Barbara Alper/Getty Images, courtesy of Sundance Institute
Had enough of Harvey Weinstein? Not just yet.
There’s not a lot of new information in “Untouchable,” a creditable documentary about the scandal that upended Hollywood and unleashed a #MeToo movement across the world, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday night.
But for those eager to hear more about this conundrum of a man – a tastemaker who made culture-defining movies for two decades but was allegedly also a monstrous, serial rapist who damaged the lives of dozens of women – this movie is for you.
The Hollywood crowd in attendance was certainly riveted. It included everyone from former Ticketmaster CEO Fred Rosen to TV legend Norman Lear and his wife Lyn Lear to former MGM CEO Chris McGurk, among others who packed the Marc Theatre.
That’s no surprise, since in some sense Hollywood is still processing the tectonic changes brought on by the investigative bombshells published by The New Yorker and The New York Times. Men and women in the industry are still figuring out what just happened and sorting through what is or is not permitted in the current culture. TimesUp has been created, and meanwhile a dozen other powerful men – including the head of CBS – have been driven from the industry.
What director Ursula Macfarlane’s film does best is place the Weinstein scandal in context, revisiting the early years of Bob and Harvey, two brothers set on challenging the staid parameters of Hollywood filmmaking by making bold choices and supporting daring writer-directors.
In interviews with some longtime Miramax executives, they remind the viewer that before Harvey Weinstein was a monster he was a master movie marketer who picked “Sex, Lies and Videotape,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Cinema Paradiso,” “Shakespeare in Love” and created the model for a successful independent film company.
They were so successful, so uniquely talented that they sold their company to Disney in 1993 and were given a shocking amount of freedom (and money) to continue making movies. And, as it turns out, to continue assaulting women.
The film goes on to interview a series of women, many of whom the viewer will know from the avalanche of media coverage in the past 15 months: former London assistant Zelda Perkins, actresses Paz de la Huerta and Rosanna Arquette, aspiring actress Erika Rosenbaum.
They tell their stories anew. One new voice comes from Hope d’Amore, an early alleged victim of Weinstein who met him when he was still a concert promoter in Buffalo. Her shame at giving in to his advances in a New York hotel room is still close to the surface despite being decades old.
“It’s the collateral damage – what it does to your friends, your relationships – and they don’t know why,” she says. “It steals something.”
We still cannot take the measure of what Harvey Weinstein has stolen from all these women. That will take more time than a documentary can do while the wounds are still so fresh.
15 Buzziest Sundance Movies: From Shia LaBeouf's 'Honey Boy' to 'Leaving Neverland' (Photos)
Park City, Utah, is about to be flush with cash -- and we're not talking about buying apres ski gear. Here are the most buzzed-about titles of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Note: some already have distributors).
"After the Wedding"
Filmmaker Bart Freundlich has enlisted esteemed actresses Julianne Moore and Michelle Williams to lead this adaptation of Danish director Susanne Bier's Oscar-winning film of the same name. After being invited to the wedding of Theresa’s (Moore) daughter, Isabel (Williams) discovers a connection to Theresa that takes her on an unexpected journey into her own past.
Sundance Institute
"Clemency"
Alfre Woodard stars as the warden of a maximum-security prison, who, after striking up a bond with an inmate, is confronted with the complex and often contradictory relationship between good intentions and unrequited desires.
Sundance Institute
"Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile"
Almost two years in the making, Joe Berlinger's take on the notorious serial killer Ted Bundy is finally hitting the big screen. Zac Efron stars as Bundy, and the film will be told from the perspective of Bundy’s longtime girlfriend, Elizabeth, who went years denying the accusations against him, but ultimately turned him into the police. Lily Collins plays Elizabeth. The film also stars Jim Parsons, Haley Joel Osment and Kaya Scodelario.
Sundance Institute
"Honey Boy"
Shia LaBeouf wrote the screenplay for this film, based on his childhood and his relationship with his father. Directed by Alma Har'el, "Honey Boy" also stars Lucas Hedges, FKA Twigs and Noah Jupe.
Sundance Institute
"Imaginary Order"
If you want to feel uncomfortable yet completely fascinated by a film, "Imaginary Order" is the one for you. It follows a suburban mom, played by Wendi McLendon-Covey, who makes mistake after mistake and her psyche crumbles in the aftermath.
Sundance Institute
"Knock Down the House"
Documentaries continue to be huge, and this one details the struggles and meteoric rise of young Puerto Rican bartender Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from the Bronx to toppling incumbents in an electric primary race for Congress.
Sundance Institute
"Leaving Neverland"
Described as gut-wrenching, this documentary uses interviews with the now-adult men and their families of those who have accused Michael Jackson of sexual abuse to craft a portrait of one of the world's most celebrated icons. HBO will release this doc in the spring.
Sundance Institute
"Native Son"
Renowned African-American history and culture visual artist Rashid Johnson and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks craft a contemporary reworking of Richard Wright’s 1940 novel, bringing its interrogation of fear, violence, race and circumstance into a critical modern context. A24 is the distributor.
Sundance Institute
"The Great Hack"
In 2018, Facebook came under fire many times for its use and misuse of users' personal data. That was never more apparent than the explosive Cambridge Analytica/Facebook data breach that this doc explores. Netflix will distribute this documentary.
Sundance Institute
"The Report"
Hot off his awards run for "BlacKkKlansman," Adam Driver is back in "The Report" alongside Jon Hamm, Jennifer Morrison and Maura Tierney. The film, directed by Scott Z. Burns, follows CIA agents and their interrogation tactics in the quest to find those behind the 9/11 attacks.
Sundance Institute
"Untouchable"
Harvey Weinstein, both in his rise and in his monstrous fall, changed Hollywood forever. "Untouchable" explores how he acquired and deployed his formidable power over the course of decades.
Sundance Institute
"Velvet Buzzsaw"
"Nightcrawler" director Dan Gilroy reunited with Jake Gyllenhaal for the high-art thriller "Velvet Buzzsaw," which also stars Rene Russo, Toni Collette and Natalia Dyer. Netflix will distribute this movie.
Netflix
"The Farewell"
Awkwafina, one of the breakout stars of 2018, stars in this film about a family that opts not to tell their beloved matriarch about her lung cancer diagnosis, instead scheduling an impromptu wedding-reunion back in China. The film is based on director Lulu Wang's true story she told on NPR's popular podcast, "This American Life."
Sundance Institute
"Luce"
This psychological drama stars Kelvin Harrison Jr., Octavia Spencer and Naomi Watts. It follows a couple that is forced to reevaluate the image of their adopted son after his high school teacher finds something alarming in his locker.
Sundance Institute
"Brittany Runs a Marathon"
Jillian Bell leads the cast of this comedy that follows a young New Yorker who discovers she has elevated blood pressure and a high heart rate. Soon, she starts running, and increases her distance by a mile a day. Buyers have expressed interest in this inspirational yet entertaining tale.
Sundance Institute
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Sundance 2019: Film fanatics will brave the cold to see these hot films in Park City, Utah
Park City, Utah, is about to be flush with cash -- and we're not talking about buying apres ski gear. Here are the most buzzed-about titles of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. (Note: some already have distributors).