Sundace Wrap-up 2003
February 4th, 2003
If youve ever been to these little ski towns then you know that youre in for a lot of walking, and Im not talking about a leisurely stroll. Its treadmill time. Uphill, power walking. Often youre frantically trying to get to the theater in order to get in line earlier enough to get a friggin seat. Ive been attending the Telluride Film Festival for several years and its a similar experience, other than its not as big or as Hollywoodized as Park City, Utah.
Sundance is a trip. I mean literally, for some people. Youll see long legged blondes in high-heels and mini skirts slipping and sliding down snow covered Main Street, just hoping to spot Val Kilmer or Ben Affleck.
Before I get into my thoughts on this years festivities at Park City, I want to give you first timers some advice when traveling to a "mountain town" film festival (Im from Chicago). First, carry a small backpack and in it have: reading material, bottled water, camera, and chocolate. Second, bring money, as much as you can spare. Third, and lastly, have reservations and do so months in advance. Why? Ill tell you.
When youre waiting in long lines to see a movie youll get bored after the first 45 minutes, and then realize you have 45 to go. Youll want some water, because you just hiked up a friggin mountain to get to the theater. Youll want substance too. I suggest chocolate as its a good way to meet people, just offer some and youll have a conversation going. Helps pass the time. The camera is for when you spot J-Lo, looking absolutely stunning, and that guy shes with, hanging out on Main Street. Youll want a picture. Money is a good thing. You cant buy a sandwich, bag of chips, and a drink for less than ten bucks. And, oh yeah, a room. I was standing in line waiting to check in at the Radisson (a great out of the way location with easy access to downtown.) and a couple walked in asking if there were "Any rooms available," they were from out of town and there for the festival. You just dont find any rooms in a small ski town. Going to a bigger city where you can find a cheap hotel a few miles from the events does not happen here. And on top of that, bring some friends so they can help pay for the room. It will be a couple hundred dollars a night. Oh, and before I forget, always wear black. Everyone else does.
Heres some of the highlights, in terms of films, from my experiences at Park City: (Note, there are several festivals going on: Slamdance, Nodance, Shedance, Tromadance, and the list could go on. I checked out as many as could.)
SLAMDANCE: The high point was the free happy hour every night from five to seven. As for the films, there was considerable buzz over Melvin Goes to Dinner. It was a nice film with some good laughs. The story is about Melvin, a loser who sleeps in his office. The story goes nowhere fast when Melvin goes to dinner, and during the course of the entire evening, and after several bottles of wine, deep secrets are revealed. An interesting film and a taut screenplay by Michael Blieden. For me the most intriguing film was Robot Stories by writer-director Greg Pak. It is one of the better screenplays of independent film in 2002. Exploring the human condition by constructing three separate stories, yet all connected thematically, Robot Stories proposes deep intellectual questions. Mr. Pak has brought an interesting point of view to our technology driven culture.
NODANCE: Wasnt able to spend as much time here as I wanted to. This years event was hosted by Forest Whitaker, one of my favorite actors. Unfortunately, perhaps the worst movie Ive ever seen took place here. Mike Figgis Hotel is an abysmal mess of a movie. A plotless movie, as Figgis was proud to proclaim before hand. A spineless, soulless movie that somehow attracted such actors as Salma Hayek, John Malkovich, and David Schwimmer to participate in its absurdity. Figgis is the kind of director auteurs everywhere love to see succeed. His "improvised" multi-camera, split screen, MTV junkie movies are becoming scary. His movies are about "the shot" and the moment, not a cohesive story that one can actually understand. There is nothing redeeming about this film.
SHEDANCE: Attending a free screening of several short films, a couple of which were dreadful, but the one that wasnt made it all worth it. Daddys Day, produced by Elizabeth Sweeten. The short film tells the simple story of a little girl getting ready for school. She is perplexed about the upcoming days events. Its "Fathers Day," and apparently her father can not make it. You get the impression he is simply out of town. Her mother consoles her and sends her off to school. But something is not right, and you get a sense of it. Then, at school, when the other kids are finished and the little girl asks to tell the class about her father, who we learn was a firefighter on September 11th, 2001. When the short film was over I do not believe there was a dry eye in sight. The story avoided heavy-handedness and overt manipulation.
SUNDANCE: The best film that I saw was the The Station Agent, written and directed by Tom McCarthy. Fin McBride is a young man who on a daily basis is stared at, laughed at, and also photographed. The reason? He is a dwarf. Wanting only to be left alone, he hides away on trains where human interaction is minimal. When he ends up living in a defunct train station in New Jersey he is drawn into the lives of two loners, Olivia and Joe. The interaction that is captured between them is subtly humorous and affectionate. A charming and simple movie isolated in a unique environment. A story that is surprisingly lacking in drama and plot, but makes up for it with some fine writing and acting. Thirteen was a captivating movie. Co-written by Nikkie Reed, 13-year-old co-star, the movie is a cautionary tale of teen angst. Tracy is thirteen and sick of being a golden girl. So she starts fooling around, experimenting with oral sex, drugs, stealing, and tongue piercing. The movie was a bit sensationalistic, but effective and with a lot of truth to it I think. Finally, Levity, by writer Ed Solomon. A somewhat overhyped film that was a little disappointing. I wanted to love this film, not just like it. Its the story of an ex-con (Billy Bob Thornton) freed from prison after 19 years for killing a teenager during an attempted robbery. The whole time he kept the picture of the teenage on his cell wall. After being released he takes a personal journey of redemption, with the help of a minister (Morgan Freeman) and two women (Kirsten Dunst, Holly Hunter). The story wanted to operate on a much deeper level than most of the movies you'll see nowadays. I commend Solomon for that. This was a personal film, I have no doubt. But in the end, it doesnt work because of a sub-par screenplay. The performances, as you can imagine, were wonderful. Its a good movie though, dont get me wrong.
Thats it from this years Sundance, hope to see you there next year.
-- Chris
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