Ahh….winter in New England. Fortunately, this year hasn’t been nearly as cold and snowy as it has been in years past. (Hoping I didn’t just jinx the weather gods and in turn, impact my winter golf game. Yes, I golf year-round – I am lucky to have friends who are just as…..crazy? sick? dedicated? Yeah, that’s it). Even though it’s been relatively mild this year, winter can still be pretty dreary, but it’s a great time to go to the movies, right? Not so fast.
We are in the dredges of the movie season – I mean, the absolute low of low. Granted, there are still a lot of excellent films from 2019 in the theaters and coming out on streaming, which is great for those who still need to catch up on some of these recent releases. But for new films, it’s pretty grim and it actually makes a lot of sense. Studios usually reserve their biggest potential moneymakers for the busy summer season, and for the fall award season. A lot of people just don’t go to the movies in January and February. Sometimes a movie looks promising on paper, but when it starts to come together, the studio realizes it’s not going to be that great and will push it for release during the early part of the calendar, just to get it released and earn something at the box office. This is usually why it’s rare to see strong reviews for movies released this early in the year. Want a laugh? Go read some of the reviews for Dolittle and Fantasy Island. I may be a film nerd, but I’m still not going to see those movies. No thanks.
So, you may be asking why I am devoting this week’s post to films. Good question. And I have a good answer – I like to plan and make lists. (Former colleagues of mine are sadly nodding their heads right now – I used to drive them crazy with my lists.) There are a lot of great films on the horizon this year and a number of them recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. I have been reading some of the reviews from the festival and listening to some podcasts to put together a list for this year, so I thought I’d share what I am looking forward to. I’ve only seen a few of these, so no guarantees on these recommendations.
The Sundance Film Festival
Let’s start with some background. The Sundance Film Festival takes place each year in Utah, and its origins date back more than 40 years, with heavy involvement at the beginning by Robert Redford. The main goal of the festival is to highlight new work from independent American and international filmmakers. There are typically a large number of films from all over the world screened over the course of ten days, culminating in an award ceremony where films, writers, and directors are honored by both the festival jury and the audience.
This year included over 150 movies, ranging from features to documentaries to short films. Some of these filmmakers already had distribution agreements in place before the festival, but capitalized on a premiere at Sundance to help create more buzz for their movie (you probably read about one of them which I will highlight below). But for the other filmmakers, Sundance offers the opportunity to not only screen their work, but to make a deal with a studio to buy and distribute their films. The popularity of the festival has increased significantly in the last 25 years, helping to launch the careers of directors Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Kevin Smith, Paul Thomas Anderson and David O. Russell, among others. With so many streaming services searching for new content, the demand at Sundance and other festivals creates a competitive market for the best of the best films. While sometimes these deals can turn into a huge success (like Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs in 1992), others can prove to be a huge miscalculation (like Amazon’s record $13M purchase last year of Late Night, which underperformed at the box office.) Each year, there are usually a handful of movies that receive great recognition at the festival by critics, audiences or from the awards committee. Previous big hits to premiere at Sundance include The Blair Witch Project, The Usual Suspects, Clerks, Whiplash, Get Out, and Manchester by the Sea. So, there is a history of films turning positive reviews at Sundance into box office success.
Based on the reviews I read, I tried to pull together a list of movies that interest me and hopefully will interest you. Of course, there’s the balancing act of learning enough about a movie to see if it interests you with learning too much and having it spoiled. To me, if it has a director or cast members with strong track records, or has a compelling story, or created a competitive bidding war, I’m usually game to give it a try. And of course, there are the trailers (if they are available) but trailers can either help or hurt a movie’s appeal. There will definitely be a future blog post about the art of making a successful movie trailer and how they can go horribly wrong. Moving on from that diversion, here’s what I’m looking forward to, organized in a few categories, because that’s what I like to do.
Feature Films – Looks Promising
Minari – Probably the most anticipated movie coming out of the festival. It received great reviews across the board and won both the U.S. Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award: Dramatic (Best Picture equivalents at Sundance). It is the story of a Korean family who moves to Arkansas in the 1980s to pursue the American dream while starting a farm. This will likely be a movie we are talking about later this year when it is released by A24, one of the best independent film companies around, responsible for such recent hits Moonlight, Lady Bird, The Farewell and Uncut Gems.
Shirley – A young couple, hoping to start a new life, moves in with author Shirley Jackson (played by Elizabeth Moss) and her husband. Things turn crazy when they get wrapped up in the couple’s psycho drama, which becomes an inspiration for Jackson’s next novel. This film was just bought by Neon, the studio whose recent releases include I, Tonya and last year’s Best Picture winner, Parasite. This looks like it could be a good psychological thriller and Moss is outstanding in everything she does. Speaking of which, I just saw her excellent new film, The Invisible Man. If you like scary movies, this is one that I highly recommend. It has a great story, plenty of scares throughout and Moss is fantastic as a woman trying to escape the memory of her ex, who may or may not be dead.
Palm Springs – An unconventional romantic comedy with Andy Samberg attending a wedding in the desert, but stuck repeating the same day over and over again with his miserable girlfriend. He meets the bride’s sister, played by Cristin Milioti, who also gets sucked into the same time loop. While this type of narrative has been done many times before, ranging from the goofy (Groundhog Day) to the very cool (Edge of Tomorrow), I’m willing to give this a shot as Samberg and Milioti are very good. The reviews for this were strong and the film was jointly acquired by Neon and Hulu for a record price. Look for this one in the theaters and probably on Hulu shortly thereafter.
Downhill – This is one of the few movies that premiered at the festival that has already had a theatrical release. It stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell as a couple on a skiing vacation with their two boys in Austria. After a near miss with an avalanche, the couple goes through an existential crisis about their marriage and future together. I saw this film and liked it a lot, but I will manage your expectations if you check this one out. Despite starring two comedy legends, this isn’t Anchorman or Veep. While it has some very funny moments, there are some dramatic and cringe-worthy moments (especially by Ferrell playing the clueless husband.). While I am a bit tired of Ferrell’s schtick lately, he is very good in this movie and Louis-Dreyfus is excellent, as usual.
Feature Films – Intrigued, But Not Sure
A few quick hits on some movies that look interesting, but I’m not sure if they will be good, or if they will be for me.
Ironbark – Benedict Cumberbatch plays a British businessman who helps the CIA prevent the Cuban Missile Crisis. Cast also includes Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and Jessie Buckley (who was excellent in last year’s underrated Wild Rose).
Worth – Michael Keaton plays a powerful D.C. attorney who is appointed Special Master of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, dealing with the politics, bureaucracy, and emotion of his new job. I like Keaton and this story looks promising, so fingers crossed that this is a good one.
The Climb – The friendship of two buddies takes a turn for the worse during a bike race in France when one discovers the other had an affair with his fiancé. The story is told through flashbacks, in addition to the race scenes. This is a buddy comedy, albeit with uncomfortable moments, that received good reviews at the festival.
Never Rarely Sometimes Always – This film tells the story of a young woman, struggling with an unplanned pregnancy, who travels from Pennsylvania to New York with her cousin. This movie has received excellent reviews, especially for the lead actress (Sidney Flanigan, in her acting debut). While this film may be a difficult watch, it might be worth checking out. It was acquired by Focus Features, with a planned release in March.
Feature Films – Stay Away
The Last Thing He Wanted – Consider this your Public Service Announcement to save yourself two hours. A journalist pursuing an international government scandal in 1980s Central America with Anne Hathaway, Ben Affleck and Willem Dafoe? Sounds great, right? Not even close – this was a mess. The plot was so confusing throughout, the acting was very campy and it just didn’t work. This film has received terrible reviews and will likely be on the worst films of the year list when we finish 2020. As much as I marvel at how a great movie can come together (and sometimes take it for granted), I wonder how a movie like this can go so wrong – I mean the filmmakers and actors didn’t set out to make a bad movie – how did it end up like this? This is streaming on Netflix now, but I recommend you pass.
Feature Films – Could Be Batshit Crazy, But Might Work?
Will I check these out? Probably. Will I like them? Who knows?
The 40-Year-Old Version – Director Rahda Blank (who won the Best Directing award at the festival) plays herself, a struggling playwright who decides to reinvent herself….as a rapper. This one was acquired by Netflix, so look for this one on streaming soon.
Promising Young Woman – This movie looks intriguing (and downright creepy) based on the previews I’ve seen. Carey Mulligan plays a young woman who decides to take revenge on the sleazy men who take advantage of drunk women at bars.
Nine Days – Not much I can say about this film, which won the Best Screenwriting award at Sundance, except this description: A reclusive man interviews prospective candidates – personification of human souls – for the right to be born. Ok, then. Thinks that’s the craziest plot from the festival? Challenge accepted – please keep reading.
Zola – OK, stay with me here. I’m not making this up. This film is based on a 148 tweet Twitter thread about a waitress and stripper who meet and take a road trip from Detroit to Tampa, and the craziness that occurs. Yes, it’s a true story from 2015. The cast includes Nicholas Braun, who is hilarious as Cousin Greg on Succession. This movie created so much buzz, it was picked up by Sony for distribution in theaters.
Documentaries – Serious Side
The Sundance Film Festival has been known for consistently showcasing a strong slate of documentaries each year. For instance, last year’s Oscar winner for Best Documentary (American Factory) premiered there a year ago. Documentaries can usually be about serious subjects, but sometimes they can be lighthearted too. Let’s start with some of the more dramatic films.
Boys State – Probably the best received documentary at Sundance (It won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize for Documentaries), this movie tells the story of the annual Boys State program, where students participate in an experiment where they form a mock government and run their “society”. The film documents over one thousand 17-year old boys coming together in Texas and the conflicts that arise. I remember hearing about Boys State when I was in high school and I am fascinated to see what this looks like in today’s environment where the extreme fringes of political ideologies have gone off the rails in this country. Boys State was acquired by A24 and Apple for $12M, setting a festival record for documentaries.
Crip Camp – Winner of the Audience Award for Documentaries, an inspiring story about a summer camp for disabled teenagers that was formed in upstate New York in the 1970s. This film comes from Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company, which also produced American Factory. Their production partnership is with Netflix, who will stream Crip Camp in March.
Assassins – The story of two women who assassinated the half-brother of Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, asking the question if they were trained killers or pawns of the dictator. This one could be very disturbing, but also very fascinating.
On the Record – You may have read about this film as the festival was about to begin, when Oprah Winfrey pulled her support as executive producer, due to creative differences with the filmmakers. On the Record is about the sexual assault allegations against music mogul Russell Simmons and includes a number of interviews with his victims. Following its premiere at the festival, it received very strong reviews, citing the courage of the accusers in telling their stories. Apple was originally attached to this film, but pulled their support following Winfrey’s exit. It was later picked up by HBO Max for their new streaming service launching this year.
Documentaries – Lighter Side
OK, so maybe these aren’t “light” movies, but they have to be “lighter” than the ones above, right? Let’s see.
Dick Johnson is Dead – Well, maybe I should have started with a different title, but hear me out. This movie was universally loved at the festival given its unique storytelling style from director Kirsten Johnson. She films her 86-year-old father as he grapples with retirement and the onset of dementia. Given their dark senses of humor and her innovative filmmaking style, they have fun imagining different ways he might die. Look for it on Netflix later this year.
Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind – A film celebrating the life and career of the accomplished actress who tragically drowned at the age of 43 in 1981. This movie was co-produced by Wood’s daughter and will premiere on HBO.
Taylor Swift: Miss Americana – The film that probably got the most mainstream media buzz during the festival, given Swift’s worldwide popularity and the film’s debut on Netflix shortly after its premiere at Sundance. Combining concert footage, home movies and excellent footage of Swift writing and recording in the studio, you see the ups and downs of her day to day life. As I was watching this, I couldn’t help but think what a strange existence it must be for her to live her life every day. I’ve got further thoughts on this that I am going to save for a future post. Back to the film: While her struggles with how vocal she should be on politics was somewhat interesting, the best parts were seeing the creative process unfold in the studio. As I have mentioned before, I am fascinated by how musicians are able to craft together music and lyrics into a work product that inspires people. I could have watched much more footage of her in the studio with her producers and other musicians. When we finished watching this, our first reaction was how amazingly talented she is – and she’s only 30.
The Go-Go’s – Ok, we’ve already established that I love music documentaries, so I’m in for this one. A long overdue film about one of the defining bands of the 1980s, who established themselves as music pioneers – an all-female band who wrote their own music, sold a ton of albums and kicked ass. This will debut on Showtime later this year and was directed by Alison Ellwood, who made the fantastic documentary The History of the Eagles.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s post and found a few movies to put on your list to see this year. This list just covered those films released at Sundance – there are a lot more movies coming this year that I am looking forward to, so I’ll have another 2020 movie preview coming up soon. See you next week….
Another enjoyable blog. Thanks for sharing Steve.
Thanks for another great post Steve! Perhaps I need to retire as there isn’t enough time in my life to watch all these intriguing films. Hope you get out on the course this weekend!