Sundance 2007: Prizes from a Jury of One
Photo and story by Laura Birek

The 2007 Sundance Film Festival came to a close this Sunday. While most people think of Sundance as the birthplace of The Blair Witch Project, Napoleon Dynamite, Little Miss Sunshine and an Ugg-Boot-and-miniskirt-wearing Paris Hilton, the festival has managed to maintain its roots as important competition for truly independent films. (Despite its high-profile successes, no winner of the presitigious Grand Jury prize has gone on to gross more than The Brothers McMullen's $10.4 million at the box office.) On Saturday, Jan. 27, the winning films were announced in each of the competition categories. Padre Nuestro and Manda Bala took home the big prizes, while Grace is Gone and Hear and Now were crowned as audience favorites. As usual, a buzzing of opinions spread throughout town, and the debate began about whether the winners were justified.

I spent ten days at the Sundance Film Festival and saw 30 screenings. Not a bad rate, to be sure, but with over 125 films showing in Park City, I only scratched the surface. So rather than challenge the official award winners of Sundance, I offer up my own awards:

Best/Worst Waste of Talent

The Ten

Directed by David Wain of Wet Hot American Summer fame, The Ten was designed to be a comedic decalogue demonstrating the folly of disregarding the Ten Commandments. With an all-star cast of Paul Rudd, Rob Corddry, Winona Ryder, Liev Schreiber and others, the film should have been at least passable. Instead, it was the equivalent of 10 mediocre SNL sketches sloppily slapped together and called a film. Though there were a few laughs here and there, the comedy is never sustained. Typical of the scenes to which you are subjected is an extended sex scene between Winona Ryder and a ventriloquist's dummy which is neither sexy nor funny — it's just sad.

Most Hype-Worthy

Grace Is Gone

The first movie to create any sustainable buzz, Grace is Gone was nabbed by the Weinstein Company early in the week. John Cusack plays Stanley Phillips, an Army husband who learns that his wife has been killed in Iraq. Unable to tell his two young daughters, Phillips instead whisks them away on a road trip to an amusement park. The beauty of Grace is Gone is in its simplicity — the film focuses on the characters, not wild plot maneuvers or even a political message. Don't be surprised to find Cusack on the short list for Best Actor at next year's Oscars.

Best Use of Euripides

Protagonist

On paper, Protagonist shouldn't work as a film. It mixes footage of puppets reciting Euripides in Ancient Greek with the first-person retelling of the life stories of four very different men. Director Jessica Yu's purpose in making the film was to deconstruct these lives by comparing them to classical dramatic structure, and it's amazing how well and how entertaingly her approach works.

Most Depressing

Padre Nuestro

This year's festival featured a slew of downers, so the competition for the bleakest of the bunch was tough. Padre Nuestro is about Juan, a young man who jumps the border fence and finds himself on a truck to Nueva York. On the truck, Juan meets Pedro, a naive, illiterate 17 year-old, who is on his way to find the father he has never met. What ensues is 105 minutes of lying, cheating, stealing and violence, with one of the most heart-wrenching endings in recent memory. Though decidedly dark, Padre Nuestro is a seamlessly constructed and beautifully filmed, which makes it worth the co-pay for a bottle of Zoloft.

Most Infuriating

No End In Sight

Without a doubt, No End In Sight was simultaneously one of the best and most aggravating documentaries at Sundance. Based on interviews with scholars, politicians and diplomats, the film investigates what went wrong in the immediate aftermath of the US invasion of Iraq. Director Charles Ferguson, a Ph.D.-wielding political scientist-turned-filmmaker, maps out in exquisite detail the litany of mistakes make by the Bush administration. Even the most politically astute viewers will find new outrages worth of their spleen.

Best Gen-X Nostalgia

Chasing Ghosts

If you are to believe one of the main characters featured in this documentary, Chasing Ghosts is a film on the cutting edge of historical investigation. The character in mention is Walter Day, the self-appointed dean and referee of all video games, and the field of inquiry is video game history. Using a photograph from a 1982 Life Magazine, Chasing Ghosts manages to track down many of the video game champions from the arcade craze of the early 1980s. What's fascinating about these people is not that they could master Space Invaders or Frogger, but how the pursuit of a high score has changed the course of their lives. Plus, it's cool to watch someone get a perfect score on Pac-Man.

Best Use of a Supermodel

Angel-A

Director Luc Besson returns to Paris with this black and white "fairy tale for adults." The protagonist, Andre, played expertly by Jamel Debbouze, is a short, gnarled man who owes too much money when he decides to end it all by jumping into the Seine. But when a leggy blonde, Angela, gets the same idea, his plans change. To repay him for saving her life, Angela vows to help Andre out of his financial mess. What ensues is one of the best and most enjoyable character studies in recent memory, as well as a touching love story.

Most Seizure-Inducing

Slipstream

If Slipstream hadn't been written by Anthony Hopkins it would have never been made. The plot is indecipherable, the characters morph from one scene to the next, and the cuts are so quick it would make Tarantino dizzy. Thankfully, Hopkins has garnered enough respect in the film community that he could take a stab at this difficult material and bring it to the screen. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he also directed the film, played the main character and even wrote the score. Hopkins wanted the film to explore the fine line between dreams and reality — Slipstream picks up that line and jumps rope with it.

Most Inspired

For The Bible Tells Me So

One of the most hopeful films at Sundance, this documentary investigates the supposed conflict of Christianity and homosexuality. For The Bible Tells Me So focuses on four Christian families who have homosexual children, including the families of Dick Gephardt and the gay Episcopalian bishop Gene Robinson. In further interviews with theologians, the filmmakers blast open the belief that the Bible forbids homosexuality and leaves the viewer with real approaches to combat homophobia and hatred using true Christian values: love and understanding.

Best Musical

Once

Though not a musical in the traditional sense — the characters don't start singing spontaneously while washing dishes or buying groceries — Once would not be the same without its songs. The story focuses on an Irish singer-songwriter who meets a Czech pianist on the streets of Dublin. They join forces and, both literally and figuratively, begin making beautiful music together. Director John Carney made the bold move of foregoing professional actors and casting musicians Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. (Cillian Murphy almost landed the lead before Carney came to his senses.) The risk paid off and Once shines in its low-key performances and beautiful music.

E-mail Laura Birek at laurabirek at gmail dot com.