Sundancin' II
Why are we so attracted to film? For me to leave a perfectly beautiful sunny Park City blue sky day to go sit in a dark theater - that takes a real distraction. Maybe it's the voyeuristic aspect of film that's so appealing … we can enter people's private lives, in their houses, their bedrooms, their cars, even their thoughts … and stare all we want. No one's going to ask us to stop. It's so delicious. Or maybe it's because on the big screen, with professional lighting and things filmed at just the right time of day, or in just the right corner of a room, humanity looks so absolutely beautiful … so beautiful that we can't turn our eyes away. Even the big cinema sound - the crinkling of a newspaper in someone's hand - the clipping of a woman's heels down a cobblestone street - enunciates and illuminates little day to day actions, flooding our senses with admiration for mundane moments in life and making them seem suddenly beautiful.
I've seen three more really good films this week (after "September Issue"). "An Education" (in the World Cinema Dramatic competition) tells the story of 16-year-old Jenny in England, studying hard and playing cello and behaving under the thumb of a controlling father, all in an effort to make it into Oxford 
for university. Along comes a handsome, charming older man (played by Peter Sarsgaard - who ALWAYS ends up playing the really handsome guy who goes completely creepy!) who sweeps Jenny into a world of art, culture, fancy dresses, smoking, drinking, losing her virginity, jazz clubs - you name it. She ends up risking her entire future and you'll have to see it to find out what happens. The movie grabbed me from the start, with its glorious English scenery (I was jonesing for a cup of tea during the entire screening), drool-worthy 60s gal clothes, what seemed to me a very realistic portrayal of a smart young girl's adolescent struggles, some fabulous humor (Alfred Molina as the father is fantastic) and a mesmerizing look at the gorgeous and talented Carey Mulligan who plays Jenny. She'll be around for a while, for sure.
"The Yes Men Fix the World" (Spectrum documentary) is hilarious and educational. Real-lifers Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno try to help undo wrongdoings in the world that they feel strongly about by posing as representatives from corporations, going to conferences, and making outlandish (and probably illegal) statements on behalf of the companies - basically the words they really wanted to hear. To watch them time and time again pull stunts like going on the BBC to announce that DOW Chemical has decided to pay $12 million in restitution to all of the victims of its chemical spill in Bhopal, or to pose as HUD spokespersons at a state celebration in New Orleans to kick off the "rebuild" and tell the contractors and the mayor that HUD has decided to simply renovate some of the hurting apartment buildings instead of tearing them down and replacing them with swanky condos … the list goes on and on. Watching audience reactions at these conferences as people start to clue in that maybe something funky is going on is hilarious, as are the names Andy and Mike choose for themselves for each separate event. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who has even an ounce of hippie rebel in them. Highly satisfying!
"The Winning Season" is about a former high school basketball star who's now a divorced alcoholic Dad down on his luck, who's asked to coach an ailing girls' high school basketball team. Since he's having an awful time relating to his own daughter, it's amazing to watch him learn to deal with an entire team of cocky teenage girls. Watching him struggle with the alcoholism is a downer … watching the girls and eventually his own daughter reach out a hand and not let him drown is elevating. You will laugh a LOT during this film, though, at the Dad's foul language, at the gentle cajoling of the team bus driver who ends up being assistant coach - this is a wonderful film that's not too perfectly cutesy feel good, but will leave you feeling hopeful, happy, touched and entertained.
More soon …
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Kristen Gould Case is editor of Park City Magazine and a freelance writer who publishes nationally. Weaned on the blue ice slopes of New England, she moved to Park City 23 years ago and hasn't looked back.
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