SUNDANCE
2006: FROM THE FBI'S MOST WANTED TEENAGER TO TOBACCO AND BOOZE LOBBYISTS
HERE, IN TEXT PREPARED BY
FESTIVAL STAFFERS, IS A SAMPLING OF WHAT'S PLAYED AT THE WORLD'S
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HERE AND VISIT THE OFFICIAL FESTIVAL SITE.
ALPHA DOG
U.S.A., 2006, 122 Minutes, color
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Screenwriter: Nick Cassavetes
Cast : Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Bruce Willis, Sharon Stone,
Ben Foster, Anton Yelchin
 Nick
Cassavetes captures the driving energy and sordid anomie of contemporary
youth culture in his unflinchingly told cautionary tale, Alpha Dog.
Based on the true story of Jesse James Hollywood, a midlevel drug
dealer whose ambition and ruthlessness led him to become the youngest
man ever to appear on the FBI's Most Wanted list, Alpha Dog offers
a glimpse of the rawness and reality of teenage life on the edge.
The film stars Emile Hirsch as a teenage suburban drug dealer, Johnny
Truelove, whose "gangsta" fueled lifestyle of sex, guns,
and drugs is far over the top of customary adolescent restraints.
When a competitor/client cheats him, he and his posse "kidnap"
the client's younger brother, who is more than willing to spend
days partying with little sense or anticipation of his fate. But
as events spiral out of Johnny's control, the real consequences
of his deadly games become inexorable. Featuring a marvelous ensemble
cast that includes Justin Timberlake (shown above), whose work is
a revelation, Ben Foster (equally so), Bruce Willis, and Sharon
Stone, this is dense, galvanizing filmmaking, seething with tension
and culminating in a tragedy that would be shocking if we weren't
so aware of the kind of world we live in, a place with kids who
live without mores, parents who don't have a clue, and ongoing conflict
between the lingering innocence of youth and moral disintegration
and dissolution.— Geoffrey Gilmore
ART SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL
U.S.A., 2005, 102 Minutes, color
Director:
Terry Zwigoff
Screenwriter:
Daniel Clowes
Cast : Max Minghella, Sophia Myles, John Malkovich, Jim Broadbent,
Matt Keeslar, Anjelica Huston
 Art
School Confidential tracks an art student who dreams of becoming
the greatest artist in the world. Arriving as a freshman at a prestigious
East Coast art school, Jerome quickly discovers that talent alone
does not get him very far. When he sees that a clueless jock is
attracting the glory rightfully due him, Jerome hatches an all-or-nothing
plan to hit it big in the art world and win the heart of the most
beautiful girl in school. But all is not as it seems, and he quickly
learns that sometimes you really should be careful what you wish
for. The film reteams Ghost World helmer Terry Zwigoff and cartoonist/screenwriter
Dan Clowes. This time they shift their insightful gaze to the world
of art schools and their vulnerable inhabitants. Their genius lies
in the ability to peel off the layers of these type characters and
expose their soft underbellies, leaving them open to be petted or
skewered, depending upon how the viewer perceives them. No one is
spared in this biting, but hilarious, exploration of the random
and subjective nature of art. With a breakthrough performance by
Max Minghella as Jerome (shown above with Sophia Myles), and a truly
inspired one by John Malkovich as the pretentious and frustrated
professor, Zwigoff makes a triumphant return to Sundance (Crumb
won the Grand Jury Prize in 1995) with a film brimming with sardonic
empathy and infused with an underground comic consciousness.—
Trevor Groth For
the Variety review, click
here.
THE AURA
Argentina, 2005, 134 Minutes, color
Director: Fabián Bielinsky
Screenwriter: Fabián Bielinsky
Cast : Alejandro Awada, Pablo Cedron, Ricardo Darin, Dolores Fonzi
In his elegantly conceived second feature,
The Aura, Fabián Bielinsky (Nine Queens) both furthers his
exploration of film form and creates a complex genre film firmly
rooted in character. Espinoza is an introverted taxidermist perfectly
suited to solitary, meticulous work. Though private and unassuming,
he's remarkably observant–an attribute that lends itself to
masterminding perfect robberies...in his head. After his wife leaves
him, Espinoza accepts a friend's invitation to go hunting in Patagonia.
When an accidental death presents him with the chance to pull off
a real heist, Espinoza naïvely places himself in the center
of a scheme to rob an armored van. Unlike those in his imagination,
however, this is a real crime with real criminals. As a heist film,
The Aura sports a shrewd, serpentine plot, and Bielinsky allows
us the fun of trying to arrange puzzle pieces on our own. But he
also never lets go of his preoccupation with character and crafts
a style that's airy and contemplative; The Aura's gorgeous, deliberate
visuals are almost hypnotic. Espinoza is a fascinating protagonist,
a quiet, opaque man who suffers from epilepsy. The "aura"
refers to the eerie, frozen moment before a seizure when Espinoza
knows it's coming but can do nothing about it. It's one of a handful
of intertwining metaphors and themes that give The Aura a satisfying
sense of wholeness.— John Nein
COME EARLY MORNING
U.S.A., 2005, 97 Minutes, color
Director:Joey Lauren Adams
Screenwriter: Joey Lauren Adams
Cast : Ashley Judd, Jeffrey Donovan, Tim Blake Nelson, Diane Ladd,
Stacey Keach
 Come
Early Morning is a beautifully rendered film about a southern woman
in a small-town, rural community, a subject director Joey Lauren
Adams obviously knows intimately. Delicately told, and rather efficiently
related, it is the story of Lucy, a 30-something woman who keeps
waking up with a stiff hangover and a guy she doesn't even want
to look at. If coming to grips with why she keeps repeating this
pattern isn't enough, Lucy also begins to realize that she needs
to get in touch with her familial past and, more importantly, with
the person she has become. Fueled by a perfectly nuanced performance
from the gifted Ashley Judd, Come Early Morning is about life transitions,
the search for love, and the burdens we carry with us. A portrait
of simple truths that isn't archetypal melodrama, it steadfastly
avoids wallowing in the depths of sentimentality or self-destruction.
You can't help but appreciate this kind of storytelling for its
directness, honesty, and qualities of toughness and heart that leave
you wanting to know more as it plays itself out, following you into
that part of your filmic memory reserved for distinction.—
Geoffrey Gilmore For
the Variety review, click
here.
THE DARWIN AWARDS
U.S.A., 2005, 93 Minutes, color
Director: Finn Taylor
Screenwriter: Finn Taylor
Cast : Joseph Fiennes, Winona Ryder, David Arquette, Juliette Lewis,
Metallica, Wilmer Valderrama
 The
Darwin Awards are a real-life phenomenon presented to individuals
who improve the human gene pool by removing themselves from it when
they accidentally kill themselves in incredibly stupid ways. Writer/director
Finn Taylor develops this irony with a deliciously dark comedy that
revels in the notion that truth is stranger than fiction...and a
hell of a lot funnier. The stories in The Darwin Awards are integrated
into a narrative about two characters grappling with their own destinies.
Burrows is a brilliant detective with a special talent for profiling
criminals. Siri is a hard-nosed insurance investigator whose steeliness
and "throw-caution-to-the-wind" attitude is exactly the
opposite of Burrows's thoughtful hesitation. When Siri's employer
hires Burrows to create a profile for potential Darwin Award winners–who
are costing the insurance company a fortune–the two begin
a search for the answer to what makes these people tick. Taylor
returns to Sundance (Dream with the Fishes, Cherish) with an epic
comedy that boasts a dream team of acting talent. Joseph Fiennes
exudes an intelligence that is the perfect foil to the absurdity
happening around Burrows, while Winona Ryder displays a brazen strength
and maturity that is a revelation as Siri. Combining these performances
with numerous tasty cameos, Taylor weaves humor, romance, and adventure
into a highly entertaining film.— Trevor Groth For
the Variety review, click here.
FRIENDS WITH MONEY
U.S.A., 2005, 88 Minutes, color
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Screenwriter: Nicole Holofcener
Cast : Jennifer Aniston, Joan Cusack, Catherine Keener, Frances
McDormand, Jason Isaacs, Scott Caan
 Friends
with Money portrays a world we may think we know all too well: the
liberal, professional, sophisticated lives of women and their husbands
on the west side of Los Angeles. But director Nicole Holofcener's
depiction is so authentic and detailed, so exact and honest, that
it's like seeing something familiar for the first time. And the
film is constructed with a discerning eye and a tone that's both
loving and funny, its characters are fully fleshed out by a great
ensemble cast, and it boasts a witty, carefully crafted script.
Jennifer Aniston, Frances McDormand, Joan Cusack, and Catherine
Keener are a quartet of lifelong friends; three of them have achieved
a certain level of success and financial comfort and now enjoy lives
that focus around their husbands and offspring, friends, and various
social activities. Olivia (Aniston), however, faces a different
dilemma: because she recently quit her job and is cleaning houses
in the interim, she is unclear about her future and even the state
of her longtime friendships. As all their worlds evolve and then
fracture, their comfortable milieu may be facing real changes. Like
a great Russian playwright, Holofcener flawlessly addresses the
social and the personal, class and gender, and the frustrating aspects
of people's day-to-day lifestyles, especially the uniqueness of
each couple's relationship. Simply put, this is marvelous filmmaking
and a pleasure to watch. Friends with Money's voices and vision
will remain with us long after the film ends.— Geoffrey Gilmore
To read the Variety review of "Friends With Money,"
click here.
GOD GREW TIRED OF
US
U.S.A., 2006, 86 Minutes, color
DOCUMENTARY GRAND JURY PRIZE
Director: Christopher Quinn
 In
the late 1980s, 27,000 Sudanese "lost boys"–some
just toddlers–marched barefoot over thousands of miles of
barren desert, seeking safe haven from the brutal civil war raging
in their homeland. Half died from bombing raids and starvation;
the others reside together in Kenya's Kakuna refugee camp, with
few prospects. Recently, the U.S. invited some of the boys to settle
in America. Moving and mind-expanding, Christopher Quinn's God Grew
Tired of Us follows three unforgettable young men–John, Daniel,
and Panther–on their unbelievable odyssey in a strange New
World. The culture shock begins with airplane loudspeakers and processed
food and continues as they orient themselves to refrigerators, running
water, and fluorescent-lit supermarkets. It's fascinating to witness
their wonder at Western customs, and even more gripping when the
film monitors their spiritual temperatures. Things are tough as
the boys juggle multiple menial jobs; for the first time, they find
themselves well fed, yet painfully isolated from the brotherly fellowship
that once enabled their survival. They face hints of racism and
are perplexed by Americans' obsessive need for privacy and anxious
about loved ones struggling in Africa. Yet John, Daniel, and Panther–each
radiantly charismatic and thoughtful–meet their challenges,
fueled by a desire to help others. Though they were bred in unspeakably
dehumanizing circumstances, their integrity and honor are impeccable,
raising profound questions about the conditions necessary to create
a civilized society.— Caroline Libresco
A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS
U.S.A., 2005, 90 Minutes, color
DRAMATIC DIRECTING PRIZE
SPECIAL
DRAMATIC JURY PRIZE FOR BEST ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
Director: Dito Montiel
Screenwriter: Dito Montiel
Cast : Robert Downey, Jr., Shia La Boeuf, Rosario Dawson, Chazz
Palminteri, Dianne Wiest, Channing Tatum
 A
Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is based on director Dito Montiel's
youth during the mideighties in the tough neighborhood of Astoria,
Queens. All his old friends have ended up dead, as junkies, or in
prison; Dito is the proverbial man who got out. For him, the "saints"
are the folks he remembers, the ones he left behind. For better
or worse, they made him who he is today. Just the way memories can
flood consciousness, Montiel uses the same motif to flood the screen
with his stories. The past gets layered upon the present, and the
film comes to life. The performances are real because the characters'
words are real; they've been said before. The strength of the film
isn't looking back through a nostalgic, Vaselined lens; instead,
Montiel infuses the memories with both the exhilaration and pain
of youth. The outstanding cast members (that's Rosario Dawson above)
are dedicated to finding every nuance and truth. They capture the
frenetic quality of the time, not only in the streets and on the
rooftops but also in the bustling family kitchen. Montiel's New
York is steamy with humidity, cooking, and adolescent sexuality.
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is an honest account of a bittersweet
return to a neighborhood that isn't the same and never will be again.—
John Cooper
HALF NELSON
U.S.A., 2006, 106 Minutes, color
Director: Ryan Fleck
Screenwriter: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck
Cast : Ryan Gosling, Shareeka Epps, Anthony
Mackie
 Ryan
Fleck returns to Sundance with Half Nelson, a feature-length version
of his Jury Prize-winning short, Gowanus, Brooklyn, that looks at
an unlikely friendship that brings hope to a man trapped by his
own demons. Dan Dunne is an idealistic inner-city junior high school
teacher. Though he can get it together in the classroom, he spends
his time outside school on the edge of consciousness. He juggles
his hangovers and his homework, keeping his lives precariously separated,
until one of his troubled students, Drey, catches him in a compromising
situation. From this awkward beginning, Dan and Drey stumble into
an unexpected friendship that threatens either to undo them, or
to provide the vital change they both need to move forward in their
lives. Half Nelson neither condemns nor sanctions Dan's actions,
but rather depicts characters who are "wrestling" with
various aspects of themselves and their roles in the larger world
around them. Ryan Gosling perfectly renders Dan, imbuing him with
layers and dimensions rarely seen in film. Equally exciting is newcomer
Shareeka Epps's performance as Drey; she displays a remarkable ability
to convey both wisdom and innocence. Fleck has delicately crafted
a film about the universal struggle to achieve vital change in one's
life–and also about the role friendship can play in that struggle.—
Trevor Groth For the Variety review, click
here.
THE ILLUSIONIST
U.S.A., 2005, 110 Minutes, color
Director: Neil Burger
Screenwriter: Neil Burger
Cast : Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell
 Are
you the kind of person who scrutinizes magic tricks, or do you surrender
yourself to the thrill of the moment? Either way, The Illusionist
will keep you on the edge of your seat and transport you to a time
that embraced the supernatural. Set in 1900 Vienna, this stunning
romantic thriller is the story of Eisenheim, a brilliant mysterious
magician bent on solving a puzzle that has eluded him since childhood.
His ability to mesmerize crowds and his apparent attraction to the
crown prince's fiancée–Duchess von Teschen–threatens
the prince and ignites suspicion from Chief Inspector Uhl. When
the duchess is murdered, Eisenheim summons extraordinary powers
in a desperate attempt to overcome Uhl, prove the prince guilty,
and bring down the monarchy before it destroys him. At its heart,
Neil Burger's film is about social position and the will to challenge
it. Eisenheim, a cabinetmaker's son, iconoclastically dares to love
a noblewoman and ridicule the prince. Uhl, on the other hand, believes
royal fealty is his only ticket to power. From Eisenheim, he learns
to listen to his inner sense of justice. With its glowing amber
palette, splendid spectacles, and nuanced performances, The Illusionist
explores art and technology as populist forces. Eisenheim's otherworldly
conjurings, which create a "protocinema," stir his audiences
to question authority, while he enlists acts of magic to serve the
power of true love.— Caroline Libresco For
the Variety review, click
here.
KINKY BOOTS
United Kingdom, 2005, 107 Minutes, color
Director: Julian Jarrold
Screenwriter: Tim Firth, Geoffe Dean
Cast : Joel Edgerton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sarah-Jane Potts, Jemima
Rooper, Nick Frost, Linda Bassett
With the sudden death of his father,
Charlie Price takes up the reins of the family's Northampton shoe
factory. But Charlie quickly discovers it is not business as usual,
and without new shoe orders, bankruptcy is imminent. As if in a
dream, enter Lola, fresh from London and larger than life: sexy,
sassy, cabaret-singing man in a dress. These two unlikely friends
become allies in a plan that will change the future of the factory
and its workers, and the hearts and minds of anyone who crosses
their path. Kinky Boots is a whimsical romp spotlighting the very
best in British cinema, including an achingly charming performance
by Joel Edgerton and a spectacular reintroduction to American audiences
of Chiwetel Ejiofor (Dirty Pretty Things). Julian Jarrold pulls
off an auspicious directorial debut by creating a glittering gift
of a film about human dignity and compassion. From pub to factory,
England to the big shoe show in Milan, two themes ring through:
There is much to learn from the people you least expect can teach
you; and in life, it is usually best to accept who you are as well
as who you are not. Just in case you haven't figured it out, these
kinky boots are made for walking.— John Cooper
LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
U.S.A., 2006, 100 Minutes, color
Director: Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
Screenwriter: Michael Arndt
Cast : Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, Abigail
Breslin, Paul Dano
 Meet
the Hoover family: Olive, a seven-year-old, slightly pudgy, aspiring
beauty queen; her father, Richard, a struggling motivational speaker
who can't help but push; and her mom, Sheryl, who has to bring her
Proust scholar/brother, Frank, home after his failed suicide attempt.
Frank has to stay with Sheryl's Nietzsche-worshiping son, Dwayne,
who has taken a vow of silence until he is old enough to be a fighter
pilot. Then there's Grandpa, recently kicked out of his nursing
home for snorting heroin. When they are all forced to hop into the
old VW bus to take Olive to the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant,
this is either a portrait of the most dysfunctional family you've
ever seen or the absolutely hilarious tragicomic journey of a family
whose lives are in for a change. That this is a first feature by
the directorial team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris is stunning,
given the film's level of execution. With an exceptional cast, whose
"effortless" performances are pure pleasure, this madcap
comedy literally transports a Capraesque lunacy to the present.
And like the films of that master of farce, this delicious, abundant,
comic storytelling sends up American values even as it draws out
the humanity hidden in the most misfit of families.— Geoffrey
Gilmore To read the Variety review
of "Little Miss Sunshine," click
here; for details on the film's rapturous reception at Sundance,
click here.
LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN
U.S.A., 2006, 104 Minutes, color
Director: Paul McGuigan
Screenwriter: Jason Smilovic
Cast : Bruce Willis, Josh Hartnett, Sir Ben Kingsley, Morgan Freeman,
Lucy Liu
 It
all starts with a horse. Then an innocent man is mistaken for someone
who owes money to a bookie. And when Mr. Goodkat (Bruce Willis),
the most notorious assassin around, blows into town, everyone knows
something big is about to burst. But what? Paul McGuigan's delectable
murder mystery, Lucky Number Slevin, is a fun, fast-paced thoroughbred
of a thriller that is a sheer delight to track. Try and crack it,
if you can! Slevin (Josh Hartnett) comes to New York to visit his
friend Nick, but finds his apartment empty. "I think Nick is
in trouble," says Lindsey (Lucy Liu), his neighbor. This becomes
clear to Slevin when he opens the door expecting to see cute little
Lindsey and gets a henchman's knuckles instead. The boss (Morgan
Freeman, and later Ben Kingsley) wants to see Nick, and Slevin can't
prove he's not Nick because his pocket got picked that morning.
Soon he finds himself in the middle of a high-profile murder being
plotted by one of New York's biggest crime bosses. Exactly what
kind of trouble is Nick in? McGuigan has crafted a densely stylish
film noir from Jason Smilovic's swift, tight, and furious script.
Lucky Number Slevin's sly humor leaves you smiling as you contemplate
the beauty of a Kansas City shuffle.— Shari Frilot To
read the Variety review of "Lucky Number Slevin," click
here.
THE NIGHT LISTENER
U.S.A., 2006, 90 Minutes, color
Director: Patrick Stettner
Screenwriter: Armistead Maupin & Terry Anderson, and Patrick
Stettner
Cast : Robin Williams, Toni Collette, Sandra Oh, Rory Culkin, Bobby
Cannavale, Joe Morton
 Gabriel
is a celebrated writer and popular late-night radio host. On the
air waves across America, he is famous for sharing the many stories
of his life, both true and embellished. When a manuscript from a
troubled young listener finds its way onto his desk and into his
psyche, he is rustled out of his New York brownstone and safe neighborhood.
He embarks upon a journey that comes to test the very threshold
of his own empathy. Gabriel states, "I will lay the events
out exactly like I remember them"; thus begins the story of
The Night Listener. Director and cowriter Patrick Stettner returns
to Sundance (The Business of Strangers played in the 2001 Festival)
and once again ventures into the darker side of human relationships.
Adapted from the novel by Armistead Maupin, The Night Listener is
a psychological thriller exploring uncharted territories of the
bizarre and macabre. As Gabriel, Robin Williams contributes a wonderfully
subdued performance, but meets his match in Toni Collette, who portrays
the young boy's adopted guardian. With an eerie atmosphere that
borders on the creepy, desolate, wintry Wisconsin becomes the locale
for a tale that may rattle you to your soul. In The Night Listener,
when deception is what you desire, the line between truth and fiction
begins to blur.—John Cooper For the
Variety review, click here.
NO. 2
New Zealand, 2005, 94 Minutes, color
Director: Toa Fraser
Screenwriter: Toa Fraser
Cast : Ruby Dee, Tuva Novotny, Mia Blake, Taungaroa Emile
 Nanna
Maria dreams of her youth in the islands of Fiji with nostalgia,
remembering sunny days filled with family and celebration. Her memories
may be glowing, but Nanna's house, No. 2, is far from it these days.
The front door was sealed in Fijian tradition after the death of
her husband, and family members have sunk deeply into their daily
lives in urban New Zealand, too busy to gather or share in a family
moment. But Nanna Maria decides she wants a party thrown in traditional
Fijian fashion, with roasted pig, kava, music, and laughter abounding,
so she can name her successor as head of the family. The only problem
is that some members of the family are too busy, many have never
roasted a pig, and others simply aren't speaking to one another.
Accomplished playwright Toa Fraser brings his stage play to life
in his directorial debut with stylized storytelling and a camera
that glides effortlessly through the peaks and valleys of the story.
He gives us an effectively emotional portrait of a family trying
to pull itself together as it's actually falling apart. Veteran
actress Ruby Dee boldly leads a stellar ensemble cast, and even
with the frays and loose ends of familial drama exposed, the love
and resilience of this family are still inspiring.— N. Bird
Runningwater
OFF THE BLACK
U.S.A., 2005, 90 Minutes, color
Director: James Ponsoldt
Screenwriter: James Ponsoldt
Cast : Nick Nolte, Trevor Morgan, Rosemarie DeWitt, Sonia Feigelson,
Sally Kirkland, Timothy Hutton
 Ray
is a mess. Instead of being a baseball player, he's an aging high
school umpire. Instead of being married, he's divorced. Instead
of having a real relationship with his son, he makes grandiose video
diaries to send him. Instead of being sober and fearless, he's drunk
and scared and alone. Ray is the stuttering heart and soul of Off
the Black, James Ponsoldt's fearless portrait of small-town lives
in crisis, and acclaimed actor Nick Nolte utterly devastates us
in the raging lead performance. Coaxing Ray's self-discoveries is
the chance friendship he forces on troubled teen David, a local
pitcher who can't refuse Ray's demands after being caught vandalizing
the umpire's house. Ray's alcoholic and urgent needs escalate until
he strikes a deal to wash the slate clean with one last request–David
must go to Ray's fortieth high school reunion and pretend to be
his son. Perceptions and realities then collide as the men find
in each other the surrogate companionship obviously missing from
their daily lives. Off the Black develops patiently and rewardingly,
pulling us deeper into the inner lives of its characters with each
redemptive discovery, and exploring what it means to be a son, a
father, a man...sometimes all at once.— Joseph
Beyer To read Guy Flatley's 1979 interview with Nick Nolte, click
here.
OPEN WINDOW
U.S.A., 2005, 97 Minutes, color
Director: Mia Goldman
Screenwriter: Mia Goldman
Cast : Robin Tunney, Joel Edgerton, Cybill Shepherd, Matt Keeslar,
Scott Wilson, Shirley Knight, Elliott Gould
 Izzy
and Peter seem to have it all. They are deeply in love, challenged
and engrossed in their careers as a photographer and an English
professor, and have recently become engaged. They feel, gratefully,
that in their warmly lit home and contented quotidian rituals, they
have managed to carve out a blissful corner where the world's chaos
and insanity are held at bay. Then one night, a senseless, random
act of violence intrudes upon them from the tree-lined, suburban
darkness of their quiet street, shaking them loose from their carefully
planned lives. The ripple effects of violence touch hidden tensions
within their relationship, and reveal buried facets of their deepest
fears and desires. Mia Goldman's assured feature debut is an intimate
character study that examines the ways in which a traumatic experience
touches all relationships–with lovers, parents, and friends.
Perhaps most striking are the quiet moments between Izzy and Peter,
which, thanks to sensitive, complex performances from Robin Tunney
and Joel Edgerton, carry enormous emotional weight. At once a moving
portrait of survival and an intricate examination of a threatened
relationship, Open Window underscores the healing power of reclaiming
one's own self-determination.— Elizabeth Richardson To
read Guy Flatley's 1973 interview with Elliott Gould, click
here.
QUINCEAÑERA
U.S.A., 2005, 90 Minutes, color
DRAMATIC GRAND JURY PRIZE
Director:
Wash Westmoreland, Richard Glatzer
Screenwriter: Wash Westmoreland, Richard Glatzer
Cast : Emily Rios, Jesse Garcia, Chalo Gonzalez
 As
Magdelena's fifteenth birthday approaches, her life is consumed
by thoughts of her boyfriend, her Quinceañera dress, and
the Hummer limo she hopes will show up on her special day. Life
seems so simple in her Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, until
fate delivers an unwelcome surprise–she is pregnant. Immediately
expelled from her religious family home, she is taken in by her
great-granduncle Thomas and tough cholo cousin Carlos, who has been
rejected by his own father for being gay. Together they form a makeshift
family unit that must stand up to social stigmas and encroaching
urban gentrification that threatens the only neighborhood they know.
Directing team Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer playfully label
Quinceañera a "neo-sink drama," and indeed it is
a reinvention of the "kitchen sink" dramas that peppered
British cinema in the '50s and '60s. They were known for adult storylines,
class conflict, and sardonic humor, but to consider Quinceañera
so simply is an injustice. This is an authentically rendered glimpse
into a world most likely driven through, with doors locked and windows
rolled up, on the way to somewhere else. Westmoreland and Glatzer
have molded the performances of their mostly unknown ensemble into
a tender portrait of a changing world and, in doing so, have illuminated
modern realities of family and hope.— John Cooper
THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP
France, 2005, 105 Minutes, color
Director: Michel Gondry
Screenwriter: Michel Gondry
Cast: Gael Garcia Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alain Chabat, Miou
Miou, Aurelia Petit, Sacha Bourdo
 Life
seems to be looking up for shy and withdrawn Stephane when he returns
to his childhood home with the promise of a great job. Wildly creative,
his fanciful and sometimes disturbing dream life constantly threatens
to usurp his waking world. While the job fails to meet expectations,
he does strike up a relationship with his neighbor, Stephanie. As
their connection blossoms, the confidence he exudes in his fanciful
dream life begins bleeding into his real life. But just as everything
is looking up, his insecurities raise their ugly head, and he faces
a dilemma that the science of sleep may not help him solve. Michel
Gondry's science fiction doesn't explore outer, but rather inner,
space, playfully reflecting the interaction between the worlds we
inhabit: nature, society, and the mind. The Science of Sleep utilizes
rudimentary techniques to craft a thoroughly complex vision of the
lead character's brain, filled with the anxieties, hopes, fears,
and yearnings that lie in all of us. Gael Garcia Bernal perfectly
radiates these emotions as Stephane, a man trying to take control
of his dreams because his life is slipping away. Densely packed
with imagery and symbols as well as soulful emotion and humor, The
Science of Sleep weaves a dreamlike narrative ripe for examination
and enjoyment and further establishes Gondry as a master of cinematic
language.— Trevor Groth For the Variety
review, click here.
SHERRYBABY
U.S.A., 2005, 96 Minutes, color
Director: Laurie Collyer
Screenwriter: Laurie Collyer
Cast : Maggie Gyllenhaal, Brad Henke, Bridget Barkan, Ryan Simpkins,
Danny Trejo, Giancarlo Esposito
 Sometimes
life gets in the way of your best intentions. Even if you have everything
going for you, an emotional wound from childhood can reemerge as
a monster in your adult life and swallow you whole. Director Laurie
Collyer returns to Sundance (her documentary Nuyorican Dream played
in the 2000 Festival) with Sherrybaby, an emotionally powerful dramatic
debut about a young woman struggling to keep her life on the right
track–but she doesn't really know how. Sherry Swanson is recently
released from prison and dreams of getting a job, settling down,
and being a mother to her five-year-old daughter. Big problems arise
when she realizes her brother and his wife are invested in raising
the child themselves. The constricting realities of unemployment
and parole complicate things even more. Sherry is determined to
weather the storm that has developed in her life, but she must first
find a way to overcome a demon in her closet that holds her hostage
emotionally. Collyer's sharply observed characters are brought to
indelible life by all-around strong performances, led by Maggie
Gyllenhaal's deeply inhabited Sherry. Sherrybaby is an intensely
compelling experience and marks an exciting directorial debut.—
Shari Frilot For the Variety review,
click here.
SOMEBODIES
U.S.A., 2005, 89 Minutes, color
Director: Hadjii
Screenwriter: Hadjii
Cast : Hadjii, Kaira Whitehead, Tyler Craig, Carlos Davis, Patt
Brown, David "Nick" Lewis
 Somebodies
takes a lighthearted jab at what it is to be young, carefree, and
reckless in America from a distinctly fresh perspective. Scottie,
a 22-year-old African American college student, is just living life
as it comes; he and his roommates are more than happy to live up
to the standards of typical college students–partying, women,
and flat-out fun. But eventually, Scottie's nonchalant approach
toward life, combined with his love of a good time and appreciation
of a "cold one," lands him in some hot water. Encircled
by a wild group of friends, an eccentric love interest, off-the-wall
family members, convicts, and a fire-and-brimstone preacher, Scottie's
road to recovery ultimately becomes a hilarious journey of self-discovery.
And the Lord said, "Let there be Hadjii." ...Can I get
a hallelujah? From the alt-rock hotbed of Athens, Georgia, comes
an invigorating new comedic voice in independent film. Triple-threat
writer/director/actor Hadjii uses the distinct flavor of the South
and an immensely talented supporting cast to create memorable characters
and lines that will leave you laughing long after the film ends.
By portraying young black men who aren't thugs or Mr. Nice Guys,
he infuses the film with insightful perspectives on people who are
living ordinary lives as they try to make sense of the senselessness
that is America today.— Trevor Groth
STEEL CITY
U.S.A., 2005, 95 Minutes, color
Director: Brian Jun
Screenwriter: Brian Jun
Cast : John Heard, Tom Guiry, America Ferrera, Clayne Crawford,
Laurie Metcalf, Raymond J. Barry
 Films
about complex relationships among men are few and far between; even
rarer are films about complex relationships among working-class
men. Steel City tells the psychologically rich story of a dysfunctional
family of men in a depressed midwestern steel town who have been
torn apart by years of mistrust, anger, and irresponsibility. In
the wake of his father's incarceration for killing a woman, 20-something
PJ Lee drifts aimlessly, losing one job, then another, scuffling
with his tough, philandering brother, and halfheartedly pursuing
a girl from work. Evicted from his house, he accepts an offer to
live with his estranged, bossy uncle, Vic. But Vic demands a level
of accountability and communication that overwhelms PJ, and, like
all the men in his family, he bolts. Just when things seem as intractable
as the Illinois winter ice, subtle shifts allow each member of the
Lee clan to inch together into a new kind of maturity. What makes
Steel City extraordinary are its intelligence and penetrating honesty
about human behavior. First-timer Brian Jun never confines his characters
or story to neat little formulas; rather, he soulfully embraces
the nuances and complications of family, love, and circumstance.
Raw performances by a talented and focused cast; an authentic, textured
sense of place; and crisp camerawork all make this an exquisite,
emotionally satisfying debut.— Caroline Libresco For
the Variety review, click
here.
THANK YOU FOR SMOKING
U.S.A., 2005, 120 Minutes, color
Director: Jason Reitman
Screenwriter: Jason Reitman, based on the novel by Christopher Buckley
Cast : Aaron Eckhart, Maria Bello, Adam Brody, Sam Elliott, Rob
Lowe, William H. Macy
 The
last time he was at Sundance, we jokingly told Jason Reitman, "After
three short films, you can only return with a feature." Ask,
and you shall receive. Thank You for Smoking is not only hilarious,
but it also demonstrates a confident filmmaking maturity that should
skyrocket a long career. Thank You for Smoking is nearly perfect
in three ways: First–premise. Nick Naylor, fast-thinking master
of media manipulation, is tapped to turn the tide of animosity away
from the tobacco industry. Nick can talk his way in or out of anything,
but this time he pulls out the big gun–Hollywood Second–pace.
Reitman's script is crisp and tight. Every joke and sight gag lands
a punch. This hard-hitting satire takes us right to the edge but
never over. Setups take place in real-world situations just close
enough to the truth to scare us into laughter. Third–casting.
The whole ensemble, led by Aaron Eckhart with his smug good looks,
could not be better. Maria Bello's liquor lobbiest and David Koechner's
gun advocate complete the mod squad of merchants-of-death who meet
each week to brag about the spin they have unleashed. Film number
four is a charm for Reitman, who achieves the near impossible: making
us think and laugh at the same time.— John Cooper
THIN
U.S.A., 2005, 105 Minutes, color
Director: Lauren Greenfield
Eating disorders have reached epidemic
levels in America–yet only recently have they been recognized
as serious mental illnesses. One in seven people with anorexia nervosa
will die, making it the deadliest of all psychiatric diagnoses.
With Thin, Lauren Greenfield, a photographer acclaimed for illuminating
women's and society's attitudes toward the female body, gains unprecedented
access to a Florida residential treatment center to observe four
anorexic women, aged 15 to 30, struggling to recover over a six-month
period. Her intimate, unflinching, yet unobtrusive, camera ventures
into private and painful rituals like early morning weigh-ins, one-on-one
and group therapy sessions, confrontations with staff, and tormenting
mealtimes. As individual dramas surface and convoluted group dynamics
erupt, the frightening tenacity and complexity of this affliction
emerge. While each woman's fight is unique, abusing the body as
a means of asserting control and measuring self-worth seems common
to all. One patient shockingly admits that being thin is her greatest
ambition: "If it takes dying to get there, so be it."
The film's flawless vérité approach engenders closeness
and emotional investment in the characters and allows us to draw
our own conclusions about the treatment protocol and an insurance
system unwilling to accommodate patients' wishes. Thin offers haunting,
groundbreaking insight into the tangle of personal, familial, and
cultural factors–beyond mere self-esteem or body-image issues–that
produce the immeasurable, confounding suffering of so many.—
Caroline Libresco For the Variety
review, click here.
THE TRIALS OF DARRYL
HUNT
U.S.A., 2005, 107 Minutes, color
Director: Ricki Stern, Annie Sundberg
 Innocent
until proven guilty? Liberty and justice for all? Spanning two decades,
this powerful documentary chronicles a brutal 1984 rape/murder case
in North Carolina and a wrongly convicted man, Darryl Hunt, who,
despite multiple trials and DNA testing that proved his innocence,
spent nearly 20 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. At
once a moving human drama and a scathing social commentary, The
Trials of Darryl Hunt reveals the insidious way racism still pervades
American culture and our criminal-justice system. Hunt's conviction
reverberates with African American men throughout his community
of Winston-Salem as his trials play out against a backdrop of class
and racial bias in the South. Utilizing exclusive footage in varying
formats, directors Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg infuse their visceral
film with two decades of perspective on the subtle, elusive impact
of crime, race, and law on a community divided along racial lines.
This chilling look at a life stolen and eventually redeemed defies
our presumption that all Americans have the right to unbiased justice
and exposes the need for judicial reforms to prevent other wrongful
convictions. Darryl Hunt's shocking story is a searing reminder
of the racial chasm that continues to haunt our nation.— David
Courier For the Variety review, click
here.
WRISTCUTTERS: A LOVE
STORY
U.S.A., 2006, 91 Minutes, color
Director: Goran Dukic
Screenwriter: Goran Dukic
Cast : Patrick Fugit, Shannon Sossamon, Shea Whigham, Tom Waits,
Leslie Bibb, John Hawkes
 Suicide
is no ordinary death, but in Wristcutters: A Love Story, it provides
entry into a quirky, quotidian universe that's both strangely familiar
and full of surprises. It's an afterlife of menial jobs, dingy bars,
and jukeboxes that play only suicide heroes like Kurt Cobain or
Nick Drake. And as Zia, a depressed but amiable young man, discovers
after he slits his wrists, it's populated solely by unsmiling souls
who have voluntarily plunged to the other side. Soon after his arrival,
Zia learns that his ex–the inspiration for his own fatal gesture–has
also joined the hari-kari club. Still heartsick, he sets out to
find her. With him on this Oz-like quest are an eccentric Russian
rocker lusting for love and a melancholic, hitchhiking ingenue seeking
a way out. In a rickety red station wagon held together with tape,
this impromptu family hit greasy diners and decrepit salvage yards
until they encounter odd, wonderful Kneller (a deliciously crusty
Tom Waits), who shepherds them to his utopia and small, unexpected
miracles. Every turn in the road holds witty and poignant revelations
for the lovable characters in Goran Dukic's clever, irresistible,
and wildly original debut feature. He transplants his Eastern European
absurdist humor and existential worldview to the dusty American
West and comes up with a small miracle of his own.— Caroline
Libresco For the Variety review,
click here.
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