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Sundance Film Festival · 2014

Sundance Film Festival 2014

Premieres

Programme

18 films · 10 reviews

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Calvary

Review preview for Calvary

Although displaying much of the barbed wit of his first film, this is a more measured and moving work.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
A priest finds himself under threat.

(Country: Ireland, UK; Year: 2014; Director: John Michael McDonagh; Writer: John Michael McDonagh; Stars: Brendan Gleeson, Chris O'Dowd, Kelly Reilly, Aidan Gillen, Dylan Moran, M Emmet Walsh, Isaach De Bankolé, Marie-Josee Croze, Domhnall Gleeson, David Wilmot)

Full review See: Conversation with John Michael McDonagh, Brendan Gleeson, Chris O'Dowd and Joyce Carol Oates about Calvary , Conversation with Kelly Reilly about Calvary

World premiere

Frank

Review preview for Frank

His attempt at satire digs too deep into the muddy waters of exaggeration

Angus Wolfe Murray · 1.5 out of 5
Offbeat comedy about a wannabe musician who finds himself out of his depth when he joins an avant garde rock band led by the enigmatic Frank - a musical genius who hides himself inside a large fake head.

(Country: UK, Ireland; Year: 2014; Director: Lenny Abrahamson; Writer: Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan; Stars: Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Scoot McNairy, Michael Fassbender, Hayley Derryberry, Mark Huberman, Matthew Page, Travis Hammer, Tess Harper)

Full review

World premiere

Hits

A small town in upstate New York is populated by people who wallow in unrealistic expectations. There, fame, delusion, earnestness, and recklessness meet, shake hands, and disrupt the lives around them.

(Country: US; Year: 2014; Director: David Cross; Writer: David Cross; Stars: Julia Stiles, Michael Cera, David Koechner, Erinn Hayes, Russ Tamblyn, Amy Carlson, Jake Cherry, Matt Walsh, Danny Flaherty, Derek Waters, Meredith Hagner, Michael Oberholtzer, James Adomian, Wyatt Cenac, Rosemary Howard)

World premiere

I Origins

A molecular biologist and his lab partner uncover startling evidence that could fundamentally change society as we know it and cause them to question their once-certain beliefs in science and spirituality.

(Country: US; Year: 2014; Director: Mike Cahill; Writer: Mike Cahill; Stars: Michael Pitt, Brit Marling, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Steven Yeun, Archie Panjabi, Kashish, Cara Seymour, William Mapother, Crystal Anne Dickinson, Venida Evans, Ako, Rhonda Ayers, Farasha Baylock, Brooke Fox, Charles W. Gray)

World premiere

Little Accidents

In a small American coal town living in the shadow of a recent mining accident, the disappearance of a teenage boy draws three people together - a surviving miner, the lonely wife of a mine executive, and a local boy - in a web of secrets.

(Country: US; Year: 2014; Director: Sara Colangelo; Writer: Sara Colangelo; Stars: Elizabeth Banks, Chloë Sevigny, Josh Lucas, Boyd Holbrook, Jacob Lofland, Alexia Rasmussen, Nicholas Huddleston, Steven St. Gelais, Bear Sheeley, Annie Fitzpatrick, Louie Lawless, Mike Seely, Katie DeLuca, Beau Wright, Mike Bizzarri)

World premiere

Love Is Strange

Review preview for Love Is Strange

Courageous and uncompromising

Angus Wolfe Murray · 4 out of 5
The consequences of a gay marriage on family and friends.

(Country: US, France; Year: 2014; Director: Ira Sachs; Writer: Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias; Stars: John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Marisa Tomei, Darren E. Burrows, Charlie Tahan, Eric Tabach, John Cullum)

Full review

World premiere

A Most Wanted Man

Review preview for A Most Wanted Man

The end result may look good but it never feels distinctive despite the wealth of talent involved in front of and behind the camera.

Amber Wilkinson · 3 out of 5
Thriller about the war on terror.

(Country: UK, US, Germany; Year: 2014; Director: Anton Corbijn; Writer: Andrew Bovell, based on the novel by John le Carré; Stars: Rachel McAdams, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Willem Dafoe, Daniel Brühl, Nina Hoss, Martin Wuttke, Rainer Bock, Kostja Ullmann, Homayoun Ershadi, Mehdi Dehbi, Vicky Krieps, Charlotte Schwab, Grigoriy Dobrygin, Derya Alabora)

Full review See: Interview with Anton Corbijn about A Most Wanted Man

World premiere

Nick Offerman: American Ham

This live taping of Nick Offerman's one-man show at New York's historic Town Hall theater features a collection of anecdotes, songs, and woodworking/oral sex techniques.

(Year: 2014; Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts; Writer: Nick Offerman; Stars: Nick Offerman)

World premiere

The One I Love

Struggling with a marriage on the brink of falling apart, a couple escapes for the weekend in pursuit of their better selves, only to discover an unusual dilemma waiting for them.

(Country: US; Year: 2014; Director: Charlie McDowell; Writer: Justin Lader; Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Mark Duplass, Ted Danson)

World premiere

The Raid 2

Review preview for The Raid 2

The biggest kick up the cinematic arse you're likely to get this year.

David Graham · 4 out of 5
Picking up where the first film left off, The Raid 2 follows Rama as he goes undercover and infiltrates the ranks of a ruthless Jakarta crime syndicate in order to protect his family and expose the corruption in his own police force.

(Country: Indonesia; Year: 2014; Director: Gareth Evans; Writer: Gareth Evans; Stars: Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, Raiden Integra, Donny Alamsyah, Ryûhei Matsuda, Julie Estelle, Kazuki Kitamura, Tio Pakusodewo, Ken'ichi Endô, Marsha Timothy, Alex Abbad, Mathias Muchus, Cecep Arif Rahman)

Full review

World premiere

Rudderless

When a grieving father in a downward spiral stumbles upon a box of his deceased son's original music, he forms a rock 'n' roll band, which changes his life.

(Country: US; Year: 2014; Director: William H Macy; Writer: Jeff Robison, Casey Twenter; Stars: Selena Gomez, Jamie Chung, Anton Yelchin, Kate Micucci, Laurence Fishburne, William H. Macy, Billy Crudup, Felicity Huffman, Suzanne Krull, Nellie Sciutto, Zoe Graham, Mollie Milligan, David Flannery, Joey Bicicchi, Brad Greiner)

World premiere

Say When (Laggies)

Review preview for Say When

Rom coms can damage your health

Angus Wolfe Murray · 2.5 out of 5
Girl on the brink of a disastrous marriage escapes into the teenage world for life enhancing R&R

(Country: US; Year: 2014; Director: Lynn Shelton; Writer: Andrea Seigel; Stars: Keira Knight,ley, Chloë Grace Moretz, Sam Rockwell, Mark Webber, Ellie Kemper, Gretchen Mol, Kaitlyn Dever, Eric Riedman, Daniel Zovatto)

Full review

World premiere

They Came Together

This subversion/spoof/deconstruction of the romantic comedy genre has a vaguely, but not overtly, Jewish leading man, a klutzy, but adorable, leading lady, and New York City itself as another character in the story.

(Country: US; Year: 2014; Director: David Wain; Writer: Michael Showalter, David Wain; Stars: Cobie Smulders, Michael Shannon, Paul Rudd, Lynn Cohen, Melanie Lynskey, Noureen DeWulf, Amy Poehler, Ed Helms, Christopher Meloni, Max Greenfield, Jason Mantzoukas, Michaela Watkins, Michael Ian Black, Randall Park, Barbara Vincent)

World premiere

The Trip To Italy

Review preview for The Trip To Italy

When the freshest food is eaten by rotting mortals and family is little more than a fragile crutch above the abyss, funny jokes can no longer hide the tragedy.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 3 out of 5
Two men take a humorous journey through Italy in search of understanding and delicious food.

(Country: UK, Italy; Year: 2014; Director: Michael Winterbottom; Writer: Michael Winterbottom; Stars: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Rosie Fellner)

Full review

World premiere

The Voices

Review preview for The Voices

For a while, at least, The Voices rattles along like a charming slasher comedy of errors.

Andrew Robertson · 3 out of 5
A disturbed factory worker dreams of romance... but will he take advice from his dog or his cat?

(Country: US, Germany; Year: 2014; Director: Marjane Satrapi; Writer: Michael R Perry; Stars: Anna Kendrick, Gemma Arterton, Ryan Reynolds, Jacki Weaver, Gulliver McGrath, Stephanie Vogt, Adi Shankar, Ella Smith, Crystal Nicole Marcano, Michael S. Ruscheinsky, Ricardia Bramley, Gretel Ashzinger, Denis Lyons, Helena Prince, Alessa Kordeck)

Full review See: Sundance Episode 2: Infinitely Polar Bear, Frank and The Voices

World premiere

White Bird In A Blizzard

Review preview for White Bird In A Blizzard

Araki never digs deep enough, wasting the opportunity to expose her resentments.

Amber Wilkinson · 2.5 out of 5
A teenager's life is thrown into turmoil when her mother disappears.

(Country: France; Year: 2014; Director: Gregg Araki; Writer: Gregg Araki, based on the novel by Laura Kasischke; Stars: Shailene Woodley, Eva Green, Angela Bassett, Christopher Meloni, Gabourey Sidibe, Jacob Artist, Shiloh Fernandez, Dale Dickey, Sheryl Lee, Ava Acres, Mark Indelicato, Brenda Koo, Michael Patrick McGill, Colette Stone, Brandy Futch)

Full review

World premiere

Wish I Was Here

Review preview for Wish I Was Here

The title is baffling, the film self indulgent, the message confusing and the raison d'etre dubious

Angus Wolfe Murray · 2 out of 5
A thirtysomething family man wrestles with a few minor hindrances - like his disapproving father, an elusive God, and adult responsibility.

(Country: US; Year: 2014; Director: Zach Braff; Writer: Adam J Braff, Zach Braff; Stars: Zach Braff, Kate Hudson, Mandy Patinkin, Josh Gad, Joey King, Pierce Gagnon)

Full review

World premiere

Young Ones

When a series of events is set into motion, altering his young life forever, Jerome is forced to make choices that no child should ever have to make.

(Country: US; Year: 2014; Director: Jake Paltrow; Writer: Jake Paltrow; Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Elle Fanning, Michael Shannon, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alex McGregor, Andy McPhee, Aimee Mullins, Robert Hobbs, Carel Nel, Liah O'Prey)

World premiere