Sundance Shorts

In my first two days of Sundance 2010, I saw twenty-one films. Now, granted, most of them were on the short side, but still, I feel very productive.

I’d feel a little silly writing up a separate entry for each film, since some of them are only a few minutes long, so I’ll go program-by-program instead.

Shorts Program I

with Mike Lavoie, Eccles Theatre, 1/22/10

"I'm Here"

“I’m Here,” by Spike Jonze, is a bittersweet romantic fable about robots. It’s as odd as it sounds, but far more affecting; I give it a 7 (out of 9). (You can see a trailer for “I’m Here” here.) “The Fence,” by Rory Kennedy, is an entertaining exposé of the Mexic0 – United States Barrier, but Kennedy could have found a better narrator than herself (6). “Logorama” is a sophomoric, incoherent attempt at satire; if you think the idea of Ronald MacDonald as a murderer is hilarious and groundbreaking, you’ll love it (2). “Seeds of the Fall” is an oddball black comedy from Sweden; at first I found it off-putting, but then it made me laugh, and it had me (5).

Shorts Program V

with Mike Lavoie, Prospector Square Theatre, 1/22/10

“Little Accidents” is a chilly, raw, beautifully shot drama about unwanted pregnancy, highlighted by two very strong performances (6). “Charlie and the Rabbit” is dull, repetitive, and shamelessly manipulative; it’s basically ten minutes of watching a little kid wander around with a BB gun and wondering if something awful is about to happen (3). “Shimásáni” features lovely black-and-white photography, but precious little narrative (5). “TUB” is a dumb, poorly-executed gross-out comedy based on the promising concept of a man impregnating his bathtub (2). “Rob and Valentyna in Scotland” is a wry, spry, winning study of unrequited love (7).

Shorts Program III

with Mike Lavoie, Library Center Theatre, 1/22/2010

"My Invisible Friend"

“Patrol” is a sweet, sad, funny story about a man desperate to impress his estranged young son (7). “My Invisible Friend” is a deliciously weird — and weirdly touching — portrait of a tragically shy teen trying to break out of his shell (8; trailer here). “Chicken Heads” is an undistinguished, but very watchable Palestinian film about childhood, poverty, and goat herding (6). “Herbert White,” by James Franco, is artsy, unsavory, and feels endless at thirteen minutes (2). “N.A.S.A. A Volta” is a stylish, hyperkinetic animation that’s almost impossible to follow, but sure is fun to watch (5). “Tungijuq” is a pretentious music video about man’s unity with nature, or whatever (3). “New Media” is a clumsy, go-nowhere comedy — well, actually, I’m not sure if it’s meant to be a comedy (2).

Animation Spotlight

with Mike Lavoie, Rose Wagner Theatre (SLC), 1/23/2010

"Old Fangs"

This eclectic and fascinating program is the highlight of the festival so far. “Runaway” is a joyously amoral slapstick farce about an out-of-control train and the cow that bedevils it (7). “Old Fangs” is a visually intoxicating, rueful and melancholy film that tells a familiar story in a downright visionary way (8; you can watch the full film here). “Vive la Rose” is a tender, technically stunning reverie that gains much of its interest by drawing attention to the act of animating itself (6). “Please Say Something” uses deliberately crude computer animation to tell a complex human story (6). “Rains” is simply a series of melancholy rain-related vignettes, but it’s a lovely little experience (5). “Meatwaffle” is an aggressively tasteless, defiantly incoherent yawner (1). “Madagascar, a journey diary” is nice to look at, but ultimately it’s a glorified “Look where I went!” slideshow (4). “The Little Dragon” is a funny, accomplished, bracing tribute to Bruce Lee (7). “One Square Mile of Earth” is extremely talky and visually static compared to everything else in this program, but it’s hilarious, so who cares? (7)