Sundance: The relaxed dramedy of 'Am I OK?'

by Matt St Clair

Films like Am I Ok?, are something of a relief. The new joint directorial effort from Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allyne dispels the myth that we must have our entire life path figured out by the time 30 hits. Your chosen career, who you want to marry, etcetra. 30 may be a milestone, but you've still got plenty of time to find yourself. 

As 32-year old Lucy (Dakota Johnson) discovers, some people even figure out who they want to love later than expected...

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Sundance: Aubrey Plaza shines as 'Emily the Criminal'

By Ben Miller

Comedic actors turning to serious drama is nothing new, but the sardonic stylings of Aubrey Plaza are perfectly utilized in the grim Sundance offering Emily the Criminal, the feature fiilm debut from John Patrick Ford...

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Sundance: Another Inappropriate Relationship in ‘Palm Trees and Power Lines’

By Abe Friedtanzer

In film and television it’s very common to find a romance happening that probably shouldn’t be, with too wide an age gap that’s either just unappealing or actually illegal. That’s a central problem some have with Licorice Pizza. The Alliance of Women Film Journalists actually has a category in their awards titled “Most Egregious Age Difference Between Leading Man and Love Interest.” Palm Trees and Power Lines is the latest reminder that if something feels off, there’s probably good reason to raise alarm…

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Sundance: Falling asleep (and in love) with 'Blood'

by Cláudio Alves

Bradley Rust Gray's Blood nearly put me to sleep. I mean it in a positive way, despite the negative readings such statements usually entail. At times, it felt like watching a 111-minute ASMR video crossed with a stubbornly understated character study. Even the casting appears designed to induce visceral relaxation, from Carla Juri's whispery intonations to Issey Ogata's unmistakable voice. Gray has devised a film of hypnotic qualities, extrapolating its protagonist's search for inner serenity to the audience's experience of movie-watching. At times, like when a gentle song unfurls with lyrics about dozing off, it almost seems as if Blood is winking at the semi-conscious spectator, sharing a joke, giving permission to dream… 

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Sundance: Rebecca Hall goes bugsh*t in the unhinged 'Resurrection'

by Jason Adams

Wanna know how you're in the hands of a smart filmmaker? Well there are two signs, and funny enough they both involve Rebecca Hall. The first sign is thatthey hire Rebecca Hall. That's as smart as it gets! They do that much you know you're in good hands. The second sign is they give Rebecca Hall a five minute centerpiece monologue to deliver and they hold the camera on Rebecca Hall's face the entire time without cutting. That right there is what the movies were invented for, and that's how you know that Andrew Seman's film Resurrection, fresh outta Sundance, is worth its weight in Tim Roth's discarded teeth. What? Isn't that how you measure weight? I sure do now, anyway...

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