Videogame soldiers teabagging each other, Micheal Cera on drugs, and crazy, homeless McConaughey. This is Sundance and these are the reviews for day one and two.
Cera and Silva are kindred spirits. The same creative spark that tells Cera to give that one random look is the very same spark that tells Silva to have Cera drink coffee in a desert while an orchestra swells up, heightening tensions for no apparent reason. It’s frivolous but these little touches throughout the film, that range from shocking to disturbing, give Crystal Fairy personality and surprise. [82] Read the full review
In the extended cut of The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete, the film ends with a sack of puppies being beaten by a baseball bat and then set aflame. Director George Tillman, Jr. (Men of Honor, Notorious) doesn’t exactly display a great amount of subtlety or kindness to his characters throughout the film’s two hours of misery. [44] Read the full review
Mud never becomes a story of innocence lost or innocence saved by hanging out and rescuing some weirdo that lives in a boat suspended by tree branches. The purity of Nichols’ vision steers Mud‘s plot lines away from well-weathered territory while still ending in a familiar place. [76] Read the full review
From the publicity stills, description, and cast, it was always certain that Virtually Heroes would be awful. I just needed to find out whether it’d be fun-awful or awful-awful. Somewhere between flashing “Achievement Unlocked: Teabag That Ho” on screen and the main characters (two male soldiers) being awarded a “No-Homo Bonus” after settling a dispute, it became very clear where Virtually Heroes sits and that I wish I was sitting anywhere outside the theater. [18] Read the full review
Who is Dayani Cristal? unravels the tale of one man who represents the 100+ migrants that die every year trying to cross the border. In hearing his story, a surprising revelation is made: Americans and migrants seem to agree that money is worth more than a migrant’s life. We both do what we do and feel how we feel because we value money over life. That’s a powerful idea that is buried under sloppy editing. [58] Read the full review
