By: Henry J. Fromage –
One the first day of Sundance, I went hard on the documentaries (always a Park City specialty), but worked in a few stars as well.
22. Skywalkers: A Love Story
This stunning documentary examines the careers of Russian “skywalkers” Vanya Beerkus and Angela Nikolau, who’ve made a career of scaling the highest buildings and construction sites they can. It turns out you don’t need to be there to feel the vertigo, and I can only imagine how the breathtaking footage of their feats would play on the big screen. It’s also the story of their relationship, which appears to suffering from a bit of stagnation just as they turn their eyes to their biggest accomplishment yet- climbing Kuala Lumpur’s Merdeka 118, which many think will be the last super-skyscraper built for decades, before it is finished and security cameras go in. There’s the thinnest veneer of performance here that holds it back at times, but there’s no faking the bravery or artistry of these two. Two Beers.
23. Union
This documentary follows the efforts of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) of Staten Island, as it tries to unionize some of the giant Amazon fulfillment centers there. It focuses particularly on charismatic ex-employee Chris Smalls, whose never give up attitude belies a bit of a (well-earned, without a doubt) grudge, and doesn’t shy away from the many downs that accompany the few shining ups that taking on the biggest company in the world brings. There are some pretty shocking examples of anti-Union tactics that really show the stakes. Three Beers.
24. Handling the Undead
For the majority of this Norwegian horror drama, its premise appears to be “What if the recently dead came back to life, but didn’t do anything at all?” It’s handsomely shot and an able cast led by reuniting The Worst Person in the World duo Renate Reinsve and Anders Danielsen Lie do their best to sell their confusion and complicated feelings about having their loved ones back, in body if not in spirit, but man does it take a long time for these Dead to do anything at all (and then they do the things you were expecting (hoping?) they would). Four Beers.
25. Seeking Mavis Beacon
Mavis Beacon was one of the earliest A.I. programs, well of a sort. She taught generations of students around the world typing, and had a very large impact on the self-image and relationship to technology of Black girls in particular. Two of those girls were Jazmin Jones and Olivia McKayla Ross, who were inspired to seek out their hero, or rather the woman behind her- a Haitian-American model who has disappeared from the limelight, perhaps on purpose. Though it meanders at times, the real key to the film is Jones and Ross’s journey through it, and the poignant way they speak of the legacy of the great Mavis Beacon. Three Beers.
26. Good One
This understated and perceptive drama follows a teen girl on a hiking trip with her father and his blow-hard friend (whose own teenage son refused to join at the last minute). This is the kind of film that is driven entirely by interpersonal dynamics and dialogue, and there’s a lot to observe along with her as these two divorced middle aged men bluster and self-justify and stay fixated on their own preoccupations, even when they (or Dad at least), should know when to finally acknowledge her feelings. Two Beers.
27. Gaucho Gaucho
This ethnographic survey from the same folks who brought us The Truffle Hunters crosses the ocean to immerse us in Argentina’s Gauchos, the cowboys of South America with their own particular traditions and culture. The black and white photography makes for some spectacular tableaux and the weathered wisdom of the pampas plays as well as in forested Tuscany. The aspiring teen girl rodeo star is also a quite interesting throughline. Two Beers.
28. Between the Temples
This somewhat goofy concoction stars Jason Schwartzman as a template cantor who’s lost his will to sing after the death of his wife. He meets his old middle school music teacher (Carol Kane of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt fame, who appears to just be like that), and she demands he help her do the Bat Mitzvah she never had (her parents were “Russian Commie Jews”). While it cobs some of the 70s indie aesthetics of erstwhile comparison point Harold and Maude, it feels more apiece with the slightly heightened discomfort comedy of Mumblecore (say early Duplass Brothers or Joe Swanberg). That’s not a bad thing- there’s some sneaky humanism in those off-kilter stylings and Schwartzman and Kane play beautifully off each other). Three Beers.
29. Kneecap
If the first thing you think on starting this ebullient Irish film is Trainspotting, well, so did I. It certainly has the verve of a young Danny Boyle, and the milieu has some similarities- these Northern Ireland lads certainly aren’t any more shy of illegal substances than that Glaswegian crew (well shot, not set), and council housing doesn’t look like it’s changed much in the decades since. That’s only a small part of these 3 boys’ struggles, though, which are a lot more political in nature. Played by 3 real-life rappers (known as, of course, Kneecap) who only sing in their native Irish, which is not recognized as an official language in Northern Ireland like their Welsh and Scot countrymen enjoy, this film is steeped in anti-English sentiment (and history) and a proud and unbowed commitment to expressing themselves as their forefathers would (linguistically, at least). Oh, yeah, and bonus Michael Fassbender (he’s Irish, ya know). Two Beers.
