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It’s that time of year again, when directors, actors, writers, producers, and a slew of reporters and film buffs descend upon Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival. Last year, a few of the films that debuted (such as Beasts of the Southern Wild) have now been nominated for Oscars. This year’s films are an interesting bunch. Quite a few of the films are somehow correlated to music, many much-hyped directors have released films, and there is even a film set at Disneyland. 200 films will premiere during Sundance (which began on January 17 and will end on January 27) and over 50,000 people are set to attend the screenings. That’s a lot of films to pick from (and a lot of pressure on the filmmakers themselves!). After careful consideration, I have once again selected the Top 10 most promising films of the Sundance Film Festival. Here they are, in no particular order:

 

 

1. Sound City -- As a fan of Dave Grohl, music documentaries, and music in general, Sound City looks pretty awesome. Grohl directed a documentary about the legendary Studio City recording studio where Nirvana, Fleetwood Mac, Rick Springfield, Tom Petty, Neil Young, and many other artists cut albums over the years. Apparently, Grohl was inspired to make the documentary after he purchased several items from the studio in 2011. (I also can’t help but imagine that he must feel a bit nostalgic when it comes to the studio, as Nirvana did record Nevermind there.) Not surprisingly, the film also has as a great soundtrack, featuring songs written by Grohl, his former bandmates Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear, and Paul McCartney. And the best part about Sound City? It will soon to be on video-on-demand, so you don’t have to travel to Sundance to see it! In the meantime, read more about the film and check out the trailer here.

 

2. Upstream Color -- The second feature from Shane Carruth, and his first since 2004's Primer, certainly makes this festival a promising one. Upstream Color has been described as a “romantic thriller science fiction film”, and judging from the trailer, looks just as confusing as Primer. The film’s actual plot does revolve around a man and a woman who are drawn together and then entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. I personally found the trailer to be (cinematically speaking) simply stunning, and I am intrigued by the idea of a romance that takes place in the life cycle of an ageless organism. If you are a fan of Carruth, or simply like esoteric films, then Upstream Color is a must see. The film will make its grand debut in theaters on April 5, 2013.

 

3. Ain’t Them Bodies Saints -- Starring Rooney Mara, Casey Affleck, and Ben Foster, this film focuses on two outlaws in the hills of Texas who are separated after a crime scene. This film is a must-see for me; I was blown away by Mara’s performance in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and I have always felt that Casey Affleck was a very underrated actor. David Lowrey wrote and directed the romantic western crime saga, which, judging from Lowrey’s style (he appears to be heavily influenced by Terrance Malick), has an artsy, tragic, beautiful feel to them. This film appears to have been influenced by Bonnie and Clyde and Malick’s Badlands. If these are films that appeal to you, then I would definitely check out Ain’t Them Bodies Saints when it comes to theaters (hopefully later this year).

 

4. Touchy Feely -- The latest film from writer-director Lynn Shelton (Safety Not Guaranteed) focuses on a massage therapist who develops a strong aversion to touch. I laughed out loud when I read this description, although the film appears to be a bit more serious than the description would reveal. Rosemarie DeWitt plays Abby, the conflicted massage therapist in question, while Josh Pais portrays a joyless dentist who is able to cure patients of the chronic jaw pain known as TMJ. The film also stars Allison Janney and Ellen Page and overall appears to be a metaphor for commitment. If you are a fan of Shelton’s work, then definitely check out Touchy Feely, but note that it is a bit more serious than her previous films.

 

5. Don Jon’s Addiction -- Jospeh Gordon-Levitt not only stars in this unusual romantic comedy but also wrote and directed it. The actor plays a porn-addicted Don Juan-type named Jon Martello who goes on a journey to find a more gratifying sex life but ends up learning more about life and love as he maintains two very different relationships with two very different women. As a huge fan of Gordon-Levitt’s work, I am very eager to see his directorial debut. I am also drawn to the idea of a romantic comedy that looks so garish. Scarlett Johansson plays one of his main love interests, and Tony Danza makes an appearance as Jon’s loud Italian father. Don Jon’s Addiction looks like a fun romp that should do well when it is eventually released in theaters.

 

6. Escape From Tomorrow -- The idea behind this film seems completely unbelievable: Randy Moore, a struggling screenwriter, decided to take a tiny camera without permission and began shooting a narrative movie at Disney theme parks. Sounds completely absurd, right? Well, it happened, and the result is Escape from Tomorrow, a surrealist black-and-white film that premiered at Sundance on Friday night. The film was shot at both Disneyland in Anaheim and Disney World in Orlando and includes all the classic Disney rides, such as Space Mountain, the Tiki Room, Buzz Lightyear, and even the Teacups (sadly, I’m not sure if my favorite ride, Pirates of the Caribbean, is featured). To make the film, Moore made his actors and very small crew swear to secrecy that they would not reveal what they were doing, but he still feared that their cover would be blown. The film itself focuses on a 40-something father, his nagging wife, and ideal children as they go on a vacation to Disney World. The imagery in the park haunts the father, as he also attempts to tail two young sassy French girls. Escape from Tomorrow has already drawn comparisons to Primer and Memento, and, quite frankly, I am dying to see it. Unfortunately, the film may never be viewed by a commercial audience due to clearance issues. However, I am hoping that one day it will be. The strange thing is that the film was never shut down by anyone in the Disney parks... probably because pulling out a camera in Disneyland is as perfectly normal as eating a churro.

 

7. Before Midnight -- One of the most eagerly-anticipated films to premiere at Sundance is the third installment of Before Sunrise/Before Sunset romantic saga. Richard Linklater’s original 1995 film, starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, is considered a classic among film aficionados, and I am ashamed to admit that I have not seen it (please do not stone me for this -- I am planning to watch it this weekend!). Before Midnight is rumored to be the final installment in the trilogy. The film picks up nine years later in Greece, where Celine (Delpy) and Jesse (Hawke) are living. Nearly two decades have passed since their first meeting on that train bound for Vienna. There has not been a set date for when Before Midnight will come to theaters, but I can bet that it will be before the end of the year.

 

8. Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer -- Yet another music-themed documentary to premiere at Sundance this year, but this one is quite different from Sound City. Directed by Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin, the film follows the members of the band Pussy Riot as they face up to seven years in a Russian prison for their satirical performance at a church in Moscow. Their trial certainly braced the nation -- and brought up the debate of just how “free” free speech actually is. The film mirrors the band’s DIY performance, as the directors track the women's fate and the ripple effect that occurred. I admire the bravery of the members of Pussy Riot -- a group of women who takes their cues from punk rock and feminist politics as well as conceptual and performance art -- for standing up for what they truly believe in. The band has now become well known for their anti-government protests, and the relationship between Vladimir Putin and the Orthodox hierarchy. I am certain that Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer will not only be talked about for years but will be shown in college classes that focus on global politics (primarily Russia) and human rights. The film was recently purchased by HBO, so look for it to premiere later on this year.

 

9. Afternoon Delight -- Directed and written by Jill Soloway (“The United States of Tara”), Afternoon Delight has a rather interesting premise: Josh Radnor and Kathryn Hahn play an open-minded couple living in Los Angeles who decided to hire a stripper (Juno Temple) as their nanny. The film truly focuses on women and the different stages that they go through. The two  leads manage to learn from one another, but in the process also appear to destroy one another. Jane Lynch and Annie Mumolo (Bridesmaids) also star in this bizarre comedy, which I personally think looks quite funny. Afternoon Delight’s humor appears to be strangely unexpected, similar to the humor in a few of my favorite unusual comedic films The Opposite of Sex and The Kids are All Right. No date has been set for when the film will come to theaters, but in the meantime, you can enjoy this clip care of Entertainment Weekly.

 

10. Kill Your Darlings -- The Beat Generation has been all over the Indie film scene as of late. Kill Your Darlings is the latest, following On The Road, to focus on the poets of the late-1940s and appears to be one of the better films to do so. Starring Daniel Radcliffe as Allen Ginsberg, the film is a non-linear look at a formative period in Ginsberg’s life, complete with jazzy undertones, introspective moments, and a lot of hallucination scenes. Directed by John Krokidas, Kill Your Darlings has been noted for its unique visual style -- cinematographer Reed Morano favors a hyped-up shooting motif that makes the film visually interesting. Radcliffe is definitely no longer the boy wizard, as he appears in a scene with his knees behind his ears (ahem) and seems to play Ginsberg in a more subtle fashion. I’m definitely intrigued by this one; it will be interesting to see Radcliffe in such a different role.

 

 

There you have it, folks--my top ten picks! And since there were so many films to pick from this year, I have decided to include three honorable mentions that also appear to show great promise. Be sure to check out these films as well:

 

 

Prince Avalanche -- David Gordon Green’s latest film is a definite step away from stoner comedies such as The Pineapple Express. Prince Avalanche stars Emile Hirsch and Paul Rudd as two strangers who form an unlikely friendship while painting traffic lines on a highway. I’m excited for this one -- I’m ready for another Green drama over a comedy.

 

Ass Backwards -- Written by and starring funny ladies Casey Wilson ("Happy Endings") and June Diane Raphael (Bachelorette), Ass Backwards follows two friends as they embark on a cross-country road trip to their hometown to attempt to win a beauty pageant that they failed to as a children. Fun fact about this one: Ass Backwards lost its funding in 2010, and production was halted until enough funds were raised on KickStarter!

 

Crystal Fairy -- Michael Cera stars as a complete buffoon traveling around Chile with a trio of brothers and a naked free-spirited woman, played by Gaby Hoffman (AKA the little girl from Uncle Buck and Field of Dreams), in search of a hallucinogenic cactus called San Pedro. Michael Cera on a drug trip? I’m there.

 

 

Which films from Sundance are you the most curious to see?

 

 

- Sarah Osman, YH Staff