SUNDANCE 2008

Alphabetical _ By Rating

Year Three up at the Sundance Film Festival. I didn't have any connection to the films this year, so I only went for the second half of the festival. It was still exhausting, but I still got to get around town and meet some interesting people. I saw 21 films, and though I didn't think there were as many standouts as the 2006 selections, there were far more 'above-average' films this year than last. The theme running through this year's selection of films was sex. Graphic sex, violent sex, pedophile sex, foreign sex, and strange sex, it was all here. In some case, the sex level in the films was distracting for me, just too much. If you see some of these films, you will understand why.

One note I'd like to make: The 3 Groar rating is mostly used to rate films that didn't really motivate any kind of reaction from me, good or bad. They were technically proficient, but didn't move me towards a yea or nea in any meaningful way. There is one exceptions to this tendency: Trouble the Water. This film evoked strong reactions from me, but there were as many negative aspects as positive and I had to give this film the 'average' rating. The 'Analysis' portion of my review will explain why.

2008prgrm

AMERICAN TEEN Groar 1Groar 2Groar 3Groar 1Groar 2

AUGUST Groar 1Groar 2

BOTTLE SHOCK Groar 1Groar 1Groar 1Groar 4.5

CHOKE Groar 1Groar 1Groar 1Groar 4.5

DONKEY PUNCH Groar 1Groar 1

DOWNLOADING NANCY Groar 1

FROZEN RIVER Groar 1Groar 1Groar 1Groar 1

HAMLET 2 Groar 1Groar 1Groar 1Groar 4.5

KING OF PING PONG Groar 1Groar 1Groar 1

MAN ON WIRE Groar 1Groar 2Groar 3Groar 4Groar 4.5

MANCORA Groar 1Groar 1Groar 2

SLEEP DEALER Groar 1Groar 2Groar 4Groar 4.5

SMART PEOPLE Groar 1Groar 1Groar 1

SUGAR Groar 1Groar 1Groar 1Groar 1

2008badge

THE MYSTERIES OF PITTSBURGH Groar 1Groar 2Groar 3

THE WACKNESS Groar 1Groar 1Groar 1Groar 1

THE WAVE Groar 1Groar 1Groar 1Groar 1Groar 1

THE YEAR OF GETTING TO KNOW US Groar 1

TIME CRIMES Groar 1Groar 2Groar 4.5

TOWELHEAD Groar 1Groar 1Groar 1Groar 4.5

TROUBLE THE WATER Groar 1Groar 1Groar 1