Synopsis: A woman (Frances McDormand) embarks on a journey through the American West after losing everything during the recession.
Read MoreSynopsis: The legendary Billie Holiday, one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, spent much of her career being adored by fans across the globe, all while the Federal Department of Narcotics targeted her with an undercover sting operation led by black Federal Agent Jimmy Fletcher, with whom she had a tumultuous affair. Inspired by her life story, The United States vs. Billie Holiday intimately examines her struggles with addiction, fame and heartbreaking love.
Read MoreSynopsis: Based on the NY Times best-selling memoir Guantánamo Diary by Mohamedou Ould Slahi, this is the inspiring true story of the author’s fight for freedom after being detained and imprisoned without charge by the U.S. Government for years. Alone and afraid, Slahi (Tahar Rahim) finds allies in defense attorney Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) and her associate Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley) who battle the U.S. government in a fight for justice that tests their commitment to the law and their client at every turn. Their controversial advocacy, along with evidence uncovered by a formidable military prosecutor, Lt. Colonel Stuart Couch (Benedict Cumberbatch), uncovers shocking truths and ultimately proves that the human spirit cannot be locked up.
Read MoreSynopsis: Poised with sharklike self-assurance, Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) is a professional, court-appointed guardian for dozens of elderly wards whose assets she seizes and cunningly bilks through dubious but legal means. It's a well-oiled racket that Marla and her business-partner and lover Fran (Eiza González) use with brutal efficiency on their latest "cherry," Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest) - a wealthy retiree with no living heirs or family. But when their mark turns out to have an equally shady secret of her own and connections to a volatile gangster (Peter Dinklage), Marla is forced to level up in a game only predators can play - one that's neither fair, nor square.
Read MoreI want to thank the Sundance Institute for giving me the chance to cover their festival, which I hope to come back to in-person once the global pandemic finally disappears. In the end, as much as I loved watching so many films, I feel extremely lucky to have met some extraordinary people online through this event. Hopefully, I’ll be able to meet you all at an actual festival one day. That was Sundance for me! I’ll leave my favorite movies from the festival below, as well as every other review I wrote during these fantastic days. See you at the next festival!
Read MoreConcise opinions about the films I watched during Day Five of Sundance 2021, including links to the respective reviews.
Movies present in this article:
Judas and the Black Messiah
The World to Come
Synopsis: In this powerful 19th century romance set in the American Northeast, Abigail (Katherine Waterston), a farmer's wife, and her new neighbor Tallie (Vanessa Kirby) find themselves irrevocably drawn to each other. A grieving Abigail tends to her withdrawn husband Dyer (Casey Affleck) as free-spirit Tallie bristles at the jealous control of her husband Finney (Christopher Abbott), when together their intimacy begins to fill a void in each other's lives they never knew existed.
Read MoreSynopsis: Fred Hampton’s (Daniel Kaluuya) cathartic words “I am a revolutionary” became a rallying call in 1969. As chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, Hampton demanded all power to the people and inspired a growing movement of solidarity, prompting the FBI to consider him a threat and to plant informant William O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield) to infiltrate the party. Judas and the Black Messiah not only recounts Hampton’s legacy and the FBI’s conspiring but also gives equal footing to the man who became infamous for his betrayal - highlighting the systems of inequality and oppression that fed both of their roles.
Read MoreConcise opinions about the films I watched during Day Four of Sundance 2021, including links to the respective reviews.
Movies present in this article:
The Dog Who Wouldn’t Be Quiet
Prisoners of the Ghostland
Violation
Synopsis: Unhappily married Miriam (Madeleine Sims-Fewer) and Caleb (Obi Abili) join Miriam’s somewhat-estranged sister Greta (Anna Maguire) and husband Dylan (Jesse LaVercombe) at a lakeside cabin for a weekend of relaxation and reconciliation. Feeling spurned in attempts to connect with both Greta and Caleb, Miriam increasingly retreats to the easy comfort of her friendship with the affable Dylan. After a transgressive act of sexual violence, the film’s narrative vividly fractures, disorienting audiences while inextricably tying their experience to Miriam’s as she embarks on a vicious crusade of revenge.
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