Sundance Day 5

Sundance Day 5

1-25-14

Up early again but Robbie was so generous to give us a ride to the Library Theatre to see the Skeleton Twins. I've been most excited about this film. A few friends from school interned on the film, and Jeremiah has a small cameo that was pretty hilarious.

Living separate lives on opposite sides of the country, estranged siblings Maggie and Milo are at the end of their ropes. But after a moment of crisis reunites them, Milo goes to spend time with Maggie in the small New York town where they grew up. A dental hygienist, Maggie struggles with her unhappy marriage to the painfully good-natured Lance, while Milo tracks down Rich, the English teacher with whom he shares a checkered past. Adrift and wondering how they ended up so far from who they were supposed to be, the siblings try to patch things up.
Craig Johnson’s second feature sensitively explores these lives of quiet desperation with remarkable finesse. It unfolds a rich backstory through subtle interactions between its characters and finds the agility to be funny, melancholic, touching, and devastating within the space of a single scene. Kristin Wiig and Bill Hader give astonishing, dramatic performances. Their connection to the characters and to each other is magical…and funny (Maggie cleaning Milo’s teeth proves that nothing promotes sibling reconciliation like nitrous oxide). 

Hands down my favorite film so far. I'm already a Kristen Wiig fan, but she just reached another level in my book. She plays Bill Hader's twin brother. It was so interesting seeing comedic actors play more serious roles. I mean, the entire film starts with a suicide attempt.

Ty Burrell has a minor part in the film, and plays a role I've never seen him it. I'm trying really hard not to spoil anything because I really just want to write out the entire film here.

Writer/Director Craig Johnson

There is a restaurant I've been dying to try, Main Street Pizza and Noodle. Instead of having pizza or noodles I had their breakfast where I enjoyed (yet again) Juevos rancheros.

After brunch, we rushed on a bus to Eccles Theatre to see Frank.
In line there was an interesting character who made his own "Frank" mask.

"Frank is a comedy about a young wannabe musician, Jon, who discovers he's bitten off more than he can chew when he joins a band of eccentric pop musicians led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank and his terrifying sidekick, Clara. Frank’s uniqueness lies in the fact that he makes music purely for the joy of creating…and because he wears a giant fake head. After a rocky start, Jon ingratiates himself with the band members, and they retreat to a cabin in the woods to record an album. As his influence waxes, creative tensions mount, and the band’s entire raison d'être is called into question.
Already a presence at the Cannes, Berlin, and Toronto film festivals, director Lenny Abrahamson makes his Sundance debut with a captivating offering featuring a phenomenal cast, including Maggie Gyllenhaal, Scoot McNairy, Domhnall Gleeson, and Michael Fassbender as you’ve never seen him before. The ensemble creates lasting images and sounds for a film that playfully examines the nature of art and artists. Frank possesses such creative audacity and thought-provoking observations—propelled by a barrage of wit, performance, and, of course, song—that you are bound to emerge feeling as if you have seen and heard something completely original."

It took the entirety of the film for me to realize that Frank was played by Michael Fassbender. He is in the mask for most of the film. I'm honestly still absorbing this film. I don't know exactly how I feel about it. But I can say that the situation John puts himself in is relatable. Trying to make a change in a situation that may not need change at all. 

There was a little hole in the wall bar type place I kept passing on my bus ride. One day I saw about a dozen snowboarders and ski-ers sitting on the balcony with beers and tacos. I had to try it! Davanzas, I hated that I waited so long to eat here. The beer is so cheap! I feasted on some Blue Moon and a chicken parmesan sub.

Boyhood

"Filmed from 2002 to 2013, Boyhood covers 12 years in the life of a family. Mason and his older sister, Samantha, learn to face the realities of growing up, while their divorced parents cope with the ongoing challenges of parenting in an ever-evolving landscape. Cast: Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Ellar Coltrane, Lorelei Linklater."

Once I heard that this film has been covering 12 years of the lives of these actors I had to watch it! Then when I heard that Richard Linklater also directed the Before Sunrise Trilogy, I was sold. The transitions between years were seamless. There was a chemistry between the family that was consistent. I felt like I really watched Ellar Coltrane grow up.

In my packet of vouchers I also received a ticket for whatever film won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic. While I was in Boyhood I received the text from Robbie that Whiplash won the prize! I hadn't seen it yet so Auggie, Robbie and I jumped in line and watched it in the Eccles theatre.

Whiplash

"Andrew, a promising 19-year-old drummer at a cutthroat Manhattan music conservatory, has little interest in being just a musician. Haunted by his father’s failed writing career and plagued with the fear that mediocrity just might be genetic, Andrew dreams of greatness. Determined not to follow in his father’s footsteps, he practices daily until his hands literally bleed. The pressure of success ratchets into high gear when he is picked to join the school band led by the infamous Terence Fletcher, a brutally savage music instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student’s potential. Under Fletcher’s ruthless direction, Andrew begins to pursue perfection at any cost—even his humanity.

Sprung from his 2013 Sundance Film Festival award-winning short film, Whiplash is the brilliantly realized feature that writer/director Damien Chazelle always intended to make. Driven by fierce, searing performances from Miles Teller as Andrew and J.K. Simmons as Terence Fletcher, Whiplash crescendos to a blistering climax that will rattle audiences long after the lights come up. - D.C
Sprung from his 2013 Sundance Film Festival award-winning short film, Whiplash is the brilliantly realized feature that writer/director Damien Chazelle always intended to make. Driven by fierce, searing performances from Miles Teller as Andrew and J.K. Simmons as Terence Fletcher, Whiplash crescendos to a blistering climax that will rattle audiences long after the lights come up. - D.C."

Whiplash was jam-packed with energy for the entire film. If Mile's doesn't actually play the drums you would never know. Talk about commitment. I have never seen J.k. Simmons in a likable role, and this film is no exception. I was at the edge of my seat for most of the film, and maybe not in a good way. From the beginning of the film Mile's had a rough time. In his regular music class there was tension, in his short-lived relationship with Nicole, it was never really enjoyable. And honestly there was no true resolution in the end. It just ended. In the middle of a performance.

Four films in one day is my record at Sundance and enough for me.