BLOGGING SUNDANCE (UPDATED): Fest flagellates itself in aftermath of lavish awards ceremony
I've seen roughly 40% of the features at Sundance this year, which I suppose isn't bad for a newbie. It's not easy to absorb that many moving pictures in a short period of time, and some might argue that it threatens to deaden one's aesthetic sensibilities. Indeed, in the last few hours before I left Park City for the SLC airport, I started to have a tough time answering the "What's playing here that's good?" question. Looking back on the 30-odd movies that I've watched since the festival commenced a week and a half ago, I realize the answer is easier than it seems. For the most part, audiences have agreed about the best entries in the festival, and joined together to condemn the more detestable titles. Still, given the fact that this year's Academy Awards may very well end up championing Little Miss Sunshine over invariably more complicated and artistically-inspired cinema, I'm not placing my bets on the accuracy of this year's festival awards ceremony, which begins in a couple of hours (UPDATE: RESULTS OF CEREMONY BELOW). So here are my suggestions for a few major categories. I'll revisit them with updates once the final results have arrived. [Are you listening, Jared and Mos? ]
Grand Jury Prize Dramatic Great World of Sound OK, so let's start with big-time full disclosure: GWOS producer Melissa Palmer drove me out to Salt Lake City midweek for a screening of this documentary-fictional synthesis, and I sat with the cast and crew for the duration of the film. Needless to say, I'm pretty sure I laughed at all the right moments and fell slave to the trappings of the third act's searing drama. Craig Zobel and co. have crafted a beautiful investigation into the desire for fame and the sacrifice of integrity for the sake of financial gain. And if someone was coaxing me into finding this insight worthwhile, then the Jedi mind trick also worked [here] and [here](http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0704,foundas,75618,20.html) and [here](http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2007/01/23/sundance_3/index1.html). GWOS didn't screen in competition, but the magic of its storytelling transcends those superficial limitations.
Grand Jury Price Documentary My Kid Could Paint That Some kids manage to shine at a young age when they memorize their multiplication tables; I distinctly recall joining the "Hundred Club" in kindergarten when I finally figured out how to count past ninety-nine. Marla Olmstead painted abstract paintings at age four, and the rest of the world promptly fell to her feet. But is that all there is to it? Director Amir Bar-Lev permeated the inner circle of Olmstead's family, raising more questions than answers about creative ingenuity. But if the solution to the mystery of Marla's originality lies beyond the confines of Bar-Lev's camera, the movie raises a more perplexing quandary: Whose business is this, anyway? Runner up: Chasing Ghosts, a lovely nostalgia piece about videogame champions in the early 1980s.
World Cinema Competition Documentary Enemies of Happiness Eva Mulvad follows a daring late-twenties politician during Afghanistan's groundbreaking 2005 parliamentary elections. The twist? Malalai Joya is a woman, not the type of freedom fighter that self-interested members of the Grand Council are willing to give the time of day. But Joya pushes forward with firm conviction in her radical perspective, calling a spade a spade and constantly putting her life on the line. Mulvad's camera captures her in chillingly candid moments, making us realize that it'll take more than unearthing Bin Laden to heal this nation's interminable woes.
World Cinema Competition Dramatic Snow Angels Acclaimed Souther filmmaker David Gordon Green's fifth outing as a director is his finest achievement, which makes it all the more quizzical that the movie wasn't picked up at the outset of the festival. The sprawling story follows several couples across a sad, desolate wasteland in Western Philadelphia, where tragedy and frustration rain down almost as often as the snow. The dynamic of the characters' relationships complement and critique each othernot offering hope, but presenting guidance. It's American Beauty for smart people.
Directing Documentary Ghosts of Abu Ghraib Rory Kennedy's exploration of the psychological elements that contributed to the first major snafu of Bush II's war isn't perfect, but I've come to realize that the movie is remarkable for the incorporation of a plurality of voices. Nobody endorses torture, but the soldiers who found themselves instigating this barbaric behavior certainly tell a different tale than the folks who experiences the brunt of the abuse. Kennedy's indictment of Donald Rumsfeld and invocation of the Milgram experiment are beside the point, but the interviewees tell an ageless (and unfortunate) story for the ages.
Directing Dramatic Red Road Andrea Arnold's directorial debut blends unsettling despair and intellectual girth in an unprecedented way. The plot explores voyeurism, justice and redemption with a mix of horror and awe through the eyes of a depressed security guard who monitors a dozen hidden cameras, then hones in on the exploits of one man. The mystery and excitement that ensues when she pursues this subject match wonderfully with the startling revelation in the third act that reveals her intentions. Hitchcock would've loved this stuff, although I doubt he would've treated a feminine star with such honesty and care.
So there you have it. I know at least one of these movies (GWOS) won't walk away with any statues (but a distributor would be nice). I'm also not much for odds-making, so we'll just have to wait if the jury agrees with any of my assessments (I'm hoping that Snow Angels snags an ensemble award, at the very least). Oh, and I'm not going to exclude the movies in the festival that aim for pure fun: This year's guilty pleasure award nominees are Teeth, Joshua, and The Signal. Choosing to champion shock over schlock, I'm giving the last one its due. All three found distribution, so at least studios know where to find entertainment.
UPDATE, 1/28/07: The full list of winners is available [here]. I'm glad that folks agreed with me about Enemies of Happiness. The other titles that I selected will make their way to a theater near you, and mark my word: YOU WILL LOVE THEM. Expect complimentary marketing campaigns in short order.
Padre Nuestro and Grace is Gone deserve the accolades they're currently receiving, but I'm sure that John Cusack will be pissing people off by the end of the year. So goes the hype.
And so ends a productive film fest.