I left The Invisible War almost sick to my stomach with its statistics and stories about rape in the US military – and the complicity of those in power in systematically ignoring, denying, and even punishing their victims of rape for choosing to step forward. The documentary begins with the...

A French-Canadian film with subtitles, Monsieur Lazhar was a slow paced character story of a “teacher” who comes into substitute for a class in a Montreal school that just lost their teacher when she hung herself in the classroom. Lazhar, who we later learn is a refugee with no previous...

Beasts is a true Sundance film: bold, fresh, unknown actors (local residents of the Mississippi delta were used as actors), an epic story, beautifully photographed, and . . . . I have no idea what it was about! Ok, that is not quite true – I have a few ideas, but it is definitely a film that...

The promotional poster for Price Check subtitles the film “a comedy with value.” This is an unfortunate choice or language, because this movie is not much of a comedy and it has very little value to offer the audience. Sure, there are some comedic moments, and in all fairness, Parker Posey...

Overall, this was my favorite film of Sundance Film Festival for a variety of reasons. It was the winner of the World Cinema Jury Prize for best international film. Violeta is a film about Violeta Parra, a Chilean folk artist who transformed folk art. She was the inspiration for some of the...

The Chilean film Young & Wild was the winner of the Screenwriting award in the World Cinema competition at Sundance Film Festival. This is a racy film, based on a true story, about an outspoken 17-year-old girl and her graphic sex-themed blog. This movie had quite a bit of “buzz” during...

SUNDANCE FILM ANALYSIS THE SURROGATE The film, based on the actual life story of Mark O’Brien who was paralyzed by polio at around age six, opens with actual footage of Mark in his automated gurney "driving" around Berkeley in the 1980s. We are introduced to this remarkably tenacious and...

Personally, I was drawn to this film simply because of it’s premise. I find the idea of extreme love commitment and endurance particularly compelling. And, so from the get go it already had my attention. I though both the writing and directing by Eva Duvernay was excellent. I noticed that she...

I thought this film, although it felt lengthy, was a beautiful contemplation of religion and spirituality. The director, Alice Rohtwacher, is gifted with a poetic eye and a knack for capturing subtle nuances in simple human behavior. I don’t think I’ve seen a film that depicts religious...

Predisposed is about a young man who has to get his drug-addicted mother high so she will be accepted into rehab. I thought this film was good over-all. The jokes would sometimes fall flat or perhaps a bit too silly. Tracy Morgan tries his best to bring in some laughs which are at times hit and...

It would not be hard to passionately rave about this film’s thematic strength, incredible and original soundtrack, and formal excellence. But there is so much more to say beyond that. I AM NOT A HIPSTER captures the maturation and healing of Brook, an angst-and-grief-stricken singer/songwriter...

A blockbuster cast was one of the things that drew me to this movie. Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde and Jeremy Irons seem like a compilation of actors that could get in each others' way, but they actually work very well together. The brilliant aspect of this movie is the...

Finding North was my favorite documentary of the festival for many reasons, primarily because it not only revealed an issue with society (as all documentaries at Sundance did) but it also offered a potential solution without being dogmatic about it. The issue raised was that of poverty and hunger...

We saw this film at Midnight, and we waitlisted for it. I could have been happier with my decision to battle the night hours and long lines in order to see this documentary. Without a doubt, I can say that this way my favorite film in the week. Maybe it was my favorite because of the effort I put...

This film was a wonderful, mainly because my heart resonated with the main character in an indirect way. This was my first film here at the festival in which I made a personal connection with my own life experience and the story and experiences of the Characters in the film. The main character in...

Love Free or Die Love Free or Die was the first film of my Sundance Experience, and in many ways it was the perfect way to start this adventure. The content of the film served as a catalyst for the ongoing dialogue my companions and I have been engaged in. I will attempt to elaborate on that...

Father's Chair tells the story of a workaholic father who has been far too distant for far too long and finds himself about to be divorced and at odds with his teenage son. The son decides to run away, prompted by the mysterious arrival of a chair from his estranged grandfather. Theo (the father)...

5 Broken Cameras is a brilliant film, a documentary begun with no purpose other than to capture the events in a small Palestinian village called Bil'in. The director, Emad, purchased a video camera to film his youngest son's development but quickly begins to record a passive resistance uprising...

This was a beautiful film. The lead, Emayatzy Corinealdi, is in almost every shot and she has a powerful, vulnerable presence. This is her first film and she holds your attention like a veteran actress. The story this film tells is a fascinating one that walks through a brief season of Ruby and...

Honest, Authentic, Redemptive. This movie is incredibly moving. It’s a story about the life of a young Latina girl, Majo (Gina Rodriguez) in LA whose love for her mother drives her into the hustle of the underground music industry. Eventually a major record producer picks her up and things...

The Man Who Wasn't There is a stereotypically quirky, alt-film noir movie from the Coen brothers. Starring Billy Bob Thornton as a dour faced barber, the film is about his misguided attempt to con his wife's employer out of $10000 in an attempt to get ahead in the world. Like other Coen brother...