Being at the Sundance Film Festival over Jan Plan was by far one of my favorite memories from my Colby career. Although I highly recommend everyone spends a Jan Plan taking the American Independents course before they graduate, I understand that not everyone has the time, interest, or means to go out to Park City. So for those who love films, but who can’t get out to Sundance, I’ve got the inside scoop and a quick review of some fabulous movies I saw while I was out there.
Blackfish
For all you animal enthusiasts out there, this documentary is a must-see. And even if you’re not, I still highly recommend it. Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite utilizes a series of interviews and news clips to depict the history of abducting killer whales from the wild and placing them in captivity for recreational purposes. The film explores the dangerous implications this practice has had on the health and happiness of the animals, and in turn, why this has been problematic for the animal trainers and others in contact with the whales. What Cowperthwaite finds in Blackfish is truly shocking and evokes in each of her viewers a passion to commence a movement for the release of these incredible Orcha whales. CNN Films and Magnolia Pictures “have partnered to acquire the U.S. rights to director Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s buzzed about documentary Blackfish at the Sundance film festival… [and they] plan a summer theatrical release for the documentary, followed by a domestic broadcast premiere on CNN later in 2013”
Lovelace
Independent film directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman captivated the audience at their Sundance premiere of Lovelace, the biopic of world famous 1970s porn star, Linda Lovelace whose porno Deep Throat captivated the American public. The film, starring Amanda Seyfried and Peter Saarsgard (among many other super famous celebs), depicts the true-life experience of Linda Lovelace that was shielded from the community at the height of her fame. Anybody who has seen Mamma Mia or Mean Girls will love to see how Seyfried thrives in this extremely tragic and emotional role. WARNING: The movie is a little raw in terms of language and content, but well worth a viewing. According to Yahoo! Movietalk, Lovelace “is set for a fall 2013 release”
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints
This movie is for any of you lovers of romance, or action, or both, since It’s all rolled into one. Director and Writer David Lowry and Cinematographer Bradford Young are responsible for creating a film, which ended up being the winner of this year’s U.S. Dramatic competition at Sundance, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints. The critics went wild over this powerful dramatic portrayal of love and longing, citing that the film “avoids every cliché from the action-thriller, romance and noir handbooks, transmitting a palpable sense of the pain caused by forced absence from a loved one” (Sebastian Doggart- Guardian.co.uk). After screening this picture, I see why it was given such accolades. This Western Drama follows a young outlaw couple and the great lengths they will go to in order to be together after a tragic break. Although I couldn’t find an exact release date, this film has already been scooped up by a distribution company and will likely be released soon. Stay on the lookout!