Hey Folks, Harry here with a look at the goings ons at Sundance by way of Adam. He's giving us a look at the hilarious RUN RONNIE RUN, the tribute to Benicio Del Toro (God that had to be cool as hell to have been at) and then what sounds like time in a penal colony... he actually watched a documentary about being a male Britney Spears impersonator.... whew... Then there was ONE HOUR PHOTO, can't wait to see that one. Well, let's get on with it then...
Hey Harry,
Adam Mast from Zboneman.com here. I sent you a little batch of Sundance Film
Festival stuff a few days ago, and thought you might like some more!
RUN RONNIE RUN
Sometimes, you just can't beat an irreverent comedy. Take Run Ronnie Run for
instance. This movie is one raunch fest and I loved every minute of it.
Based on HBO's Mr. Show, this goofy, joke-per-second comedy follows lovable
hick Ronnie Dobbs on his trek from nobody to international superstar. It's
obvious that this picture isn't particularly well plotted. It's more a
series of laugh out loud skits. And while comedies of this nature are
usually hit and miss, I'm happy to report that Run Ronnie Run delivers more
often than not. True, much of the goings on here is juvenile but so what.
It's damn funny. This picture also benefits from a stellar roster of cameos,
most notably Jack Black. He's only in one scene but you'll never forget it.
Run Ronnie Run is a comedy in the tradition of Farrelly Brothers stuff. Just
go in and have a good time.
PIPER-HEIDSIECK TRIBUTE
This was something I was really looking forward to. The Piper Heidsieck
tribute honors an individual for there contributions to the independent film
world. This year, it went to Benicio Del Toro. Following a brief and
hilarious introduction by Usual Suspects co-star Kevin Pollack, Del Toro
took the stage to thank everyone for coming. Talk about humble. This guy is
incredibly gracious. The evening lasted about an hour as Usual Suspects and
Way of the Gun creator Christopher McQuarrie proceeded to interview Del Toro
on a variety of topics. As the tribute progressed, Del Toro seemed more at
ease and emerged as the major talent he is. Sadly, he was unable to stick
around for questions, but that didn't matter. Watching him react to his own
work and then comment on it was a pure pleasure. My friend Estee surely
would have run off with him if she had the chance. Hell, the guy was so
damned nice, I couldn't say I would have blamed her if she did.
Unfortunately, we were unable to attend the after party because we had
another screening. I did, however talk to Kevin Pollack. What a cool guy. I
also bumped into Dave Matthews in the parking lot. I guess everyone's a big
Del Toro fan.
BRITNEY, ONE MORE TIME
No, this wasn't a documentary on the pop princess. This was something far more...strange. This sporadically amusing comedy tells the story of a male Britney Spears impersonator and the wild adventures she/he must face in order to meet his idol. I must admit, Robert Stephens does a bang up job posing as Britney. The looks and moves are there. I also liked the dopey performances by American Movie veterans Mark Borchardt and Mike Schank. The big problem here is that the joke wore thin fairly quickly. This is essentially a one trick pony. In fact, this movie tackles similar themes served much more effectively in last year's Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
Although I laughed at moments, I found myself looking at my watch most of
the time. I was also quite bummed that Borchardt and Schank weren't at the
screening. If you get the chance, rent American Movie. It's absolutely
hilarious.
ONE HOUR PHOTO
I just got back from a screening of One Hour Photo. I think you already posted a review, but here's mine. This is the directorial debut of music video director Mark Romanek (Nine Inch Nails, Madonna), so I went in with strong anticipation that, if anything, the film would be visually stunning. To my surprise, this picture was far more character driven. One Hour Photo stars Robin Williams as a lonely, sweet natured film developer that finds himself fixated on a family he meets through his job. It's as if he joins their family through looking at their photographs. What's most interesting is the way Romanek holds back. You may think this picture is going to go in a certain direction and it doesn't. Williams is the key here. This is, perhaps, the most subtle performance of his career ranking up there with his brilliant work in Awakenings and Good Will Hunting. He's creepy, sympathetic and compelling. I was a bit put off by the mystery surrounding the central character's history. I found it quite obvious. I also don't know that I bought the very last image in the picture. Still, One Hour Photo is an oddly intriguing film with good performances and an eerie tone.
I've still got quite a bit of stuff to see. I've been hearing some big buzz on a film called Narc with Ray Liotta and Jason Patric. I'll be checking that one out as well May, Dangerous Life of Altar Boys and several others. I'll also be attending the Awards Banquet. I'll send you some more stuff later.
Adam
