Sundance So Far: A Muted Festival Struggles for Attention in Chaotic Times

by Steve Pond | January 27, 2020 @ 6:00 AM

Sundance 2020: While the fest has showcased a number of strong films, often with political messages, it’s also a Sundance full of cautious buyers and distracted viewers

Kobe Bryant. The Trump impeachment trial. The Grammy Awards, happening on a night when nobody is sure if a Grammy statuette is worth a damn. Bernie v. Elizabeth v. Joe v. Mayor Pete. Five awards shows in one night.

And, oh yeah, there’s a film festival going on here in Park City, Utah. But is Sundance really a priority for anybody at this particular moment in time?

If you judge by the crowds on Main Street or the number of indie filmmakers criss-crossing the town, yes. But distribution deals have been slow to materialize and the excitement of being part of the first audience at a Sundance sensation hasn’t really emerged. This feels like a muted Sundance — muted by this year’s crop of films, muted by what’s happening in the world down at sea level and muted by the knowledge that those eight-figure deals over the last few years haven’t produced any real returns.

A Sundance full of cautious buyers and distracted viewers is not a prime Sundance — this, after all, is a fest that needs some audience hysteria and few good bidding wars to hit its stride. But this year, it seems, the festival and its indie filmmakers are struggling for attention in chaotic times.

Also Read: Sundance 2020: Every Movie Sold So Far, From 'The Father' to 'Mucho Mucho Amor'

Indie-film veteran Cassian Elwes summed it up pretty succinctly in a tweet on Sunday afternoon: “Man I used to have such fun selling movies in Sundance creating crazy behavior amongst the buyers, using the altitude to (make) them irrational with the press eating it up. I don’t think it happens like this so much anymore. Perhaps that’s a good thing.”

Man I used to have such fun selling movies in Sundance creating crazy behavior amongst the buyers , using the altitude to mage them irrational with the press eating it up. I don’t think it happens like this so much anymore. Perhaps that’s a good thing

— cassian elwes (@cassianelwes) January 26, 2020

Still, business began to pick up late Sunday with Amazon Studios acquiring “Herself” and Searchlight Pictures circling the psychological thriller “The Night House” for an eight-figure deal. And if you look closely, the first four days of the festival have brought a lot of work that deserves to be applauded and/or bought — and a lot of work that offers pointed rebukes to the politics of the day, and a lot of cries for empathy rather than rancor.

As usual for Sundance, the documentaries may well prove to be the most lasting work. Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering’s “On the Record,” the story of three black women who spoke out about the sexual misconduct of rap mogul Russell Simmons, came in on a wave of controversy over Oprah Winfrey’s 11th-hour withdrawal, and had the crowd at its Saturday premiere stunned and in tears. Bryan Fogel’s “The Dissident” laid out the Saudi government’s complicity in the murder of journalist Jamal Kashoggi in devastating detail and made President Donald Trump’s refusal to hold the Saudis accountable infuriating.

Also Read: 'The Dissident' Revives Jamal Khashoggi's Brutal Murder: 'Has the Sacrificial Victim Arrived?'

Even films like Ron Howard’s “Rebuilding Paradise,” about the wildfires that ravaged the California town that Trump inadvertently called “Pleasure,” doesn’t need to focus on the current administration to be damning. “Welcome to Chechnya” depicts the brutal treatment of LGBT community by the Putin-backed regime in Russia, and the Hulu miniseries “Hillary,” which screened in its entirety over the weekend, is devoted to the former secretary of state who remains a convenient target for the president. And crowd favorite “Boys State” follows teens in Texas demonstrating how politics can be about cooperation, not division.

You could even say that a couple of the festival’s music documentaries are unexpectedly political: The intimate Taylor Swift doc “Miss Americana” focuses on the singer’s decision to begin speaking out about LGBT and women’s issues, while the terrific “The Go-Go’s” is an incisive chronicle of the all-girl band that stops to consider the real problems of being female pioneers in an industry not accustomed to given women much agency.

For the last three years, Sundance films have often represented the resistance to the current administration, so it’s hardly surprising that it’s a running theme this year. And it extends even to well-received dramas that don’t deal explicitly in politics: For example, writer-director-actor Viggo Mortensen told TheWrap that he wrote his family drama “Falling” thinking of the need for empathy and understanding in times when those are in short supply.

Also Read: 'Falling' Film Review: Viggo Mortensen's Directorial Debut Is a Dark Family Drama

Other Sundance dramas that have received acclaim include a number that join “On the Record” and even “Miss Americana” and “The Go-Go’s” as real examinations of women’s issues in the #MeToo era: Eliza Hittman’s “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” which depicts the difficulties put in the path of a teenage girl trying to get an abortion; Julie Taymor’s “The Glorias,” an adventurous biopic about pioneering feminist Gloria Steinem; Phyllida Lloyd’s “Herself,” a touching chronicle of an abused wife trying to rebuild her life in Dublin; and Emerald Fennell’s “Promising Young Woman,” with Carey Mulligan as a young woman who lures potentially predatory men into traps. You could also include Kitty Green’s “The Assistant,” though that film is in the small Spotlight section of films that made their premieres at other festivals.

Meanwhile, Lee Isaac Chung’s “Minari” debuted Sunday to some of the festival’s best reviews, putting a Korean-American spin on the immigrant saga and giving producers Plan B and distributor A24 a solid winner.

It’s wrong, of course, to paint the lineup as full of nothing but overt or covert state-of-the-union messages. Among the other films that have won acclaim over the first four days are Benh Zeitlin’s exhilarating “Wendy,” a spirited riff on “Peter Pan” that is the director’s follow-up to “Beasts of the Southern Wild”; Josephine Decker’s “Shirley,” a bold fictional take on author Shirley Jackson; Dominic Cooke’s period spy drama “Ironbark,” an unusual kind of film for Sundance; the rom-com “Palm Springs,” with Andy Samberg and Cristin Miliotti; and “Four Good Days,” Rodrigo Garcia’s drama starring Glenn Close as a mother dealing with her drug-addict daughter (Mila Kunis).

Also Read: 'Wendy' Film Review: Benh Zeitlin's Second Film Takes 'Peter Pan' on a Wild Ride

They’ve all been embraced by audiences and to varying degrees by critics, and together they’ve meant that Sundance 2020 has showcased a solid group of films. What they haven’t done is provide the kind of jolt that Sundance-goers live for.

If you can keep your mind on Park City, this has been a respectable Sundance so far. But let’s be honest: Who can really keep their mind on Park City these days?

16 Buzziest Sundance Movies for Sale in 2020, From Julianne Moore's 'The Glorias' to Michael Keaton's 'Worth' (Photos)

It's another Sundance Film Festival of slopes, snow, stars and sales. That's right, the market at the Sundance Film Festival is gearing up yet again with some buzzy titles among those just premiering at the festival and those in competition. And after last year produced some mega deals for movies like "Late Night," "The Farewell" and "Brittany Runs a Marathon" to name just a few, these are the features and documentaries TheWrap will be keeping an eye on while in Park City.
All Photos Courtesy of Sundance Institute
"The 40-Year-Old Version"

No, it's not the Steve Carell movie. Radha Blank wrote, directed and stars in this highly personal film about what it really looks like to be a struggling actress at age 40 when she leaves the world of community theater and records a rap demo track. The film marks Blank's directorial debut and is shot in New York entirely in black and white. "Queen & Slim" scribe Lena Waithe is a producer on the film, and "The 40-Year-Old Version" is playing in the U.S. Dramatic Competition.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Eric Branco
"Bad Hair"

Justin Simien's follow-up to his thought-provoking conversation piece "Dear White People" is set in LA in 1989 about a group of enterprising women trying to climb the ladder and be the next star of a music video TV show, all while battling in a war of words and dreadlocks. Elle Lorraine, Vanessa Williams, Jay Pharoah, Lena Waithe, Blair Underwood and Laverne Cox all star in this satirical, psychological thriller that's debuting in the midnight section of the festival.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
"Black Bear"

"Black Bear" stars Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott and Sarah Gadon in a drama about a couple who welcomes an aspiring filmmaker into their remote lake house, only to be wrapped up in a game of desire, manipulation and jealousy in the filmmaker's pursuit of art. The film is directed and written by Lawrence Michael Levine and will premiere in the NEXT section of the festival.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Rob Leitzell
"Disclosure: Trans Lives on Screen"

In "Disclosure," filmmaker Sam Feder sits down with Hollywood's leaders and thinkers in the trans community like Laverne Cox, Lilly Wachowski, Yance Ford, Mj Rodriguez, Jamie Clayton and Chaz Bono. The documentary grapples with the history of trans characters in TV and movies, going way back to "Dog Days Afternoon" and "Boys Don't Cry" up through FX's "Pose."
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
"Four Good Days"

Glenn Close reunites with her director on "Albert Nobbs," Rodrigo Garcia, for this drama in which Close plays a mother who gets a surprise visit from her estranged, drug addict daughter (Mila Kunis). Close's character is resistant to give her daughter another chance after years of failed rehab and lying, but something about this time feels different.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Igor Jadue Lillo
"The Glorias"

Julianne Moore stars in Julie Taymor's biopic "The Glorias" about the journalist and feminist icon Gloria Steinem. But she's just one of five women playing Steinem at different stages of her journey in Taymor's unconventional approach to adapting Steinem's memoir "Life on the Road." Alicia Vikander, Janelle Monáe, Timothy Hutton, Lulu Wilson, Lorraine Toussaint and Bette Midler all star in the film.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
"The Go-Go's"

This documentary's got the beat as it goes behind the scenes of one of the defining pop punk girl groups of the 1980s, The Go-Gos. The film from director Alison Ellwood reunites founding band members Belinda Carlisle and Jane Wiedlin during their early days in the Los Angeles punk rock scene up through their hit-making, MTV success and turn to fame, drugs and alcohol.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Paul Natkin
"Ironbark"

Benedict Cumberbatch stars in this drama set during the Cold War-era and Cuban Missile Crisis about a mild-mannered businessman called upon by the British government to help uncover a Soviet mole. Jessie Buckley, Rachel Brosnahan and Angus Wright co-star. This is just the second feature film from Dominic Cooke after his 2017 film "On Chesil Beach."
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
"The Nest"

In what is incredibly only Sean Durkin's second feature film since he won the directing prize from Sundance for "Martha Marcy May Marlene" in 2011, "The Nest" stars Jude Law and Carrie Coon as two ex-pats who leave suburban America for London in the 1980s. The two-handed character drama shows how their relationship slowly simmers and boils over as they try to manage their new, lavish lifestyle in England.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
"The Night House"

Playing in the midnight section of the festival, this horror film from director David Bruckner stars Rebecca Hall as a woman living alone in a lakeside home following the recent death of her husband. The film is an updated take on a traditional ghost story as Hall experiences dreams that drive her to find answers about her husband's past. Sarah Goldberg and Stacy Martin co-star.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Elisha Christian
"On the Record"

The latest documentary from the directors of "The Hunting Ground" and "The Invisible War" is back on the market after Oprah Winfrey removed herself as an executive producer from the project and pulled the film from debuting on Apple TV+. Winfrey specifically felt the need to step aside from the movie because directors Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering wanted to show the film at Sundance before Winfrey felt it was complete. "On the Record" follows music executive Drew Dixon in the early days of #MeToo as she grapples with the decision to come forward about her her accusations of rape against Def-Jam Records co-founder Russell Simmons.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Martyna Starosta
"Save Yourselves!"

"Save Yourselves" is a zany sci-fi comedy about a Brooklyn couple that retreats to a remote cabin in the woods in order to unplug, only to miss the news of an alien invasion that's destroyed much of civilization. The film from directors Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer satirizes millennial culture and modern love. John Reynolds and Sunita Mani star in the comedy that's premiering in the U.S. Dramatic Competition.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Matt Clegg
"Shirley"

"Shirley" stars Elisabeth Moss as the famous gothic horror author of stories such as "The Lottery" and "The Haunting of Hill House," Shirley Jackson. It's an unconventional biopic about how Jackson discovers the inspiration for her next novel through the eccentric behavior of a young couple she and her husband take into their home. Michael Stuhlbarg, Logan Lerman and Odessa Young co-star in the film from "Madeline's Madeline" director Josephine Decker. The film is playing in the U.S. Dramatic Competition.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Thatcher Keats
"Sylvie's Love"

Romantic, elegant and with a jazzy soundtrack, "Sylvie's Love" is a lush love story set in 1957 New York and spread out over years. Tessa Thompson is said to give a powerful performance in the film from writer and director Eugene Ashe, who melds music into his romance for a rich period piece. "Sylvie's Love" is playing in competition in the U.S. Dramatic section.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
"Wander Darkly"

Part mystery, part family drama and featuring what's described by Sundance as "demanding tonal shifts," "Wander Darkly" stars Sienna Miller trying to reckon with the future of her relationship with her husband (Diego Luna) and her infant child. At the same time, she's forced to solve the mystery of a recent traumatic accident. Tara Miele directs the film that's playing in competition in the U.S. Dramatic section.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Carolina Costa
"Worth"

"Worth" gives a new perspective of New York post-9/11 by following Michael Keaton as an attorney appointed to lead the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. But Keaton's character has a change of heart when he comes face to face with a community leader played by Stanley Tucci who lost his wife in the World Trade Center. "Worth" is director Sara Colangelo's third film, all of which have premiered at Sundance, including her previous film "The Kindergarten Teacher," which won top directing honors at the festival in 2018.
Courtesy of Sundance Institute

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Documentaries like “On the Record,” “Disclosure” and “The Go-Go’s” are also making noise

It's another Sundance Film Festival of slopes, snow, stars and sales. That's right, the market at the Sundance Film Festival is gearing up yet again with some buzzy titles among those just premiering at the festival and those in competition. And after last year produced some mega deals for movies like "Late Night," "The Farewell" and "Brittany Runs a Marathon" to name just a few, these are the features and documentaries TheWrap will be keeping an eye on while in Park City.

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