Sundance 4

Need to review the 3 movies from Sunday afternoon and evening.

The World Cinema Documentary Jury Prize winner was:"Man On Wire", directed by James Marsh. It is a fantastic movie that recounts the amazing Philippe Petit's wire walking event between the World Trade Center towers in 1974. The movie is adapted in part from his book, "To Reach The Clouds".

Archival movie footage, photographs, interviews and recreated scenes tell the incredible story of Petit's planning and execution process. We thought it was the best doc we saw. The director was there for the QandA and allowed as how Mr. Petit would have been there but had to return to New York. The footage of the construction of the World Trade Center towers is very nostalgic and almost heartbreaking. One of the producers is Discovery, so I imagine this will end up on TV at some point.

The Documentary Grand Jury Prize winner was "Trouble The Water" directed by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal. This movie shows how one New Orleans family from the 9th Ward lived through Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. The title comes from a song.

The directors explained that they had planned to film the LA National Guard unit coming home to a devastated New Orleans after being in Iraq. The directors wanted to follow soldiers as they dealt with the destruction from the hurricane, knowing they had not been able to be at home protecting their families. The government forbade filming after only a few days, so the directors went to the convention center and met Kimbery Rivers who told them she had amazing footage of the hurricane and she was looking for a "worldwide" outlet for her family's story. Using her video footage and following up for about a year after the hurricane, we see the family's courage and perseverance as well as their love for their native city. This movie does not yet have a distributor, but it should.

The third movie of the day was the Dramatic Audience Award winner: "The Wackness", written and directed by Jonathan Levine. The director wasn't there for a QandA.

The story takes place during 1994, when Luke Shapiro (Josh Peck) graduates from high school with no friends and family problems. He also deals pot and sees a psychiatrist, played by Ben Kingsley. The doctor trades pot for more sessions.

It's a coming of age story with a strong hip-hop beat. The acting is great, and has some funny scenes and lines. The title comes from an exchange Luke has with his almost-girlfriend, Stephanie, played by Olivia Thrilby. She tells him he's too sad all the time because he only looks at 'the wackness" of life. She tries to look at 'the dopeness" which is much better. This might hit a theater near you sometime soon.

After a nice dinner at the Grubsteak Pub, we collapsed back home.

Snacks in the theater? It depends on the venue. Real movie theaters have normal concession stands, but some venues won't allow anything but water in the theater. The large venue at the high school auditorium had a souvenir stand in the lobby, as well as snacks to buy, but they had to be consumed in the lobby. They didn't check purses or pockets, however, so we always had a few granola bars and small water bottles with us.