January
16
Sundance Hot Titles
My flight from LAX to Salt Lake City was delayed. Every seat was taken, many of them by industry folks heading to Park City for the Fest which launched Thursday night. I enjoyed a pleasant sunset drive up the mountain with Robin Schorr, who recently left River Road to put together a new development company with funding from a private investor. She told me to see Big Fan, from writer-turned-director Robert Siegel (The Wrestler). The voice behind Ratatouille, Patton Oswalt, breaks out in this one, I hear.
I missed the opening press conference and the opening night movie, Mary and Max, an Australian claymation feature that Variety's Justin Chang did not like:
Maudlin sentiment, miserablist humor and scatological sight gags are affectionately but awkwardly molded together in the Australian claymation feature "Mary and Max." A glum tale of friendship between two very unlikely pen pals, writer-director-designer Adam Elliot's follow-up to his Oscar-winning 2003 short "Harvie Krumpet" has its share of deadpan amusements, but its combo of mordant whimsy and tearjerker moments winds up curdling in an unappetizing fashion. A strong voice cast headed by Toni Collette and Philip Seymour Hoffman could buoy the toon's otherwise uncertain prospects beyond Oz.
At a civilized dinner at Black Dog with a bunch of film critics, we talked, naturally, about newspapers and mags slashing salaries and/or jobs. The New Times chain is down to two critics: Scott Foundas in LA and Jim Hoberman in New York will service the entire chain, with freelancers, now including ex-LA Weekly film critic Ella Taylor. Andy Klein was let go from L.A. CityBeat. Time Out New York lost its lead film critic, Melissa Anderson. The gloomy drumroll drones on.
And we talked hot fest titles:
I had been tipped on Burma VJ, which HBO scooped up before the fest. John Anderson has seen it and raved.
He also liked We Live in Public, the doc about New York dotcom millionaire Josh Harris in the early 90s that bears some resemblance to The Truman Show. A bunch of CAA agents raved about this. And Jeff Wells also liked it.
UPDATE: Word is, The Greatest is a four-hankie breakout for writer-director Shana Feste and Brit actress Carey Mulligan, who stars in another hot fest title, Lone Scherfig's An Education. Producer Lynette Howell (Half Nelson) has high hopes.
Here's the Variety special Sundance section with list of Hot Titles. Ken Turan runs down all the films he's seen in advance of the fest. The NYT is running a Sundance page. And check out the revamped IndieWire, which is running a constant feed of Sundance stories along with its own reporting.
Here's the We Live in Public trailer:
We Live In Public TRAILER from We Live in Public on Vimeo.
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I want to see Mary and Max.... that movie looks so sweet. we've all been there before-- writing to anonymous pen pals... well, actually, i still do that today. haha
Posted by: Ugly Deaf Muslim Punk Gurl! | January 16, 2009 at 07:22 AM
What do you think of Movie City News' maiden effort to cover the fest? Kim Voyar already got out of control doing karaoke and is wearing a soft cast on her foot. Remember when you broke your foot before Toronto?
http://www.mcnblogs.com/filmessent/2009/01/stylin_at_sundance.html#comments
Posted by: T. Holly | January 16, 2009 at 08:58 AM
T. Holly,
Kim Voynar is a major, major idiot, in case you've never noticed.
Posted by: Anon | January 17, 2009 at 01:44 AM
I do remember breaking my foot; it was a drag. And I am an admirer of Voynar. She does good work.
Posted by: Variety.com * | January 18, 2009 at 01:41 PM
Yeah, I like her, she lays it on the line and occasionally that means taking risks, but she gives things a fair shake. I know you have no time to spare, but Charlie Kaufman gets into film-writer responsibility with David Poland over Synecdoche. I don't understand why it's up now, but it doesn't feel out of place in film festival mode.
Posted by: T. Holly | January 18, 2009 at 08:06 PM