Thursday, January 27, 2011
Sundance 2011: 1/27 SLC Least Bad Bet
Posted By Scott Renshaw on January 27, 2011, 2:18 PM
In what's shaping up as one of the most lackluster Sundance lineups in recent memory, your best option tonight may be picking the movie that's simply pretty good. ---
Notices have been fairly good overall for the documentaries Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times and Beats, Rhymes & Life, though I haven't had a chance to see them yet. Sound of My Voice was an intriguing premise that felt only halfway developed, and Septien was likewise (though considerably weirder). And no one has been exceptionally enthusiastic about Margin Call or Reagan.
Perhaps that leaves The Lie, actor/writer/director Joshua Leonard's (Humpday) adaptation of a T. C. Boyle short story about a man named Lonnie (Leonard) whose get-out-of-work fib snowballs into a life-examining moment. Leonard does a great job of setting up Lonnie and his wife (Jess Weixler) as urban hippies trying hard to justify their sell-outs in the name of “taking care of the family.” And there’s at least one genuinely brilliant set piece, with Weixler listening to wannabe musician Lonnie’s overly-earnest new recording. All that’s missing, really, is a little more build-up to the climactic confrontation. As interesting as the lessons learned here might be, it feels like they were learned just a bit too quickly.
On Topic...
-
Film Reviews: New Releases for April 19
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Abigail, The Beast, Hard Miles, Sasquatch Sunset and more
- Apr 19, 2024
-
Film Reviews: New Releases for April 12
Civil War, Escape from Germany, Coup de Chance, Hundreds of Beavers, La Chimera, Sting
- Apr 11, 2024
-
Film Reviews: New Releases for April 5
Monkey Man, The First Omen, Wicked Little Letters, Girls State, Scoop, Exhuma
- Apr 4, 2024
- More A&E » More Culture »
More by Scott Renshaw
-
Film Reviews: New Releases for April 19
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Abigail, The Beast, Hard Miles, Sasquatch Sunset and more
- Apr 19, 2024
-
Faces of Salt Lake County book and portrait reception
Images and personal stories in a new book reveal local demographic diversity
- Apr 17, 2024
-
Feature film review: THE BEAST
A filmmaker's compelling ideas get a bit tangled in references to his creative influences.
- Apr 17, 2024
- More »
Latest in Buzz Blog
