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Show Film Thursday, January 31, 2008 Sundance announces award-winning films C. Glen Bellamy REDUX WRITER When Sundance awards are handed out at the end of every festival, you can count on a few things. Some movies will be honored because they are "important." Some will be roundly criticized but surprise everyone with an award or two. Some will be so good that no jury or audience can overlook them. And some will charm the pants off every audience by meeting a precise formula or style that is every bit as conventional as your typical Hollywood thriller. (See: "Grace is Gone," "Padre Nuestro," "Quinceanera," "We Don't Live Here Anymore.") This year's slate of winners had all of the above. We were bewildered, frustrated and pleasantly surprised all in one. So, without further ado: Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic "Frozen River" Directed by Courtney Hunt Admittedly, "Frozen River" didn't have all that much to go up against, as this year's Dramatic Competition was a considerably weak field. Still, it's disheartening that, after Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's "Half Nelson" lost out to the far-inferior "Qumceafiera" two years ago, the risingfilmmakingteam was overlooked again this year. Their "Sugar," about the path of self and cultural discovery of a Dominican baseball player, was probably the best of the lot, as Boden and Fleck once again show a talent for exploring emotionally complex characters. With respect to the wellreceived "Ballast" and "Sunshine Cleaning," "Sugar" was far more deserving than either "Frozen River" or the Audience Award winner, "The Wackness." (But more on that later.) I'll give "Frozen River" this much: At least Courtney Hunt knows how to tell a story. The same can't be said for category competitors Clark Gregg ("Choke"), Alex Rivera ("Sleep Dealer") and Daniel Barnz ("Phoebe in Wonderland"). The problem is, as you'd expect from the small-town crisis archetype, "Frozen River" re- the filmmakers, and precious little that happens to the couple in the subsequent months is even as interesting as the human-interest stories you might see on the news. "Trouble the Water" doesn't deal with the Katrina tragedy in any new way, and it will be forgotten long beGrand Jury Prize: fore better documentaries are ineviDocumentary tably made on the same subject. 'Trouble the Water" America's steroid culture—and the Directed by Tia Lesson and Carl pharmaceutical industry, the suppleDeal ment industry, the legal loopholes Here's how it works: Hurricane and America's culture of cutthroat Katrina, its aftermath and the care- competition—naturally seems trivlessness of the federal government ial by comparison. But Christopher all have the scent of importance. For Bell's comprehensive examination this reason, a mediocre film such as of those subjects and more, "Bigger, "TVouble the Water" picks up top Stronger, Faster*," does exactly what honors because people want to feel "Trouble the Water" doesn't: It takes its subject matter in unexpected digood about themselves. Never mind that this movie pales rections and finds fascinating new in comparison to Spike Lee's "When insights and points of view in the the Levees Broke" (in that Lee's film process. actually seems as though it's a movie World Cinema Jury Prize: made by a competent filmmaker), Dramatic "Trouble the Water" is simply lazy "King of Ping Pong" and unfocused. Filmmakers Tia LesDirected by Jens Jonsson son and Carl Deal follow, almost exclusively, Kimberly Rivers and her husband Scott as they catch footage This was one of the films I missed, of the hurricane and get displaced as it got such poor word-of-mouth from their home. in the days leading up to the awards The footage that Kimberly shot is announcement that I didn't think it not used in any interesting way by would be worth it. Obviously, a few lies on generic visual minimalism and convenient plot mechanics. It goes down smoothly enough, but if this is supposed to be the best film on the docket, well.-.that's all there is? "Frozen River," winner of the Grand Jury Prize for American Dramatic competition people clearly disagreed, so color me (and many others) surprised. "King of Ping Pong" tells the story of an ostracized teenager who has a special knack for ping pong. Other than that, I can't say much about it sight unseen. Although the selection sounds dubious, at least the award didn't go to the infuriating and idiotic "Riprendimi." Of the selections in this category, worthy winners would have been the Danish noir "Just Another Love Story" and the uniquely absurd comedy "Absurdistan." World Cinema Jury Prize: .iti**.:'- Documentary "Man on Wire" Directed by James Marsh "Man On Wire," winner of Jury Prize for World Cinema Documentary and World Cinema Audience Award Here's where they got it exactly right. There was no other choice in this category, and the jury got it right. The surprisingly poignant narrative doc "Man on Wire" recreates an event that occurred more than three decades ago, when high-wire artist Philippe Petit walked on a wire set up between the Twin Towers in New York City in what some have called the "artistic crime of the century." Using actual video footage of his exploit, photographs of the day in question, interviews with those in- volved and dramatic re-enactments, "Man on Wire" is thrilling and moving filmmaking. Audience Award: Documentary "Fields of Fuel" Directed by Josh Tickell I talked to one industry member who said "Fields of Fuel" would be this year's "An Inconvenient TYuth." Although I'll take that with a grain of salt, the growing importance of our reliance on foreign oil and the global warming crisis makes for potent material. I didn't see Josh Tickell's film, but the film is likely to be released... and then we'll see if it can give Al Gore a run for his money. Audience Award: Dramatic "The Wackness" Directed by Jonathan Levine Take the teen angst drama, the mid-life crisis drama, throw in all the details that indie filmmakers still think are edgy after a decade or two of use—Adults smoking pot! Masturbation fantasies! Suicide attempts! Hip-hop! Drug dealers! Rich teenagers getting drunk and doing drugs!— and you've got "The Wackness." See WINNERS Page 7 It had the best of films, it had the worst of films family's personal experiences with steroids (his older brother used to compete as a professional wrestler, and his younger brother competes REDUX MAGAZINE in power lifting events), filmmaker Christopher Bell provides the most Best of Fest: "Funny Games" balanced, thorough examinations of Directed by Michael Haneke steroids and steroid use to date. ExPark City at Midnight amining the basis of societal hypocIt might seem pointless for a film- risy against steroids through severmaker to remake his own movie in al levels, while dispelling several of another language—especially one as the commonly held myths against great as Michael Haneke's 1997 orig- steroids, Bell's "Bigger, Stronger, inal, "Funny Games."—but Haneke Faster*" achieves the near impossimakes the experiment more than ble: It provides a clear examination of steroids and both their positive worth it. The American version, which stars and negative effects, while demonNaomi Watts and Tim Roth as a vaca- strating the wide ambiguities of potioning couple, and Michael Pitt and sitions on both sides of the fence. Brady Corbet as the two charming D.L. young men who take them hostage and play sadistic games with them, Best of Fest: "The Women of is every bit as potent as its predeces- Brukman" sor, and will likely allow Haneke to Directed by Isaac Isitan be seen by a wider audience. World Documentary Competition Haneke uses his premise to explore the ways violence is used by The gripping documentary "The the media as entertainment, and he Women of Brukman" tells the inplays with the distortion between credible story of a group of die-hard reality and entertainment. It was in- women (and a few men) working teresting to watch the film with an for a suit manufacturer in Argentina entire audience and see which ones who are abandoned by their employwere getting it, and which ones were ers. The owners of the Brukman actually the butt of the joke without Clothing Company, facing bills, defieven knowing. Haneke shocks and cits and wages they can't possibly disturbs, yet keeps almost all of the pay, ship all of the management out violence and degradation off-screen. without mentioning a word to the Michael Pitt's savagely charming laborers. Spurred on by devotion to performance is as brilliant as it is their craft, families and each other, creepy. the workers of Brukman decide to keep the factory running themselves. C.B. Soon the former owners and the govBest of Fest: "Bigger, Stronger, ernment come knocking, leading the Faster*: The Side Effects of Being workers to stage a grueling peaceful protest for the simple right to earn American" a decent living. Director Issac Isitan Directed by Christopher Bell . takes us through all the stages of the Documentary Competition workers' struggle, with footage right Combining a narrative of his in the middle of the action. Inspiring River to Canada, but the situation grows increasingly dangerous, especially when the immigrants shift from Chinese to Arab. Backed by powerful performances and an honest, no-frills script, "Frozen River" deconstructs the American dream and how difficult it can be to obtain. S.P. C. Glen Bellamy Danny Letz Sam Potter "The Wackness* winner of the American Dramatic Audience Award Worst of Fest: "Reversion" Directed by Mia Trachinger New Frontier "The Women of Brukman/' World Cinema Documentary competition and a must-see for a spoiled generation who feels the world owes them a living, as opposed to actually going out and making one. S.P. Runner-up: "Man. on Wire" Directed by James Marsh World Documentary Competition Utilizing an endless supply of archival footage, interviews and dramatic re-enactments, director James Marsh re-creates a moment in time like no other in "Man on Wire." Only maybe that's not quite saying it— it's not just a moment in time, but a feeling of something happeningsomething innocent and dangerous, beautiful and unique—that will never again be equaled. In August of 1974, high-wire artist Philippe Petit snuck into the World Trade Center, suspended a wire between the two towers and proceeded to walk across it for the better part of an hour. The way Marsh puts the film together plays more like a dramatic heist film than a documentary. We go through the conceptualization, the planning, the secrets, the setbacks, the mistakes, the near-mistakes ... all leading up to the moment itself. The imagery itself is stunning enough, but Marsh pairs it with the music of Michael Nyman and Erik Satie, and, in doing so, creates a series of images and moments that practically take your breath away. It's undoubtedly as close as we could come to experiencing what many New Yorkers experienced that day, looking up to the sky and seeing a man walking on air between the two tallest buildings in the country. C.B. X* Runner-Up: "Man on Wire" Directed by James Marsh World Documentary Competition When Philippe Petit set out to conquer the seemingly un-conquerable (that is, walking between the World Trade Center buildings suspended on only a tightrope wire) he did so with the zeal, courage and dedication of most revolutionaries and revered artists alike. Chronicling Petit's feat through the combined use of archival footage as well as dramatized sequences, "Man on Wire" is a gorgeous rendition of one of art's most controversial and gorgeous feats. This film deserves the hype it received in and around the festival, and, luckily, will be releasing sometime in the next year. D.L. Runner-Up: "Frozen River" Directed by Courtney Hunt Dramatic Competition Courtney Hunt's compelling drama is.the stuff Sundance is made for: a smart film from an extremely talented first-timer that focuses on what good movies are all a b o u t character and story. Melissa Leo stars as Ray, a hard-working woman whose husband has run off with her family's savings. She runs into a Mohawk woman (played by Misty Upham) who introduces her into the dangerous world of illegal immigrant smuggling. She convinces her that this is legal, as the smuggling takes place on Mohawk land, and isn't U.S. owned. Left with little alternative to meet her ever-pressing financial burdens, Ray begins making the runs across a Frozen The New Frontier section exists for the most daring and experimental of filmmakers. Sometimes that means we might see something we've never seen before; sometimes it means we might see a complete and total mess. Mia lYachinger's "Reversion" is definitely the latter. Like many movies before it, the film tries to tackle intellectual paradoxes, playing with time and cause-and-effect by telling a story of genetic mutants who have no linear concept of time. To them, one character tells us, "everything is one big mish-mash." Except that you wouldn't know it from the way thisfilmplays out. Considering the conceit of the premise, "Reversion" plays out in startlingly linear form—using cheap, made-oniny-home-computer editing tricks to try to make it seem otherwise. In fact, Trachinger's film is a mindless exercise in low-budget sci-fi. It's not that it can't play by its own rules, nor that it subverts the rules of filmmaking—T^achinger can't even understand the rules, nor the paradoxes she's exploring, nor does she have any interesting way to construct her story. C.B. Worst of Fest: (tie) "The Wackness" and "Reversion" Directed by Jonathan Levine and Mia TVachinger (respectively) These two films are in completely different leagues, though both equally deserving of their title here as the worst. "The Wackness" is the sort of ho-hum warmed over crap that should've been resigned to an instant video release. Its presence at the festival borders on the criminal. Chronicling one dopey hip-hop infused drug dealer's trek through post-graduation and coming of age in 1994, Giuliani-era New York, "The Wackness" manages to under-impress at every turn, inSee PICKS Page 7 |
