SUNDANCE 2010: DAY 2 - WELCOME TO THE RILEYS

Jake Scott is no stranger to movies. The son of famous director Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) and the nephew of Tony Scott (Top Gun, Déjà Vu), Jake grew up all around the process and is at Sundance with his first feature, Welcome to the Rileys.

And it’s a solid debut, too (he probably ignored all the weird advice uncle Tony must have tried to give him). James Gandolfini and Mellisa Leo’s daughter was killed in a car crash 8 years ago, and they’ve never been able to recover. They remain married, but life is anything but happy. Gandolfini goes on a business trip to New Orleans and meets a teenage stripper/runaway/prostitute (Kristen Stewart) and takes her under his wing.

Sounds cliché, sure, but Scott and the cast pull it off remarkably well. Gandolfini continues to prove that he’s one of the finest actors working today (and makes me miss Tony Soprano more than ever), Melissa Leo is her usual great self, and Kristen Stewart is surprisingly good. It’s hard to agree that her performance here is akin to watching a young Leonardo DiCaprio or Sean Penn as some have said, but at least she seems to have convinced everyone (well, me at least) that Twilight is strictly a paycheck job that she mails in.

The film is not without faults, but the performances keep it from sliding off the rails and Scott keeps those performances in line. In the hands of a lesser director, those same roles could have gone unchecked, slipping into an overdramatic mess. Luckily, Scott has a good head on his shoulders—and another one watching over, just in case.

3/4

SUNDANCE 2010: DAY 2 - CASINO JACK AND THE UNITED STATES OF MONEY

Yep, the government is still full of crooks and liars.

In what is hands down my favorite movie title of the festival, director Alex Gibney tells the story of how Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff scammed all kinds of people out of millions of dollars. And how he was doing it for a long, long time. The film features interviews with nearly everyone involved, including Dancing With the Stars contestant and all-around douchebag Tom DeLay.

The film runs a bit long—close to the two-hour mark—and definitely drags in the middle, which hurts it as an overall film. But the story of Abramoff’s early rise to prominence with the College Republicans is fascinating. His ad-libbed speech at the RNC where the powers-that-be try to cut him off by lowering the floor from under him is a highlight, as is the story of Abramoff trying to parlay his political views into films by financing the classic Red Scorpion. Did you know that the weight lifting move Dolph Lundgren performs to save the day at the climax of the film was added because Abramoff was a champion weightlifter in High School?

The film had some interesting moments, but if you follow politics at all, you already knew the story. But if you don’t, at least Casino Jack is a fun way to learn a thing or two.

2/4 

SUNDANCE 2010: DOWN TIME

Five movies in a single day takes a lot more out of me than I imagined it would. I barely had time to do anything more than leave my seat, walk across the parking lot to the press tent, check in and get in line for the next movie.

I did have a little break between Casino Jack and Welcome to the Rileys to buy some crackers at the Fresh Market and walk back and start my car for a minute.

See, I drive a real sweet '98 Honda Civic that, for some reason, doesn't start if it's been sitting in the cold for too long. Sometimes, if I'm in for a particularly long day of work, I'll sneak out at about the halfway point to start it up for a minute. Likewise, I have to venture out and start it up before I go to sleep or there's a good chance it might not start in the morning. The battery is fine and so is the starter (at least according to the guy at Auto Zone) and I'm afraid that if I have a real mechanic take a look, he'll open a Pandora's Box of problems that I just don't want to fix.

That's why I had to walk back to my car halfway through the day. I know you were wondering.

Anyway, I've got reviews for the last three movies I saw on Sunday going up early tomorrow. Then it's back up to Park City for a few more—including the Banksy doc Exit Through the Gift Shop, I hope. I haven't heard anyone talking about it up there, so hopefully it's not a complete train wreck. Or worse, competently done but just really, really boring.

I'd hate for that to be the case.

SUNDANCE 2010: DAY 2 - NOTES

I realize that today is actually the third full day of Sundance, but it's only my second. I wasn't able to make it up yesterday because I drive a Honda Civic and couldn't battle the canyon snow yesterday.

I'm seeing three more movies today (Casino Jack and the United States of Money, Welcome to the Riley's and Buried) and taking tomorrow off. I've got work and I really want to see Bracewar in Ogden. But Tuesday I'll be back in full force, so keep checking back.

On another note, a lot more of this going on today.

SUNDANCE 2010: DAY 2 - SYMPATHY FOR DELICIOUS

Someone needs to stop Juliette Lewis from making movies. And contrary to what I may have said before, someone should stop Orlando Bloom, also.

Sympthay for Delicious tells the story of a homeless DJ Delicious Dean O'Dwyer (Christopher Thornton)  with no faith who can suddenly cure the sick. Mark Ruffalo (who also directed) plays a priest who puts him up in a hotel in exchange for healing people. But all Delicious wants to do is get back behind the turntables. He seeks out a trashy up-and-coming rock band (that needs a DJ for some reason) and is eventually given the job because the band is convinced his healing powers will boost their popularity.

Thornton does really good work here as a paralyzed man struggling with his own limitations and Ruffalo shows that he has a bright future behind the camera. But the story gets downright silly at times and whenever Lewis and Bloom appear onscreen the battle of overacting reaches great new heights.

1.5/4 (Because Thornton really does a good job and I still respect Rufallo, he just needed more help.)

SUNDANCE 2010: DAY 2 - THE TILLMAN STORY

If I wasn’t already sure the government was full of crooks, liars and all around shitty people, The Tillman Story would have sold me a thousand times over.

Pat Tillman was a safety for the Arizona Cardinals and walked away from a million dollar contract to join the army after September 11. A little more than halfway through his service, Tillman was killed in combat. Only he wasn’t killed during the Silver Star worthy heroics that the Army initially said. Tillman was killed by confused and overly excited American soldiers determined to remain in a firefight with an “enemy” that none of them actually saw.

Watching the story of how Tillman’s family was repeatedly lied to in an attempt to turn his death into a national recruiting tool is infuriating. Watching Tillman’s younger brother take the stage at his funeral and crush the spirit of the “it’s all in God’s plan” speeches of the political leaders with a simple line like “Pat wasn’t religious. He’s fucking dead,” is priceless.

More on that, I wish they had used the original title for the movie I'm Pat _______ Tillman. According the soldier that was next to Tillman when he died, his last words were yelling out "I'm Pat Fucking Tillman! Why are you shooting at us?"

3.5/4 

SUNDANCE 2010: DAY 1 - ENTER THE VOID

I’m not sure that I can actually find the words to describe this movie.

It’s remarkably well crafted and the performances all feel very authentic. Director Gaspar Noe holds absolutely nothing back and will not shy away from anything he has to say. I didn’t really expect anything less, but it’s a harrowing film. Themes of life, death, sex, drugs and love are littered throughout and while there is somewhat of a linear story, it takes a backseat to the visuals. And with this movie, the visuals are everything.

But it left me emotionally, visually and mentally drained.

There were a few parts that were tough to watch, but I still couldn’t look away. After it was over, I needed to sit and let it all soak in for about half an hour.

I still don’t think I can put it in to words.

2.5/4 (Because I don't know what else to give it.)

SUNDANCE 2010: DAY 1 - RESTREPO

I've never been a huge fan of war documentaries. They always tend to be a little too politically oriented and lean heavily one way or another.

Restrepo is not a normal war documentary.

The way it’s shot is remarkable in the fact that it gets right up close as the soldiers are constantly engaged in battle. It’s almost like a soldier was wearing a camera on his helmet the entire time. It’s amazing to see how calm everyone is with bullets whizzing past at all hours of the day. At the same time, they seem to be fighting ghosts. The soldiers may get close enough (as I’m sure they did) to the opposition but the camera never does. The entire film is spent firing at an invisible enemy that’s mentioned but never actually seen.

The most affecting parts of the film are the after-the-fact interviews. The emotion and constant struggle with what happened in Afghanistan still haunts these soldiers. Most likely it always will. 

3/4

SUNDANCE 2010: DAY 1 - QUICK NOTES - 1:30pm

-- You know who probably loves Sundance more than anyone? Towing companies. I’ve seen three cars towed from the Fresh Market parking lot since I got here at 10 this morning. And I’ve only managed to walk through it three times on my way to and from the theater. Between that and parking tickets, I bet there’s thousands of dollars coming in just because of people not paying attention.

And I bet that because I’ve noticed this, I’ll get back to where I parked and either find a boot on my tire or my car will be gone all together. God I hope not.

-- Since I have a press pass, my e-mail address has been given to every publicist in Park City. This is a good thing as well as a bad thing. Good because I found out that I can go to a panel with Russell Simmons next week and found out official times for the Banksy documentary right as they became available.

Bad because I get e-mails like this: “Acoustic benefit for Haiti earthquake victims at Harry O’s this afternoon, featuring Pras from the The Fugees. This invitation is for celebrities and VIP only.”

I am neither of those, but I didn’t want to go anyway. That’ll show them.

SUNDANCE 2010: DAY 1 - 10:10am

Of course I overslept. My alarm went off at the right time (I set it for 7:45) but, as is regularly the case, I hit snooze three times before I actually got out of bed. There was no way I was making the first screening. Get Low started at 9:30 am and I wasn’t out of the house until 8:30. Still in need of gas and coffee, it was going to be a long shot.

By the time I actually got to Park City, found a place to park (for free, thankfully) and walked to the theater—which was rough because I didn’t plan ahead at all—it was 10:00 and I didn’t want to be the guy that creeps into a screening half an hour late.

I still haven’t figured out the shuttle system and I don’t own a pair of snow boots, which meant the price for free parking was walking half a mile through unplowed, slush covered sidewalks. Far worse than the $10 I would have spent to be in a parking lot next to the theater.

Right now, home is the Yarrow Hotel where I spent most of my time last year. It’s quiet and warm and far better than walking back to where I parked for a few minutes of Internet time. The opening night documentary Restrepo starts at 11 and after that, I’m debating on whether or not I want to see Enter The Void. The latter is the new film from Gaspar Noe, who made Irreversible and will probably be interesting to say the least. But it’s also close to three hours long. I don’t know that I’ll be able to handle three hours of “a cinematically audacious exploration of the connected nature of sex, drugs, life and death” at 1:30 in the afternoon. That might be too much.

SUNDANCE 2010

Last year, I was the editor of Red Pulse, which is the now-defunct University of Utah A&E magazine that everyone hated, apparently. Oh well. I liked it, but then again, it was geared largely towards my tastes, interests and things that I thought other people should be checking out. Apparently my tastes were very different than the rest of the campus population, because people loved to talk shit about me through the great anonymity of the Internet. But I had fun, it was a good learning experience and I had a lot of good writers that helped me out. I can't complain too much.

One of my favorite issues was our coverage of the Sundance Film Festival. It was the first time I'd ever had a press pass and it was a lot of fun. I didn't get to see any celebrities or directors or anything like that, but I did see a lot of movies. The only downside was that I was only able to get up there three times and I missed a lot of what I wanted to see.

This year will be different though. I was able to get a press pass again for the 2010 Festival and this year, that's all I've got. I don't have class or a newspaper to help lay out or Ed Board meetings to attend. Plus, I can afford to take a couple of days off work and see as many movies as I possibly can.

This is what I plan on catching for sure.

"The Runaways" - The band biopic starring Bella. No idea how it'll be, but worth a shot.
"Howl" - James Franco as a young Alan Ginsberg? Sure. What the hell.
"I'm Pat ____ Tillman" - The NFL player that died in Afghanistan under mysterious circumstances.
"Douchebag" - It's a comedy, and I'm seeing this thing based on title alone.
"Holy Rollers" - A Hesidic Jew that becomes an Ecstasy smuggler.

There's bound to be more, but those are the ones I'm looking forward to as of now. I'm sure once things get closer I'll have a whole list.

Suggestions?