The best place to see “L.A. Times” is unquestionably L.A. — more to the point, probably the Los Feliz or the Vista theaters over by the hipster enclaves of Silver Lake and vicinity. But it’s safe to say that a very good second option would be the Sundance Film Festival, where writer-director-actor Michelle Morgan’s comedy had its world premiere on Friday night.
“L.A. Times” is an indie rom-com for the 21st century, steeped in the trends and foibles of trendy Millennials who work in or around the entertainment industry. It’s a film made for audiences with personal experience negotiating Santa Monica Blvd. with or without Waze, finding the food truck of the week and living in a place where everybody you know is working on a script, or at least on an idea that might turn into a script someday, maybe, with financing from that rich Brazilian guy that their friend knows.
The Sundance audience at the Library Theatre on Friday contained a hefty helping of those people, but beyond that it was an indie-film audience for sure. And the audience relished tossed off lines like “we met at Bonaroo,” “my Uber driver and I have never been to Glassell Park,” and this exchange:
“I thought it was movie night. I thought we were going to watch ‘Tokyo Story.'”
Although there’s a hint of a Woody Allen homage in the opening credits, “L.A. Times” is made by and for the opposite coast from Woody’s urban tales. It’s an L.A. story, but for a generation that doesn’t automatically read its title as a newspaper reference. (For the record, the paper had nothing to do with this movie and isn’t even mentioned in it.)
“I wrote this movie because I love L.A., and I also hate it,” Morgan said at a post-screening Q&A. “The characters were inspired by real-life people, but the situations were kind of made up.”
The romantic comedy shifting between people in a large group of offbeat friends is of course a time-honored genre, and Morgan certainly isn’t out to subvert it or overhaul it. This is a gentle, genial update, consistently amusing and always likable; it may not break new ground, but it finds enough of new jokes, and Morgan’s obvious love of language gives it an extra charge.
(I mean, one of her characters unself-consciously uses the word eschew in the first few minutes of the movie, and gets away with it.)
The story centers on Annette and Elliott (Morgan and Jorma Taccone), a couple of writers; she’s mostly given up on writing, but he’s on a successful (if obviously schlocky) TV series full of mighty sword-wielding warriors glorying in their disembowelments. We follow Annette and Elliott through a breakup, while also dropping in on the lives of their friends: the girlfriend who sleeps with men too quickly (Dree Hemingway), the guy in love with his cousin (Kentucker Audley) and the TV star looking for women who aren’t too demanding (Adam Shapiro), among many others.
All the jokes at L.A.’s expense are pretty mild, but Morgan makes for a delightfully annoying leading lady (her character’s boyfriend says he fell for her after watching her complain at a restaurant). And she’s also a quirky enough director to not make the familiar tropes feel like rehashes.
She likes to shoot dialogue in single shots rather than using coverage, and she loves odd framing: putting characters in the corner of the frame, or shooting them to cut off their bodies and show lots of open space above them, or in one instance filming a phone conversation with the lead character’s face out of the shot, visible only in reflection on a glass coffee table.
These idiosyncrasies come across less as grand cinematic statements than as Morgan trying to have a little fun. But that makes perfect sense, because having fun is kind of the point here, and the Sundance audience did just that.
Now, they just need to hope that audiences out of Park City and west of the San Andreas Fault get the jokes.
Sundance Parties: 11 Celebrities Going to Park City Without a Film (Photos)
Starring in a buzzy indie film is no longer the price of admission at Sundance. From A-list producers (Matt Damon), to Youtube icons (Gigi Gorgeous and Tyler Oakley), and buzzy celebrity couples (Kate Upton and Justin Verlander), here's who you will see "off screen" around Park City. Keep your head on a swivel.
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Model Kate Upton and MLB Pitching Ace Justin Verlander
The model and her Detroit Tigers pitching star fiancé will be promoting a branded content series they made for Condé Nast and Golf Digest.
Saturday, Jan. 21 at Rock & Reilly’s
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Matt Damon
Last year Damon hit it big with the sale of “Manchester By the Sea” to Amazon. This year, he’s returning to Park City to talk up his Water.org charity and a new partnership with Stella Artois. The film-friendly brew partners up with Jason Bourne for the next four years to provide clean water to 3.5 million people.
Saturday afternoon (Jan. 21) at the Stella Artois Lounge on Main. On Monday Jan. 23, a doc he executive produced "Bending the Arc" premieres.
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But have I seen this before?
Yes, you have.
Damon's dedication is not a "one-off." He made the same case a year ago during the Flint, Michigan water crisis. Water.org co-founder Gary White is on the left.
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Youtubing Transgender Pioneer Gigi Gorgeous
The transgender icon is the exception on this list - she has a movie. The feature documentary “This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous” has a world premiere at the Marc on Tuesday, January 24 at 5:30 p.m.
A two-time Oscar winner directed the YouTube Red Original, the video giant’s in-house studio which runs an expansive program of consumer and industry events during the festival. Word is Monday night's music showcase is one not to miss.
Jan 19-24 at the YouTube House on Main.
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John Legend
You can't escape the “La La Land” momentum.
Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling's co-star is not routing the Oscar frontrunner’s run to the Academy Awards through Park City.
Instead, the frequent Sundance attendee is promoting and hosting a party for the TV show he executive produces, WGN’s “Underground.”
Saturday night, Jan. 21 at Riverhorse on Main
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Sushi by Chef Nobu
The chef and partner in Robert De Niro's top shelf sushi outposts won't be there himself, but his plates will.
Executive Chef Gregorio Stephenson will be hosting comped meals for private parties (as in social groups, not just film parties) over the first weekend. Like everything else, reservations are taken by invitation only.
AT&T's Village at the Lift, Friday and Saturday nights (Jan. 20-21)
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Tiesto and Marshmello
Popular electronic music's "Adam" (Tiesto) and the breakout new kid of the last year (Marshmello, right) play Park City Live's ticketed "Snow Fest," a lineup that also includes Busta Rhymes, Zedd, and Doug E. Fresh. By day, PCL is "The Hub" hosting interviews with Marie Claire magazine and some high end technology from the Consumer Technology Association.
Friday Jan. 20: Marshmello
Saturday Jan. 21: Tiesto, presented by AwesomenessTV.
427 Main Street. Snow Fest tickets available to the general public. By day, "The Hub" is private.
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Diplo
The multi-hyphenate creative has so much going he needs to come to Park City on both weekends of the festival. Details below:
Rolling in after the premiere of her primetime Fox show "My Kitchen Rules" just last week, the Iron Chef is cooking up one installment of ChefDance that will be a benefit for Operation Smile.
Monday night, Jan. 23. at ChefDance in the Memorial Building (427 Main St.)
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"Chopped" Judge Marcus Samuelsson
The broadcast food critic and Harlem restauranteur (Red Rooster Harlem, Streetbird Rotisserie) whips up the menu for Damon’s Water.org event.
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Digital A-Lister and LGBT Icon Tyler Oakely
The social media A-lister isn’t going to the film festival on account of his 2015 documentary “Snervous.” Instead, it’s because in 2017 only an elitist indie cine-snob would marginalize Youtube videos and their creators in a lower arts tier from film/video shorts.
YouTube agrees. They are the festival’s official shorts partner (5 years running). Check out Tyler's panel, “YouTube and Using Your Platform for Change."
Saturday, Jan. 21 at the Cinetransformer Mobile Theater
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..and a hint of Taylor Swift coming to the next major celebrity industry gathering.
DirecTV throws the largest Super Bowl party every year with performers like Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, Usher, and Jay-Z headlining past installments. This year, Taylor Swift is on tap for Houston.
Sans Swift, DirecTV is promoting the new DirecTV Now service and it's deep business with the NFL, by hosting an AFC/NFC Championship watch party at corporate parent’s AT&T Village at the Lift.
Sunday, Jan. 22. 1 p.m. – 7 p.m.
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For more on the party scene in Park City, click below to browse 5 of The Party Report's top invites for the festival.
Find out why Matt Damon and John Legend will be at the wintry festival, from The Party Report’s Mikey Glazer
Starring in a buzzy indie film is no longer the price of admission at Sundance. From A-list producers (Matt Damon), to Youtube icons (Gigi Gorgeous and Tyler Oakley), and buzzy celebrity couples (Kate Upton and Justin Verlander), here's who you will see "off screen" around Park City. Keep your head on a swivel.