Sundance Review: SONG ONE Starring Anne Hathaway & Johnny Flynn

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A romantic drama with a soundtrack that will melt your heart, SONG ONE is Kate Barker-Froyland first film that you won’t want to miss. Franny (Anne Hathaway), an anthropologist living in Morocco, receives a phone call from her mother (Mary Steenburgen) that changes her life. Her younger brother, Henry, who had been living in Brooklyn trying to make it as a musician, was hit by a cab on his walk home. Now in a coma, doctors aren’t sure he’ll ever wake up.

Franny, we come to find, is harboring a lot of guilt from the last time she spoke to her brother. Six months prior, a fight had broken out between them, over his decision to drop out of college and pursue his musical passion full time. On returning home, a discovery is made which throws the film into motion: her brother Henry’s journal tucked into his guitar case. As she starts to read the pages, Franny finds herself opening up pieces of his life she hadn’t known about previously.Along with his journal, Franny uncovers tickets to see her brother’s favorite musician, James Forester (Johnny Flynn). She makes the decision to go to the show, since he cannot.

In meeting with James after his show, Franny passes along a CD of her brother singing for James to listen to. She leaves with a heavy heart, but hopes he’ll take a listen anyways. When he stops by the hospital where her brother is being held not long after their meeting, to see how he is doing and to see about playing a song for him, you can see the walls that Franny has put up start to fall away. Where you might feel hesitant to this scene, as the cliche of it begins to nag at the back of your mind, it flows so effortlessly that you are able to forget this hesitance within moments. Anne’s sensitive nature and ability to express her character’s pure sorrow effortlessly coats each scene with an authentic ambiance.

At one time, Franny had fought with her brother over his decision to make music his full time career; now, she’s clawing to get a taste of the musical experience any way that she can.  She attends concerts with James, and even some alone. She sings silly songs to James, trying to inspire him during his writing lull. She’s obsessively listening to her brother’s recorded songs and searching out instruments he always wanted. She has gone from one extreme to another, as she explores this new world that her brother loves so dearly, and has begun to blossom into a softer side of herself as a result.

The relationship between James and Franny grows deeper, emotionally and sexually, as the two of them begin to spend more time together. From going to different concerts, recording sounds for her to play for Henry, opening his fan mail, to sitting and enjoying the city skyline, the two of them forge a bond.

Desperately trying to hold herself together, and to rebuild what she fears may have been lost, she visits her brother every day, playing the sounds she has recorded for him, hoping that the familiarity will help him recover. It is during these desperate times of extreme hope that she shares with her brother that the weakness of Franny’s relationship with her mother is unearthed. When she left to pursue her dreams around the world she left everything behind and didn’t look back. Where this may have been therapeutic for her, you can see the pain it has caused her mother.

Johnny Flynn plays the elusive singer/songwriter, James Forester. Mostly an unknown actor, especially when pitted against the likes of Anne Hathaway and Mary Steenburgen, Flynn will leave you lovestruck, with him and his messy hair. While many may watch and wonder why he consistently stays in that shy, awkward place, I found it massively endearing and realistic for his character. There have always been those in the spotlight that aren’t the most extroverted, gregarious people. It’s refreshing to see someone not attempt to portray a successful musician character fully “Hollywood-ized”, the stereotypical confident and full-of-smooth responses leading man, especially when that’s not always the case. Flynn’s nervous nature, which to me appeared whole-heartedly real, even added a few laughs in places where Franny and her mother were in arguments or overtly dramatic moments.

Musically, Flynn nails it. When he takes the stage, singing and playing, it seemed the audience, including myself, was completely memorized. I found myself praying that we’d get to hear the entire song each time he took the stage, and not be left craving more like you are in films that only want to give you a taste of the music. Luckily we get to hear him sing and play a few times, which makes me think that the director and his team were aware that the music should take the front seat in this film from the very start. I’m not ashamed to say when I got out of the screening I went right to download his music. (Also, I must say it doesn’t hurt that he’s British. That accent? Killer.)

Though the story line is addicting, like so many romantic dramas that have come before it, it’s the soundtrack and score of SONG ONE that will win your heart here. From the musical masterminds, Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice, comes a score that makes you feel that music is whats meant to be at this films’ core. Without it, this film would fall flat and seem as commonplace as other romantic dramas.

One thing I wished we could have seen more of in this film was the character Henry (Ben Rosenfield). His first and only true scene at the start of the film, where he’s singing in the subway station, had the entire theater locked on him. Sitting amongst all those people, I could feel a collective breath when he finished singing, as if we were so enthralled with him we hadn’t thought it possible that he could stop.  A talent worth noting, Rosenfeld’s part, in my eyes, could have certainly been expanded in a way that would have only benefited the film.
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Sundance Film Festival: Feature Film Awards

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Hosted by Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally in Park City, UT tonight the Sundance Institute announced the winners of the Jury, Audience and other awards at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. You can check out the list of winners below! 

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The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Tracy Chapman to:
Rich Hill / U.S.A. (Directors: Andrew Droz Palermo, Tracy Droz Tragos) — In a rural, American town, kids face heartbreaking choices, find comfort in the most fragile of family bonds, and dream of a future of possibility.

The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Leonard Maltin to:
Whiplash
 / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Damien Chazelle) — Under the direction of a ruthless instructor, a talented young drummer begins to pursue perfection at any cost, even his humanity. Cast: Miles Teller, JK Simmons.

The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented by Andrea Nix Fine to:
Return to Homs
 / Syria, Germany (Director: Talal Derki) — Basset Sarout, the 19-year-old national football team goalkeeper, becomes a demonstration leader and singer, and then a fighter. Ossama, a 24-year-old renowned citizen cameraman, is critical, a pacifist, and ironic until he is detained by the regime’s security forces.

The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented by Nansun Shi to:
To Kill a Man
 / Chile, France (Director and screenwriter: Alejandro Fernández Almendras) — When Jorge, a hardworking family man who’s barely making ends meet, gets mugged by Kalule, a neighborhood delinquent, Jorge’s son decides to confront the attacker, only to get himself shot. Even though Jorge’s son nearly dies, Kalule’s sentence is minimal, heightening the friction. Cast: Daniel Candia, Daniel Antivilo, Alejandra Yañez, Ariel Mateluna.

The Audience Award: U.S. Documentary Presented by Acura, was presented by William H. Macy to:
Alive Inside: A Story of Music & Memory
 / U.S.A. (Director: Michael Rossato-Bennett) — Five million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia—many of them alone in nursing homes. A man with a simple idea discovers that songs embedded deep in memory can ease pain and awaken these fading minds. Joy and life are resuscitated, and our cultural fears over aging are confronted.

The Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic Presented by Acura, was presented by William H. Macy to:
Whiplash
 / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Damien Chazelle) — Under the direction of a ruthless instructor, a talented young drummer begins to pursue perfection at any cost, even his humanity. Cast: Miles Teller, JK Simmons.

The Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented by Felicity Huffman to:
The Green Prince 
/ Germany, Israel, United Kingdom (Director: Nadav Schirman ) — This real-life thriller tells the story of one of Israel’s prized intelligence sources, recruited to spy on his own people for more than a decade. Focusing on the complex relationship with his handler, The Green Prince is a gripping account of terror, betrayal, and unthinkable choices, along with a friendship that defies all boundaries.

The Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented by Felicity Huffman to:
Difret
 / Ethiopia (Director and screenwriter: Zeresenay Berhane Mehari) — Meaza Ashenafi is a young lawyer who operates under the government’s radar helping women and children until one young girl’s legal case exposes everything, threatening not only her career but her survival. Cast: Meron Getnet, Tizita Hagere.

The Audience Award: Best of NEXT <=> was presented by Nick Offerman to:
Imperial Dreams 
/ U.S.A. (Director: Malik Vitthal, Screenwriters: Malik Vitthal, Ismet Prcic) — A 21-year-old, reformed gangster’s devotion to his family and his future are put to the test when he is released from prison and returns to his old stomping grounds in Watts, Los Angeles. Cast: John Boyega, Rotimi Akinosho, Glenn Plummer, Keke Palmer, De’aundre Bonds.

The Directing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented by Morgan Neville to:
Ben Cotner & Ryan White
 for The Case Against 8 / U.S.A. (Directors: Ben Cotner, Ryan White) — A behind-the-scenes look inside the case to overturn California’s ban on same-sex marriage. Shot over five years, the film follows the unlikely team that took the first federal marriage equality lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented by Lone Scherfig to:
Cutter Hodierne
 for Fishing Without Nets / U.S.A., Somalia, Kenya (Director: Cutter Hodierne, Screenwriters: Cutter Hodierne, John Hibey, David Burkman) — A story of pirates in Somalia told from the perspective of a struggling, young Somali fisherman. Cast: Abdikani Muktar, Abdi Siad, Abduwhali Faarah, Abdikhadir Hassan, Reda Kateb, Idil Ibrahim.

The Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented by Sally Riley to:
Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard
 for 20,000 Days On Earth / United Kingdom (Directors: Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard) — Drama and reality combine in a fictitious 24 hours in the life of musician and international culture icon Nick Cave. With startlingly frank insights and an intimate portrayal of the artistic process, this film examines what makes us who we are and celebrates the transformative power of the creative spirit.

The Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented by Sebastián Lelio to:
Sophie Hyde
 for 52 Tuesdays / Australia (Director: Sophie Hyde, Screenplay and story by: Matthew Cormack, Story by: Sophie Hyde) — Sixteen-year-old Billie’s reluctant path to independence is accelerated when her mother reveals plans for gender transition, and their time together becomes limited to Tuesdays. This emotionally charged story of desire, responsibility, and transformation was filmed over the course of a year—once a week, every week, only on Tuesdays. Cast: Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Del Herbert-Jane, Imogen Archer, Mario Späte, Beau Williams, Sam Althuizen.

The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented by Peter Saraf to:
Craig Johnson & Mark Heyman
 for The Skeleton Twins / U.S.A. (Director: Craig Johnson, Screenwriters: Craig Johnson, Mark Heyman) — When estranged twins Maggie and Milo feel that they’re at the end of their ropes, an unexpected reunion forces them to confront why their lives went so wrong. As the twins reconnect, they realize the key to fixing their lives may just lie in repairing their relationship. Cast: Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Luke Wilson, Ty Burrell, Boyd Holbrook, Joanna Gleason.

The Screenwriting Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented by Sebastián Lelio to:
Eskil Vogt 
for Blind / Norway, Netherlands (Director and screenwriter: Eskil Vogt) — Having recently lost her sight, Ingrid retreats to the safety of her home—a place she can feel in control, alone with her husband and her thoughts. But Ingrid’s real problems lie within, not beyond the walls of her apartment, and her deepest fears and repressed fantasies soon take over. Cast: Ellen Dorrit Petersen, Henrik Rafaelsen, Vera Vitali, Marius Kolbenstvedt.

The Editing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented by Jonathan Oppenheim to:
Jenny Golden, Karen Sim
 for Watchers of the Sky / U.S.A. (Director: Edet Belzberg) — Five interwoven stories of remarkable courage from Nuremberg to Rwanda, from Darfur to Syria, and from apathy to action.

The Editing Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented by Sally Riley to:
Jonathan Amos
 for 20,000 Days On Earth / United Kingdom (Directors: Iain Forsyth & Jane Pollard) — Drama and reality combine in a fictitious 24 hours in the life of musician and international culture icon Nick Cave. With startlingly frank insights and an intimate portrayal of the artistic process, this film examines what makes us who we are and celebrates the transformative power of the creative spirit.

The Cinematography Award: U.S. Documentary was presented by Kahane Cooperman to:
Rachel Beth Anderson, Ross Kauffman
 for E-TEAM / U.S.A. (Directors: Katy Chevigny, Ross Kauffman) — E-TEAM is driven by the high-stakes investigative work of four intrepid human rights workers, offering a rare look at their lives at home and their dramatic work in the field.

The Cinematography Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented by Peter Saraf to:
Christopher Blauvelt
 for Low Down / U.S.A. (Director: Jeff Preiss, Screenwriters: Amy-Jo Albany, Topper Lilien) — Based on Amy-Jo Albany’s memoir, Low Down explores her heart-wrenching journey to adulthood while being raised by her father, bebop pianist Joe Albany, as he teeters between incarceration and addiction in the urban decay and waning bohemia of Hollywood in the 1970s. Cast: John Hawkes, Elle Fanning, Glenn Close, Lena Headey, Peter Dinklage, Flea.

The Cinematography Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented by Caspar Sonnen to:
Thomas Balmès & Nina Bernfeld
 for Happiness / France, Finland (Director: Thomas Balmès) — Peyangki is a dreamy and solitary eight-year-old monk living in Laya, a Bhutanese village perched high in the Himalayas. Soon the world will come to him: the village is about to be connected to electricity, and the first television will flicker on before Peyangki’s eyes.

The Cinematography Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented by Carlo Chatrian to:
Ula Pontikos
 for Lilting / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Hong Khaou) — The world of a Chinese mother mourning the untimely death of her son is suddenly disrupted by the presence of a stranger who doesn’t speak her language. Lilting is a touching and intimate film about finding the things that bring us together. Cast: Ben Whishaw, Pei-Pei Cheng, Andrew Leung, Peter Bowles, Naomi Christie, Morven Christie.

U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Use of Animation was presented by Charlotte Cook to:
Watchers of the Sky
 / U.S.A. (Director: Edet Belzberg) — Five interwoven stories of remarkable courage from Nuremberg to Rwanda, from Darfur to Syria, and from apathy to action.

A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Intuitive Filmmaking was presented by Charlotte Cook to:
The Overnighters
 / U.S.A. (Director: Jesse Moss) — Desperate, broken men chase their dreams and run from their demons in the North Dakota oil fields. A local Pastor’s decision to help them has extraordinary and unexpected consequences.

A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Musical Score was presented by Dana Stevens to:
The Octopus Project
 for Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter / U.S.A. (Director: David Zellner, Screenwriters: David Zellner, Nathan Zellner) — A lonely Japanese woman becomes convinced that a satchel of money buried in a fictional film is, in fact, real. Abandoning her structured life in Tokyo for the frozen Minnesota wilderness, she embarks on an impulsive quest to search for her lost mythical fortune. Cast: Rinko Kikuchi.

A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Talent was presented by Dana Stevens to:
Justin Simien 
for Dear White People / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Justin Simien) — Four black students attend an Ivy League college where a riot breaks out over an “African American” themed party thrown by white students. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, the film explores racial identity in postracial America while weaving a story about forging one’s unique path in the world. Cast: Tyler Williams, Tessa Thompson, Teyonah Parris, Brandon Bell.

World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for the Delightful Ensemble Performance, and How the Director Brought His Own Unique Universe into Cinema was presented by Carlo Chatrian to:
God Help the Girl
 / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Stuart Murdoch) — This musical from Stuart Murdoch of Belle & Sebastian is about some messed up boys and girls and the music they made. Cast: Emily Browning, Olly Alexander, Hannah Murray, Pierre Boulanger, Cora Bissett.

World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Cinematic Bravery was presented by Caspar Sonnen to:
We Come as Friends 
/ France, Austria (Director: Hubert Sauper) — We Come as Friends is a modern odyssey, a science fiction–like journey in a tiny homemade flying machine into the heart of Africa. At the moment when the Sudan, Africa’s biggest country, is being divided into two nations, a “civilizing” pathology transcends the headlines—colonialism, imperialism, and yet-another holy war over resources.

The Short Film Audience Award, Presented by YouTube, based on web traffic for 15 short films that screened at the Festival and were concurrently featured on www.youtube.com/sff, was presented to:
Chapel Perilous
 / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matthew Lessner) — Levi Gold is paid an unexpected visit by Robin, a door-to-door salesman with nothing to sell. The ensuing encounter forces Levi to confront his true mystical calling, and the nature of reality itself. A metaphysical comedy trip-out with Sun Araw.

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The following awards were presented at separate ceremonies at the Festival:

Jury prizes and honorable mentions in short filmmaking were presented at a ceremony in Park City, Utah on January 21. The Short Film Grand Jury Prize was awarded to Of God and Dogs / Syrian Arab Republic (Director: Abounaddara Collective). The Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction was presented to Gregory Go Boom / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Janicza Bravo). The Short Film Jury Award: International Fiction was presented to The Cut / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Geneviève Dulude-Decelles). The Short Film Jury Award: Non-fiction was presented to I Think This Is the Closest to How the Footage Looked / Israel (Directors: Yuval Hameiri, Michal Vaknin). The Short Film Jury Award: Animation was presented to Yearbook / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Bernardo Britto). A Short Film Special Jury Award for Unique Vision was presented to Rat Pack Rat / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Todd Rohal). A Short Film Special Jury Award for Non-fiction was presented to Love. Love. Love. / Russia (Director: Sandhya Daisy Sundaram). A Short Film Special Jury Award for Direction and Ensemble Acting was presented to Burger / United Kingdom, Norway (Director and screenwriter: Magnus Mork).

The winning directors and projects of the Sundance Institute | Mahindra Global Filmmaking Awards, in recognition and support of emerging independent filmmakers from around the world, are: Hong Khaou, Monsoon(Vietnam/UK); Tobias Lindholm, A War (Denmark); Ashlee Page, Archive (Australia); and Neeraj Ghaywan, Fly Away Solo (India).

The Sundance Institute/NHK Award, honoring and supporting emerging filmmakers, was presented to Mark Rosenberg, director of the upcoming film Ad Inexplorata.

The 2014 Red Crown Producer’s Award and $10,000 grant was presented to Elisabeth Holm, producer of Obvious Child.

The 2014 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize, presented to outstanding feature films focusing on science or technology as a theme, or depicting a scientist, engineer or mathematician as a major character, was presented to I Origins, directed and written by Mike Cahill. The film received a $20,000 cash award from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

The 2014 Sundance Film Festival Jurors were: U.S. Documentary Competition: Tracy Chapman, Charlotte Cook, Kahane Cooperman, Morgan Neville and Jonathan Oppenheim; U.S. Dramatic Competition: Leonard Maltin, Peter Saraf, Lone Scherfig, Bryan Singer and Dana Stevens; World Cinema Documentary Competition: Andrea Nix Fine, Sally Riley and Caspar Sonnen; World Cinema Dramatic Competition: Carlo Chatrian, Sebastián Lelio and Nansun Shi; Alfred P. Sloan Award: Dr. Kevin Hand, Flora Lichtman, Max Mayer, Jon Spaihts and Jill Tarter; Short Film Competition: Vernon Chatman, Joshua Leonard and Ania Trzebiatowska.

The 2014 Festival presented 121 feature-length films, representing 37 countries and 54 first-time filmmakers, including 35 in competition. These films were selected from 12,218 submissions (72 more than for 2013), including 4,057 feature-length films and 8,161 short films. Of the feature film submissions, 2,014 were from the U.S. and 2,043 were international. 100 feature films at the Festival were world premieres.

5 Reasons CAMP X-RAY Is A Great Film For Kristen Stewart

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Sort of spoilers ahead. Tread carefully if you’re looking to avoid. I was lucky enough to be able to see CAMP X-RAY at the Sundance Film Festival this past week. Being a fan of Kristen I was eager to watch this film and after wandering around Park City and hearing others reactions, positive and negative, this is what I’ve concluded:

  1. The plot is unlike anything she’s ever done. Playing a soldier stationed at Guantanamo Bay? Nothing is sparkling in this film so you can forget about that before you walk into the theater.
  2. She’s not playing someone looking for love, romance or any of that. There’s no swooning.  She’s independent and fierce, wanting to prove that you can’t tell her what she can and can’t do. She might be a small girl but she’s not going to sit back and let the men around her make her feel inferior. It’s a great girl power role.
  3. No candy coated scenes here. She’s elbowed in the face, spit on and covered in feces.  There’s dark circles under her eyes and a look of absolute exhaustion on her face with guilt just below the surface.
  4. She makes Amy easy to relate to. I went through the emotions with her, the stress, the anxiety, the anger, the guilt. (My leg was shaking like crazy for most of the film) Her character is full of sympathy for the way the men are treated. For the way her new found ‘friend’ of sorts, Ali, is treated, especially after she hears his reasons for his behavior.
  5. That last scene she has with Ali, the detainee she talks to throughout the film, will bring tears to your eyes and make your heart heavy as you leave the theater.  The emotions pouring out of her, the way she shakes and cries and is desperately trying to hold herself together. The way he looks like he’s falling apart, clinging to the words she says, it’s terrifyingly heartbreaking and makes you think hard about how you judge people.

 

Sundance Review: HAPPY CHRISTMAS Starring Anna Kendrick

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Directed, written and starring Joe Swanberg, HAPPY CHRISTMAS was pre-festival bought by Paramount with home entertainment and international rights. With positive buzz around Sundance and an Anna Kendrick fan base scouring the internet for more details on this film it’s likely to make it’s mark once it’s in theaters.  

The movie follows Jeff (Swanberg) who is married to Kelly (Melanie Lynskey) and their two year old son, Jude (Jude Swanberg). Jeff works in film production while Kelly is a stay at home mom, who also is an incredibly talented writer that hasn’t had much time or inspiration after her first book. Their relationship is cute, humble and simplistic. You can see how worn out Kelly is getting because of her lack of time to write and how those moments when Jeff takes Jude are cherished.

An emotional wreck after a bad break up, unable to get her life together, Jeff’s younger sister, Jenny, heads to Chicago to stay with them. Thinking she’ll contribute around the home, help take care of Jude or whatever other miscellaneous tasks are needed, she seems very easy going about the entire arrangement. The first night she’s there you are introduced to Jenny’s local friend, Carson, played by Lena Dunham of HBO Girls fame. As the hilarious best friend, her one liners add the perfect amount of silly obscurity to the film.  That night it’s discovered that Jenny binge drinks to the point of passing out, not caring how it affects others.  She gets thoroughly wasted at Carson’s friends house, falls asleep in someones bed and Jeff ends up coming to get her, carrying her out of the apartment and bringing her home.

Due to her lack of responsibility and immature attitude, Jeff decides that she should stay as long as needed, asking her to help take care of Jude so that Kelly can do errands and take care of personal things during the day. Kelly isn’t sure that this is the right thing to do, pointing out that she can barely take care of herself, not trusting her with their child. Jeff convinces her otherwise, wanting to give his sister another chance. 

Jenny and Kelly’s relationship starts to blossom after she babysits Jude one day. When Kelly gets home she sits down for a few drinks with Jenny and Carson, discussing her life and how much she loves Jude but how much she wants time to write. This is where their bond develops a new layer, Jenny convinces Kelly to start a new book. Not just any book though, one of those erotic “mom novels” because that’s where you can make tons of quick money. Throwing out so many Fifty Shades of Grey references I couldn’t help but giggle,  Jenny and Kelly start to write this erotic novel. Their discussions about verbage and plot will make you laugh and wonder if it was scripted or not.

All the while, Jenny has befriended Jude’s babysitter, Kevin (Mark Webber), frequently buys weed from him, makes out with him and leads an odd relationship with him. Her dominating dependency with him is reflected in the way that she spirals downwards every time he won’t do what she wants. Whether this stems from her personality or after shocks of her break up, we don’t know.

With nothing overly flashy about the camera angels or locations you don’t feel intrusive as you watch. It feels as if you’re sitting in the chair across from them or walking down the hall as they talk. You are much more focused on the characters, their troubles and their relationships together and separate, than anything else in the shot. Swanberg’s script is very character focused, the conversations are realistic and genuine, sometimes even feeling ad-libbed.  

Kendrick effortlessly plays the messed up, younger sister bulldozing her way through his family while searching for a place to belong. Lynskey has the innocence and knowledgeable nature to make you believe her shy moments and root for her in her protective mothering ones. Swanberg charming relationship on screen with his son adds the extra layer of happiness needed after some rough scenes.  I’d definitely recommend you catch HAPPY CHRISTMAS, with a run time of only 78 minutes, when it comes to your area.

Check back for updates on it’s release!

SUNDANCE REVIEW: Zach Braff Tears at the Heartstrings in WISH I WAS HERE

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There comes a time in our lives where the death of a loved one is inevitable and as much as we try to resolve issues before parting, conflicts arise. In Zach Braff’s second feature film, WISH I WAS HERE, the film’s protagonist is played by Braff himself, alongside Kate Hudson, Josh Gad, Mandy Patinkin, Joey King, Pierce Gagnon, Ashley Greene, and Jim Parsons.

Following in Braff’s first feature and Sundance hit GARDEN STATE’s footsteps, WISH I WAS HERE is full of drama, comedy and music. True to his style, Braff complements his film with a soundtrack full of melodramatic, lullabies to transition from scene to scene. The film follows his character, Aidan Bloom, as his life takes a turn for the worst. His father, played by Mandy Patinkin, is a typical Jewish patriarch. The film focuses on how Aidan copes with a deteriorating family life, and a father on his deathbed. Braff expertly supplements the heavier scenes with moments of comedy, the smartest tool being his use of a Sci-Fi reality, foreshadowing key moments in the story.

At times, it was hard to believe Mr. Braff in his role. He’s known for his 9-season run on “Scrubs,” an ER/Grey’s Anatomy-like hospital comedy. Starring opposite Braff is Kate Hudson. Her character, Sarah Bloom, is the bread winner of the family, and the only one that seems to keep the family in line. Aidan and Sarah’s two children, Grace (Joey King) and Tucker (Pierce Gagnon), are relentless with their love and support of their parents. The children, at the beginning of the film, attend a private Jewish school, paid for by their grandfather (Patinkin). Used as a comedic device on more than one occasion, the family’s Jewish religion adds depth and spirituality to a difficult time in their lives, which we soon learn to be the acceptance of death.

Rob Thomas made film history when creating a Kickstarter campaign for a fan-voted (and funded) VERONICA MARS movie. The Braffs followed in Thomas’ footsteps and created one similar for this film. 1.3 million dollars later, WISH I WAS HERE was ready to become a reality. With a Sundance premiere under its belt, WISH I WAS HERE, without a doubt, will get a distributor soon, and will be at theaters nationwide by the end of this year (if not sooner!) In typical Indie-movie-fashion WISH I WAS HERE made me laugh and cry. With a story so relatable, there’s no question that this film won’t in some way touch you, whether it be from experience or from the story itself.

Sundance Review: THE SKELETON TWINS Starring Bill Hader & Kristen Wiig

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It’s all been done before, broken families, suicide, depression, finding yourself when you feel so lost. They are all overused themes that can fall flat if not accompanied by the right script, cast or director. THE SKELETON TWINS stars Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig as estranged twins, Milo and Maggie, who haven’t spoken in 10 years.  Both have their own demons floating just under the surface.  Milo hasn’t accomplished the things he wanted to in life, aiding his self destructive behavior. When he tries to commit suicide he ends up in the hospital and it’s his sister, Maggie, who comes to his rescue. Maggie decides to brings him back to her home to live with her and her husband, Lance (Luke Wilson).

Though you know from flashbacks that they were very close as children, you can see the void their 10 years of no talking has left. As they work to rebuild their relationship, sharing secrets that they’ve been keeping, you can see their bond grow strong once again. Maggie has been taking birth control to avoid getting pregnant, even though she’s telling Lance she’s ready for kids, all while cheating on him with her scuba instructor. Milo finds his way back to Rich (Ty Burrell), his teacher from high school with whom he had a sexual relationship at the age of 15.

Kristen’s strong performance showed her range of vulnerability in a way we haven’t really seen from her until now. From the first moment we see her, looking haggard and defeated and deeply considering overdosing, to when she’s out for drinks with her instructor and hooking up with him in the bathroom, she’s putting it all out there. With her most famous role being in the comedy BRIDESMAIDS, it’s refreshing to see her break out of that and into this darker place. 

Without a doubt though, Bill stole the show. His character is so deeply broken and traumatized by the past that he has a tough time functioning, even through daily life. I felt like instead of making the character seem extreme and untouchable, he brought a sense of normalcy to Milo. He made it seem like every little neurosis and quirk or moment of pure emotional abandon was justified, even his suicide attempts.

Wiig and Hader’s background on SNL together is definitely the key factor in why this film has such a massive sense of realism. The two of them play off each other flawlessly, whether it be when they are screaming in a fight, sharing their darkest secrets, making jokes while high off sleepy gas or lip syncing to “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”.  Milo and Maggie make you cry with heartbreak and cry with laughter.  With an addicting script written by the director, Craig Johnson, and BLACK SWAN writer, Mark Heyman, you will go through a full range of emotions during the 88 minute run time. THE SKELETON TWINS is the epitome of what indie film is. It breaks you, makes you rethink what you know, and leaves you with a new outlook on life.

SUNDANCE REVIEW: Kristen Stewart Shines in CAMP X-RAY

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This year’s Sundance Film Festival is all about the CAMP X-RAY buzz. The most obvious reason is that the former Twilight star and Indie-extraordinaire, Kristen Stewart, takes the spotlight as the female lead in this Guantanamo Bay drama.

The film opens with a scene from 9/11, just before the World Trade Center collapses. The camera pans out and we are introduced to our male lead, Payman Moaadi. He’s depicted as living an ordinary life as a modern Arab in the Middle East, but is soon kidnapped and taken to what we learn to be Guantanamo Bay, a United States Military Prison established to detain extraordinarily dangerous prisoners. The film, although lengthy at times, follows a female prison guard, Amy Cole, as she discovers humanity in its most organic form.

Kristen, at first, shows a very familiar acting style — it’s her comfort zone. She draws from her own developed nuances to give life to every character she portrays. This is how she brings the element of realism to her characters. As the film progresses and you learn who her character is, you start to see this actress blossom, coming out of her shell. Kristen’s most brilliant work rears itself in the scenes where she’s working opposite Payman. Their chemistry is perfect; it builds into something so heartfelt. The last third of the film, you finally get to see a side of Kristen that you’ve never seen before. Perhaps the most powerful, is the final 30-minute uncut scene between Cole and Ali (Payman).

The handling of the heavy subject material was respectful and poses an important question we as Americans should be aware of — a new form of discrimination based on assumptions, not facts. Smartly, the story shifts from sympathizing with Ali and with Cole, a very balanced way of storytelling. We feel for Ali based on the circumstances he is in. We feel for Cole in that the more she discovers the real person behind Detainee 471, the more she treats him as the human being he naturally is.

In terms of direction, Peter Sattler does a great job as a newbie feature film director. The pacing is a little off — some parts seemed to drag on while others seemed right. The original score is paired beautifully with the motion picture. It did what it’s supposed to do — it made you feel.

At it’s world premiere in Sundance to an audience of 1200, CAMP X-RAY received a standing ovation. Peter Sattler, Kristen Stewart, and cast were all in attendance and stayed afterwards for the Q&A. Kristen, known to be shy when it comes to press, was in great spirits, embodying a new, confident self.

Our 10 Most-Anticipated Sundance 2014 Films

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1. Camp X-Ray

Synopsis: A young woman (Kristen Stewart) joins the military to be part of something bigger than herself and her small town roots, but ends up as a rookie guard at Guantanamo Bay. Her mission is far from black and white, as she is surrounded by hostile jihadists and aggressive male squadmates. When she strikes up an unusual friendship with one of the detainees (A Separation‘s Payman Maadi), both of their worlds are forever shifted. Written and directed by Peter Sattler, CAMP X-RAY is a deeply human story of two people, on opposite sides of a war, trapped and struggling to find a way to live together.

Why are we excited? The critics and filmmakers have been saying that this is will put Kristen Stewart on the map. She’s notorious for choosing roles that she’s passionate about, and this is her first Indie she’s worked on since closing the chapter on the Twilight Saga.

2. Young Ones

Synopsis: YOUNG ONES is set in a near future when water has become the most precious and dwindling resource on the planet, one that dictates everything from the macro of political policy to the detailed micro of interpersonal family and romantic relationships.  The land has withered into something wretched. The dust has settled on a lonely, barren planet. The hardened survivors of the loss of Earth’s precious resources scrape and struggle. Ernest Holm (Michael Shannon) lives on this harsh frontier with his children, Jerome (Kodi Smit McPhee)and Mary (Elle Fanning). He defends his farm from bandits, works the supply routes, and hopes to rejuvenate the soil. But Mary’s boyfriend, Flem Lever (Nicholas Hoult), has grander designs. He wants Ernest’s land for himself, and will go to any length to get it.  From writer/director Jake Paltrow comes a futuristic western, told in three chapters, which inventively layers Greek tragedy over an ethereal narrative that’s steeped deeply in the values of the American West.

Why are we excited? This film stars the young and talented sister of Dakota Fanning, Elle Fanning, Jennifer Lawrence’s hottie boyfriend, Nicholas Hoult, Michael Shannon (who I saw eating at a local Boulangerie), and Kodi Smit McPhee.

3. God Help The Girl

Synopsis: GOD HELP THE GIRL is a musical feature film, written and directed by Stuart Murdoch, lead singer of the group Belle and Sebastian.  It was produced by Barry Mendel and stars Emily Browning, Olly Alexander and Hannah Murray. Stuart aspired to tell the story of “a better summer, or at least a summer when something happened. It happened to a boy and a girl and a girl in a city roughly the same size and population of Glasgow.”

Why are we excited? Here’s a music film based in Glasgow. Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m a huge music fan, especially music from the UK .. I’m a sucker for accents. This film has it all .. music, Glasgow, and Emily Browning.

4. The Skeleton Twins

Synopsis: Living separate lives on opposite sides of the country, estranged siblings Maggie and Milo are at the end of their ropes. But after a moment of crisis reunites them, Milo goes to spend time with Maggie in the small New York town where they grew up. A dental hygienist, Maggie struggles with her unhappy marriage to the painfully good-natured Lance, while Milo tracks down Rich, the English teacher with whom he shares a checkered past. Adrift and wondering how they ended up so far from who they were supposed to be, the siblings try to patch things up.

Why are we excited? When Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader work together, you know it’s going to be a good film .. in fact, you may just laugh your ass off. Although this film seems to be a bit more serious for the funny duo, we can’t wait to see their great SNL chemistry back on the big screen.

5. Happy Christmas

Synopsis: A budding novelist, Kelly (Melanie Lynskey), her husband, Jeff (Joe Swanberg), a young film director, and their two-year-old son, Jude, live a peaceful existence in Chicago.  But when Jeff’s irresponsible younger sister, Jenny (Anna Kendrick), comes to live with them after a breakup, things start to change.  Jenny begins a rocky relationship with a babysitter-cum-pot dealer (Mark Webber), and she and a friend, Carson (Lena Dunham), instigate an evolution in Kelly’s life, as her career and her relationship with her husband begin to grow in new directions.  But are they welcome ones? In Happy Christmas, writer/actor/director Joe Swanberg (Drinking Buddies) explores both sibling relationships and the roles of women in young families.  Using his unique improvisational technique, Swanberg creates a dramatic experience that results in a natural, relatable peek into his characters’ lives, filled with an engaging warmth and the actors’ own natural sense of humor.

Why are we excited? Ever since Anna Kendrick wowed audiences in George Clooney’s Up In The Air and nabbing a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nom, our respect for the former Twilight star has skyrocketed. Additionally, having the award-winning funny woman, Lena Dunham as part of the cast is another reason to watch!

6. Bottle Rocket

Synopsis: In Bottle Rocket, a hilarious story with an original twist on the importance of friendship, three friends ineptly pursue a life of crime while sharing dreams of the lives they wish they had. Anthony (Luke Wilson) seeks true love. Bob (Robert Musgrove) yearns for a family. And Dignan (Owen Wilson) pursues a distinguished career in crime. After his release from a mental hospital following a psychological breakdown, the directionless Anthony joins up with his friend Dignan, who has come up with an outlandish scheme for a crime spree that somehow involves his former boss, the supposedly legendary Mr. Henry (James Caan). With the help of their pathetic neighbor and pal Bob, the three pull a job and hit the road. Along the way the would-be thieves each get what they wanted, but in ways they never expected.

Why are we excited? Three words. The Wilson Brothers. Need I say more? And to be honest, I miss seeing Luke Wilson in movies and this film is our chance to see him back on the big screen alongside his hilarious brother!

7. Wish I Was Here

Synopsis: Following his celebrated debut feature, Garden State, Zach Braff delivers a new postcard from the edge of existential crisis, this time playing a thirtysomething family man wrestling with a few minor hindrances—like his disapproving father, an elusive God, and yes, adult responsibility. Aidan Bloom is a pot-smoking actor whose last job, a dandruff commercial, was longer ago than he cares to admit. Pursuing his thespian dream has landed him and his wife in tough financial straits, so when his grumpy father can no longer pay for the kids to attend Jewish Yeshiva, Aidan opts for homeschooling. To the chagrin of his hyperdisciplined, religious daughter and the delight of his less-than-studious son, Aidan takes matters into his own imaginative hands, rather than sticking to the boring old traditional curriculum.

Why we are excited? Well, for starters,  Zac Braff stars and directs this follow-up movie to Garden State, which had the best soundtrack of all-time. In addition to what I anticipate as another great love story, the cast is jam-packed with mega stars: Zach Braff, Kate Hudson, Mandy Patinkin, Josh Gad, Ashley Greene, Joey King.

8. Life After Beth

Synopsis: Zach is devastated by the unexpected death of his girlfriend, Beth. When she miraculously comes back to life, Zach takes full advantage of the opportunity to experience all the things he regretted not doing when she was alive. However, the newly returned Beth isn’t quite the way he remembered her, and before long, Zach’s world takes a turn for the worse.

Why are we excited? As much as I hate a horror film, what draws me to this film is Dane DeHaan. He was chosen as one of LA Times’ Promising Young Hollywood Stars (we attended the panel at AFI). Dane has a huge, successful career in front of him, so any movie he’s in, is definitely worth watching.

9. Low Down

Synopsis: Told through the wise eyes of his young daughter, Amy, Low Down chronicles the torrid, true life of jazz pianist Joe Albany. Born into her beloved father’s unorthodox segment of society, Amy’s improvisational adolescence evolves in the shadow of Joe’s struggle between his musical genius and a suffocating heroin addiction. As young Amy sifts through the demimonde of artists, musicians, and vagabonds who permeate her apartment building, she attempts to cling to the deep-rooted love she shares with her deteriorating father. As she emerges into adulthood, she is forced to define her own identity, separate from her father’s troubles.

Why are we excited? Here’s another film that stars Elle Fanning, but she’s not the only person we can’t wait to see … John Hawkes, Elle Fanning, Glenn Close, Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Flea. However, cast aside, this movie is about a jazz pianist and what’s not to love about a little jazz music?

10. Only Lovers Left Alive

Synopsis: Set against the desolation of the once-vibrant cities of Detroit and Tangier, an underground musician, deeply depressed by the direction the world is going, reunites with his resilient and enigmatic lover. Their love story has already endured at least several centuries, but their debauched, romantic idyll is soon disrupted by the woman’s wild and uncontrollable younger sister. Can these wise, but fragile, outsiders continue to survive as the modern world collapses around them?

Why are we excited? This is another story about musicians. Sundance is famous for this infusion. What draws me to this particular film is the story’s take on music in the distant future and how ‘underground’ music is broached. Plus, I love a good love story!

For a full list of the films showing at Sundance Film Festival 2014, head on over to sundance.org/festival!

Q&A with CAMP X-RAY Director, Peter Sattler

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Q&A WITH DIRECTOR PETER SATTLER

via Press Kit

Q: In your own words can you describe what this film is about? 

At its most basic level, CAMP X-RAY is a story about two people trapped in a very strange place that manage to find a connection with each other.  But of course, it’s about a lot of other things too. It’s about a young woman who leaves her home for the first time. A woman who joins the army to find purpose, only to end up in a place where that purpose couldn’t be less pure. It’s about a man desperate to reach out beyond his world as well. To experience something outside the routine of his tiny cell.

Q: What was the inspiration for CAMP X-RAY?

It all started with the book cart. I saw some documentary footage of a guard and a detainee arguing about the different books on the library cart. Their exchange was so mundane, so idiosyncratic, so utterly ridiculous given the context of where they were. And in that exact moment, I could see an entire film. One hallway, two people, and the utterly absurd relationship that they are forced to have. And that’s what I was drawn to. I just wanted to put those two characters in a room and see what they said to each other, which is very much the way I started writing. Having no direction at all. Just dropping them in a test tube and seeing what words came out of their mouths. And the more banal their conversation, the more interested I was in it, because it was the absurdity of these moments that most perfectly captured my feelings on Guantanamo Bay. I very much wanted to paint our portrayal of this place in stark absurdist colors.

Q: Why did you decide to set the film at Guantanamo?

Guantanamo is a fascinating place to me, and it’s a place I knew very little about before I started researching it. So part of my attraction was to explore untrodden territory. To make a movie about something you haven’t seen before. But at its core, this movie isn’t really about Guantanamo as much as it is about the PEOPLE who are down there. It’s not a political film; it’s a deeply human one.

The setting of Gitmo really serves as the pressure cooker that amplifies and complicates a very personal relationship between two strangers who are forced to find a way to live together.

Q: Can you talk about the casting process and how you ended up working with Kristen, Payman and the rest of the cast?

We started with a Hail Mary to Kristen. It was certainly a long shot, but she was absolutely perfect for the role, so we had to try.  Her character requires a lot of acting without words, a lot of living in the moment, and that is something Kristen absolutely excels at. Her character also needed a mixture of toughness and vulnerability which, to me, are traits that she embodies perfectly. So we got the script to Ken Kaplan, her agent, who, much to his credit, sent it on to her, and a few weeks later we sat down to talk about the film. And in that first meeting, I was blown away by her approach to the material, her dedication to the details, and her passion for independent cinema. I think we could both tell that we were pointing in the same direction, so off we went. It all happened pretty quickly by Hollywood standards.

Payman’s a funny story. I adored his performance in the Academy Award winning Iranian film, A Separation, but he was so stern in that role, I didn’t see him as our loud-mouthed detainee. We scheduled a video chat with him in Iran anyway, and the moment he popped up on my screen, everything was different. He was the most buoyant, vibrant man you’ll ever meet, he talked a mile a minute. I loved him, and the fact that he was so different in A Separation just testified to his incredible range as an actor. I remember that night very vividly because I couldn’t get Payman out of my head. I knew that he had to be the one.

But first I needed to see what they were like together. The entire movie hinges on their relationship. So we arranged another video chat, and the second they started speaking, it was like they were already their characters. Payman was talking and talking and talking, and Kristen was kind of quietly listening to him, wryly observing, chiming in, Payman would coax a laugh out of her. It was like I was literally watching a scene from the script play out before my eyes. I gave Payman the job right then and there during the phone call. We all knew there was a magical chemistry between the two of them.

I remember the first time I met Lane Garrison, I couldn’t help but notice that he literally had a red neck. We joked about it, but in truth, it’s not insignificant. It helps that he knows the world of a West Texas soldier inside and out, it’s very much the world he came from. But what really makes him special is the kind of sad sweetness and intelligence he could bring out underneath that veneer. THAT was the undertone that I really responded to in Lane, and something he nailed in the movie. I really gravitate to actors who can play two tones at once. It creates such depth.

John Carroll Lynch’s name was brought up by my casting director, Richard Hicks. Now there’s an actor who’s got range. Comedy, drama, lovable, intimidating; he’s a damn chameleon. I really loved watching him bring his colonel character to life. He brought such a wonderful reality to a role that, in the wrong hands, could have been just another military brass cliché. His performance really played into the larger approach we had, which was to make a film with no ‘bad guys.’ Characters can do bad things, everyone can make bad decisions, but we need to understand, and to some degree sympathize with, why they’re doing what they’re doing. Everyone has an opinion, and if you took the time to talk to them about it, you’d probably find a reason or two to agree with them. And John really understood that, and really worked hard to show the other side of the military’s thinking.

Q: What was your favorite scene to write, and what was your favorite scene to shoot?

I most enjoyed writing the scene that inspired the entire film: the first exchange over the book cart. It is the scene where Kristen and Payman’s characters first meet. We open the movie as a young woman enters the detention camp, which is, understandably, a very intense and frightening place. But when she first meets Payman’s character, we are given a very surprising moment of levity. It underscores the surreal duality of this place and these characters, where one moment you can be literally fighting for your life, but the next, you find yourself arguing with a detainee over Harry Potter.

I also just loved the idea of doing a movie about Gitmo, but not focusing on torture or politics and instead writing scenes about the stupid little things. These two sides are set up to be antagonistic to each other. It’s unavoidably engineered into their relationship. But they can’t fight a real war, so instead they fight it through these little idiosyncratic battles. Arguing about what’s on the lunch menu today or about when they’re getting new books. Stupid arguments, but to these characters, they’re supremely important. This is their Bunker Hill. This is their jihad.  And I loved writing those scenes because they were an amusing way to illustrate the idiocy of their conflict in the first place.

My favorite scenes to shoot were always the ones with Kristen and Payman. They were, on the whole, the more daunting ones to film because they were big scenes. But every moment, every take that those two interacted had a real magic to it. They would find their own rhythms and create little interchanges. It was always so effortless and natural. You usually have to fight to get a scene on its feet before you can start working it, but with those two, it was always just there, which meant the three of us could focus on shaping and molding that reality instead of trying to bring it to life.

Q: What was the most difficult scene to shoot?

The end of the movie was the most difficult to shoot. Reel six is essentially one giant 21-minute scene divided into three or four sections. It was terribly difficult to stage and direct such a massive piece of drama. And to add to the pressure, it is the emotional climax of the film, one that required both actors to reach into the absolute depths.

Q: Why did the story of these two intersecting characters appeal to you? 

One of the primary dramatic interchanges we have in our day-to-day life is meeting and dealing with strangers. Anytime you meet someone, there’s posturing, subtle bragging, feeling one another out. Whether it’s a first date, your first day at school, or the first time you meet a guy you’re supposed to be guarding. It really all comes down to that primal fight or flight instinct. Can I trust this guy? Is he nice? Is he being too nice because he’s trying to play me? I see it happen every single day all around me, in small and large ways. A million scared little monkeys trying to figure one another out. Ali and Cole, to me, are just playing out that intrinsic eternal dance of raising and lowering your defenses when you meet a stranger.

Q: The story of a woman in the service is one not often told – what attracted you to that angle? 

My initial reason for writing a woman in this film was one of contrast. How do I make these two characters start as far apart as possible at the beginning. And from the research I had done and given the very complicated relationship Muslim extremists have with women, it was clearly the most interesting way to go.

But in a way, it was about more than that. As I was writing this film, my wife was pregnant with our first child, a daughter, and it made me see much more clearly how few films are told from a female point of view. It was kind of an eye-opening realization for me, and it only made me more determined to create a strong woman who wanted something more than to just be rescued.

Q: When and where was the film shot, and how long was the shoot? 

We shot in the summer of 2013, mostly in an abandoned juvenile prison in Whittier, CA, which is just outside of Los Angeles. We shot for 21 days.

Q: How did you prepare the actors for their roles before production? Was there a rehearsal process? 

Kristen and Payman are interesting in that they both work in very different ways.

Kristen really loves intellectualizing her character because she absolutely wants to live in the moment. And to do that, it requires truly knowing your character from the inside out. So we spent a lot of time talking about girls we knew that were like Cole. Really just talking around the character, building out her backstory. Going back and forth about little awkward moments from her fictional life that we felt was the type of girl we were building.

Payman, to some degree, had a similar approach. He would share stories with me about people who knew who had been imprisoned in Iran, and he would invent little rules which he felt defined who Ali was. But what’s interesting about Payman is that he’s an accomplished writer and filmmaker as well as an actor. So he would most often gravitate towards little turns of a phrase, or try and establish very visual reactions or ticks his character could employ on-screen.

I had some time to develop both of these methods with Kristen and Payman separately, but due to Payman’s schedule, we were only able to get him in the states to rehearse a few weeks before shooting. In that time, the three of us spent as much time as possible together. We concentrated mostly on the big scenes. There’s about four or five of them, really long scenes that are the crux of the film. In the first pass, we mostly just dialed in intentions and wants and particular approaches to certain lines. We also auditioned new lines and improvised around the scenes a little to find truth. The script was never sacrosanct; it was always just about getting to the truth of their interaction.

But the most helpful thing we did was actually to go rehearse in the actual prison where we shot. It was here that we worked out the dance of how to play the back and forth of lines as Kristen’s character was patrolling the hallway. What line she said where and how that was going to all work out. As I’ve said before, those scenes are incredibly complicated to stage properly, so it was something we definitely had to work out before hand.

And then, finally, during our last rehearsal at the location, I left Payman in his cell, and had Kristen walk in circles around that hallway for about twenty minutes. We left them there alone to try and get some sense of what it would actually be like to be spend all day stuck there. There’s a very palpable reality to being behind those thick doors, walking those long hallways.

Q: How much historical research did you do while writing the film? Were some scenes influenced by real life events? 

CAMP X-RAY required an immense amount of research, most of which was done during the writing process. The idea I had was to focus on the mundane minutiae of life at Gitmo, but to really pull that off required the kind of details that reporters don’t normally cover. So I watched lots of documentaries, read lots of books and news articles. One unlikely asset in all this was through Wikileaks. They had leaked the Standard Operating Procedure for Gitmo’s Camp Delta. It was a treasure trove of microscopic military procedural details. Exactly the kind of material I needed to write the type of movie I was attempting.

And while the film wasn’t inspired by any real events, I did, as much as possible, try to weave true elements into the film. So for example, if I read about a certain nickname that soldiers would use for detainees, I’d try and work that into the movie. Or if there was some small detail about the mess hall, or about life on the base, or a story about something weird that happened down there, I’d very much try to find a way to digest and regurgitate that into the script.

The broad movements we approached like a work of art. The small details we treated like a documentary.

Q: How did you find the location, and what went into recreating Guantanamo?

Camp Delta, where our film is set, looks almost exactly like any high security prison you’d find in the states. And the reason for that is simple. That’s who the military hired to build it. So early in preproduction, I started looking for prisons to shoot in. Lo and behold, I found one right in my own backyard, not thirty minutes from downtown LA. An abandoned juvenile prison.  The bones were exactly like the detention blocks at Gitmo. It would take a lot of work to transform the rest of it, but we knew that the location had given us a huge head start.

There were two phases of research that went into our film. The first was done by myself during the writing process. But the second was done almost entirely by my production designer, Richard Wright. I always knew that we were facing a challenge in trying to recreate life at Guantanamo, but Richard pushed the design of the film further than I had ever imagined. He painstakingly analyzed Department of Defense videos to try and measure the size of the food slots in the detention doors. He worked with our Muslim consultant Suhad Obeidi to track down appropriate Arabic books. He studied everything from Middle East geometric art to military police procedure to get all the props and dressing correct.

Richard would come in almost every day with a new photo he had found and wanted to recreate. So we eventually ended up making him our second unit director. We’d send him off with our second unit D.P., Adam Stone, and they’d just go stage all these amazing little slices of life that he’d found in his research. Guards wrapping Korans. Detainees hanging their laundry out to dry on a chain link fence.

And this was very much the side of Gitmo that we wanted to focus on. From the beginning, Richard and I wanted to limit the scope of our world to the things that our characters would actually experience. If you actually worked down there, you wouldn’t experience some sweeping helicopter shot over a thousand miles of fence line. You’d actually spend far more time looking at dorky military issue motivational posters and coffee makers. So that’s where we put our focus. We wanted to recreate Gitmo on a very human scale.

Q: What are you working on next?

I can’t really work on two things at once. I kind of just need to go all in on something. So it’s only now that the movie is completely finished that I can start to purge the old film and make room from a new one. Ironically, the film I plan on writing next is, in many ways, a two-hander like CAMP X-RAY. I’m not sure if that’s by design. I think it’s just hard for me to think of a character without thinking of the other character they’ll be in opposition to. No character can exist in a void.

Camp X-Ray premieres at Sundance Film Festival on January 18th!

Sundance 2014: Short Films Line Up

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Sundance Film Festival has released the line up of short films for the 2014 Fest, which runs from January 16-26. Check out the list below.

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U.S. NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS

130919 • A Portrait of Marina Abramovi? / U.S.A. (Director: Matthu Placek) — This one-take, 3-D film majestically documents legendary performance artist Marina Abramovic, capturing the breadth of space in infinite detail: the life of an artist, her keen sense of transition, a space’s decay, and the ripeness of rebirth.

Afronauts / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Frances Bodomo) — On July 16th 1969, America prepares to launch Apollo 11. Thousands of miles away, the Zambia Space Academy hopes to beat America to the moon. Inspired by true events.

The Big House (Al Bayt Al Kabeer) / U.S.A., Yemen (Director and screenwriter: Musa Syeed) — When a young Yemeni boy ventures out of his cramped apartment and finds a key to the empty mansion down the street, he lets himself and his imagination run wild in the big house.

The Bravest, the Boldest / U.S.A. (Director: Moon Molson, Screenwriters: Eric Fallen, Moon Molson) — Two army casualty-notification officers arrive at the Harlem projects to deliver some news to Sayeeda Porter about her son serving in the war overseas. But whatever it is they have to say, Sayeeda ain’t willing to hear it.

Catherine / U.S.A. (Director: Dean Fleischer-Camp, Screenwriters: Dean Fleischer-Camp, Jenny Slate) —Catherine returns to work after a hiatus.

Chapel Perilous / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matthew Lessner) — Chapel perilous is an occult term describing a psychological state where people are uncertain if they have been aided or hindered by a force outside the natural world.

Cruising Electric (1980) / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Brumby Boylston) — The marketing department green-lights a red-light tie-in: 60 lost seconds of modern movie merchandising.

Dawn / U.S.A. (Director: Rose McGowan, Screenwriters: M.A. Fortin, Joshua John Miller) — Dawn is a quiet young teenager who longs for something or someone to free her from her sheltered life.

Dig / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Toby Halbrooks) — A young girl watches her father dig a hole in their backyard. Mystified about his purpose, the neighborhood comes to watch.

The End of Eating Everything / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Wangechi Mutu) — The End of Eating Everything traces the journey of a flying, planetlike creature navigating a bleak skyscape. This sick soul is lost in a polluted atmosphere without grounding or roots, led by hunger toward its destruction.

Funnel / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Andre Hyland) — A man’s car breaks down and sends him on a quest across town that slowly turns into the most fantastically mundane adventure.

Gregory Go Boom / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Janicza Bravo) — A paraplegic man leaves home for the first time only to discover that life in the outside world is not the way he had imagined it.

Here Come the Girls / U.S.A., Norway (Director and screenwriter: Young Jean Lee) — An examination of the life of Joe Truman, an aspiring musician, father, and drug user. This unsettling paradocumentary investigates Joe’s private life through invasive snapshots of his environment and relationships and is a painful pleasure to watch.

I’m a Mitzvah / U.S.A. (Director: Ben Berman, Screenwriters: Ben Berman, Josh Cohen) — A young American man spends one last night with his deceased friend while stranded in rural Mexico.

The Immaculate Reception / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Charlotte Glynn) — It’s 1972 in the hardworking steel town of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Sixteen-year-old Joey has the chance to prove himself when his crush ends up at his house to watch the infamous football game between the Steelers and the Raiders.

Jonathan’s Chest / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Christopher Radcliff) — Everything changes one night for Alex, a troubled teenager, when he is visited by a boy claiming to be his brother—who disappeared years earlier.

Kekasih / U.S.A., Malaysia (Director and screenwriter: Diffan Sina Norman) — While pursuing his late wife, a botanical professor encounters a divine presence that will transform him forever.

Master Muscles / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Efrén Hernández) — Veronica and Efren go on a trip.

Me + Her / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Joseph Oxford) — In a faraway world, tucked away in a small fold of land behind an enormous willow tree, exists the tiny city of Cardboard. After a tragic event, Jack Cardboard goes on a journey to mend his broken heart.

Person to Person / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Dustin Guy Defa) — Waking up the morning after hosting a party, a man discovers a stranger passed out on his floor. He spends the rest of the day trying to convince her to leave.

Rat Pack Rat / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Todd Rohal) — A Sammy Davis Jr. impersonator, hired to visit a loyal Rat Pack fan, finds himself performing the last rites at the boy’s bedside.

Verbatim / U.S.A. (Director: Brett Weiner, Screenwriter: Court Document) — A jaded lawyer wastes an afternoon trying to figure out if a dim-witted government employee has ever used a photocopier. All the dialogue in this short comes from an actual deposition filed with the Supreme Court of Ohio.

INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS

2 Girls 1 Cake / Denmark (Director and screenwriter: Jens Dahl) — Two girls reunite after a traumatic near-death experience, which occurs in 10 central minutes of 24-year-old Julie’s life. She stands face to face with unbearable injustice.

Best / United Kingdom (Director: William Oldroyd, Screenwriter: Adam Brace) — With his wedding only moments away, a man and his best friend confront their future.

Black Mulberry / Georgia, France (Director: Gabriel Razmadze, Screenwriters: Gabriel Razmadze, Tinatin Kajrishvili) — In a small, remote mining town in the Republic of Georgia, Nick and Anna, two teens from vastly different backgrounds, come together for an idyllic moment in time.

Burger / United Kingdom, Norway (Director and screenwriter: Magnus Mork) — It’s late night in a burger bar in Wales…

Butter Lamp / France, China (Director and screenwriter: Hu Wei) — A photographer weaves unique links among nomadic families.

The Cut / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Geneviève Dulude-Decelles) — The Cut tells the story of a father and a daughter, whose relationship fluctuates between proximity and detachment, at the moment of a haircut.

Exchange & Mart / United Kingdom (Directors: Cara Connolly, Martin Clark, Screenwriter: Cara Connolly) — Reg is a lonely girl at a remote Scottish boarding school where paranoia about rape is rife. Her unorthodox self-defense class provides the human touch she craves so deeply. When she is attacked in the woods, she knows what she has to do…

Here I Am…There You Are… / Israel (Director and screenwriter: Dikla Jika Elkaslassy) — Domination emerges during foreplay between a married couple. As the film evolves, the gray areas between controlling and being controlled cause confusion for both partners. When reality eclipses their imaginary game, they realize what is controlling them.

Life’s a Bitch / Canada (Director: François Jaros, Screenwriter: Guillaume Lambert) — Love. Grief. Choc. Denial. Sleeplessness. Bubble bath. Mucus. Masturbation. Pop tart. Pigeons. Toothpaste. Hospital. F__k. Bye. Hair. Sports. Chicken. Bootie. Kids. Rejection. Squirrels. Cries. Awkward—95 scenes, five minutes: life’s a bitch.

Metube: August Sings Carmen “Habanera” / Austria (Director and screenwriter: Daniel Moshel) — George Bizet`s “Habanera” from Carmen has been reinterpreted and enhanced with electronic sounds for MeTube, a homage to thousands of ambitious YouTube users and video bloggers, and gifted and less gifted self-promoters on the Internet.

Mi nina mi vida / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Yan Giroux) — Jack and his giant stuffed bear move through the bustling crowds and noisy rides at an amusement park. In this strange world he can no longer relate to, he searches for a reason to smile.

More Than Two Hours / Iran (Director: Ali Asgari, Screenwriters: Ali Asgari, Farnoosh Samadi) — It’s 3:00 a.m., and a boy and girl are wandering in the city, looking for a hospital to cure the girl, but it’s much harder to find one than they thought.

My Sense of Modesty / France (Director and screenwriter: Sébastien Bailly) — Hafsia, an art history student, must remove her hijab for an oral exam. To prepare, she goes to the Louvre to view the painting she has to comment on.

Mystery / Spain (Director and screenwriter: Chema García Ibarra) — They say that if you put your ear to the back of his neck, you can hear the Virgin talk.

Pleasure / Sweden (Director and screenwriter: Ninja Thyberg) — Behind the scenes of a porn shoot, the actors practice various positions. The rumor is that one of the girls is doing an advanced routine that requires someone extremely tough. Pleasure is a startling film about workplace intrigue.

Syndromeda / Sweden (Director and screenwriter: Patrik Eklund) — Leif wakes up on the road—naked and bloody—with no memory of what has happened. No one believes him when he claims he was abducted by aliens.

Wakening / Canada (Director: Danis Goulet, Screenwriter: Tony Elliott) — In the near future, the environment has been destroyed, and society suffocates under a brutal military occupation. A lone Cree wanderer, Weesakechak, searches an urban war zone to find the ancient and dangerous Weetigo to help fight the occupiers.

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS

Choreography / U.S.A. (Directors: David Redmon, Ashley Sabin) — Donkeys gaze at those who gaze at them.

Fe26 / U.S.A. (Director: Kevin Jerome Everson) — Two gentlemen make a living hustling metal in Cleveland, Ohio.

Godka Cirka (A Hole in the Sky) / Spain, France, U.S.A. (Directors: Alex Lora, Antonio Tibaldi) — Young Alifa looks up at the Somali sky and thinks about her daily life as a shepherdess. She knows the day that will change her life forever is about to come.

Hacked Circuit / U.S.A. (Director: Deborah Stratman) — This circular study of the Foley process portrays sound artists at work constructing complex layers of fabrication and imposition.

I Think This Is the Closest to How the Footage Looked / Israel (Directors: Yuval Hameiri, Michal Vaknin) — A man with poor means recreates a lost memory of the last day with his mom. Objects come to life in a desperate struggle to produce a single moment that is gone.

The Last Days of Peter Bergmann / Ireland (Director: Ciaran Cassidy) — In 2009, a man claiming to be from Austria arrived in the town of Sligo, Ireland. During his final days, Peter Bergmann went to great lengths to ensure no one ever discovered who he was and where he came from.

The Lion’s Mouth Opens / U.S.A. (Director: Lucy Walker) — A stunningly courageous young woman takes the boldest step imaginable, supported by her mother and loving friends.

Love. Love. Love. / Russia (Director: Sandhya Daisy Sundaram) — Every year, through the endless winters, her love takes new shapes and forms.

Notes on Blindness / United Kingdom, U.S.A., Australia (Directors: Peter Middleton, James Spinney) — In 1983, writer and theologian John Hull became blind. To help make sense of his loss, he began keeping an audio diary. Encompassing dreams, memories, and his imaginative life, Notes on Blindness immerses the viewer in Hull’s experience of blindness.

Of God and Dogs / Syrian Arab Republic (Director: Abounaddara Collective) — A young, free Syrian soldier confesses to killing a man he knew was innocent. He promises to take vengeance on the God who led him to commit the murder.

One Billion Rising / U.S.A. (Directors: Eve Ensler, Tony Stroebel) — In 2013, one billion women and men rose and shook the earth through dance to end violence against women in the biggest mass action ever. The event was a radical awakening of body and consciousness. This is what it looked like.

Remembering the Artist, Robert De Niro, Sr. / U.S.A. (Directors: Perri Peltz, Geeta Gandbhir) — Robert De Niro, Sr., was a figurative painter obscured by the powerful pop art movement. His work has returned to the spotlight because of his son, who happens to be one of the world’s most famous actors.

Tim and Susan Have Matching Handguns / U.S.A. (Director: Joe Callander) — Love is swapping clips with your spouse in the middle of a three-gun problem.

Untucked / U.S.A. (Director: Danny Pudi) — This documentary explores the iconic “untucked” jersey worn in 1977 when Marquette University won its first and only national college basketball championship. It was designed by one of Marquette’s players, Bo Ellis, under the fearless leadership of Coach Al McGuire.

ANIMATED SHORT FILMS

Allergy to Originality / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Drew Christie) — A humorous, animated op doc explores the rich history of adaptation, plagiarism, and other forms of appropriation in art.

Astigmatismo / Spain (Director and screenwriter: Nicolai Troshinsky) — A boy loses his glasses and can only see one thing in focus at a time. With his sight shaped by the sounds around him, he must learn to explore a blurry world of unknown places and strange characters.

Blame It on the Seagull / Norway (Director: Julie Engaas, Screenwriters: Julie Engaas, Cecilie Bjørnaraa) — An animated documentary about Pelle Sandstrak and the way he showed the first signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Tourette’s syndrome as a teenager.

Crime: The Animated Series (Marcus McGhee) / U.S.A., Canada (Directors: Alix Lambert, Sam Chou) — When Hartford teacher Marcus McGhee has his car stolen, the police refuse to assist him. Directors Alix Lambert and Sam Chou mix humor with stark reality in this animated documentary short.

Marilyn Myller / U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Mikey Please) — Marilyn maketh. Marilyn taketh awayeth. Marilyn is trying really hard to create something good. For once, her expectation and reality are going to align. It will be epic. It will be tear-jerkingly profound. It will be perfect. Nothing can go wrong.

The Obvious Child / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Stephen Irwin) — Somebody broke the girl’s parents. The rabbit was there when it happened. It was an awful mess.

Passer Passer / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Louis Morton) — An animated city symphony celebrates the hidden world of background noise.

Phantom Limb / United Kingdom, Australia (Director and screenwriter: Alex Grigg) — James and Martha narrowly survive a motorcycle accident. During the aftermath, however, James begins to experience Martha’s phantom pains.

Piece, Peace / South Korea (Director and screenwriter: Jae-in Park) — Psychological changes among different characters lead to a more and more extreme situation.

The Present / Taiwan (Director: Joe Hsieh, Screenwriters: Joe Hsieh, Ching-Chwang Ho) — A married man on a business trip checks into a hotel. The hotel manager’s daughter falls for him at first sight. Rejected by the man, she embarks on a journey of revenge.

Subconscious Password / Canada (Director and screenwriter: Chris Landreth) — Chris Landreth, the director of the Academy Award–winning short Ryan, plays Charles, a man paralyzed by his inability to remember a friend’s name. Thus begins a mind-bending romp through a game show of the unconscious—complete with animated celebrity guests.

White Morning / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Paul Barritt) — A short film about the violence of little boys and little men.

Yearbook / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Bernardo Britto) — A man is hired to compile the definitive history of human existence before the planet blows up.