First, I need to wax poetic about how much I love the communal spirit of Sundance and all that good film lovers energy. I can’t even count how many times strangers have picked me up this week when I missed my theater loop shuttle or got off at the wrong stop to get me to a screening on time (don’t tell mom because hitchhiking is not cool!) And yes, the volunteers (all 1850 of them) are beyond amazing. These are the people that are even more obsessed with great films than me, they spend hours in the cold calmly and cheerfully pointing us in the right direction in exchange for film tickets throughout the festival and come from all over the country to do it. Today and yesterday I saw a ton of great stuff. Goats was awesome this morning and luckily for anyone who didn’t get to see it this week, it will definitely be in theaters at some point during the year. I don’t think it’s been bought yet but I’m sure there is a crowd banging down their door as I write. And I think it’s the director Christopher Neil’s first feature film. It is so amazing to watch the guys (and gals) with their first features, it literally makes me tear up. Yes, I am that overly sentimental and moved by Sundance. And I will not apologize for it. It takes SO much work to get a film made so when someone succeeds at doing it (and on top of that creates something that is phenomenal!) it’s a small miracle. The young actor who plays the lead in Goats, Graham Phillips is definitely “one to watch” too… he’s hot and talented and will be all over GQ next year. Loved the Catcher In The Rye vibe of the film, the rest of the cast was amazing as well (Vera Farmiga and David Duchovny and my new crush the hottie hot mess from Weeds, Justin Kirk) and also the music! Jason Schwartzman aka Coconut Records (how appropriate) did the sound track. Compliance was another one that blew me away and disgusted, disturbed and all around horrified me but did it so effectively that you have to call it a great film. Distrubing beyond words, dark and terrifying in a way that a horror film could never be for me. Loved Mark Webber‘s directorial debut The End Of Love which he shot with his 2 1/2 year old son Isaac (that’s him above, cutest, smartest kid, unreal). I met their production designer Michael Hersey who is uber talented. Also saw The Imposter which was really interesting and The Words which I enjoyed, that will be a great date night movie when it comes out (and it will definitely come out in theaters). Hello I Must Be Going is just awesome all around. Between that one and Liberal Arts there is definitely a theme with the “stunted generation” story lines with 19 & 35 being the trend. Hello… is my favorite so far aside from Goats. And Your Sister’s Sister was fantastic as well. Just saw that tonight and loved it! So much fun to watch…
It’s Hersey! 😉
Thanks Mike 😉 xx