SUNDANCE Film Festival 2018 Jan 18, 2018 – Jan 28

[Chris Knipp]

Nicolas Cage in Midnight chainsaw flick Mandy


Sundance 2018

At at time, mid-to-late January, when there is little worth watching coming out in theaters, it's nice to follow Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival with its promise of a whole world of good new movies on the way.

The Sundance Film Festival is on, Jan 18-28, 2018. I will give some reactions to the films from a variety of sources. Here first are basic lists of some of the main features and docs. You can find the entire festival program of the Sundance online site here. Other categories are the Next films; US Documentary Competition, World Documentary Competition, Documentary Premieres, Spotlight series, and Midnight films. (Jordan Peele's Get Out was a Sundance Midnight debut.)

There has been praise for Tamara Jenkins' return to filmmaking, one of three Opening Night films, Private Life, a drama about a couple trying to get pregnant. In Don't Worry, He Won't Get Very Far on Foot, Joaquin Phoenix is playing in a 12-step recovery drama about the paralysed cartoonist John Callaghan getting over his drinking problem. Gus Van Sant's well-meaning movie may be a far cry from Lynne Ramsey's upcoming, riveting You Were Never Really Here (is Phoenix going for sentence-titles now?), but it's another physical transformation for the protean, shape-shifting actor. It may be interesting for odd appearances from Rooney Mara, Jonah Hill, and Udo Kier, but the Guardian's Jordan Hoffman called parts of it "cringeworthy."

No unmistakably great film has emerged in the early days of 2018's Sundance - or seems waiting to show. But there are, at least, many well known names in the cast and directorial lists, and as the reviews unfold it's clear there is lots to peek our curiosity. This is certainly no roster of obscure little indie films. But still, there are some plucky small debuts as well, concealed among the famous names at Park City this year.


Phoenix in Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot

Premieres

For details on Sundance online go here.

A Futile and Stupid Gesture
Director David Wain
Screenwriter John Aboud, Michael Colton
Cast Will Forte, Martin Mull, Domhnall Gleeson, Matt Walsh, Joel McHale, Emmy Rossum
U.S.A. / 101 Min

A Kid Like Jake
Director Silas Howard
Screenwriter Daniel Pearle
Cast Claire Danes, Jim Parsons, Octavia Spencer, Priyanka Chopra, Ann Dowd, Amy Landecker
U.S.A. / 92 Min

Beirut
Director Brad Anderson
Screenwriter Tony Gilroy
Cast Jon Hamm, Rosamund Pike, Dean Norris, Larry Pine, Shea Whigham
U.S.A. / 110 Min

Colette
Director Wash Westmoreland
Screenwriter Wash Westmoreland, Richard Glatzer, Rebecca Lenkiewicz
Cast Keira Knightley, Dominic West, Fiona Shaw, Denise Gough, Eleanor Tomlinson, Aiysha Hart
United Kingdom / 111 Min

Come Sunday
Director Joshua Marston
Screenwriter Marcus Hinchey
Cast Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover, Condola Rashad, Jason Segel, Lakeith Stanfield, Martin Sheen
U.S.A. / 106 Min

Damsel
Director David Zellner, Nathan Zellner
Screenwriter David Zellner, Nathan Zellner
Cast Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, David Zellner, Robert Forster, Nathan Zellner, Joe Billingiere
U.S.A. / 113 Min

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot
Director Gus Van Sant
Screenwriter Gus Van Sant (screenplay), John Callahan (biography)
Cast Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, Jack Black
U.S.A. / 113 Min

Hearts Beat Loud
Director Brett Haley
Screenwriter Brett Haley, Marc Basch
Cast Nick Offerman, Kiersey Clemons, Ted Danson, Sasha Lane, Blythe Danner, Toni Collette
U.S.A. / 97 Min

Juliet, Naked
Director Jesse Peretz
Screenwriter Tamara Jenkins, Jim Taylor, Phil Alden Robinson, Evgenia Peretz
Cast Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke, Chris O'Dowd
United Kingdom / 97 Min

Leave No Trace
Director Debra Granik
Screenwriter Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini
Cast Ben Foster, Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie, Jeff Kober, Dale Dickey
U.S.A. / 108 Min

Ophelia
Director Claire McCarthy
Screenwriter Semi Chellas
Cast Daisy Ridley, Naomi Watts, Clive Owen, George MacKay, Tom Felton, Devon Terrell
United Kingdom / 114 Min

Private Life
Director Tamara Jenkins
Screenwriter Tamara Jenkins
Cast Kathryn Hahn, Paul Giamatti, Molly Shannon, John Carroll Lynch, Kayli Carter
U.S.A. / 127 Min

Puzzle
Director Marc Turtletaub
Screenwriter Oren Moverman
Cast Kelly Macdonald, Irrfan Khan, David Denman, Bubba Weiler, Austin Abrams, Liv Hewson
U.S.A. / 103 Min

The Catcher Was a Spy
Director Ben Lewin
Screenwriter Robert Rodat
Cast Paul Rudd, Mark Strong, Sienna Miller, Jeff Daniels, Guy Pearce, Paul Giamatti
U.S.A. / 94 Min

The Happy Prince
Director Rupert Everett
Screenwriter Rupert Everett
Cast Colin Firth, Emily Watson, Colin Morgan, Edwin Thomas, Rupert Everett
Germany/Belgium/Italy / 105 Min

The Long Dumb Road
Director Hannah Fidell
Screenwriter Hannah Fidell, Carson Mell
Cast Tony Revolori, Jason Mantzoukas, Taissa Farmiga, Grace Gummer, Ron Livingston, Casey Wilson
U.S.A. / 90 Min