I don’t believe I’ve ever watched five films practically in a row in one single day. But after missing out on screenings the first two days here at Sundance I was determined to see as many as I possibly could. Gratefully NAICA co-editor Renee Gick was in for the longhaul.

Monday’s round:

We started off with Life Support an HBO production directed by Nelson George starring the inpressive Queen Latifah. It would be easy to dismiss the film as a typical HBO melo-drama. But the cast and the story make this film work. Written by the director, the story is inspired by his HIV-positive sister who works in the Brooklyn HIV outreach program. Her attempts to reconnect with her eldest daughter whom she signed over to her mother’s care when she was still trying to get off the drugs is the central plotline to the film. Like most films with characters looking to make good on past mistakes the film is about redemption, but it is also about acknowledging past mistakes without imposing restrictions on those who would forgive us in the present even if their brand of forgiveness feels more like punishment. It’s about listening to what the people in your life trully need. It’s an excellent film that is filled with wonderfully raw performances.

Our next film was Mike White’s Year of the Dog starring Molly Shannon, John C Reilly, and Peter Saarsgard. Molly Shannon plays Peggy, a faithful administrative assistant whose closest relationship is with her loving puppy Pencil. When he dies from eating poisonous garden mulch from her neigbor’s yard Peggy is left devastated and longing for something to fill the void. She finds it through a new-found passion for extreme animal rights activism introduced to her through the ambiguous Newt, a pet adoption advocate that she falls for after Pencil’s death. It’s a cute movie with lots of laughs and a few sad (pathetic) moments. Honestly, the film felt like other Mike White stories, though this is his directorial debut, the Good Girl and Chuck and Buck most notably, replete with odd but essentially good people populating his stunted suburban palette. I can easily see Jennifer Aniston in the role of Peggy, but Shannon does bring an edge as a woman broken down left psychologically raw. I liked it and would see it again but only on DVD.

Directly after that we saw Sterlin Harjo’s Four Sheets to the Wind. A casual film with quiet performances punctuated by death and personal dramas that lead to deeper commitments to the ones we love fiercely even if we don’t understand them completely. Of course, I liked it alot and would pay to see it again but would much rather watch it at home on DVD. Mostly cause I hate watching films with packed crowds who talk throughout the entire film as did the three French press chicks who sat behind me. For a moment I thought I was back in Queens.

Then we saw a film by Christopher Zalla called Padre Nuestro a tale of stolen identity, lost love, hard hearts, blah blah blah. I found it tedious. I hated all the characters. Every last one of them. I can’t tolerate stupidity as seen in the protagonist, if you can call him that, Pedro. He’s an innocent 17 year old from Southern Mexico on his way to Nueva York to meet his never-before-seen “rich” father. Pedro literally puts his few small possessions…like his identity, in the hands of Juan, a hustler from the streets of Mexico City who just happens to stumble into the same truck heading north to El Norte. Like I said I have a hard time with stupidity, especially when it is masked as naivete. Pedro is so stupid he deserves to have his identity stolen and stabbed to death on the streets of Brooklyn in the end. Welcome to Brooklyn, dumbass!

Whew-wee after that bad-mood inducer we saw Tuli by director Kanakan Balintagos. Shot on mini-DV in Balintagos’ tribal village in the Phillipines, the story is about a young girl who grows to love the best friend she has grown up with choosing to live with her than take the hand of the local heart-throb. Good for her. For some reason (Christianity) this film recieved an X rating in it’s native country for a tame lesbian love kiss. It’s actually really tame. To be honest the use of DV detracted from what I assume was sumptious light and verdent mangroves rich in color. Had it been shot on 35mm, which I know was not possible for this production, it would have packed a lot more emotional punch. Video simply did not do the landscape and warm light any justice. As a photographer, I could see that the images were beautifully constructed and an attempt was made to use natural light to convey the variety of emotions the characters went through, but again the video did not help the situation. However, the story was compelling even entertaining though as a Westerner I guess I didn’t think it was as risque as some would in other cultures. Definitely worth seeing again though.

Five films in one day-most of them good. I think an excellent start afterall.