I’ve ever seen, which is no surprise coming from Gareth Huw Evans, director of The Raid.  Co-written and co-directed by Timo Tjahjanto, “Safe Haven” follows a documentary crew investigating a religious cult in Indonesia, and getting caught in the madness of its final hours.  It’s a slow burn, deliberately building tension with atmosphere and mystery.   Eventually, it ramps up to something resembling a conventional modern horror film, until it turns a corner and goes completely off the rails.  I’m not kidding.  All.  Hell.  Breaks.  Loose.  It crescendos into at least three or four different kinds of madness, which I’m afraid would be spoiled by describing here.  But let’s just say that this vignette stands head and shoulders above the rest, and by itself is worth the price of admission.

The Bad

• The Weakest Link -  Jason Eisener directed 2011′s Sundance pick Hobo With a Shotgun, which is silly, gory, exploitation fun.  His segment “Slumber Party Alien Abduction,” (which is exactly what it sounds like) follows the previously mentioned “Safe Haven,” and has a pretty high bar to jump over, which it unfortunately can’t quite clear.  There’s very little character work done, so all we get are unsupervised teenagers behaving only kind of badly.   Beyond that, the film is basically people running away from large, loud, humanoid figures with dark eyes and big mouths.  This chase gets repetitive and a little tiresome, with one or two more checkpoints of “What’s going on?!  I have no idea!”  than it really needs.  There are, however, some nice touches along the way.  There’s one especially claustrophobic shot which is both inventive and frightening in a practical way.  Also, the alternate camera angle of this film comes from a GoPro strapped to a little dog’s collar, giving us a perspective which provides sympathy in a different kind of way, albeit a little cheap.   I mean, of course you’re gonna root for a puppy!  But let’s be clear: This is not a BAD segment, it’s just the weakest among the bunch.

Overall

While probably not the BEST film of the Sundance Film Festival (Stoker, anyone?), S-VHS is probably the coolest.  It’s exciting, impressive, and completely wild.  It’s easily more enjoyable than the first installment, and if the series continues in this vein, it may end up being a celebrated launching pad for the careers and collaborations of independent horror filmmakers for a long time  to come.  Here’s looking forward to the next couple of movies, DVD+R and DVD-R.

Rating: 8.5/10

Dave Grohl’s directorial debut Sound City has been one of the most well received documentaries to premiere at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, thanks to its intimate look at exalted musicians and the electrifying original music resulting from their collaboration.  Yesterday, Mr. Grohl sat down with members of the press to discuss the process and meaning of making this film, one of the coolest rock docs in recent memory.  Check out what he had to say!

Sound City Studios stood as one of the top recording studios in America for four decades, hosting such legendary bands as Nirvana, Neil Young, Rage Against the Machine, Fleetwood Mac, and Nine Inch Nails (to name only a few) as they recorded some of their most iconic and career-defining albums.  When the digital revolution drove them out of business, Grohl decided to commemorate and pay tribute to the studio by making this film.

“What we set out to do was not only tell the history of the studio, but explain what Sound City meant to us, which was the human element of music…Sound city was the type of studio that you would record in if you wanted to capture something real and simple.”

One of the biggest draws of Sound City Studios, apart from its unexpected and uncanny acoustics, was a custom built Neve brand analog mixing board.  When the studio closed its doors, Grohl purchased the board for his own recording studio in order to both preserve its use in rock and roll recording, and for the sentimentality he holds for it.

“I feel like that board is responsible for the person I am today.  If it weren’t for that board, who knows what [Nevermind] would’ve sounded like.  I really feel like that’s just as much a part of my history as any person I’ve ever been in a band with.  So I wanted to pay tribute to it…”

“It’s a shame, because it’s considered obsolete, people think, ‘why use it?’  But there’s another life to it, there’s more to those boards than wires and knobs.  They’re all different in their own way, and this is meant to be used.  Forever.”

In an age of DIY music recording which allows amateurs to create polished sounding digital works, Grohl is afraid of music losing the personal touch of performance, and the communicative nature of the way bands write and record songs.  He elaborated, by saying:

“People’s imperfections are what give them personality, and when you share all of that with other musicians…when you get that specific combination of people together that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up, that’s magic.  You search for that as a musician.  And as a listener, I feel like people should search for that as well.  Something that doesn’t sound transparent or pristine, or perfect.  Something that sounds like a human being crying in pain, or singing their heart out because they’re so in love.  Those are the things that grab you, I think.  To have that conversation with people musically is something we wanted to lift the curtain on, and share with other people.”

Taking it upon himself to promote this notion, Dave set out to make a short film which he could share with as simple a venue as youtube, but the project expanded so quickly and with such vigorous interest from different artists.

“When we first decided to call out to the musicians, I asked the head of Sound City for a list of everyone who’s recorded here, and he just laughed, cause it’s thousands of albums.  So he just gave me the short list.  But that’s when we knew that this was gonna be more than a youtube clip that was 12 minutes long.”

“You can imagine the logistics of trying to get Trent Reznor and Rick Springfield in the same room…but because everyone was just as passionate about Sound City and its message as we are, it was easy.  And it was fun.”

As the project progressed, Grohl found himself in the daunting position of “Film Director,” which can be a scary position to be thrown into.  His enthusiasm for the film, however, allowed him to dive in head first and create exactly the film he wanted.

“I don’t even know what directing means…The other day, I was cleaning my garage, and I found my journal from when I decided to make this movie, and I wrote the outline of the entire film.  It was seven pages.  It was who we would interview, and what we would talk about…and I found it, and that’s the whole movie.  Because we had a clear idea of what we wanted to do…and we were a very tight group of 15 or 16 people, completely independent of anybody telling us what to do or how to do it…”

“I’m not a director.  I’m not a drummer.  I’m not a guitar player.  I fake all these things.  I never took lessons to do any of this.  I can’t read music.  I hold my drumsticks backwards.  I don’t know what a director is.  But I do know that if you have a clear idea of what you want to do, if it’s in your head and you can visualize and then actualize it…then you wind up with something that makes sense.”

“If I sat here at the bar with you and had 16 beers and told you the story of sound city, it would be 1 hour and 47 min long.  It would be exactly what we showed in the film.  So it was pretty easy, I guess.”

When asked if there were any films or documentaries that held influence over Sound City, Grohl explained that while the movie itself was pretty much his own vision of the film, he explained the influence cinematic music influenced his whole career:

“The soundtrack to a documentary inspired me to start a band.  It was called ‘The Decline of the Western Civilization,’ from the early 80s, about the punk rock scene in Los Angeles.  And it’s awesome.  It’s raw, and gritty, and real, and totally captures the vibe of that era and that music.  I think I was 12 y/o when I heard it…[Also], the Paris TX soundtrack.  That inspired the acoustic albumIn your Honor.  [Without that film] I don’t know that I ever would’ve appreciated that dynamic, the beautiful and delicate acoustic vibe.  And that’s maybe one of my top 3 albums.”

“It’s awesome what film can do for music.  Everyone appreciates what music can do for film, but what film can do for music…. rather than have a 3 or 4 minute clip, you’ve got an entire story that gives depth to the artist, and makes them connect with the audience.”

Although the film will have a limited theatrical release, Grohl & Co. took a page out of Louis C.K.’s book, and decided to release the film digitally, direct to audiences to view by their own means:

“We’re doing the direct to consumers thing…I’m so not a businessman…I know that what we’re doing is different than what a lot of people typically do.  We’re coming to this festival with a movie that’s finished and ready for everyone to see February 1st.   You can go to SoundCityMovie.com and get it, DRM free, and show it to your friends on all your devices.  If you live in a rainforest and can’t find a movie theater, you’ll at least be able to go somewhere and get it.  Because we want to spread the message of Sound City.”

Finally, Grohl expanded upon exactly what he felt the message of the film he wanted to impart to audiences, especially younger fans:

“Music will never die, it will never go away, you just have to get it into their hands and their hearts, and that’s when we realized that we wanted to make something that will inspire kids to go to a yard sale, buy a crappy guitar, start a band with your friends, do in your garage and sound like crap, then you’re the biggest band in the world.  And that’s Nirvana, or the beatles, and that’s not obsolete…I believe this could inspire the next generation of kids.  We’re trying to show kids that we’re just people.  I don’t believe that because the technology changed that the people have.”

Sound City is available for digital download on February 1st, 2013 at SoundCityMovie.com.  Check it out!

This year’s Sundance Film Festival features two separate films about the beat poetry movements greatest idols. Director John Krokidas marks his feature directorial debut with Kill Your Darlings, about the tectonic shift in literature and expression by Alan Ginsberg, Lucien Carr, Jack Kerouac, and William S. Burroughs, and the dark events surrounding it.  To find out more, check out the review.

The Players:

• Director: John Krokidas
• Screenwriters: Austin Bunn, John Krokidas
• Cinematographer: Reed Morano
• Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan, Ben Foster, Michael C. Hall, Jack Huston, Elizabeth Olsen

Synopsis:        

After being accepted to Columbia University, a young Allen Ginsberg’s (Radcliffe) life is changed when he befriends Lucien Carr (DeHaan), who introduces him to a bohemian lifestyle and a limit-free world of self expression. Beginning the Beat Movement with other writers Jack Kerouac (Huston)and William S. Burroughs (Foster), the young men enjoy their freedom until David Kammerer (Hall), an older man in love with Carr, is found dead-leading all except Ginsberg to be arrested for involvement with his murder.

The Good

• Supporting Cast:  The greatest strength of this film lies in the performances of its supporting actors.  Ben Foster is a phenomenal talent, with a knack for choosing roles that are challenging to him as an actor, and thoroughly engaging to audiences.  His portrayal of drug culture pioneer William S. Burroughs is delivered with a lofty detachment that almost places him above and beyond the goals of his peers, yet still allows for influence over them.  Michael C. Hall also turns in a stellar performance, playing to his strengths of portraying both tragic loneliness and threatening charm.  Jack Huston also delivers a Kerouac whose captivating perspective drives the other characters to elevate their craft.
• Atmosphere:  Kill Your Darlings looks excellent.  Most of the scenes are interior, allowing the Reed Morano and her camera department to really create dynamic lighting which compliments the production design team’s dense and transportive sets.  The scenes in Columbia university are tailored to generate a strong sense of order and institution, which proves rife for rebellion.  The scenes in lowest east side are dank and smoky, but also display enough color and energy to starkly contrast the other side of the coin.

The Bad

• Oh, Danny Boy -  Daniel Radcliffe has made some bold career choices since hanging up his wand and broom; He broke into the horror genre with The Woman In Black, he performed in Equus, a play which required him to be fully nude on stage, and now he’s taking on the role of one of America’s most profound poets of the 20th century (not to mention the steamy gay love scenes in the movie).  He’s working very hard to prove that he can be more than just Harry Potter.  The problem is, that no matter how hard he tries, it will always be difficult for audiences who followed that franchise to look past that.  Furthermore, his performance in Darlings is at times very theatrical, which reads on camera as awkward and over the top, and thus out of line with the other cast members.
• Anachronistic Tunes – One of the key elements of the beat movement was music.  It paralleled bebop, another unrestrained and non-linear form of expression, which caused a comparable sea change in tone, and changed the history of American music.  This is present in the film only very briefly, and the rest of the soundtrack is filled with contemporary bands like TV on the Radio, and Bloc Party, whos modern electronic sounds are completely out of place and distracting from the story.  The songs themselves may reflect an appropriate feeling, but their placement  in the film pulls the viewer right out of the moment.

Overall

At times, Kill Your Darlings feels as much like a manifesto as that being created by its central characters.  This new generation of actors approaching mature adulthood are attempting to assert themselves as daring and innovative within a movie that isn’t, and it may be to the detriment of both sides.  It may serve as an interesting and informative film to both fans of beat poets and the uninitiated as well, but doesn’t necessarily stand out as a remarkable film.

Rating 6.5/10

A lot of documentaries at the Sundance Film Festival are uplifting in spite of something (personal tragedy, political unrest, etc.), but  Dave Grohl’s passion project Sound City managees to sidestep that emotional pitfall.  It is the story of a beloved, albeit defunct, recording studio in L.A. which was home to the recording of some of rock & roll’s greatest albums (After the Gold Rush, Fleetwood Mac, Rage Against The Machine, Nevermind, to name only a few).   The Foo Fighters front man exhibits an intimate film with a playful nature, and the kind of forthright, unabashed enthusiasm for music performance that only Grohl himself could deliver.  Check out the rest of the review to find out more!

The Players

• Director: Dave Grohl
• Writers: Mark Monroe, Dave Grohl (Story)
• Cast: Dave Grohl, Stevie Nicks, Neil Young, Tom Petty, Butch Vig, Lee Ving, Trent Reznor, Josh Homme, Taylor Hawkins, Krist Novocelic, Paul McCartney
• Cinematographer: Kenny Stoff
• Original Music: The Sound City Players

The Plot

For over four decades, Sound City Studios was one of the top recording studios in U.S., hosting legendary bands and allowing them to leave their marks on music history.  As technology advanced, the demand for high end analog recording studios diminished, leaving Sound City as a relic, harkening back to the good old days.  After closing their doors in 2011, Grohl decided to document the impact it had on the myriad artists who were touched by Sound City, and to collaborate with them, recording new music using the prized equipment from the old studio.

The Good

• Bringing It All Back Home:  In addition to paying adequate tribute to an institution that helped establish his career, Grohl has made a very nostalgic film, and not just for himself, but for all fans of rock and roll.  It’s a 40 year retrospective, featuring archived footage of  rehearsals and recordings, and offering an intimate experience with the groups and albums that have no doubt shaped countless lives.
• It’s All In the Mix:  This film sounds great.  It’s loud, and mixed with an incredibly full sound.  One key feature of Sound City Studios that drew so many  artists to record there was its unique (and serendipitous, somehow) acoustics, especially with regard to drums.  And thanks to a strong theatrical sound system and a well mixed sound track, the film is able to demonstrate exactly how special this sound is, rather than simply say so.  This becomes particularly important in the films third act, when we meet…
• The Sound City Players:  After the studio was closed, Grohl purchased their original, custom made analog mixing board to use in his own studio, and invites some of the top Sound City alumni to play with him and write new music.  And boy oh boy, the resulting sessions are just magic!  Stevie Nicks slides right back into her groove, Lee Ving sheds his age and plows through a punk tune, and Trent Reznor and Josh Homme meander through a hypnotic and pensive song.  But the real kicker is Paul McCartney.  It’s no surprise that rumors were sparked about McCartney fronting a Nirvana Reunion, because when he plays with Grohl and Krist Novocelic, he brings more energy to his performance than I thought he could even muster.  They sound as if they’ve been playing together for years.  The album that will surely come from this film will be a must have.

The Bad

•  The only drawback of the film is that there is little emotional catharsis.  Or, at least, the catharsis belongs to Dave Grohl.  While everything about the film is impressive, it seems to stand more as an exhibition of cool footage and stories paying tribute to a place where all of these luminaries created their best work.    Their passion for this place and their fond anecdotes are fascinating, but the only real emotion the film really conveys is awe at the enormity of its stars talent.

Overall

I really enjoyed this movie.  Dave Grohl is so sincere and charming that his movie washes over the audience with great ease.   While Sound City doesn’t deliver a profound emotional experience, it is an exceptionally fun film, especially thanks to the new original music at the end.  There is one performance of the Sound City Players scheduled in Los Angeles, and I would encourage those who can to check it out by any means necessary.  If that’s not in the cards, then at least check outSound City.

Rating: 8/10

The very first film I saw at this year’s fest, The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete by George Tillman Jr. (Faster, Notorious, Soul Food), is about a pair of children fending for themselves in a Brooklyn Housing project after being abandoned by their drug addicted mothers.  The Sundance Film Festival often features movies about adolescents and teenagers coming of age, and this year is certainly no exception.  Maybe it’s because that time of life brings self realization or actualization, which speaks to the overall theme of individual voices the festival strives to celebrate.  Maybe it’s because independent filmmakers have lots of childhood and family issues they need to work out in their art.  Who knows.  Check out the rest of the review after the jump…

The Players

• Director:  George Tillman Jr
• Writer:  Michael Starrbury
• Cast:  Skylan Brooks, Ethan Dizon, Jennifer Hudson, Jeffrey Wright, Anthony Mackie, Jordin Sparks, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
• Cinematographer: Reed Morano
• Original Music: Alicia Keys, Mark Isham

The Plot

Mister (Brooks) is an angry teen, with good reason.  At 14 years old, he has to take care of his heroin addicted mother (Hudson), as well as a younger boy, Pete (Dizon), whose junkie mother has all but abandoned him.  When the boys’ mothers are arrested, they flee child protective services, and are forced to live on their own.  Fending off bullies, robbers, and drug dealers, the pair grow closer as their circumstances get more difficult.

The Good

•  The Kids Are More Than Alright:  Laying a whole movie on the performances of child actors is a risky move, but Brooks and Dizon carry the whole movie on their little shoulders.  Dizon’s Pete is so naturally polite and kind hearted in the face of his tragic life, that you can’t help but want to take care of him yourself.  And Brooks’ seething anger is so nuanced by sadness, disappointment, and fear that in the few scenes where he and Pete get to behave like children together, it’s uplifting to see that he’s still has adolescent tendencies, and isn’t completely defeated by life.
• Junkie Jennifer:  Jennifer Hudson’s Gloria is another a stand out performance of the film.   She is delicate and sad, aware of her problems but unable to face them, illustrating addiction’s devastating force.  You want to hate her for the position she’s put her son in, but she administers enough self loathing to her character that all that’s left to feel for her is pity.
• Mackie’s Righteous Beard:  There’s not much to this superficial thought, it’s just that he wears the hell out of a gnarly beard, below his cool mohawk, and it made me smile whenever he was on camera.  That’s it.

The Bad

•  Go Ask Alice:  Jordin Sparks’ character, Alice, floats in and out of the movie as a former neighbor of Mister, who is keen to help the two boys now that she made it out of the projects and is dating a rich white guy.  While this story line provides a mild romantic element and ultimately leads to Mister’s realization that he must ask for help, its execution feels a bit clunky.  It feels like this element of the story was shoehorned in to cover a couple bases in both the poverty and adolescence tropes.
• Supporting Actors:  This is not to say that the supporting actors are bad, rather they’re maybe under-utilized.  Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje has the potential to be a terrifying villain, but all he really has the chance to do in this film is wear aviators and chew a toothpick.  And while Jeffrey Wright manages to make the most of his scenes, it’s only a small handful of scenes.  I just always want him to be on screen because he’s so terrific.  Same goes for Mackie.  On the bright side, each of these actors have powerful scenes with the kids, and it’s impressive to see them trade acting chops.

Overall

Honestly,  I was really hoping to avoid films that would bum me out at this year’s festival.  Unfortunately, that seems to be an especially tall order here in Park City.  Mister and Pete offers a pretty bleak view of what addiction does to families, and the treachery of inner city dynamics.  Even if there is a vaguely happy ending to this story, it doesn’t take back the emotional toll of facing the harsh reality that children sometimes have to be the adults of a household, and be responsible for their families when no one else can be.  In spite of that, the performances make this an engaging film.

Rating: 7/10

The 2013 Sundance Film Festival is tons of fun (Industry parties!  Woooo!), but let’s remember that this is also the festival that brought us films like Winter’s Bone, Restrepo, West of Memphis, and The Sessions.  Don’t get me wrong, these are all terrific films, but they’re all kind of a bummer to watch.  Without losing sight of the fact programs some of the finest provocative and challenging films, the experience gets emotionally taxing pretty quickly.  Luckily, there are a number of movies playing that will snap you out of the “Suffered-through-a-3-hour-documentary-on-human-rights-violations” blues.  Check out our top picks, in no particular order, for fun flicks at the fest!

5.  Hell Baby – Directors Thomas Lennon & Robert Ben Garant

Tom Lennon & Robert Ben Garrant are finally taking a break from counting the money they’ve earned writing family friendly studio tent-pole movies!  This time, they’ve teamed up to write and direct Hell Baby, the story of a young couple who move into a house that has been cursed by demons, and enlist the help of the Vatican’s top exorcists to cleanse their home.  In addition to the Night at the Museum movies, Lennon and Garant played substantial parts in the hit TV show Reno 911 and cult smash The State, and it’s exciting to see them return to grown-up comedy and make a movie of their own.  They’ve also bolstered the cast with some of comedy’s top performers like The Daily Show‘s Rob Courdry, The League’s Paul Scheer, Human Giant’s Rob Huebel, Key & Peele’s Keegan Michael Key, and Garfunkle & Oates’ Ricki Lindholme.  Also, rumor has it that Lindholme has a nude scene.  So that’s a plus, right?

4.  In a World - Director Lake Bell

Lake Bell’s In A World is another Sundance film with an excellent comedy pedigree.   Bell, who stars on Adult Swim’s “Children’s Hospital,” brings together co-stars Rob Corddry and Ken Marino, as well comedians Demitri Martin, and Michaela Watkins, in this story of a voice-over actress, struggling to launch her career.  The film also stars Fred Melamed, who is one of those character actors with an instantly recognizable face, and scene stealing presence.  Hopefully this film balances inward reflection with quick wit and fun characters, which will make it a good follow up for the documentary about the murder of an abortion doctor in Kansas.

3.  Afternoon Delight – Director Jill Soloway

Jill Soloway just might turn out to be the female Judd Apatow.  Or maybe the Diablo Cody you could bring home to your Jewish mother.  I dunno, either way, she’s a strong  voice among TV writers, whose characters are both uniquely quirky and highly relatable.  After working on Six Feet Under, The United States of Tara, and How to Make It In America, she has entered the realm of feature films with Afternoon Delight, a film about a bored housewife who employs a stripper as a housekeeper, hoping it will help turn both their lives around.  The film stars comedy character actress Katherine Hahn (Step Brothers, Wanderlust, Parks & Recreation), who steals every last scene of every project she’s been in to date, and I’m thrilled to see her heading up a movie.  Hopefully this year’s idiotic annual “Can women actually be funny?” debate will include this film and these two talented ladies.

2.  S-VHS - Directors Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Eduardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale, Timo Tjahjanto, Gareth Huw Evans, Jason Eisner

V/H/S premiered last year to generally favorable reviews, as well as some very visceral reactions from audiences.  It was the story of a group of petty thieves who discovered a cache of video tapes, each containing a different horrifying story.  Now while I’m not a big fan of found footage films, I am a fan of vignette films.  And although it’s unfortunate that the shorts programs at Sundance don’t receive quite the attention they deserve, a project like this is a great way to showcase an entire group of filmmakers flexing their skills in the horror genre.  Also, after being inundated with high minded personal dramas, a good horror flick is definitely enough to bring you back down to earth.

1.  The Way, Way Back – Directors Nat Faxon & Jim Rash

Jim Rash & Nat Faxon enter the festival with their follow up to their Oscar winning The Descendants with the coming-of-age story of an awkward young boy struggling to find himself while surrounded by adults.  If their previous effort is any indication, Faxon & Rash’s understated, humane sensibilities will create droll, vulnerable characters learning exactly what it means to be a decent person.  The film also boasts a strong comedic cast, featuring Steve Carrell, Allison Janney, Toni Collette, Sam Rockwell, and Maya Rudolph.

There are also plenty of other movies we’re excited about, so keep checking in for the latest updates, reviews, features, and interviews!  Hooray!

For more info on the films at the festival, including showtimes, check out the Sundance Film Festival’s Website!

Spike Lee is back!  He premiered his latest joint, Red Hook Summer this week at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival to a sold out crowd of 1300, and it has become one of the most talked about films of the festival.  In a return to form (and Brooklyn), Lee brings back the colorful visual and storytelling style (and even a few characters!), that made him famous with Do The Right Thing.  As usual, he doesn’t pull any punches, and left audiences with a lot to discuss.  Check out the rest of the review after the jump…

The Players

• Director: Spike Lee
• Screenwriters: Spike Lee, James McBride
• Starring: Clarke Peters, Jules Brown, Toni Lysaith, Nate Parker, James Ransone, Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Spike Lee

Synopsis:

Flick (Brown), a 12 year old boy from Atlanta, is made to spend the summer with his Grandfather Enoch (Peters), a Baptist Bishop in Red Hook, Brooklyn.  Removed from his cushy, suburban trappings for the first time, Flick gets a strong dose of urban life, and an even stronger dose of his Grandfather’s spirituality.  As he acclimates to his new surroundings, Flick learns about friendship, young love, and his mysterious family history.

The Good:

• Welcome Back, Spike - This film feels much closer to Lee’s earlier works, like, She’s Gotta Have It, Do The Right Thing, and Crooklyn.  In fact, he even brings back Mookie, the pizza delivery man he played in Do The Right Thing for a couple of key moments.  But the film’s richly colored look (Shot digitally on the Sony F-3 as well as an iPad 2), quick editing (by an NYU grad-student of Lee’s), and large cast of diverse characters, makes for an engaging story.  Lee insisted, though, that this film is not a sequel to Do The Right Thing, but just a chapter in his “Brooklyn Chronicles.”  Somehow, it’s nice to know that all these stories take place in the same universe.
• Clarke Peters - Peters might be the most soulful actor working today.  Between HBO’s The Wire and Treme, as well as his numerous supporting roles, Peters has a winning track record as far as solemn, sincere performances go.  His gravitas and authority allow him to dominate the film whenever he is featured on screen.  His sermon scenes are energetic and powerful, and the struggle that is rife within him is clear and dynamic.  Though the story is told through the children’s eyes, the film belongs entirely to him.
• More Wire Actors – Though they’re only briefly featured, Red Hook Summer also features James Ransone, who played Ziggy Sabotka in the 2nd season of The Wire, as well as Isiah Whitlock Jr., who played Clay Davis on the show.  Ransone gives a particularly charming performance, in the brief scenes in which he’s featured, and Whitlock gets to deliver his trademarked line: “Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiit.”  This is of no real consequence to the film…I’m just a giant fan.

The Bad:

• The Kids – Now, this is not to say that the kids are bad performers, but it is to say that they’re handed a little more than they can manage.  Both children have a few meaty monologues that are written so distinctly in other peoples voices, that it is clear they’re struggling to achieve their speeches’ true meanings.  In fact…
• The Voices – I certainly can’t fault Spike Lee for having a distinct and unique voice among other filmmakers.  However, at a certain point, it sounds like almost every character is speaking as him.  If he wanted to postulate in his own timbre, he could have simply left it up to his self portrayed character, Mookie (which he does, more than a couple of times).  The characters all have separate traits & characteristics, but verbally, are almost indistinguishable.
• Twisty 3rd Act – Now this is something that I don’t actually consider to be bad, but it seems to be the most divisive aspect of the film among audiences here at Sundance.  Without divulging too much, the movie takes a hard left turn towards the end that changes the tone of the film entirely.  Others seemed to find it inconsistent with the rest of the story, and that difference seems to have driven a lot of the controversy surrounding this film.  But for the record, I actually enjoyed it, and don’t count it as a negative when tallying up my final score for this film.

Overall:

Spike Lee has always been an unflinching filmmaker, who makes exactly the film he wants to make.  If this story were in the hands of anyone but his, it would have turned out to be a chore.  However, Red Hook Summer has a strong energy and enjoyable characters that keep the story clipping along from beginning to end.  As a unique coming of age story, ultimately Red Hook Summer turns out to be a film that will provoke the discussion of whether or not religion is a force that compels people to be decent to each other, or enables them to hide from their own truths.

Rating: 8/10

The Sundance Film Festival is full of emotional relationship dramadies, but so many of them feel like writers and directors working out their emotional issues from their own relationships.  By using their movies as a cathartic opportunity to whine about their breakups, they miss the chance to connect with audiences and speak to the human condition and shared experiences.  But that is not the case with Lee Toland Krieger’s Celeste and Jesse Forever.  The film, which stars The Office‘s Rashida Jones and SNL’s Andy Samberg, is not about the pain of ending a long, substantial relationship, but about the way we’re forced to move on and grow as a result.  Check out the rest of the review, after the jump…

UPDATE: Watch Mali Elfman and Brendan Walsh review Celeste and Jesse Forever.

Celeste And Jesse Forever

• Director: Lee Toland-Krieger
• Screenwriters: Rashida Jones, Will McCormack
• Players: Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg, Will McCormack, Emma Roberts, Elijah Wood, Chris Messina

Synopsis:

Celeste and Jesse are the perfect couple, except for one thing: They’re divorced.  Months after their break-up, they’re still best friends and living with each other.  But when they realize that it’s time to move on, their lives are thrown into upheaval, and the two must reevaluate the way they view each other and themselves.

The Good:

• Chemistry - Samberg and Jones are adorable together.  Their comedic backgrounds allow for a quick repartee, and a natural back and forth that makes it easy to believe them as more than a couple, but great friends.  But their dramatic scenes are especially strong.  The way they argue never feels like a forced shouting match, but as if the two are more disappointed in what they find in the circumstance, resulting in real heartbreak.  Rashida Jones has displayed broad emotional range in her TV career, but with the scope of a whole feature film  her to breathe as an actress, she drives the films story and emotions with her performance.
• Samberg?! – I normally can’t stand Andy Samberg.  I don’t like his smug persona or his over the top, clumsy acting style.  However, in this film, he is positively disarming.  He is rarely playing for laughs, and turns in a shockingly natural performance.  His dramatic scenes are reserved and quiet, accenting the internal confusion towards the state his character suddenly finds himself in.
• Cinematography - Director of photography David Lanzenberg shot the film on the Arri Alexa, which is a high latitude digital format, allowing for great detail in high and low light situations (think Drive), and it is employed nicely.  Backlit, early morning shots are evenly shaded, and dark nighttime shots are full of rich facial details.  The filmmakers really took advantage of the capabilities of their camera system.

The Bad:

• Subplots - There are a couple of subplots that are in fact essential to the story, but in the moment feel superfluous or unresolved.  Particularly when Jones’ brand designer character tries to get back on her feet in the dating world, and when she establishes a new friendship with a combative, pop star client.  Though ultimately relevant to the story, leading Jones’ character to where she needs to be, they feel a little clunky in the moment.

Overall:

Celeste and Jesse Forever ultimately stands as a testament to the benchmark relationships that define who we become as adults.  Most people seem to have one especially substantial relationship before finding their true loves, and this is a story about that and the process of moving on.  It has great performances from talented comedic actors (Elijah Wood’s performance as Jones’ gay assistant is especially well tempered and fun), and stands apart from the generic romantic comedies churned out by studios, as well as distinguishes itself from the pretentious, overwrought relationship dramas commonly attributed to Sundance.

Watch Mali Elfman and Brendan Walsh review Celeste and Jesse Forever:

Rating: 7.5/10

With over a week remaining, it may be a bit early to say so, but it’s entirely possible that Gareth Huw Evans’ The Raid is the single coolest film screening at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.  This high octane action flick packs a wallop that doesn’t let up, blow after blow.  The international films at this festival always remind us that there is some amazing, innovative film making going on across the globe, and this terrific action thriller is proof positive.  To find out more, check out the rest of the review after the jump…

UPDATE: Watch Brendan Walsh’s review of The Raid below.

The Players:

• Director/Screenwriter: Gareth Huw Evans
• Cinematographer: Matt Flannery
• Starring: Iko Uwais, Doni Alamsyah, Joe Taslim, Yayan Ruhian, Ray Sahetapy, Verdi Solaiman, Ananda George

Synopsis:

Early one morning, an elite Indonesian SWAT team invades a tenement building to capture a ruthless crime lord.  But when their operation takes a turn for the worse, their mission becomes less about capturing their target, and more about surviving the brutal operation.

The Good:

• Pacing – The Raid does a spectacular job of constructing tension that leads to enormous action scenes.  Each story beat takes ample time to establish tone, and fully motivate the gun battles or fight scenes that explode out of the taut, quiet moments that build up to them.
• Camera Work – Matt Flannery’s filming style is extremely versatile and dynamic.  Without relying too heavily on either shaky hand held shots or fluid camera moves, he employs whichever technique is best suited for the scene at hand.  The frame rate is never visibly over-cranked, allowing blood spatters to maintain a realistic look, but a handful of slow motion shots are used to great dramatic effect.  This, combined with the muted blue and gray tones, creates an environment for the story that is both highly stylized, but also totally believable.
• Action! - I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw a movie with action that was so fully engaging.  With an even mix of gunplay and martial arts, The Raid doesn’t pull a single punch.  Each gunshot, machete chop, punch, or kick is delivered at breakneck speed and with brutal weight (the sound design deserves as much credit as the fight choreography).  And though the film is a bit of a bloodbath, the gore is kept to a relative minimum.  Sure, there’s plenty of blood; gunshot wounds, stabbings, bludgeonings, and broken bones are common throughout, but viscera almost never comes into the picture.  Only in a couple of shots, where it really matters, do they really show off the SFX makeup appliances.  When it gets going, it really gets going, and doesn’t let up until there is only one man left standing.

The Bad:

• Predictable – As soon as the storytelling formula becomes apparent, it becomes very noticeable, time after time.  When an action scene ends, you can expect a slow dramatic scene, building up to the next action set piece.  The ratio is pretty even, one for one.  However, it’s not just the storytelling formula, but also parts of the story that become predictable.  As soon as the more mysterious elements of the plot are revealed, it’s easy to see where they’re headed, and at a certain point, it just becomes a vehicle to take you to the next battle sequence.  But ultimately, it doesn’t matter, because it’s all so exciting that even when its twists and turns are clear, you just want to keep going along for the ride.

Overall:

It’s a rare thing to see a room full of journalists (typically a cynical breed) have the raucous, vocal reactions that they did to this movie.  Laughter, gasps, and cheers were a regular occurrence throughout, and I honestly wish I could have seen the look on my face during some of the crazier action scenes.  The shootout and fight scenes are so stark, and carry so much power, that The Raid will stand out as one of the most impressive action films of the year!

Rating: 8.5/10

Watch Brendan Walsh review The Raid:

There are plenty of strange films shown at the Sundance Film Festival each year, but Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie has got to be one of the strangest.  Often, when a TV show with a die hard cult following is given a shot at the big screen, the results can be disastrous.  Sure, Borat is great, but Bruno was decidedly not, and Ali G: Indahouse is trite and insipid, and Mr. Show with Bob and David‘s film Run, Ronnie, Run is insufferable to the point of being unwatchable.  So do the creators of Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job, which is already an acquired taste, even stand a chance to fill up the big screen and feature length runtime with the kind of movie that even their demented demographic will want to watch?  Check out the rest of the review to find out…

Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie

Directors/Screenwriters: Tim Heidecker & Eric Wareheim

Starring:  Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, John C. Reilly, Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, Will Forte, Robert Loggia, James Quall, David Liebehart

Synopsis:

When Tim and Eric squander the billion dollar budget they’ve been given to make a film on a diamond studded wardrobe piece and a Johnny Depp lookalike (also spray tans, designer haircuts, and spiritual advisors), the studio is out for blood.  Out on the run, the duo decide to take over an abandoned and decrepit shopping mall in order to try and recover the money they’ve lost.  With the help of local weirdos, the pair set out to find success, and maybe even love, in the bizarre and otherworldly shopping center.

 The Good:

• Cameos – Like the TV show, the film is riddled with cameos from people sympathetic to the freakish comedic styling of Tim & Eric.  Along with the top billed A-Listers John C. Reilly, Will Ferrell, and Will Forte, Billion Dollar Movie also features cameos from Awesome Show regulars James Quall and David Liebehart, as well as prolific character actors Robert Loggia, Jeff Goldblum, and William Atherton.
• Plot - This isn’t a total sketch film.  Although there are more than a few non sequiturs (It wouldn’t be Tim & Eric if it didn’t), it has an actual plot, with a beginning, middle, and end.  If it were just non-stop craziness, it would become impossible to watch a lot sooner than it does (unfortunately, it does get difficult about half way through, but we’ll get to that later).
• Unadulterated Vision -  This movie belongs entirely to Tim and Eric.  It is the same style of editing, nonsense wordplay (Chef Goldblum), and outrageous over the top scatological humor that made them famous.  It was not toned down by anyone hoping to broaden the audience base.  If you want Tim & Eric, you’re about to get a whole face full of it.

The Bad:

• Runtime – Even at 90 minutes, this movie feels much longer than it should.  A regular Awesome Show Great Job episode is 15 minutes long, and that’s usually the perfect amount of time to spend watching these guys’ antics.  If you’re a die hard fan, you might be able to watch 3 episodes before your brain starts to feel like a pile of mush.  So about half way through this movie, everything begins to feel completely incoherent, even if it is all part of the story.  Watching Billion Dollar Movie feels like watching 9 episodes of Awesome Show in a row, even if the math actually adds up to only 6 episodes.
• Where’s my chippy? - Even with cameos from some of the performers from the public access styled TV show, I was really hoping to see Dr. Steve Brule, Casey and his brother, Uncle Muscles, and Chippy.  They created a couple of new characters for this, but none are as weird and fun as those from their TV show.

Overall:

This movie is a lot of fun to watch for the first half, with more than a handful of big laughs.  However, eventually, it becomes overwhelming, and not quite worth the effort it takes to sit through it.  I’m glad that Tim and Eric got to make this film.  These guys are great at making television, and probably have a promising film career ahead of them, but they’re going to have to step out of their oddball shock-comedy comfort zone and start making something different if they want to really make a splash in independent cinema.

Rating: 6/10