Festival Coverage
Sundance Film Review: Toy’s House
I knew this movie was going to be painful to watch as soon as the ‘70s or ‘80s power-pop intro song started. It seemed out of place, forced—As did most of the dialogue in the film. A couple of high school friends, Joe Toy (Nick Robinson) and Patrick Keenan (Gabriel Basso) decide that their parents are such a drag that the only option is to build their own house in the forest and live there. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Wajma (An Afghan Love Story)
What begins as a series of secret flirtations in a society that prohibits contact between the sexes before marriage turns into the worst scenario imaginable: Mustafa, professing his love for Wajma (Wajma Bahar), pressures her into a forbidden romance despite her reserved protests. … read more
Slamdance Film Review: What Isn’t There
At the age of 10, Gibson (Dominic Roco) saw his twin brother die, and he hasn’t spoken since. Now 20, Gibson returns home to Manila for the holidays and finds his family growing slowly more and more distant. … read more
Slamdance Film Review: The Dirties
Constantly being bullied by a group of kids—known as “The Dirties” because it’s the name of the bullies’ band—at their high school, Matt (Matt Johnson) and Owen (Owen Williams) decide to film a movie about getting revenge. But as Matt gets more and more serious about the idea, Owen begins to worry his friend might take things too far. … read more
Slamdance Film Review: Best Friends Forever
Harriet (Brea Grant), a young comic book artist living in Los Angeles, has just been accepted to a college in Austin, Texas, and decides to road trip there with her BFF, Reba (Vera Miao). As they make their way across the country—in a ’76 AMC Pacer—the nuclear apocalypse begins with four nuclear explosions happening in major US cities. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Soldate Jeannette
Fanni tries on an expensive dress at an upscale fashion boutique. After much deliberation, she buys the dress. She dumps it into a mailbox just outside the boutique. Fanni’s landlord and his lawyer walk into her posh apartment. She offers them matcha tea, and they tell her she’s being evicted that afternoon because three years’ rent is past due. … read more
Sundance Film Festival: Cutie and the Boxer
Cutie and the Boxer, more than anything, is a beautiful love story. In this fantastic directorial debut, Zachary Heinzerling captures the tumultuous and oftentimes dissatisfying relationship between Japanese artists Ushio and Noriko Shinohara. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Stories We Tell
In this unique and introspective documentary, Canadian actress/director Sarah Polley (Away From Her, Take This Waltz) compiles a narrative around the life of her mother, actress Diane Polley, who died when Sarah was 11 years old, and the mystery surrounding a specific time period, which leads to a surprising discovery. … read more
Sundance Film Review: In a World…
The concept to immerse a film in the competitive world of movie trailer voice-over gigs is certainly an original notion. Lake Bell, who makes her directorial debut, has molded a hilarious well-rounded romantic comedy that is filled with heart, soul and a handful of delightfully awkward moments. … read more
Slamdance Film Review: Kohlhaas
After production pulls the funding for his 16th-century film about Hans Kohlhase, director Lehmann (Robert Gwisdek)—yes, the director in the film is named after the director of the film—refuses to abandon his dream and begs his cast and crew to help him finish filming. … read more