Review: Sundance Film Festival report card
The Sundance Film Festival lineup is full of surprises each year. There is usually at least one future blockbuster feature that garners attention at the independent festival, among others that spark conversations for the following weeks or months. This year’s selection was full of both gems and duds. Here’s a list of a handful of films from the 2015 festival and what we thought of them.
The Bronze
“The Bronze” is exactly what you’d expect from a mash-up between “Fired Up” and any film by Judd Apatow. The quantity of F-bombs (nearly all from the mouth of washed-up Olympian protagonist Hope Annabelle Gregory) gives “Wolf of Wall Street” a run for its filthy money. This is the kind of film that will probably make you laugh, then feel bad for laughing, then laugh some more. In consideration of the graphically athletic sex scene, raunchy is an understatement.
Grade: C+
Larry Kramer in Love and Anger
This documentary highlighted a lead activist in the fight against AIDS and one of the organizers of the group AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power — ACT UP. It gave background and humanity to the hostile-looking man who would yell and argue with those he felt weren’t doing enough to find a cure. It’s the kind of film that makes you want to do something meaningful with your life and be as honest as you can with those you feel are in the wrong.
Grade: B
Racing Extinction
From the same director of “The Cove,” the documentary “Racing Extinction” is another environmentally-friendly insight to make you reconsider all your life choices. Hippies will love it; Fox News fans will loathe it. As a rule, documentaries generally promote a specific agenda. Regardless, everybody should watch “Racing Extinction” and then decide how to feel about it. Even if you hate it (the standing ovation after its premiere Saturday predicts you won’t), the gorgeous cinematography and composition will at least keep your eyes happy for a few hours.
Grade: A-
Sleeping with Other People
Director Leslye Headland is the kind of person you’d love to hang out with, and her movies reflect that. Her first Sundance film, 2012’s “Bachelorette,” was an even crasser version of “Bridesmaids.” “Sleeping With Other People,” starring Jason Sudeikis (“Saturday Night Live”) and Alison Brie (“Community”) is a millennial retelling of “When Harry Met Sally” with a slew of other clever pop culture references thrown in. It’s quotable, hilarious, tender and likely to be purchased by some rom com-crazed production company and hit movie theaters this year or the next.
Grade: B+
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
If you’re thinking this film is an indie abstract version of last year’s “The Fault In Our Stars,” you’d be mostly right. It’s less cheesy, but the sick kid premise is there. Still, “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” has lovable characters and unexpectedly enjoyable artistic elements (claymation is making a comeback). Bonus: Molly Shannon is one hilarious drunk mom.
Grade: B
People, Places, Things
If you’ve been living under the rock of ignorance to the fourth-most-popular folk duo in New Zealand, come out into the glorious light that is Flight of the Conchords. Half of this duo, Jemaine Clement, stars in “People, Places, Things” — one of the best films at the festival this year. Will is a graphic designer and father to the two cutest twins since Mary-Kate and Ashley. Will splits up with his wife at the beginning of the film, and his resulting attitude is equal parts tragic and hilarious. The characters are well-rounded, realistic and diverse — a refreshing change (and hopefully new trend) from the overwhelmingly whitewashed medium of film.
Grade: A
Last Days in the Desert
This movie gave Jesus a whole new personality. Except, now that I think of it, the fact that Jesus actually had a personality was probably what threw me off. I’m used to movies where the character is flat because the directors want him to seem perfect and all-knowing. In this movie, as Ewan McGregor plays him, he seems to have feelings and be in the process of learning. The devil took his same physical form except he wore jewelry. I didn’t love the story, but I did applaud the fresh and creative perspective on religious figures.
Grade: B-
—Mariah is editor-in-chief of the Statesman and Noelle is features editor. Email them at m.noble@aggiemail.usu.edu and noellejohansen@gmail.com, respectively.