The 2010 Sundance Film Festival was held January 21 - 31.  I attended the last two days of the festival and saw four interesting films.  Here are the reviews:

     Cyrus is about a divorced man who strikes up a relationship with a single mom whose adult son is a unique individual.  It is curious to see such skilled actors being put through the paces of such a lugubrious plot.  The actors redeem the material and make the proceedings entertaining.

     High School is about a valedictorian's first hit of pot and the simultaneous drug test that is being imposed by the prinicipal.  The strokes of comedy get a little broad toward the end of the film but there is some inspired work from the leads and from Adrien Brody as a red-eyed, fearsome pot dealer.  Scenes of hallucinations work surprisingly well to convey altered states.

     Winter's Bone has some compelling performances in the story of a backwoods girl who must find her law-dodging father or risk losing the house.  The tone of the movie, however, is relentless and a bit depressing with few rewards.

     Sympathy for Delicious gets off to a good start and then lapses, getting carried away in the world of faith healing.  The film is gripping when it shows the daily life of a recently paralyzed DJ, a priest's attempts to help others, and the world of a band that the DJ wants to join.  The movie is successful though with some dark humor and realism.

Tags: Sundance Film Festival

Bookmark: