Harry here, I have report that Park City, Utah is FILLED WITH PEOPLE WITH CEL PHONES ATTACHED TO THEIR EARS!!!! It is absolutely terrible. This conditions seems to have spread over the course of the last several days. If you see one of these people, DO NOT APPROACH THEM, DO NOT FEED THEM and whatever you do, DO NOT FELLATE THEM. Now it is time to turn you over to Wolfiemo with his looks at EMPIRE and HUMAN NATURE...
Hey Harry-
Just got back from seeing two films, Charlie Kaufman's "Human Nature" and Frank Reyes' directorial/writing debut "Empire".
First I'd like to point out to anyone that did not come to Sundance because
of Olympic Madness that you missed out. There is no extra special security,
no full body cavity searches. No more than I have seen at the San Francisco
Film Festival or Hollywood Film Festival. Nope, no crazed Olympians, just a
lot of people walking around with cell phones to their ears.
HUMAN NATURE
I was really looking forward to seeing "Human Nature". This film stars Patricia Arquette as Lila who has a bit of a body hair problem. Rhys Ifans (The Replacements) who was raised by an ape (actually his father just thought he was an ape, a Pigmy Chimp to be exact) and thus is quite feral. Tim Robbins plays the scientist who tries to train Rhys to fit into society when not training mice proper table manners. Mayhem ensues.
Charlie Kaufman's script was not as clever as "Being John Malkovich" or as polished but that really doesn't matter when a hairy and nude Patricia Arquette is walking through a very fake forest like a sasquatch, singing about the love of her body hair ala Disney Musical complete with woodland creatures. Sadly, you just don't see that in American films today.
Special acting notice to Rhys Ifan who plays his Feral "Puff" (that's his name) with a perfect blend of wild instinct and innocent wonder-lust. All the actors play it pretty straight which makes the absurd situations hilarious.
Director Michel Gondry's previous experience includes quite a few Bjork videos and there are certainly quite a few scenes that reflect that. The use of very obvious sets and heightened reality are similar to Bjork's "Human Behavior" video.
A fun film, a good film but not one to kill yourself trying to see it when it comes out in limited release. I would work just as well on video.
3 out of 5
stars.
EMPIRE
Empire written and directed by Franc Reyes was a total surprise. This is a film about a drug dealer trying to climb out of his life and start fresh.
Yeah, we've seen this story many times before but Frac Reyes' direction, the cinematographer (sorry I don't know your name and they didn't post it on IMDB) and an excellent cast really sets it apart. John Leguizamo plays Vic Rosa, manufacturer of his own brand name of cocaine, called Empire. The title also refers to Vic's own "Empire" and his attempt at escaping from it.
This is really the first time John Leguizamo has been called on to carry a film (this is much more his film than Son of Sam) and he delivers beautifully. Leguizamo keeps things underplayed giving his character a quite power. You understand why he is respected and feared in his neighborhood. You believe that his is smart enough to get himself out yet you also see his weaknesses well before the character does. Outstanding job Mr. Leguizamo. The rest of the cast is equally brilliant especially relative new comer, Delilah Cotto as Vic's girlfriend, Carmen, and Peter Sarsgaard as the Investment Broker who could be Vic's ticket out of the streets. Franc Reyes use of color and style are beautiful. The way scenes are lit, the colors used to represent specific characters. This is a talent to watch for.
He even wrote 6 of the songs in the films outstanding sound track by Rubén
Blades. This did not have a distributor when I left the screening but I am
sure it does by the time you read this.
4 out of 5 stars.
The Mariah Carey Fiasco
On a separate note: All hell broke loose just before the Benicio del Toro Award Ceremony. Mariah Carey sauntered by in the middle of the street. Practically naked. There were about 10 reporters/photographers at this time standing around bored and the sight of Mariah and her tits brought on an instant reaction of screaming, shoving and flashing bulbs. Now that bitch had the gall to pretend to be camera shy. 13 degrees out and she is wearing a see-thru white tank top and painted on pants. If she could have had a spotlight hangin' out of her ass I'm convinced she would have. She stops in the middle of the street as all of Utah swarms around this Patrick Nagel of the music world. By the time she gets her media fix and leaves Benico shows up and the "Mariah Swarm", rabid with star lust, attacks him as he is getting out of his car. I didn't see much of this kind of behavior at Sundance but Mariah brings out the worst in people.
-Wolfiemo
