bizlift Reviews

Frozen River (2008)

Bleak But Satisfying Indie Flick w/ Interesting Ending

[8/10 · 23 January 2008]

Frozen River is not a glamorous Hollywood film. It's a bleak indie film about struggling to survive.

I found it well written with strong performances by Melissa Leo & Charlie McDermott.

The movie was very moody with some intense scenes and generated a strong emotional response for me. The setting and simple production worked very well with the atmosphere of the story.

And, not to give away anything...the ending is "satisfying" without tying up things impossibly neat or without being too predictable.

I feel the current average rating as of writing this review is not close to being appropriate. Perhaps there is some conspiracy as all of the films listed in the Sundance Dramatic Competition have a huge number of 2 ratings, many more 2's than any other rating. It seems a bit weird to be a coincidence that majority of ratings for these new films would all be 2. See for yourself by clicking on the rating details of each of the films listed at: http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Sundance_Film_Festival/2008

North Starr (2008)

Rough around the edges, but Good Concept & Great Musical Performance

[7/10 · 23 January 2008]

The film was definitely indie and despite some rough acting and awkward scenes, the film continued to pull me along. Stanton's artistic vision and the occasional dark and beautiful moments kept me engaged during the bumpy ride.

I really enjoyed the photography as well as the dusty locations and sets. Jerome Hawkins' charisma helped make his character likable and propelled the movie along.

The highlight of the film was the musical performance. Let's just say that Kid Rock ain't got nothing on Hawkins when it comes to country-fried hip-hop.

The film had many layers...perhaps a bit too many layers. The concept of an urban hip-hop youth in a small redneck town was wonderful, and the philosophical explorations were interesting. But in my opinion the drums and the vision scenes "cheapened" the story. It would have been more powerful to go deeper with what was already there rather than broader but shallower with the super-natural elements that seemed disconnected from the main story. (If you're going super-natural, then go all the way like "The Sixth Sense").

I watched the world premier at Sundance (sitting right behind celebrity judges including my hero Quentin Tarantino).

In the Q&A after the film, we learned that the film was created with almost no budget and some of the cast also doubled as crew taking on multiple roles. Stanton's background is in theater which explained some of the scenes that seemed more appropriate for stage than screen.

If watching this at home on DVD, I would give it a lower rating. But after hearing the Q&A, and since it was viewed at a festival for independent film I feel that the context in which I experienced this film should influence the rating.

I'm looking forward to see what Stanton, Hawkins & posse can do with some real resources now that they have some film experience under their belt.

Anvil (2008)

Beautifully crafted documentary

[9/10 · 19 January 2008]

The Sundance documentaries I look forward to every year are usually heavy insights into social injustices or political atrocities. So when I first heard about "Anvil!", I admit I was expecting a goofy, cheesy film. Fortunately, my expectations were blown away during the world premiere at Sundance.

Director Sacha Gervasi demonstrated that the love of a fan and the 30 year bond between best friends and band mates can be just as powerful and compelling subject matter as found in any other documentary.

I was impressed by the film's artistry. Sacha's profiles revealed rich characters, human and lovable. Lead singer "Lips" has a wonderful, sensitive, child-like personality full of emotion and hope. He seems completely without guile, open and transparent. It contrasts nicely with drummer Robb Reiner's more quiet, thoughtful and intellectual presence.

The photography was stunning. There were some very poetic moments like a quiet scene after a fight between band members in Dover where a solitary band member walked through a field with a stormy wind whipping the vegetation and waves angrily crashing in the turbulent seas in the background. Or after wonderful news, the camera followed Lips outside of the house then panned to the window with a black cat sitting inside, then shifting focus to fresh flowers growing in the yard. It was lovely mirror of Lip's amazing ability to leave bad luck (the cat) behind and savor the beauty of a fresh new opportunity.

This was the first documentary that I remember hearing the audience actually cheer out loud during the movie. After the film Sacha was received with thunderous applause, and and instant standing ovation when the band took the stage.

It's been years since I've listened to metal, but I was surprised at how enjoyable the music was...especially Robb's brilliant drumming. So, I'll sign-off now and head over to www.anvilmetal.com and purchase my first metal album in 15 years.