Utah goes independent
Travis CallStaff Writer
It’s time once again to grab your portfolio, don your fur-trimmed ski parka and head for the Sundance Film Festival. Sundance is an annual event that boasts some of the best in independent and cutting-edge filmmaking. Films are submitted from around the world and divided into categories that include feature, dramatic, American, world, shorts and others. The festival runs from Jan. 18 through 28. This year’s offerings are diverse to say the least. They range from documentaries about the plight of Native Americans to overwrought coming of age pieces written by people who seem convinced that they have something new to say about human sexuality. The following are some highlights and my thoughts on some of the films being shown at this year’s festival.
‘Caveman’s Valentine’
This adaptation of the novel by George Dawes Green stars Samuel L. Jackson as Romulus Ledbetter, a paranoid schizophrenic who abandons his life as a promising musician and devoted family man to dwell on the streets of Manhattan. He spends his days muttering incoherently to himself – struggling to keep his grasp on reality. It seems all he needs is tenure and he could be a university professor. “Caveman’s Valentine” reveals itself as a tour of Ledbetter’s brilliant and tortured mind as he struggles to discover the murderer of another vagrant while wrestling with his own personal demons. This movie marks a creative departure for Jackson from his usual tough-guy roles and promises to be a very entertaining film. ‘Lost and Delirious’
This movie tells the story of three college girls who are beginning to explore their sexuality. Remember “Dazed and Confused?” “Lost and Delirious” appears to be a more serious version of its distant cousin that hopes to entertain even though it lacks the requisite drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. This, of course, leaves us only with sex and (I fear) a kind of Tori Amos-like convoluted introspection that’s just downright tedious to watch. If I’m right, I won’t last 10 minutes in the theatre before I run screaming for the door. I took the following quote directly from the promotional blurb. “This Gothic tale of love’s blooming, innocent ecstasy and ultimate obsessions is a tour de force.” I guess, since this will be my first Gothic tour de force, I’ll try to stay open-minded.
‘Manic’
“Manic” is a film about teenage relationships. It differs from other films in that it is filmed in the setting of a juvenile mental institution. Director Jordan Melamed isn’t just going for the normal ups and downs of teenage life. Instead he pressurizes what is a normally confusing time by illustrating how much more volatile friendships can be in an institutional environment. These teens are far removed from the daily cares of other kids. Instead of worrying about whether it’s cool to like Aguilara or Spears, they long for the day when they are deemed low-risk enough to get their shoelaces back so that they can enjoy a little physical recreation. “Manic” definitely takes this genre of filmmaking in a brave new direction.
‘Enigma’
“Enigma” stars Dougray Scott as a British mathematician who has been enlisted to crack the ultra-secret Enigma code used by the Germans during World War II. The movie also stars Kate Winslet as a mysterious debutant who breaks his heart, then disappears. I still haven’t forgiven Winslet for “Titanic.” She single-handedly took a film with only a marginally good story and elevated it to one of the all-time highest grossing movies. How? Simple. Because any 13-year-old with $7 could legally see his first prolonged view of her – um – Heart of the Ocean. Hollywood has taken notice of this phenomenon. Since then, movies with sexual themes are almost always PG-13 in an effort to capture the hormonally charged pimple market. “Enigma” is produced by Lorne Michaels, famous for “Saturday Night Live” and Mick Jagger, famous for his big flappy lips. It is one of the few period pieces in the festival.
‘Scout’s Honor’
This film tells the story of James Dale and others who bravely spoke out against the “anti-gay” policies of the Boy Scouts of America. They did so, even knowing they’d have to face the bitter tragedy of having their merit badges revoked. I’m not really sure what to say about this film, except that I’d like to do some “speaking out” of my own. I have a much more substantive injustice to expose. If sexual preference is not a valid reason to keep folks out of this venerable organization, let’s start bringing some girls along on those boring campouts. It sure would have made my scouting experience more interesting.
‘The Bleep Brothers’
According to the press release, “The Bleep Brothers” promises to deliver the requisite amount of naked bodies and obscene language. After a serious film like “Scouts Honor,” I’m going to need some of that. “Bleep Brothers” is filmed in Japanese (with English subtitles) and tells a tale about Tatsuo and Ikuo – two guys who work at a funeral home. They somehow get their own TV show. Their crude language and sexual content is so heavily “bleeped” that it becomes trendy for people to talk in something called “bleep speak.” Sounds pretty bleeping funny to me.
‘Double Whammy’
This is one of the few Sundance films that contains actual movie stars. The story is about Ray Pluto (Dennis Leary) and Jerry Cubbins (Steve Buscemi), two New York City homicide detectives. Pluto has a chance to be a hero when a gunman holds up the restaurant where he is having lunch. At the moment of truth Pluto’s back goes into a spasm and he drops his gun. After this he sees himself as a failure and struggles to redeem himself both in his own eyes and in the eyes of the public. He meets up with Elizabeth Hurley who plays his chiropractor and love interest. The film is written and directed by Tom DiCillo and promises to be very funny.
These are just a few of the dozens of films coming to Sundance. For more information visit the Web site at www.sundance.org.