Ahoy, squirts! Quint here again with the Memento Man's opinion on a few Sundance entries, including the latest from Thomas Vinterberg and Lars Von Trier (DEAR WENDY), Mike Binder (THE UPSIDE OF ANGER) and Michael Keaton and Robert Downey Jr. (GAME 6)! Of the three, Memento Man has me the most psyched about THE UPSIDE OF ANGER. Joan Allen sounds intense. "The GARDEN STATE of this year's festival." Ooohhhhh... Count me excited!
Hi Harry,
The weather was fairly nice in Park City today and even Ebert seemed to be in great spirits. Here's what I saw:
DEAR WENDY * * * (Thomas Vinterberg, Denmark, 2005)
Thomas Vinterberg (part of the Dogme gang with his THE CELEBRATION, and also here at Sundance in 2003 with the mediocre IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE) has crafted a new, non-Dogme film that is polarizing audiences like no film I know of since, well, DOGVILLE (Lars Von Trier’s cinematic disaster from last year’s festival.) Now, with DEAR WENDY, the cerebral Von Trier wrote the script and the passionate Vinterberg directed it, creating a tense dynamic reminiscent of the Kubrick/Spielberg cooperative project, A.I. DEAR WENDY is about Dick (Jamie Bell), a pacificist who discovers a gun and finds himself leading a group of outsider teens to a new level of empowerment by combining the principles of pacificism with the “moral strength” provided by guns. Some audience members I talked with found many of DOGVILLE's problems (stilted dialogue, inane ideas about the United States by a writer who has never been here) carried over to DEAR WENDY. However, I think DEAR WENDY creates a stimulating allegory which could be exploring such things as how a supposedly moral country (like America) can suddenly find itself so focused on an idea that it cuts itself off from morality altogether. There is also a message about a culture’s sexualizing of violence. DEAR WENDY could become a cult film with devoted followers on one side and very vocal antagonists on the other. Perhaps “Talkback” will prove me right on this one.
THE UPSIDE OF ANGER * * * ½ (Mike Binder, 2005)
If Kevin Bacon gave the tour-de-force performance at last year’s Sundance (for THE WOODSMAN), I am confident that Joan Allen deserves that honor this year for THE UPSIDE OF ANGER. Allen is brilliant as the often-drunk mother of four daughters who suddenly has to deal with the anger involved when her husband leaves the family. Kevin Costner is there to comfort her, both with booze, and perhaps love. The four daughters are wonderful, particularly the amazing Evan Rachel Wood (who was previously at Sundance in THIRTEEN). Writer-director Binder also has a supporting role as a sleazy radio producer. Nevertheless, this is Allen’s film and she delivers, including a dinner scene that you will never forget. THE UPSIDE OF ANGER masterfully manages difficult mood changes from flat-out hilarity to somber depression and back again. This could be the GARDEN STATE for this year’s festival.
GAME 6 * ½ (Michael Hoffman, 2005)
Michael Keaton is Nicky Rogan, a playwrite who, in October 1986, decides to miss the opening night of his play in order to watch Game 6 of the world series on TV at a local bar. Meanwhile, the strange, Phantom-like critic (Roberd Downey Jr.) along with Nicky’s wife who is intent on divorcing him (Catherine O’Hara) cause him trouble. All we really learn from this inane, illogical film is that the Red Sox can heal all wounds, even if (in 1986) they couldn't win a World Series.
More reviews soon!
Until then, this is Memento Man, signing off!
