Sundance Recap #5

Saturday I got to see one of my strongest lineups of the festival with four films that I was REALLY excited for (all but Sorry, Baby were featured on my Top Ten Anticipated list for the fest, and honestly that film almost made the list but I didn't know what else to write about besides the fact that the still featured an adorable baby kitten and I was instantly sold). So let's take a look at my thoughts on a few of the most buzzed-about movies of the festival.

SORRY, BABY

The synopsis in the Sundance guide for Sorry, Baby was incredibly vague: "Something bad happened to Agnes. But life goes on - for everyone around her, at least." Yet as I mentioned, it was still on my radar for the still alone. I will take any opportunity to see if I can find another worthy addition to cat cinema. Once Sorry, Baby premiered the buzz was instantaneous and the hype was through the roof. You can't just mention Sundance greats like Past Lives, Call Me By Your Name, and Past Lives in passing and not massively raise expectations. While I still recommend that viewers temper those expectations for best results, I can add another voice to say that this film is exceptional.

Writer, director, and star Eva Victor crafts a funny and poignant tale about one of the hardest things a woman can go through, and how one might attempt to pick up the pieces of their life afterward. It's an extremely delicate topic that Victor handles with finesse-- mastering a balancing act of a wide spectrum of complex emotions that both the characters and audience truly feel. In one moment it can be harrowing, while the next might be hilarious. It is truly impressive for a debut feature to have such a handle on juggling so many competing tones so flawlessly, but Victor really makes it look easy. I loved this film all the way through (and yes, for cat lovers you can rest assured the cat moments were marvelous), but it was the ending scene that really clinched it as an all-timer. It doesn't lead up to some grand reveal, but rather an unassuming moment of relatability that endears you to the film. Excited to see the reception for this film when it's released wide, as well as whatever Eva Victor chooses to do next! RATING: 9/10

TWINLESS

After unexpectedly losing his identical twin brother Rocky, Roman (Dylan O'Brien who plays both characters) finds an unlikely replacement in Dennis (James Sweeney, who also wrote and directed the film), a man he meets in a twin bereavement group. The two are total opposites-- Roman is tough, surly, and not too bright, while Dennis is a gawky gay man with acerbic wit. Together they must navigate the grief of their respective losses alongside feeling out their growing friendship.

Twinless is a very solid dramedy that will surprise you. Both actors are very good here but Dylan O'Brien really shines in what is easily his finest work to date. Meanwhile, James Sweeney shows a lot of promise as a director. One of my favorite scenes in the film coincidentally recalls one of my favorite scenes from (500) Days of Summer (which longtime readers will know is my all-time favorite movie). It's not identical to the Reality vs Expectations scene, but the party scene in Twinless has a kindred feel and analogous results for the characters. Like Eva Victor's debut with Sorry, Baby, Sweeney's sophomore feature similarly does a nice job of balancing tones here... though I do wish that some loose threads had maybe been a bit more neatly tied up by the end. Still, there's just so much to like here. RATING: 8/10

OPUS

A reclusive pop legend from 30 years ago (an eccentricly delicious John Malkovich) invites a small group of journalists to his remote compound for a sneak peek at his new album in Opus. Among the group is a young journalist named Ariel Ecton (the always amiable Ayo Edebiri) looking for her big break. Though she's the least seasoned one of the bunch in their career, Ariel is the only one with a discerning enough eye to notice that things are not what they seem. Though her colleagues and peers are taken in by the famous Alfred Moretti's pageantry, Ariel is determined to discover whatever the truth might be that is hiding under the surface.

The central concept in Opus has certainly been done before (Twitter likes to bring up The Menu for this discourse, but I'll also add Blink Twice here as another example), where our main everyman character gets invited somewhere both elite and exclusive, while something nefarious is happening behind the scenes. Opus is helped by some nice leading actor performances, and hurt by pretty much everything else. John Malkovich and Ayo Edebiri are great together and certainly are doing their part to try to make this film stand apart, but unfortunately, they have to compete against the film's sluggish pacing. It takes way too long to get the story going, then once it finally gets momentum it rushes to the finish line. It all makes for a less-than-satisfactory horror film, but it does have its moments! Thanks to the efforts of the cast I was still able to have a fun time, even if it didn't come close to my expectations. RATING: 6/10

TOGETHER

Longtime couple Millie (Alison Brie) and Tim (Dave Franco), hope their move to the countryside will bring them closer. After many years together, they've lost some of the intimacy they once had, and have found their relationship has become stagnant--more often than not slipping into co-dependency. Soon after the move, they find more than they bargained for after mysterious things start happening to the two of them.

Together is an absolute blast of a horror film, that I'm trying very hard to say little about to preserve its many surprises. Each year I come to Sundance hoping one of its Midnight selections will deliver the goods and Together delivered. In addition to the fantastic gross-out body horror you've probably heard mentioned in other reviews, there are also real moments of suspenseful terror, as well as some genuine humor. Alison Brie and Dave Franco are so good here, lending their real-life closeness to their characters. Incredibly, this film is yet another debut feature, this time for writer/director Michael Shanks. He is a promising talent, who hopefully has much more horror in store for audiences in the future. With so many great films I saw, this one somehow edged out everything to become my favorite. See it with a date when it comes out in August because it will be the date night movie of the year. RATING: 9/10

Okay, just a few more films to recap before my final wrap-up! Bear with me, we're almost done!! Check back soon for more Sundance coverage!