Sundance Film Festival 2023: Dispatch, Part Two Kyle Amato
AUM: The Cult at the End of the World dir. Ben Braun and Chiaki Yanagimoto
A panic-inducing documentary about a Japanese cult that unleashed chemical attacks on Tokyo’s subways. This could have, and probably should have been a miniseries, as it feels like we haven’t even scratched the surface of the cult’s long and terrifying history of fear mongering and murder. The fact that AUM expanded to the Soviet Union is only mentioned in passing, and the inclusion of one of the cult’s highest ranking members as a talking head is barely interrogated until the end of the film. Plus, there are shoddy reenactment animations of some of the cult’s attacks that take away from the actual horror of these events. The film works as an introduction to this world, but raises many questions the viewers will have to research for themselves. (B-)
A still from Cassandro by Roger Ross Williams, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute
Cassandro dir. Roger Ross Williams
King of kings Gael García Bernal crushes his performance as the legendary gay wrestler Cassandro in this lowkey biopic. Cassandro revolutionized the luchador world as an exótico that could actually win fights, not just play the heel. With a supporting cast including Roberta Colindrez, Raúl Castillo, and… Bad Bunny? How did he have time to play the drug dealer in this? He’s a very busy man! But he does well, as does Perla De La Rosa as Cassandro’s mother. It’s nice to watch a queer biopic that isn’t steeped in misery and allows Gael to shine and pretend to be 36. (B)
Cat Person dir. Susanna Fogel
Remember the New Yorker short story a few years ago that drove everyone insane? People were acting like it was a real expose on the horrors of dating and not a work of fiction. It was incredibly annoying, so of course someone scooped up the rights and crapped out this limp adaptation for all to whine about and ultimately ignore. Hopefully. Nicholas Braun is miscast as the titular bad date, bringing none of the menace the Maragaret Atwood quote that opens the film would merit. Emilia Jones is a bit better, but gets lost in the film’s recurring bouts of fantasy. Plus, there is an ill-advised third act that goes against the whole point of the story, turning it into a Fatal Attraction riff without any of the tension. We don’t have to do this. (D)
A still from Fancy Dance by Erica Tremblay, an official selection of the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute. All photos are copyrighted and may be used by the press only for the purpose of news or editorial coverage of Sundance Institute programs. Photos must be accompanied by a credit to the photographer and/or ‘Courtesy of Sundance Institute.’ Unauthorized use, alteration, reproduction or sale of logos and/or photos is strictly prohibited.
Fancy Dance dir. Erica Tremblay
The most common recurring thread I’ve noticed in Sundance movies: a great performance is lost in a film that is just so-so. Lily Gladstone is phenomenal as an Indigenous woman named Jax on the verge of oblivion, searching for her missing sister while simultaneously trying to provide a normal life for her niece, Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson). Things take a turn when Jax essentially kidnaps Roki from her grandfather (Shea Whigham), a last ditch attempt to keep her world from spiraling out of control. Tremblay’s film looks great, but much of the tension falls flat. Anything that spotlights Lily Gladstone is a win, of course, so I can’t be too upset. (B)
A still from Eileen by William Oldroyd, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute. All photos are copyrighted and may be used by the press only for the purpose of news or editorial coverage of Sundance Institute programs. Photos must be accompanied by a credit to the photographer and/or ‘Courtesy of Sundance Institute.’ Unauthorized use, alteration, reproduction or sale of logos and/or photos is strictly prohibited.
Eileen dir. William Oldroyd
What if a blonde Anne Hathaway showed up at your place of work and asked you for a favor? You’d do anything for her. That’s the position Eileen (Thomasin McKenzie) finds herself in in the first screen adaptation of an Ottessa Moshfegh book. The film crackles with wit and sexual tension as Eileen and Rebecca cling to each other for warmth in the frozen 1960s Massachusetts winter. Some of us can relate! The supporting cast is great as well, featuring Shea Whigham as Eileen’s alcoholic father and Marin Ireland as a woman with a powerhouse monologue. The less you know the better, and I’m sure the film will electrify audiences upon its release. If I have any criticisms, it’s that the film ends somewhat abruptly. But the journey there is so fun and demented you’ll just want to watch it again. (A-)
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