As the Sundance Film Festival comes to a close, there are now a number of small budget movies buzzing in between the most anticipated films to look forward to this year. With returning Sundance favorite directors and a few bold debuts, this promises to be a great year for movies, big and small. The winners of the festival will be announced shortly after the end of its run on February 1, but here's a look at the best buzz generated so far.
SUNDANCE SPOTLIGHT
Mistress America
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Noah Baumbach returns to Sundance with his post-adolescent comedy of a struggling lonesome college freshman who is whisked away into her soon-to-be stepsister's world of chaos and unabashed excitement. Scores will be settled. Dreams will be chased. Cats will be stolen. The film stars co-writer Greta Gerwig and Lola Kirke. Look out for this classic indie gem.
Tangerine
Straddling the lines of taboo filmmaking, director Sean Baker boldly takes us into the world of transgender prostitutes in Los Angeles. Baker's follow-up to his hit "Starlet" from 2012 features a streetwalker on Christmas Eve out to "find the pimp who broke her heart." The film delves into a unique world that will likely deliver some hard truths, jaw-dropping moments and untapped hilarity. Baker goes for broke here, and it has apparently paid off, as Magnolia Pictures just snagged the rights to the film
The End of the Tour
The film details the true story of author David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel) sitting down with Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) following his coverage of the Rolling Stones tour in support of their album in 1966. This is James Ponsoldt's follow-up to his beloved coming-of-age tale "The Spectacular Now," which stole the show at the 2013 Sundance Festival. Not much is said of the film, as its cast and subject matter basically sell themselves.
DRAMA
Slow West
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Featuring Michel Fassbender as an 1800s tour guide to Scottish aristocracy through the outback as it once was, we see a lovesick man after the woman he loves. Troubles emerge when the traveler turns out to be on the run from outlaws as they attempt a journey through the Wild West. This is John Maclean's writing and directing debut with emphasis on authenticity of the outback at the tail-end of a century.
Z for Zachariah
A clever romance set in a post-apocalyptic world features hunks Chris Pine and Chiwetel Ejiofor as the last two men on the Earth. The only problem, besides being the last two men alive in a post-apocalyptic world of course, is that both fall for the last woman on Earth, who just happens to be played by the most beautiful woman currently alive, Margot Robbie. Awkward, no? The two go head-on in an interesting take on love in a lifeless world with the hottest girl known to man.
COMEDY
The D Train
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Jack Black is doing one for all the bullied chubby kids who grew up getting picked on everyday. Black's character returns to his old stomping grounds to help organize his high school class reunion after being the laughing stock for four years. He cleverly befriends ex-super cool high school guy, played by James Marsden, and by the end of their big reunion, the nerds will come home to roost. Or something like that.
The Bronze
Dubbed as the possible "Whiplash" of Sundance 2015, as well as a nod to Napoleon Dynamite, Melissa Rauch stars as a washed-up has-been former Olympic gymnast who now mentors a young super talent. The catch is that her jealous rage over her protege might get the best of her. Reviews have expressed that "The Bronze" is a great idea but may lack in bringing in actual laughs, but still it's one of the festival's most talked-about films, quite possibly because of its epic sex scene.
DOCUMENTARY
Being Evel
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The story covering the myth of Evel Knievel is uncorked by short documentary Oscar winner Daniel Junge. The film follows the life and legacy of one of America's greatest stunt icons. Other hyped festival nonfictions include Oscar director Morgan Neville's historic coverage of the 1968 televised debates between Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley Jr. in "Best of Enemies" and the story of comedian turned activist, Barry Crimmins, in the film "Call Me Lucky."
Racing Extinction
From the Oscar winning creators of "The Cove" comes another painful look into reality at mass extinction. "The Cove" was a brutal work of art that exposed the ruthless slaughter of mammals in Japan and the people who fought to save them. The new documentary focuses more on endangered species as a whole and just how close we are to eliminating some of the world's greatest wonders.
Listen to Me Marlon
A uniquely styled biopic of the life of famed actor Marlon Brando is brought to life by Brando himself and himself alone. Extensively unearthed access to hours of audio tapes of Marlon Brando have been cut and spliced into his definitive documentary with no interruptions from outside sources other than Brando himself. The film is carried from the perspective of Brando about his life and life in general with no added materials or interviews, a perfect tribute to our Godfather.
SUNDANCE SPOTLIGHT
Mistress America
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Noah Baumbach returns to Sundance with his post-adolescent comedy of a struggling lonesome college freshman who is whisked away into her soon-to-be stepsister's world of chaos and unabashed excitement. Scores will be settled. Dreams will be chased. Cats will be stolen. The film stars co-writer Greta Gerwig and Lola Kirke. Look out for this classic indie gem.
Tangerine
Straddling the lines of taboo filmmaking, director Sean Baker boldly takes us into the world of transgender prostitutes in Los Angeles. Baker's follow-up to his hit "Starlet" from 2012 features a streetwalker on Christmas Eve out to "find the pimp who broke her heart." The film delves into a unique world that will likely deliver some hard truths, jaw-dropping moments and untapped hilarity. Baker goes for broke here, and it has apparently paid off, as Magnolia Pictures just snagged the rights to the film
The End of the Tour
The film details the true story of author David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel) sitting down with Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) following his coverage of the Rolling Stones tour in support of their album in 1966. This is James Ponsoldt's follow-up to his beloved coming-of-age tale "The Spectacular Now," which stole the show at the 2013 Sundance Festival. Not much is said of the film, as its cast and subject matter basically sell themselves.
DRAMA
Slow West
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Featuring Michel Fassbender as an 1800s tour guide to Scottish aristocracy through the outback as it once was, we see a lovesick man after the woman he loves. Troubles emerge when the traveler turns out to be on the run from outlaws as they attempt a journey through the Wild West. This is John Maclean's writing and directing debut with emphasis on authenticity of the outback at the tail-end of a century.
Z for Zachariah
A clever romance set in a post-apocalyptic world features hunks Chris Pine and Chiwetel Ejiofor as the last two men on the Earth. The only problem, besides being the last two men alive in a post-apocalyptic world of course, is that both fall for the last woman on Earth, who just happens to be played by the most beautiful woman currently alive, Margot Robbie. Awkward, no? The two go head-on in an interesting take on love in a lifeless world with the hottest girl known to man.
COMEDY
The D Train
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Jack Black is doing one for all the bullied chubby kids who grew up getting picked on everyday. Black's character returns to his old stomping grounds to help organize his high school class reunion after being the laughing stock for four years. He cleverly befriends ex-super cool high school guy, played by James Marsden, and by the end of their big reunion, the nerds will come home to roost. Or something like that.
The Bronze
Dubbed as the possible "Whiplash" of Sundance 2015, as well as a nod to Napoleon Dynamite, Melissa Rauch stars as a washed-up has-been former Olympic gymnast who now mentors a young super talent. The catch is that her jealous rage over her protege might get the best of her. Reviews have expressed that "The Bronze" is a great idea but may lack in bringing in actual laughs, but still it's one of the festival's most talked-about films, quite possibly because of its epic sex scene.
DOCUMENTARY
Being Evel
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The story covering the myth of Evel Knievel is uncorked by short documentary Oscar winner Daniel Junge. The film follows the life and legacy of one of America's greatest stunt icons. Other hyped festival nonfictions include Oscar director Morgan Neville's historic coverage of the 1968 televised debates between Gore Vidal and William F. Buckley Jr. in "Best of Enemies" and the story of comedian turned activist, Barry Crimmins, in the film "Call Me Lucky."
Racing Extinction
From the Oscar winning creators of "The Cove" comes another painful look into reality at mass extinction. "The Cove" was a brutal work of art that exposed the ruthless slaughter of mammals in Japan and the people who fought to save them. The new documentary focuses more on endangered species as a whole and just how close we are to eliminating some of the world's greatest wonders.
Listen to Me Marlon
A uniquely styled biopic of the life of famed actor Marlon Brando is brought to life by Brando himself and himself alone. Extensively unearthed access to hours of audio tapes of Marlon Brando have been cut and spliced into his definitive documentary with no interruptions from outside sources other than Brando himself. The film is carried from the perspective of Brando about his life and life in general with no added materials or interviews, a perfect tribute to our Godfather.