Adam's Sundance Report 2

"Ah "dancing on the sun" hard on the feet, oh I've said hard-on, forgive me Mr. Redford lord of Utah. Come come ye saints go oil your neighbors rear"

After about four hours of sleep, The Boneman and I made our way back into the heart of Park City for a long day of cinemania. First thing on our agenda? Getting into a screening of a film called Little Miss Sunshine. There were no press screenings of this particular movie while we were in town, so we gave the wait list thing another shot. Sadly, as was the case with the Opening Night Gala, we didn't get in. Ultimately, Little Miss Sunshine would go on to score one of the biggest paydays in the history of the festival (figures are foggy, but I believe it sold for $10.5 million). The buzz on the movie, which stars Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell and Toni Collette, was staggering, but for whatever reason, it didn't win any awards at the end of the fest. Not that awards necessarily mean anything. Napoleon Dynamite didn't take home any trophies and it went on to gross nearly $80 million domestically. Little Miss Sunshine is slated to open in the summer. Since we missed out on that film, we decided to take in a press screening of a great documentary called Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man.

LEONARD COHEN: I'M YOUR MAN-Grade: B (Read The Boneman's review)

ADAM'S APPLES
Starring Ulrich Thomsen, Mads Mikkelsen, and Paprika Steen

Adam's Apples is a quirky tale about faith, and given the title of the picture, it's no surprise at all that I'm reviewing it. At the very least, I love the title.

In this odd Danish film, the intimidating Ulrich Thomsen is Adam, a middle-aged neo nazi who is sentenced to community service at a tiny, countryside church. Upon arrival, he is welcomed with open arms by Ivan, a gentle man of the cloth. Almost immediately, the crude and extremely hostile Adam is butting heads with the local residents of the church. They include an Arab immigrant who likes robbing gas stations and a one time tennis pro turned cleptomaniac/sex addict. As time rolls by, Adam becomes increasingly bewildered by the mannerisms of those around him, so he opts to do something about it.

Adam's Apples is ultimately a tale about faith lost and found, but the fashion in which this story unfolds, is very unpredictable. This isn't one of those pictures in which an angry, lost individual finds his faith through the love of strangers. If anything, Adam's contact with these people only drives him further away. Furthermore, rather than Adam gaining faith, he actually forces Ivan to confront his. Through a series of seemingly bizarre events, both men transform in ways I wasn't expecting.

Adam's Apples is punctuated by abrupt bursts of violence that will surely have the audience laughing at things they really shouldn't be laughing at (the "cat in the tree" sequence had me giggling like a school girl), but rest assured, that's all part of director Anders Thomas Jensen's plan. Although I must admit, I'm still trying to understand the significance of the Bee Gees' How Deep is Your Love which happens to be playing every time a character turns on a radio in this film.

The performances are offbeat but subtle. Ulrich Thomsen is quietly terrifying as the deadpan Adam. The more he tries to delve into Ivan's turbulent past, the more frustrated he becomes, but ultimately, Adam does change by the end of the film. Madds Mikkelsen is equally effective as Adam's polar opposite. His Ivan is a man of faith, but in an ironic twist of fate, we learn that he's had a much rougher life than Adam. Ivan is in a serious state of denial when it comes to many issues, and Mikkelsen's low key performance suits the tone of this movie perfectly. The way in which he comes to the realization of these particular issues, is handled in an eerily restrained manner.

Again, I can't stress how odd a film this truly is. Through the first half hour or so, I wasn't sure what the hell was going on. As Adam's Apples progressed though, I sort of got sucked into it's strange eccentricities, especially when Ivan's numerous issues start to surface. And while I knew where Adam and Ivan would end up, I had no idea how they'd get there. Their journey is a crazy one, but in a weird way, it does make sense.

Adam's Apples isn't a great movie, but it's so darned unusual that I'd be lying if I said I wasn't fascinated by a large portion of it. In the end, I really found myself warming up to this odd little film.

Grade: B-

OPEN WINDOW - Grade: C (Read The Boneman's review)

THE NIGHT LISTENER
Starring Robin Williams, Toni Collette, Sandra Oh, and Rory Culkin

The Night Listener is a compelling mystery that really works because it puts more of an emphasis on character than on the actual mystery element of the plot. Taking a cue from the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King's Misery, this clever flick had me second guessing on several occasions.

Robin Williams is celebrated writer and radio personality Gabriel. He's most known for the detailed stories he tells about his life on the air-some true and some embellished. After developing a long distance bond with a young listener (Rory Culkin), a strange revelation prompts Gabriel to leave the confines of his home, so that he might put together the pieces of a most fascinating mystery.

The Night Listener is a tough movie to discuss without giving away important plot details, It's rife with rich characterizations that I wish I could tell you more about, but . . .. Gabriel is a lonely man struggling with an on again off again romance, and the friendship that he develops with this young man over the phone is genuinely above board. There's nothing sinister about it. At least, not on Gabriel's part. As for the mystery portion of the film, that last little morsel is all you're going to get from me. Suffice it to say, The Night Listener is a film in which things aren't always as they seem.

Robin Williams is just great here as Gabriel. This is one of his more restrained works (think Awakenings, Dead Poet's Society, and Good Will Hunting), and while I like a manic Williams on occasion, I prefer this side of him. Sometimes audiences forget what a truly focused performer he is, and The Night Listener reminds us. In particular, I love his scenes towards the end of the picture in which we realize that much of the journey he's taken, has been one of self discovery. Toni Collette is wonderfully mysterious as the mother of the little boy Gabriel has bonded with. As was the case in The Sixth Sense, Collette has a vulnerability that breaks the heart, but in The Night Listener, there's a little more edge to her. Sandra Oh (Sideways) and Bobby Cannavale (The Station Agent) are wonderful in bit parts as individuals in Gabriel's life.

Director Patrick Stettner and his screenwriting team do a good job of building undeniable tension without ever losing sight of the characters in this piece. Again, The Night Listener is really a movie about people. The mystery element is just the icing on the cake. I do think the film makers go a little too far with the ending - a scene that reminds me a bit of the ending of an entertaining 80's thriller called The Stepfather. Overall however, I found The Night Listener to be enjoyably compelling.. Williams is terrific and he really sells the journey.

Grade: B

GLASTONBURY
Starring David Bowie, The Chemical Brothers, Coldplay, and Joan Baez
Not starring OASIS!

Glastonbury is a lively (if a tad tiring) documentary on the famed U.K. festival, and will be of particular interest to fans of the British rock scene. I am a fan of the British rock scene, so I enjoyed the film even though I did feel it runs a little too long (it's in the neighborhood of two and a half hours.)

Upon arriving to this screening, we met up with our buddies Andy, Sheldon, Jeff, and Josh. They're all professed fans of British rock as well, so they were quite pumped to see the movie. Andy in particular was giddy at the idea that he might get to see some rare footage from his favorite band Oasis.

Before the screening, I turned to my left to see who I thought was director Julien Temple standing against the wall of the packed screening room. I leaned over and asked if he was in fact Julien Temple. He replied with a resounding "yes"! He then asked who I was to which I sheepishly replied; "I'm nobody". He laughed and said; "You're not nobody...Adam." Before I knew it, we were engaged in an interesting little conversation. Nothing important. Just small chit chat about music and such. At one point, I asked if we could expect some big time Oasis footage, because my buddy Andy was such a huge fan. Temple flashed us a devilish grin and said; "no". Andy fired back with; "why not?" Temple replied by saying; "we had to cut all the crappy stuff out of the film". Temple then began to laugh as did Andy. Temple's producing partner then went on to tell us that there would be Oasis footage on the DVD. Andy was finally at peace.

I've always wanted to go to the famed Glastonbury festival, but I've never had a chance to make it. Thankfully, this film serves as an insightful recap of the last thirty plus years.

Included, several intense live performances including the likes of Morrissey, Coldplay, The Chemical Brothers, Bjork, David Gray, Joan Baez, and David Bowie. The film follows the history of the festival dating back to it's first year-1970-when it was simply a modest roster of bands playing to a group of hippies on Michael Eavis' 150 acre farm. Basically, it was the British equivalent of Woodstock.

Obviously, Glastonbury has become a much bigger deal these days, and like other festivals that have evolved through the years (i.e. Sundance), it has turned into a money making monster that shows no signs of going away. But, as is the case with Sundance, it's a beautiful thing if you go in with the right mind set. Glastonbury is essentially about people coming together with a common bond-The love of music.

Julien Temple has painstakingly sifted through hours upon hours of archival footage to capture what is ultimately a mere snap shot of what many proclaim to be the most beloved rock festival in the world.

Glastonbury won't appeal to everyone. But for those of us who have been there or who've always dreamed of going, this is a magical (and exhausting) glimpse into a British rock lover's wet dream. Personally, I hope to make it there someday.

Grade: B

SUBJECT 2
Starring Christian Oliver, Dean Stapleton, Courtney Mace, and Jurgen Jones

Subject 2 is a low budget monster movie that gets a lot of mileage out of a beautiful, snowy backdrop, and a lead that so resembles a young Jack Nicholson, that I had to do a double take the second he appeared on screen.

In this sort of contemporary take on Frankenstein, Christian Oliver is Adam Schmidt, an eager medical student looking for something out of the norm. He finds it in the form of the reclusive Dr. Franklin Vick (Dean Stapleton), a determined scientist on the verge of a medical breakthrough. It appears that Vick is only a step away from conquering brain death. Together, this doctor and his new assistant work in their isolated cabin so that they might achieve the unthinkable. Before long, however, it is clear that Vick has plans for the unsuspecting Adam.

Dean Stapleton's uncanny resemblance to a One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest era Jack Nicholson is more eerie than anything in the actual film. He's got it down right to the ski cap and famed devilish grin. In fact, it really got to a point when his involvement was downright distracting. As the film progressed though, I really began to get a kick out of him. He really brings the movie to life as it were.

Christian Oliver by comparison is unable to match Stapleton's intensity, but then his Adam is a much more low key character anyway.

Director Philip Chidel is clearly a fan of Frankenstein but it's apparent that he has a fondness for H.P. Lovecraft as well. There are moments here that reminded me a little of Stuart Gordon's take on Re-Animator, but Subject 2 is far less extreme. While this film isn't without it's occasional bursts of violence, it's clearly more talkie than showy. Restraint probably dictated more by budget than anything.

Subject 2 tends to get a little too silly for it's own good which is a shame, because it does offer up a fair share of promising ideas. Thankfully, the film uses it's Rocky Mountain backdrop to it's fullest advantage. The location certainly brings a much welcome isolated tone to the proceedings.

In the end, I wasn't overwhelmed by Subject 2. It certainly had it's moments, but the pacing was a little off for me. Granted that might of had something to do with the fact that this was my sixth movie of the day. On the other hand, if Re-Animator had been my sixth film of the day, I don't think I would have had a problem with it's pacing.

Grade: C+

Watch for my third and final report. It's a good one. It features some of the very best films I saw at the festival. Included; Thank You For Smoking, Everyone Stares: The Police Inside and Out, and The Descent.