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Sundance Film Festival · 2009

Sundance Film Festival 2009

Premieres

Sundance say: "To showcase the diversity of contemporary independent cinema, the Sundance Film Festival Premieres section offers the latest work from American and international directors and world premieres of highly anticipated films."

Programme

17 films · 12 reviews

Jump to a film

(500) Days Of Summer (500 Days Of Summer)

Review preview for (500) Days Of Summer

Flawed though it is, 500 Days Of Summer is still a fair cut above the average piece of Hollywood fare both in terms of its laugh quotient and offbeat romance.

Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
A greetings card writer recalls the highs and lows of romance.

(Country: US; Year: 2008; Director: Marc Webb; Writer: Scott Neustadter, Michael H. Weber; Stars: Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Matthew Gray Gubler, Chloe Moretz, Minka Kelly, Clark Gregg, Jenn Gotzon, Rachel Boston, Yvette Nicole Brown, Geoffrey Arend) , Official site , Trailer

Full review See: Sundance Diary: Cold Souls, When You're Strange, Victoria Day, 500 Days Of Summer

World Premiere

Adventureland

Review preview for Adventureland

At its core, Adventureland is a surprisingly sweet and tender coming-of-age romance.

Anton Bitel · 4 out of 5
A recent graduate takes a nowhere job at his local amusement park and discovers it's perfect preparation for the real world.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Greg Mottola; Writer: Greg Mottola; Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader, Martin Starr, Margerita Levieva, Matt Bush, Kristen Wiig, Jack Gilpin) , Official site , Trailer

Full review

World Premiere

Brooklyn's Finest

Review preview for Brooklyn's Finest

Has a brooding and moody power that makes up for what it lacks in originality.

Nick Da Costa · 3.5 out of 5
Trouble brews for three New York cops.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Antoine Fuqua; Writer: Michael C. Martin, Brad Kane; Stars: Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke, Wesley Snipes, Vincent D'Onofrio, Don Cheadle, Ellen Barkin, Lili Taylor)

Full review

World Premiere

Earth Days

The history of our environmental undoing through the eyes of nine Americans whose work and actions launched the modern environmental movement.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Robert Stone; Writer: Robert Stone)

See: Sundance Diary: Day Five

World Premiere. Closing Night Film

Endgame

A political thriller in which a businessman initiates covert discussions between the African National Congress and white intellectuals to try to find a peaceful solution to the Apartheid regime.

(Country: UK; Year: 2009; Director: Pete Travis; Writer: Paula Milne; Stars: William Hurt, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jonny Lee Miller, Mark Strong)

World Premiere

In The Loop

Review preview for In The Loop

Line after line proves infinitely quotable... suggesting cult status as well as critical acclaim beckons.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
Politicians spin while they're winning on the brink of a Middle East war. Plus read our interview with .

(Country: UK; Year: 2009; Director: Armando Iannucci; Writer: Jesse Armstrong, Armando Iannucci; Stars: Peter Capaldi, Tom Hollander, Chris Addison, James Gandolfini, Mimi Kennedy, Anna Chlumsky, Steve Coogan, David Rasche, Gina McKee, Olivia Poulet) , Official site , Trailer

Full review See: Interview with Peter Capaldi, Armando Iannucci and Chris Addison about In The Loop. , James Gandolfini and Mimi Kennedy interview about In The Loop , Diary feature about the Glasgow Film Festival 2009 , Sundance Diary: Day Six , Sundance Day Four

World Premiere

The Informers

Review preview for The Informers

Looks for insight where there clearly isn’t any to be found.

Tony Sullivan · 1 out of 5
Wealthy Angelinos are consumed by a decadent Eighties lifestyle.

(Country: US, Germany; Year: 2008; Director: Gregor Jordan; Writer: Bret Easton Ellis, Nicholas Jarecki, Bret Easton Ellis; Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Basinger, Winona Ryder, Mickey Rourke)

Full review See: Sundance Diary: Day Five

American Premiere

I Love You Phillip Morris

Review preview for I Love You Phillip Morris

What makes it work is that the film sticks so close to the form of a traditional Hollywood romance, ignoring the tropes of gay indie cinema.

Jennie Kermode · 3 out of 5
Having learned to lie about his sexuality, Steve finds he just can't kick the habit, even after he comes out and falls in love.

(Country: France, US; Year: 2009; Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa; Writer: John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, based on the book by Steven McVicker; Stars: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, Nicholas Alexander, Michael Beasley, Tony Bentley, Allen Boudreaux, Sean Boyd, Brennan Brown, Marcus Lyle Brown, Marylouise Burke, Beth Burvant, Trey Burvant, Edward D. Caiado) , Official site , Trailer

Full review See: Sundance Day Four

Manure

A comic tale centered on manure salesmen in the early 1960s.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Michael Polish; Writer: Mark Polish, Michael Polish; Stars: Mark Polish, Billy Bob Thornton, Téa Leoni, Kyle MacLachlan, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Jon Gries, Ed Helms, Frances Conroy, Patrick Bauchau, Scott Michael Campbell)

World Premiere

The Messenger

Review preview for The Messenger

There is no escaping the weightiness of the subject matter and Movermann treats it with the necessary respect, but he also shows evidence of a lighter touch, which helps to alleviate the pathos and prevents the film sliding into melodrama.

Adam Micklethwaite · 4 out of 5
Two soldiers form a unique bond as they cope with their assignment with the Army Casualty Notification department.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Oren Moverman; Writer: Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman; Stars: Ben Foster, Jena Malone, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Eamonn Walker, Peter Friedman, Gaius Charles, Halley Feiffer, Merritt Wever, Jeremy Strong)

Full review See: Q&A with Samantha Morton about The Messenger , Berlin Film Festival Diary: Day Five

World Premiere

Mary And Max (Mary & Max)

Review preview for Mary And Max

Exquisite attention to detail that creates not only a complex portrait of each of the main characters but also a vivid sense of place.

Amber Wilkinson · 4.5 out of 5
Claymation about the friendship between an eight-year-old Aussie and a 44-year-old New Yorker.

(Country: Australia; Year: 2009; Director: Adam Elliot; Writer: Adam Elliot; Stars: Toni Collette, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Eric Bana, Barry Humphries, Bethany Whitmore, Renée Geyer, Ian 'Molly' Meldrum, John Flaus, Julie Forsyth) , Official site

Full review See: Sundance Diary: Opening night and day one... the sequel , Sundance Diary: Opening Night and Day One

World Premiere. Opening Night Film

Moon

Review preview for Moon

Moon represents a return to a more sedate and thoughtful science fiction of the Seventies and Eighties.

Tony Sullivan · 4.5 out of 5
An astronaut starts to lose the plot at the end of a mission to the moon - but is there something else going on? Plus read our exclusive interview with

(Country: UK; Year: 2009; Director: Duncan Jones; Writer: Duncan Jones, Nathan Parker; Stars: Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey, Matt Berry, Kaya Scodelario, Benedict Wong, Malcolm Stewart, Dominique McElligott, Robin Chalk) , Official site , Trailer

Full review See: Duncan Jones interview on Moon , Sundance Diary: Opening night and day one... the sequel , Sundance Diary: Opening Night and Day One

World Premiere

Motherhood

Review preview for Motherhood

This is ‘day from hell’ territory, but none of the comedy rises to the occasion.

Amber Wilkinson · 2 out of 5
A harrassed mum tries to prepare for her daughter's birthday.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Katherine Dieckmann; Writer: Katherine Dieckmann; Stars: Uma Thurman, Minnie Driver, Anthony Edwards, Vincent James Russo, Samantha Bee, Stephanie Szostak, Daisy Tahan, Maya Ri Sanchez, Jenny Kirlin, Javier Picayo) , Official site

Full review

World Premiere

Rudo And Cursi (Rudo Y Cursi, Rudo & Cursi)

Review preview for Rudo And Cursi

Bernal and Luna bring the same casual and endearing spontaneity they showed in Y Tu Mama Tambien to the fore again here.

Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
Two siblings rival each other inside the world of professional football.

(Country: US, Mexico; Year: 2008; Director: Carlos Cuarón; Writer: Carlos Cuarón; Stars: Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Guillermo Francella, Dolores Heredia, Adriana Paz, Jessica Mas, Salvador Zerboni, Tania Esmeralda Aguilar, Joaquín Cosio, Alfredo Alfonso, Fermín Martínez, Eduardo Von, Jorge Zárate, Axel Ricco, Harold Torres) , Official site , Trailer

Full review See: Sundance Diary: Day Two

US Premiere

Shrink

Unable to come to grips with a recent personal tragedy, Los Angeles’ top celebrity psychiatrist loses faith in his ability to help his patients.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: Jonas Pate; Writer: Thomas Moffett; Stars: Kevin Spacey, Dallas Roberts, Keke Palmer, Jack Huston, Pell James, Andrew Sibner, Robin Williams, Saffron Burrows, Laura Ramsey, Robert Loggia)

World Premiere

Spread

A handsome young man survives in Los Angeles by seducing wealthy older women.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: David Mackenzie; Writer: Jason Dean Hall, Paul Kolsby; Stars: Ashton Kutcher, Anne Heche, Maria Conchita Alonso, Sonia Rockwell, Hart Bochner, Sarah Buxton, Dani Levine, Derek Carter, Shane Brolly, Peter Marc Jacobson)

World Premiere

The Winning Season

Review preview for The Winning Season

As the film progresses, its identity crisis becomes increasingly evident as standard indie tropes are interrupted by cackhanded attempts and comedy of the broadest type.

Amber Wilkinson · 2.5 out of 5
A misfit is brought in to coach his local girl's high school basketball team.

(Country: US; Year: 2009; Director: James C Strouse; Writer: James C Strouse; Stars: Emma Roberts, Sam Rockwell, Connor Paolo, Rob Corddry, Jessica Hecht, Rooney Mara, Margo Martindale, Shareeka Epps, Kevin Breznahan, Emily Rios)

Full review See: Sundance Diary: Day Five

World Premiere