7 More Films

When I started my week at Sundance, I thought I would have time to write a detailed review of every film I saw. How naive. I have seen 9 films so far at the festival, and none of them have been as easy to digest as Mary Poppins or Despicable Me 2. 

If I am not watching a movie, I'm either taking the bus to the next theatre or blabbing about the movie I just saw to the person standing next to me. (If you have been that person for me this week, I thank you!) 

While I can't write the length of a Mitt or Return to Homs review before I go to bed, I do want to make a note of all the films I have seen so I can keep track.

Hellion - This screening was held in the Eccles auditorium - the largest screening venue at Sundance. The media and Breaking Bad fans were abuzz about Aaron Paul, but I was excited about the appearance of an up-and-coming actor, Josh Wiggins. Wiggins played the role of Jacob, a young teenager who is using rebellion to grieve the loss of his mother. The acting was top-notch. Unfortunately, the kids' affinity for the f-word and the film's unsatisfying ending doesn't make me want to watch it again anytime soon.

Little Hope was Arson - A documentary about church burnings in rural Texas. It is told largely from the community's point of view, as well as the families of the criminals. My biggest complaint were there were too many "talking heads;" this worked sometimes, but at certain points in the film extra b-roll or reenactments could have helped keep the film from dragging. This movie had a great message about how there are multiple sides to every story.

Web Junkies - The filmmakers of this documentary wanted to show how virtual reality can become an addiction. The movie takes place inside a boarding school in China where parents send their kids to become more disciplined. None of the kids want to be at the camp - all they want to do is go back home and play World of Warcraft. There were several reasons I didn't fancy this film: 1) There was no story arc, 2) I watched it at 10:00pm, 3) I had to go to the bathroom. Who am I kidding...reason number three is probably why I just wanted to get out of there.

Kidnapped for Christ - I won't be able to say much about this film, because to be honest, I am still processing it. And I will be for a while. The premise is heartbreaking: Parents have their children kidnapped and sent to a Christian boarding school in the Dominican Republic to "straighten them out." The documentary deals with the abuse these children experience behind closed doors at the camp. Does it sound like a hard movie to watch? You have no idea. There are more issues in this film than there are copies of National Geographic, so I will have to save my thoughts for another day.

Captivated: The Trials of Pamela Smart - A huge "Thank You" to my sister Julie for helping me wait-list this film while I was in another movie screening! On the surface, it is a documentary about a woman who was faced with life in prison for having teenage boys murder her husband. But on a deeper level, as I concluded from talking with the director after the screening, it is about how the media shapes our perception of people and events. Through interviews we learn that there are two "Pamela Smarts" - the real Pamela and the shallow Pamela who people perceive from the news and movie re-enactments. The only reason I would recommend this film is the amazing style the director uses to tell a story that has potential to be dull. I could give many examples, but he employs methods usually used in feature films into his documentary to "captivate" the audience and hold their attention. There is some objectionable content in this one.

Documentary Showcase - A collection of short documentary films. My favorite was called, The Lion's Mouth Opens. It was about a woman who goes with her friends to the doctor to find out if she has Huntington's disease. My least favorite was a movie about these two guys who steal sewer covers to get money by selling the iron. (At least I think that's what the movie was about.) The biggest surprise of the showcase was the Russian film, Love. Love. Love. Its description in the Sundance guidebook reads: "Every year, through the endless winters, her love takes new shapes and forms." We all thought, oh great, this is going to be one of those films. Thankfully, it was a very pleasant and clean film where people talk about what love means to them at different stages of life.

The Overnighters - An unforgettable documentary about a pastor who faces opposition from his community and congregation because he lets struggling workers sleep in his church. I'm not going to give to much of the plot away, because there are many twists and turns that made it a compelling story from start to finish. There is nothing I would have cut out. This is a far cry from a happy film, but it still filled me with hope. (The hope that Kidnapped for Christ took away from me.) It ultimately shares a message that God wants to love broken people, and we're all broken. Have your tissues ready, especially if you've worked in the ministry. 

Good gracious me, look at the time. I'd better call it quits so I don't fall asleep in a screening tomorrow. Night.

Filmmaker and Pastor at Q&A after The Overnighters

Presidents and Rebels

I would like to start by saying how difficult it is after a day of being at Sundance Film Festival to sit down and relay my experiences in a coherent, organized way. Sundance is so chaotic, with many ideas being hurled at me; sometimes it feels like an emotional roller coaster. And I love it. 

Today I saw two documentary films: Mitt and Return to Homs. The settings in these movies are very different. One film takes place in crisp hotel rooms across the USA, and the other film brings the viewer into the devastated streets of a city in Syria. I would like to briefly expand my thoughts on both.

Mitt

I saw the trailer for Mitt several months ago and was immediately attracted to the idea of the film. A documentarian followed the Romney family over a period of 6 years, getting a behind-the-scenes glimpse into their lives from Mitt Romney's 2008 Republican run all the way to the 2012 presidential election. The audience is essentially a mouse in the corner of the Romneys' private lives. We see their most intimate family moments right up until Mitt prepares his concession speech as his family sheds tears around him. 

I am going to pull out a fancy film word here: cinéma vérité. It is a term that literally means, "cinema truth," and refers to a style of filmmaking that stresses unbiased realism. In most cases of cinéma vérité, the director just stands back and turns on the camera as reality takes its course. Mitt comes very close to this type of documentary, but occasionally the film's director, Greg Whiteley, crosses into the world of the Romney Family to ask a question. But this is always in the context of the location - there are never any "talking head" interviews in front of a backdrop in a studio. If Mitt Romney is in a hotel room, Greg interviews him on-the-fly in the hotel room. 

There were parts of the second half of the movie that I felt could have benefited from background music in order to hold the audience's attention. Music was used effectively in the first act and helped pull the emotion out in an appropriate way. Other times silence was the filmmaker's most powerful weapon. (Spoiler Warning) For example, in the last scene of the film, Mitt and Ann go back into their house the day after losing the election. Mitt collapses in his chair, looking out the living room window. Ann sits down on the couch and lets out a deep sigh. If this closing scene would have been covered by music it would have lost its raw authenticity. The director made the right choice to leave the bare, natural sound here.

I appreciated the film more after hearing the director talk during a Q&A session after the film. Whiteley said he didn't want to make the audience feel one way or another about Mitt Romney, he just wanted to document the whole experience. He leaves the audience to decide for themselves how they feel about Mitt as the credits roll.

Return to Homs

After watching Return to Homs, I realized I came into Sundance with a tragic misconception. I expected the international films to portray people from different countries (specifically the Middle East) the way I have seen them portrayed on the news - bodies running around, shooting at each other, without personalities and names. This film rattled me. It opened my eyes and filled me with compassion.

The film follows two young Syrian men - around my age, in fact - over the course of three years as they fight to protect their hometown of Homs and its people from the government. The main leader, Basset, is shaken as he watches his best friends become martyrs for their cause. 

It would be unfair for me to not mention the danger the filmmakers were in as they made this movie. Bombs go off near the lens, people surrounding the camera are battered and bloodied, and the camera remains steady and in-focus the entire time. (My friend and I joked that the cameramen in Return to Homs did a better job keeping focus than Mitt did in a hotel room.) Sadly, after the screening the filmmakers informed us that one of the cameramen died on the field just two weeks ago. 

After the film, I was expecting a thunderous applause and emotional, tear-filled questions from the audience. The response from the Sundance crowd was disappointing. One woman stood up and essentially said she thought the filmmakers did an awful job choosing the main characters. (The audience booed her and she was cut off. I wanted to slap her in the face.) This was the first showing of the film in the USA, and I was so sad we didn't show the filmmakers more respect. 

One of the filmmakers concluded by saying that their objective was simply to help Americans care about what is going on in Syria. There are real people in that country with personal stories, and we all share the same earth with them. As my professor Kathy said, these filmmakers weren't at Sundance for vanity, but because they were desperate to have a platform to voice their story.

After the film, I was able to shake the hand of the director and tell him how Return to Homs impacted me for the better. Hopefully, responses like mine will make them feel like it was worth it to risk their lives to tell a story. 

It goes without saying that I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow at Sundance!

Sundance -- And We're Off!

Dear Reader,

When I was a wee freshman putting together my four-year-plan, I decided to plop the "Sundance Study Trip" in the junior year J-term spot. It seemed like years away. Now it's here, and Day 1 is done!

I am going to try to keep you guys updated throughout the trip as time allows. This may include short movie reviews and stories. Mind you, this is not the official blog for the trip, just Keith's personal one.

The highlights of today were witnessing the majesty of Utah's mountains and meeting a Grandma named Donna.

Tomorrow I am seeing the documentary Return to Homs, which I am very excited about. Also going to explore the town and meet up with my cousin, Tim, who is also at Sundance. I would encourage you all to branch out and watch some new movies yourselves this week, even if you can't go to Sundance! Any day can be a movie day!

Love from Utah,
Keith

Cantrell Hails Life As 'Five-Stars' So Far

INDIANAPOLIS - Film critic Keith Cantrell has only finished watching one-fifth of Life, but he paused this morning to publish a review of what he thinks so far. "It is unlike anything I've ever seen," he said. "The storyline had me right from the start."

Cantrell is confident all the main characters have been introduced, but he is still puzzled on the identity of the leading lady. He reassured: "Don't worry. The good stories keep you guessing until the last possible second about love. Then you realize it was obvious all along."

Cantrell's biggest regret is that the characters Grandma B. and Grandpa J. had to make their exit in the first act. However, he is certain their love and generous contributions will impact the rest of the story. 

What impresses Cantrell most about Life so far? "The little things. Every prop, extra, and wardrobe piece adds to the experience of Life. Many people overlook these things, but you must pay attention to the details to find full enjoyment," he said.

He would like to express thanks to the director - God - for coming up with the idea of Life and bringing great performances out of actors that "don't really know what they're doing." 

Cantrell is currently getting a refill of buttered popcorn before he goes back to watch the remainder of Life. 

"I would have changed a few things if I had written the script," he concluded. "But then again, it's not over yet."

Critic Keith Cantrell