Showing posts with label sundance film festival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sundance film festival. Show all posts

Monday, July 20, 2015

True Story (2015)



True Story is based on the true story (never would have seen that coming) of Christian Longo. I have seen Jonah Hill and James Franco take on non- comedic roles before and i know they are great at what they do, especially Franco. I never would have expected the duo who interacted in This is the End to take on these roles, especially together. The trailer was great and i was on board although early reviews made it seem like maybe i wouldn't be able to take them seriously. Well my worries were put to rest and i will explain exactly what my thoughts are.

Jonah Hill plays Mike Finkel of the New York Times. When he is fired for making things up in his article for dramatic effect he receives a mysterious phone call and finds out convicted murderer Christian Longo (James Franco) has been using his identity. This leads Finkel to meet Longo in prison who asks him to publish his side of the story. Finkel starts to believe that Longo could be more innocent than he seems, but is this the case? That is one of the things i really like about this film.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

2015 Sundance Winners



The 2015 Sundance Film Festival concluded on Saturday (January 31) night with a Tig Notaro-hosted award ceremony in which it seemed like nearly everything was given an award by one of the Festival's juries.
"Me and Earl and the Dying Girl," directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, won both the US Dramatic Jury Prize and Audience Prize, an increasingly less rare double.
On the US Documentary side, Crystal Moselle's "The Wolfpack" won the Grand Jury Prize, but "Meru" won the Audience Award.
John Maclean's "Slow West" won the World Cinema Dramatic Grand Jury Prize, while Chad Garcia's "Russian Woodpecker" was the World Cinema Documentary Grand Prize winner.
While "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl" was one of the most buzzed-about titles in the US Dramatic Competition, several other rave-winners picked up key prizes on Saturday night, including the Grand Jury Directing Award to Robert Eggers for "The Witch," the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for Tim Talbott for "The Stanford Prison Experiment" and a cinematography prize to Brandon Trost for "The Diary of a Teenage Girl."

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Laggies (2014)



I'm a big fan of all girl romcom. So when I heard Keira Knightley would be in romcom movie, I will gladly watch it.

Laggies is all about growing up, with its main character unable to take life seriously. The film explores to several compelling points of moving on to adulthood. Then it takes to a quirkier turn where Megan tries to make another life with a younger crowd where she feels more accepted of who she is. This is meant to be a story about getting away from the comfort zone, the movie does bring a lot of acknowledgment of why this is supposed to be the right thing, but it resolves to a more comfortable type of ending which doesn't live up much to what it wants to say.

While this movie does not bring anything new to the table at all, Laggies is still a very funny and entertaining movie. Great performances from everyone involved especially Sam Rockwell. I recommend this movie. The movie starts out with the main character going to a class reunion dance, she goes to the dance with her boyfriend of 10 years I believe, it was a while ago I saw it, and they were having a good time. The boyfriend tries to propose but Megan, the main character, tells him she is first going to a conference for a week. She instead goes to a teenager to whom she purchased alcohol for in the beginning. This is how the movie starts and the rest is up to you.

Monday, December 15, 2014

2015 Sundance Film Festival (Shorts)


U.S. NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS
"Actresses" / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jeremy Hersh) — The film follows the relationship between a young, aspiring actress and an established off-Broadway star. 
"A.D. 1363, The End of Chivalry" / U.S.A., New Zealand (Director and screenwriter: Jake Mahaffy) — A little-known historical catastrophe leads to the definitive end of the era of chivalry and questing. 
"Color Neutral" / U.S.A. (Director: Jennifer Reeves) — A color explosion sparkles, bubbles, and fractures in this handcrafted 16mm film. Jennifer Reeves utilizes an array of mediums and direct-on-film techniques to create this exuberant, psychedelic morsel of cinema as material. 
"Dog Bowl" / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Gordy Hoffman) — A heartbroken girl spiraling through life stumbles upon the true nature of her existence after stealing the vest off of a service dog. 
"Hugh the Hunter" / U.S.A. (Director: Zachary Heinzerling, Screenwriters: Zachary Heinzerling, Jesse Soursourian) — This fable, inspired by the artwork of Hugh Hayden, follows a fictitious hunter of the Scottish Highlands on a daylong quest to capture the elusive red grouse. 

2015 Sundance Film festival (Premieres)



Premieres Lineup

"Brooklyn"
United Kingdom (Director: John Crowley, Screenwriter: Nick Hornby, based on the book by Colm Tóibín) — 1950s Ireland: Eilis must confront a terrible dilemma — a heartbreaking choice between two men and two countries, between duty and true love. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent.

"Digging for Fire"
U.S.A. (Director: Joe Swanberg, Screenwriters: Jake Johnson, Joe Swanberg) — The discovery of a bone and a gun sends a husband and wife on separate adventures over the course of a weekend. Cast: Jake Johnson, Rosemarie Dewitt, Orlando Bloom, Brie Larson, Sam Rockwell, Anna Kendrick.

"Don Verdean"
U.S.A. (Director: Jared Hess, Screenwriters: Jared Hess, Jerusha Hess) — Biblical archaeologist Don Verdean is hired by a local church pastor to find faith-promoting relics in the Holy Land. But after a fruitless expedition he is forced to get creative in this comedy of faith and fraud. Cast: Sam Rockwell, Jemaine Clement, Amy Ryan, Danny McBride, Leslie Bibb, Will Forte.

"The End of the Tour"
U.S.A. (Director: James Ponsoldt, Screenwriter: Donald Margulies) — This story of the five-day 1996 interview between Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky and acclaimed novelist David Foster Wallace explores the tenuous yet intense relationship that develops between journalist and subject. The two men bob and weave, sharing laughs and also concealing and revealing their hidden vulnerabilities. Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Segel, Anna Chlumsky, Joan Cusack, Mamie Gummer, Ron Livingston.

2015 Sundance Film Festival (Out of Competition)



New Frontier Films
"The Forbidden Room"
Canada (Directors: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Screenwriters: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Robert Kotyk) — A submarine crew, a feared pack of forest bandits, a famous surgeon, and a battalion of child soldiers all get more than they bargained for as they wend their way toward progressive ideas on life and love. Cast: Geraldine Chaplin, Caroline Dhavernas, Roy Dupuis, Udo Kier, Charlotte Rampling, Karine Vanasse. World Premiere.

"Liveforever"
Colombia, Mexico (Director: Carlos Moreno, Screenwriters: Alberto Ferreras, Alonso Torres, Carlos Moreno) ¬— Driven by the music and dancing she finds along the way, a teenager leaves home willing to try anything her provocative and tolerant city has to offer, even if she burns out in the process. Inspired by the best-selling novel "Que viva la música" by Andres Caicedo. Cast: Paulina Davila, Alejandra Avila, Luis Arrieta, Juan Pablo Barragan, Nelson Camayo, Christian Tappan. World Premiere.

"The Royal Road"
U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jenni Olson) — This cinematic essay, a defense of remembering, offers up a primer on the Spanish colonization of California and the Mexican American War alongside intimate reflections on nostalgia, butch identity and Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo — all against a contemplative backdrop of 16mm urban California landscapes. Cast: Jenni Olson, Tony Kushner. World Premiere.

"Sam Klemke's Time Machine"
Australia (Director: Matthew Bate) — Sam Klemke has filmed and narrated 50 years of his life, creating a strange and intimate portrait of what it means to be human. World Premiere.

"Station to Station"
U.S.A. (Director: Doug Aitken) — Station to Station is composed of 60 individual one-minute films featuring different artists, musicians, places, and perspectives. This revolutionary feature-length film reveals a larger narrative about modern creativity. World Premiere.

"Things of the Aimless Wanderer"
Rwanda, United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Kivu Ruhorahoza) — A white man meets a black girl, then she disappears. The white man tries to understand what happened to her while also trying to finish a travelogue. Things of the Aimless Wanderer is a film about the sensitive topic of relations between "locals " and Westerners, about paranoia, mistrust, and misunderstandings. Cast: Justin Mullikin, Grace Nikuze, Ramadhan Bizimana, Eliane Umuhire, Wesley Ruzibiza, Matt Ray Brown. World Premiere.

"1979 Revolution Game"
Artists: Navid Khonsari, Vassiliki Khonsari1979 Revolution Game presents an innovative approach to non-fiction storytelling. Designed to engage players with an immersive "on the ground" experience of the Iranian Revolution, the game integrates an emotionally impactful narrative with interactive moral choices and intuitive touchscreen gameplay while remaining true to history.

2015 Sundance Film Festival Full Line Up ( Competition )



The 2015 Sundance Film Festival today revealed the films playing in the U.S. Dramatic, U.S. Documentary, World Dramatic, World Documentary Competitions, in addition to its Next <=> lineup. 

The U.S. Documentary Competition

"3 1/2 MINUTES"
U.S.A. (Director: Marc Silver) — On November 23, 2012, unarmed 17-year-old Jordan Russell Davis was shot at a Jacksonville gas station by Michael David Dunn. "3 1/2 MINUTES" explores the aftermath of Jordan's tragic death, the latent and often unseen effects of racism, and the contradictions of the American criminal justice system.

"Being Evel"
U.S.A. (Director: Daniel Junge) — An unprecedented, candid portrait of American icon Robert "Evel" Knievel and his legacy.

"Best of Enemies"
U.S.A. (Directors: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon) — Best of Enemies is a behind-the-scenes account of the explosive 1968 televised debates between the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and their rancorous disagreements about politics, God, and sex.

"Call Me Lucky"
U.S.A. (Director: Bobcat Goldthwait) — Barry Crimmins was a volatile but brilliant bar comic who became an honored peace activist and influential political satirist. Famous comedians and others build a picture of a man who underwent an incredible transformation.

"Cartel Land"
U.S.A., Mexico (Director: Matthew Heineman) — In this classic Western set in the 21st century, vigilantes on both sides of the border fight the vicious Mexican drug cartels. With unprecedented access, this character-driven film provokes deep questions about lawlessness, the breakdown of order, and whether citizens should fight violence with violence.

"City of Gold"
U.S.A. (Director: Laura Gabbert) — Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jonathan Gold casts his light upon a vibrant and growing cultural movement in which he plays the dual roles of high-low priest and culinary geographer of his beloved Los Angeles.

"Finders Keepers" 
U.S.A. (Directors: Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel) — Recovering addict and amputee John Wood finds himself in a stranger-than-fiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction and believes it to therefore be his rightful property.

"Hot Girls Wanted"
U.S.A. (Directors: Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus) — Hot Girls Wanted is a first-ever look at the realities inside the world of the amateur porn industry and the steady stream of 18- and 19-year-old girls entering into it.

"How to Dance in Ohio"
U.S.A. (Director: Alexandra Shiva) — In Columbus, Ohio, a group of teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum prepare for an iconic American rite of passage -- a Spring Formal. They spend 12 weeks practicing their social skills in preparation for the dance at a local nightclub.

"Larry Kramer in Love and Anger" 
U.S.A. (Director: Jean Carlomusto) — Author, activist, and playwright Larry Kramer is one of the most important and controversial figures in contemporary gay America, a political firebrand who gave voice to the outrage and grief that inspired gay men and lesbians to fight for their lives. At 78, this complicated man still commands our attention.

"Meru" 
U.S.A. (Directors: Jimmy Chin, E. Chai Vasarhelyi) — Three elite mountain climbers sacrifice everything but their friendship as they struggle through heartbreaking loss and nature's harshest elements to attempt the never-before-completed Shark's Fin on Mount Meru, the most coveted first ascent in the dangerous game of Himalayan big wall climbing.

"Racing Extinction"
U.S.A. (Director: Louie Psihoyos) — Academy Award-winner Louie Psihoyos ("The Cove") assembles a unique team to show the world never-before-seen images that expose issues surrounding endangered species and mass extinction. Whether infiltrating notorious black markets or exploring humans' effect on the environment, Racing Extinction will change the way you see the world.

"(T)ERROR"
U.S.A. (Directors: Lyric R. Cabral, David Felix Sutcliffe) — "(T)ERROR" is the first film to document on camera a covert counterterrorism sting as it unfolds. Through the perspective of *******, a 63-year-old Black revolutionary turned FBI informant, viewers are given an unprecedented glimpse of the government's counterterrorism tactics, and the murky justifications behind them.

"Welcome to Leith"
U.S.A. (Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker) — A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota. Western / U.S.A., Mexico (Directors: Bill Ross, Turner Ross) — For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas, from Piedras Negras, Mexico, was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life. Western portrays timeless American figures in the grip of unforgiving change.

"Western"
U.S.A., Mexico (Directors: Bill Ross, Turner Ross) — For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas, from Piedras Negras, Mexico, was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life. Western portrays timeless American figures in the grip of unforgiving change.

"The Wolfpack"
U.S.A. (Director: Crystal Moselle) — Six bright teenage brothers have spent their entire lives locked away from society in a Manhattan housing project. All they know of the outside is gleaned from the movies they watch obsessively (and recreate meticulously). Yet as adolescence looms, they dream of escape, ever more urgently, into the beckoning world.

The Skeleton Twins (2014)



Laughing at the pain of two siblings who unknowingly attempt to kill themselves at the same time, reunite due to this tragedy after ten years of non-communication. With Kristen Wig in the movie, I was expecting to laugh, but I think the best laughs came from Bill Hader. His role as Milo, A gay actor who's life is know where near what he expected in high school, sets us on a whirlwind of emotions as he tries to cope with being back home after being away for so long.

 Knowing this was a Drama with comedic talent left me hopeful but skeptical that it would not be a fish out of water (watch the film to see why I use that analogy) The movie was great. Kristin Wiig was the star she is. Bill Hader was strong in his first dramatic role and the chemistry between these two successful comedians paid off in spades. I believe Luke Wilson will not get his deserved credit in the film due to the role of the leading players, but he was fabulous.

While there isn't much slapstick excitement happening in The Skeleton Twins that would initially get fans of both stars into the theatre, the real comedy comes from the comedic genius and masterminds on the page; screenwriters Mark Heyman and Craig Johnson, who has double duty as director. Offering emotionally wrenching scenes that provide a full dose of clarity to our characters and heart-breaking scenes that could easily be a glimpse into each and every one of our lives, the writing duo opt for a more realistic and fresh look at the troubles plaguing two siblings familial life.

Saturday, October 18, 2014

Camp X Ray - Review (2014)

The directorial debut of Peter Sattler is infused with a strong moral ambiguity that will make you question your own beliefs. Anchored by two magnificent performances by Kristen Stewart and Peyman Moaadi, Camp X-Ray is a flawed yet very affecting portrait of a relationship that develops in the most unlikeliest of places.

Camp X-Ray tells the story of a soldier named by Amy Cole, who is assigned to watch detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Her whole outlook on the military and life are changed when she befriends one of the detainees named Ali Amir.

I thought I would not like the movie because of the hard theme. But surprise, the theme doesn't bother me at all but it's still not my favorite subject. I love how the Sattler chose to have this friendship theme between the woman guard and the prisoner. It's touching in every aspect and it's very intense.

The performance by Stewat and Peyman are wonderful. I love their chemistry. Stewart could really handle close up emotion. Peyman is my new favorite actor now. Before I watch ind this movie I watched The Separation. He was good.

Camp X Ray has a lot of flaws. But it's Sattler's directorial debut. I can see him becomes an auteur director one day. Mark my works. He is one of the dedicated film makers. And He is not aafraidto offered Stewart, the franchise actress, to do this movie.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

White Bird in Blizzard

People say it is a Gone Mom. lol. But it really is. I like Eva Green, and in my opinion Shailene is extremely talented. As usual, i got very excited every time my favorites have new movie. So I got excited when i found this movie. But once again I was kinda disappointed. The story remind of me life time movie. I don't like the slow story and characters. but I do like how they build the story and characters. confusing right?

Shailene nonce again she is the next big thing in Hollywood. She proves it that she is not only sugar sweet, naive, or even just someone's love interest. To me, the film's main thing worth praising is that it gives you the impression that Woodley could very well transition into more adult roles, and not just be stuck playing a teenager for as long as it is believable.

Eva Green is magnificent as usual. it looks like she really brings the best of every characters. But the story is too boring. It looks like every people in Hollywood can get cast in this film. The other characters other than Eva characters are pretty basic,. But  Shailene can bring her character to be more interesting and all

The story is not bad, it;s just really weird and irrational. Just like those life time movies. But I would ask you to watch this movie just because Shai and Eva are amazing in it. 

My rating : 6.5/10
IMDB  : 6.7/10
Metacrtics : 51/100
Rotten Tomatoes : 71%

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Boyhood - Review



FINALLY, FINALLY!!! I have watched Boyhood. I wondered about this movie since Sundance and Berlin Film Festival this year, with Linklater won a Silver Bear Prize. 12 years of making. WOW. amazing reviews, Oscar Buzz, Ethan Hawke, Richard Linklater, that young boy, Patricia Arquette, etc. I just couldn't wait to watch this movie. Finally I have watched it now. And I'm, so proud.

From the concept is very interesting, it's like a documentary movie but it was scripted. 12 years of making, very dedicated actors and crews. It's all paid off. So this is my review as I said before, Linklater is the master of making real, simple, realistic movies with a lot of dialogue, less music and all. He doesn't want to manipulate the audience with amazing scores. Some complain about this, ME on the other hand I enjoyed it. My sister doesn't enjoy this movie, she said it was over long and not as good as the critics and bloggers say. But I really like it, it feels like watching my brother gew up in front of my eyes. I love the details on how Linklater shows what year it is, like the music, the game, the language, and all.

Ellar Coltrane as Mason is very magnificent. He is terrific, but I enjoy the first half of his charater, nearing the end of the movie I didn't like his character that much. But Ellar could play it amazingly. I love how Mason grows up, we first see him as this young boy who enjoy his life until to the point when he wonders what should he has done. Everyone has been on Mason shoes, we can;t deny it. Or if you are still very very young you will know you will be on Mason's shoes.