Sundancing in SLC

Still tired from a long weekend, I planned to go home after work yesterday and catch up on laundry and sleep. But then I remembered that I hadn't yet seen any Sundance films. I have six vouchers that can be exchanged for six tickets and I didn't want them to go to waste. I wasn't quite certain about how to exchange them. I tend not to pay to much attention to the fine details of Sundance - preferring instead to try and talk my way into events rather than waiting in cold, long lines. I decided, though, to give it a go. So I looked at the films playing at the Broadway, Tower, and Rose Wagner, and decided to try and see Starting Out In The Evening and Joshua. I got into both without (a) having to stand in the cold, (b) wait in line, or - most importantly - (c) having to arrive at the theater hours ahead of the start time.

The films were good (though I doubt either will be buzzed about). I enjoyed the first one because of the cast: Lauren Ambrose, Lilli Taylor, and Frank Langella. I found it to be a quietly intense, superbly realized drama about erudite New Yorkers who tug on each other's vulnerabilities as they strive to actualize individual promise at different stages of life.* The main character is an aging author and I thought Sara Z. would really enjoy the character and his struggles with the writing process. The second movie, Joshua, was like The Omen meets Rosemary's Baby meets, and this was my own opinion, Problem Child. I wanted to mention the latter film to the director in the Q and A following the screening, but I am not that bold (or rude). Joshua addresses one of the most difficult decisions anyone has to make: whether to have a child. It is a life altering decision that carries profound consequences even if everying goes right; but what if it goes horribly wrong?*

I ended the night by giving a couple of drunks a ride home. Neither of which were me.

Also, Jake Paltrow, Gwyneth's brother, has a film in the festival titled The Good Night. Principal cast includes his sister, Penelope Cruz, Danny DeVito and MARTIN FREEMAN aka TIM from the BRITISH Office. I don't think he is in town, but I would have liked to have seen both him and the film.

In other film news: The Oscars. I have not seen Babel or Letters From Iwo Jima. I plan to see the former, but do I have to see the latter too? Has anyone? I think most of the categories are easy to pick this year.

Today's Song: Noah's Dove, 10,000 Maniacs

* Alright, so obviously I plagiarized the official Sundance film guide.