They Came Together

They Came Together states straight away that the story contains obvious romantic comedy clichés. Molly (Amy Poehler) and Joel (Paul Rudd) are dining with their friends Kyle (Bill Hader) and Karen (Ellie Kemper) discussing when they first met; “It’s a long story” they say, and boy was it! Using split screen techniques (much like You’ve Got Mail) and long shots above the NYC skyline (…every romantic comedy based in NYC) we are introduced to Molly and Joel living separate lives who nearly run into each other everywhere they go. With cliché shots and narrative throughout, They Came Together never once takes itself seriously and acknowledges to the audience its satirical attitude towards romance every chance it gets. The film is a continuous barrel of laughs, highly recommended for those wanting a mashup between Parks and Rec and You’ve Got Mail.

RATING: 7.7

Hits

The film plays its first joke from the very beginning when the voice of Ellen DeGeneres is heard interviewing a celebrity, before realizing that it’s actually Katelyn (Meredith Hagner) sitting in her car imitating her fantasy. Then we are introduced to Katelyn’s father, Dave (Matt Walsh), who is listening to a government rant on the radio while driving home from his job. Dave is a lonely man whose obsession with “corrupt” local government has taken over his entire life, devoting all of his energy in bringing an onslaught of complaints to the town halls attention.

Katelyn and Dave are two very determined individuals who will go to any lengths to achieve their goals. One dreams to be famous while the other just wants to have his pot holes filled by the city. However, neither one of the character are fully developed. I’m not exactly sure on the what genre David Cross was going for; comedy/drama seems to fit the bill, however, the film had much fewer laughs than I think Cross was aiming for.

RATING: 7.5

Memphis

There was only a short amount of time that Memphis was actually able to grab my attention. The film was little more than just a montage of mood pieces to depict the life of Willis Earl Beal, a singer who loses his mind before recording an album. From start to finish, the film is a long mishmash of beautiful, but unimportant imagery with an inconclusive storyline. The experimental arrangement made it nearly impossible to decipher what was going on. After the screening, another member of the press took the words right out of my mouth, describing Memphis as “a tedious, meandering character study which offers little insight into a city, the music business, and a society”.

RATING: 4.9

Returning to the Sundance London Film Festival this year, I’m excited to witness the big hits that Park City’s Sundance Festival brought us. Some of which are: Frank, Memphis, Fruitvale Station (UK Premiere) and Blue Ruin. Although Sundance London is still quite small, the lineup is nonetheless impressive. Some of the stars and filmmakers in attendance this year are: David Cross (Hits), Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station), Sara Colangelo (Little Accidents), Michael Fassbender (Frank), Ryan Reynolds and Gemma Arterton (The Voices). Below I have highlighted my 5 most anticipated films that will be playing at Sundance London 2014.

#5 – Hits

David Cross makes his directorial debut with a comedy about a paranoid municipal worker named Dave, his The Voice obsessed 19 year old daughter, a wannabe teenage rapper and their neighbours in a small, working-class town in New York. Hits is a satire towards the absurd nature of the Internet age through a collective cast of some of the funniest comedians around at the minute. I’m very optimistic about this comedy despite some of the negative feedback it received at Sundance in January.

#4 – They Came Together

After briefly hearing of this film in January, They Came Together looks to be a homage of the romantic comedies of classic American cinema. With hilarious cameos throughout, I have high hopes that David Wain (We Hot American Summer) will be able to truly capture the art of modern American Comedy.

#3 – The One I Love

Staring the director of one of my all time favourite films (Jeff Who Lives at Home), Mark Duplass plays the husband to Elizabeth Moss’s character Sophie, both of which are trying to recreate their magical first night together due to the drudgery of their current unhappy marital state. The One I Love looks to put a lot of focus on a highly relatable modern love story.

#2 – The Voices

The Voices consists of a mix match of genres including: comedy, crime, horror and thriller aspects which features the names of Ryan Reynolds, Anna Kendrick, Gemma Arterton and Jacki Weaver. Jerry (played by Reynolds) is mentally ill and has been avoiding taking is prescribed anti-psychotic medication which instigates severe hallucinations in the form of his cat telling him to be a serial killer. That’s enough synopsis to make this a most anticipated film.

#1 – Little Accidents

This debut feature by Sara Colangelo is supported by lead actors Boyd Holbrook and Sundance London alumni Jacob Lofland (Mud) and explores the intricacies of small-town social order. The film also illustrates how in times of tragedy, we find the unlikeliest of places. The main reason this film is at the top of the list is due to the uniqueness of the story. From what I can tell (without reading any spoiler reviews from Sundance in January) Little Accidents includes a superb cast who are able to carry the dramatic narrative that is suggested.