Some Sundance

In January 2011, I volunteered at the Sundance Film Festival for the second time.  As a full time volunteer, you get unlimited access to films on a space available basis, using special volunteer tickets they set aside for the 1600 of us donating our time to the festival.  Since it was my second year, I knew the ropes and got to see more films than I did the first year.  And I saw some pretty good ones.  Here are my thoughts on several that are making headlines and generating Oscar buzz, no matter how much of a dark horse they may be.

Like Crazy:  This is the story of a young couple, an American boy and a British girl, who are torn apart when her visa expires.  The rest of the film follows their struggle to get her allowed back in the US.  They break up and get back together and drift apart and reunite and do it all over again by the end of the film.  It's heartbreaking and also heartwarming.  Don't ask me how this movie does it, but it really does.  Felicity Jones plays the girl so wonderfully and simply.  I'm a big fan of subtle performances like this.  And Anton Yelchin is equally great as her boyfriend.  Each time they part, your heart breaks with them.  I highly recommend this one to romantics and cynics alike.  (8/10)

Margin Call:  One of my absolute favorites of the festival.  I'll be perfectly honest in saying that I didn't understand all of it.  It follows a Wall Street company on the verge of the 2008 stock market collapse.  There are many different individuals all approaching this crisis in a different manner.  The cast is exceptional.  The dialogue is great.  The tension is thick.  And it's soooo relevant.  Kevin Spacey leads with his great performance and he is thoroughly supported by Zachary Quinto, Stanley Tucci, Jeremy Irons, Paul Bettany, Demi Moore, Simon Baker, and Penn Badgely.  I can't wait to see it again so I can catch more things and possibly understand it more.  Though, I'm not counting on it.  (9/10)

Martha Marcy May Marlene:  I really wanted to see this film for one reason:  John Hawkes.  I saw him at Sundance the year before in Winter's Bone and completely fell for him.  Such an astounding actor. He plays a cult leader that takes in the main character for a couple of years before she runs away.  This girl, Martha, calls her older sister to pick her up.  Martha then goes to stay with her and her husband.  The cult haunts her and causes her to break social norms.  It's a chilling tale, one that stays with you long after watching it.  Martha is played by Elizabeth Olsen, another young actress to watch in the future.  She could become something really great.  (8/10)

Tyrannosaur:  An independent film from the UK about a very violent tempered man.  When his path crosses with a Christian woman with secrets of her own, he starts attempting to curb his violent tendencies.  These characters were played by Peter Mullan and Olivia Colman.  Their chemistry was incredible.  I hadn't seen either actor before.  It's a rather intense film, but one I would consider watching again because of the beautiful acting performances.  I'd love it if this became a contender come time for nominations, but I am not holding my breath.  (7/10) 

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Here are a couple more films I saw that I loved, but have passed quietly over the past few months.  They all got mixed to positive reviews.  But one of them was my favorite of the festival. 

Another Earth: A girl whose life has collapsed seeks solace in the man she hurt the most while the world is consumed with the discovery of another plant. One exactly like Earth, even the people. Fascinating story. Wonderful acting. Captivating and original. Brit Marling (co-writer and star) is going places. Remember her name. (8/10)

The Devil's Double: The true story of Uday Hussein's body double, Latif, and how he got out of it. Incredible acting performance by Dominic Cooper as both Uday and Latif. A bit gruesome in parts for me, but the story was well worth the squeamish moments. The hero was one of the more moral and good characters I've ever encountered. (7/10)

Higher Ground: A woman's journey of faith through out her lifetime. She joins a Christian fundamentalist group with her husband and children and struggles with the demands of the community. It's about so much more than just faith, and it's a role most actresses in Hollywood would kill for: a strong woman who thinks for herself and makes herself a priority. Congrats to Vera Farmiga for being both a wonderful actress and director on this film. (8/10)

The Music Never Stopped: Based on a true story, a long lost son returns with a brain tumor, ridding him of his memories. The only way his parents can make a connection with him is through his music. His father struggles with this because he believes this music made his son run away. A new all time favorite movie of mine. Poignant, funny, and everything I could hope for in a movie. JK Simmons was perfection as the father, Henry Sawyer, who loves his son so much he learns to love music that he used to hate in order to reconnect.  I'd probably pick JK Simmons as MY Oscar winner for Best Actor.  At least as of today. (10/10) 

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There was one other film that I really loved at Sundance that I haven't heard much about since.  I don't believe it has been released.  I hope it does eventually, because it was a really beautiful film.

Perfect Sense:  Two lonely people finally find love in each other but then the world around them starts to come crashing down. People all around start losing their senses, starting with smell, and no one knows why. Interesting and original story for me. I found myself very invested in these characters, played by Ewan McGregor and Eva Green.  It makes you think about what you might do in that situation.  And it could scare the hell out of you.  (8/10)