What am I going to do with you, Sundance? For weeks, I studied your intricate grid schedule and carefully plotted out my day of screenings based on which films would get the most buzz. A post-apocalyptic love triangle featuring Margot Robbie, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Chris Pine ? Oh yeah, I need to be there. Ryan Reynolds as a slippery gambler? Obviously, a must. So I schlep over to a theater, settle into my perfectly unobstructed aisle seat and watch . . . mediocrity. More disheartening, I immediately read on social media that the screening I blew off is "amazing" and "this year's Boyhood." (Sorry I missed you, Me, Earl & The Dying Girl!). I suppose that's part of the frustration of attending the independent film festival in Park City, Utah. And the fun. I watched 17 films in 6 days in all, and these six projects stood out in the best of ways.
1. Brooklyn
There's something so wonderful about a warm, old-fashioned love story. Fine, a warm, old-fashioned weepie. Here, a shy Irish immigrant (Saoirse Ronan, beguiling) in the 1950s is torn between two men (Emory Cohen and Domhnall Gleeson) and two lives on two continents. Sigh.
2. The D Train
Uh, let's just say this impressive dark comedy, about a staid nerd (Jack Black) who tries to up his popularity quotient by luring a charismatic stud (James Marsden) back to Pittsburgh for their 20th high school reunion, ain’t your typical bromance flick. It features awesome retro music too.
3. The End of the Tour
In 1996, a Rolling Stone journalist (Jesse Eisenberg ) followed reclusive best-selling author David Foster Wallace (a sensational Jason Segel ) on his book tour for a profile piece. Their lengthy conversations — which touch on everything from technology fears to loneliness to the merits of Alanis Morissette — are soulful, fascinating and quietly profound.
4. I Smile Back
Sarah Silverman — yes, that Sarah Silverman — is a revelation as a suburban mom who seems to have it all (including Josh Charles as her husband) and yet can't stop self-destructing with drugs. Her unnerving and unfiltered performance will break your heart.
5. Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
Peel back the tragic life of the iconic Nirvana frontman and you'll find an introverted and artistic kid who just longed for unconditional love. His story is captured in this riveting documentary via intimate home videos, animation, family interviews (both parents speak hauntingly of their son) and, of course, unforgettable music. Cobain's daughter, Frances Bean, just a toddler when he shot himself in 1994, is an executive producer.
6. Sleeping with Other People
"It's like When Harry Met Sally . . . with a--holes" is how writer-director Leslye Headland (The Bachelorette) describes her rom-com. True, but this tale of two sex-addicted pals (Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie) in NYC who vow to stay platonic with each other is also devilishly charming.
This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Sundance 2015: Sundance 2015: 6 Standout Films Include Brooklyn, I Smile Back, Sleeping With Other People
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