Eric’s Favorite Sundance 2010 Films and Recap
As Sandie wrote her recap of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, I thought it was only right for me to share my own experiences and ranking.
This was my very first Sundance Festival and boy, did I love it.
Park City was pretty great. The snow was ridiculous but also pretty cool. It does change from the usual sunny Los Angeles day. The transportation was just simply impeccable (Kudos to the drivers who showed remarkable patience and grace in explaining a million times the same thing to non locals like myself). The Sundance organization was not perfect (especially when they make you wait in line outside of the Eccles theater or make you wait hours in the morning to get tickets); however, all and all did a great job of selecting amazing movies. Another shout out to the amazing volunteers who were the nicest people on earth and also happened to be film buffs themselves.
Food wise, it was pretty uneven. I had some really amazing pizza at Fuego Bistro & Pizzeria, some decent French cuisine at Bistro 412 and some god awful overpriced sushi at Yuki Arashi. Your best bet when you go to Sundance is to pop at the Albertsons and buy your own grub. It’s cheaper and you actually eat better.
Now, movie wise, things were pretty awesome. There is nothing as exhilarating as spending 10 days watching some of the best movies I have ever watched surrounded by folks who share those same feelings.There is a certain vibe at Sundance that you just don’t find anywhere else. It’s a sort of quiet energy where everyone comes to meditate on how awesome the art of moviemaking truly is. I can’t believe that I saw 22 movies in 10 days
So here is my 2010 Sundance Film Festival ranking in two categories: Films and Documentaries. Click on a movie title to read our review of the movie:
Films
1) The Killer Inside Me – Casey Affleck was just masterful in this movie. Despite the controversy about violence against women surrounding it, it is a must watch for me.
2) Winter’s Bone – Talk about keeping it real. A tale of struggle and courage told with the Ozark Mountains as a backdrop. Jaw dropping awesome.
3) Buried – It was a physically painful movie to watch but yet will stay with me for a long time. Ryan Reynolds did a fantastic job for a guy stuck in a coffin for an hour and a half.
4) Nowhere Boy – Aaron Johnson who will appear in the upcoming movie Kick-Ass was just Kick Ass as a young John Lennon. Seriously give this man a franchise. He is the next DiCaprio.
5) Holy Rollers – Entertaining and moving at the same time. This movie is a must see.
6) Splice – Disturbing on so many levels yet was pretty entertaining.
7) Enter the Void – Kind of hard to watch at times but has some really good acting and an interesting concept behind it.
8 ) The Perfect Host – The only reason it is up here is because of David Hyde Pearce who is a really good actor. He can play a pretty good villain any day.
9) Welcome to the Rileys – It’s a nice movie with some pretty solid acting.
10) Animal Kingdom – Wasn’t crazy about this one. Good acting but weak story.
11) Skateland – Not my cup of tea. Wasn’t a bad movie but it just wasn’t something I would go for.
10) The Kids Are All Right – Good acting but I just could not relate to any of the characters and the decisions they made. Not for me.
11) It’s a Wonderful Afterlife – Wow, I can’t say that I hated this movie but I can’t say that I liked it either. Not for me.
Documentaries
1) Waiting for Superman – Fantastic documentary on the US public school system. This should be mandatory viewing for every member of congress and the president.
2) To Catch a Dollar: Muhammad Yunus Banks on America – After watching this documentary, I saw for the first time in my life a solution to world poverty. Everyone should see it.
3) Teenage Paparazzo – Amazing observation of the complex world of celebrity through the eyes of a young paparazzo. A must see as well.
4) Lucky – If you have ever played the lottery, you should watch this movie. It will give you a good idea of what it really means to win.
5) Life 2.0 – This movie will make you more tolerant of others by showing you that people can find true happiness by living in a virtual world
6) Louis C.K.: Hilarious – Funny stand up. Just end to end great entertainment.
7) Shock Doctrine – Interesting stuff although not for people who are not interested in world politics.
8 ) Space Tourists – Kind of slow but still compelling subject matter.
9) Gasland – This was a good subject matter but it wasn’t substantial enough to warrant more than half an hour.
All and all, Sundance 2010 was awesome and I can’t wait for next year.
