It's called The Buzz. As in "the vibe" or "hype" or "word-of-mouth" or, "You really need to see (insert any movie title), because it's getting all the buzz."
And when The Buzz gets going at the Sundance Film Festival, it moves pretty rapidly.Leading The Buzz this year are a pair of independent films in the dramatic competition, both with jet-black themes - "In the Company of Men," a controversial satire about two men cruelly manipulating a hearing-impaired woman for sport (a fight-starter if ever there was one), and "Eye of God," a sordid melodrama about a supposedly rehabilitated ex-con who marries a naive young woman in a small town.
There are also lots of comedies being shown in competition, however - many more than in years past. And one of those, "The House of Yes," about (what else?) an extremely dysfunctional family, was the first to be picked up by a distributor at the festival. Miramax made the buy for just under $2 million. (Also picked up was the premiere film "Box of Moonlight," by Trimark for $3 million. And, reportedly, "Hurricane," "Star Maps" and "Dream With Fishes" were all close to deals.)
The emphasis this year seems to be on performances. For example, "In the Company of Men" is probably the weakest film in competition in terms of technical proficiency, but the dialogue is so strong and the performances by the three lead players (Aaron Eckhart, Matt Malloy and Stacy Edwards) are so convincing, that it lifts the picture to another level. Likewise, "Eye of God" benefits from a superb central performance by Martha Plimpton, and "The House of Yes" from Parker Posey's well-played lead role.
- While the lack of a moral center made "In the Company of Men" disturbing, the tasteless films "Kissed," about an undertaker's descent into necrophilia, and "Killers," which mines the already barren wasteland of mass murder as comedy, made it look almost tame by comparison. (Although there is a perhaps unintentional racist subtext to "In the Company of Men" that is equally disturbing.)
- Once again, John Turturro elevated an otherwise lackluster film with his performance, this time playing an ordinary Joe who loses his way (literally and figuratively) while searching foran old vacation haunt in "Box of Moonlight."
- Despite a nonstop profusion of profanities from its characters, "subUrbia" still comes off as a pit-bull version of "American Graffiti," thanks to strong ensemble performances and playwright Eric Bogosian's scalpel-like script, which holds more than a few grains of truth. (It was directed by Richard Linklater, whose "Slacker" and "Before Sunrise" were hits at earlier Sundance festivals.)
- Two dramatic competition comedies prove that a sense of humor is a very personal thing. Neither "Santa Fe" nor "His & Hers," dark comedies featuring dismemberments (a tongue in "Santa Fe" and a pinky in "His & Hers"), provoked as many laughs as they did walkouts.
- Documentary director Steve James proved he can tell a story with his first dramatic feature, "Prefontaine," a bio-pic about the late long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine, even though it's not nearly as strong as his acclaimed (and Sundance award-winning) documentary "Hoop Dreams."
- But great stories weren't reserved for the dramatic films. The documentaries "Green Chimneys," about a treatment program for at-risk youths in New York, and "Fear and Learning at Hoover Elementary," which shows the effects of California's Proposition 187 on immigrant children in the state's elementary schools, had every bit as much drama as did their fictional counterparts. In fact, the emotional punch at the end of "Green Chimneys" outdid most of them.
- Perhaps the most satisfying and crowd-pleasing film at the festival is in the World Cinema sidebar, the beautifully realized "Kolya," a Czech comedy-drama about a middle-aged man who finds himself reluctantly in charge of a 5-year-old boy during the Velvet Revolution.
There is a downside to The Buzz, however, as criticism leveled at the festival has been loud and strong this year - and sometimes in print. The daily trade paper The Hollywood Reporter (which is distributed all over Park City during the festival) has been publishing tirades by film critics and industry movers and shakers who have complained about festival overcrowding and less-than-perfect screening venues. However, most of the complaints are heard every year.
Despite such grousing, Park City remains the place to be for people who want to see provocative independent cinema or simply stargaze.
While it's true you can go to Sundance screenings in Salt Lake City or Ogden theaters, if you want to mingle with filmmakers or spot movie stars in a casual setting or simply leave that yucky inversion behind, there are worse things than a drive up Parleys Canyon to join the throng in the crowded streets of this upscale former mining town.
In the stargazing category, heads have turned at the spotting of any number of actors who have been recognized in the movies playing here, whether or not those who stare know their names.
But there are also a few genuine stars, ranging from Wesley Snipes, who is executive producer and narrator of the documentary competition film "John Henrik Clarke: A Great and Mighty Walk"; to Robert Downey Jr., who is part of the ensemble in "Hugo Pool," a Premiere film co-written and directed by his father, Robert Downey ("Putney Swope," "Greaser's Palace"). That ensemble includes Patrick Dempsey, Richard Lewis, Cathy Moriarty and Alyssa Milano, all of whom are in town.
Snipes was reportedly upset by the cancellation of a screening of his movie when a 16mm projector broke down, but Downey Jr. kept a low profile at the initial screening of "Hugo Pool," joining others on the Egyptian Theatre stage but saying little. Downey Sr., however, lauded his son for participating, saying that he might not otherwise have been able to get financing for the movie.
Meanwhile, in a move that couldn't have pleased Sundance officials, Tim Robbins, who received the Piper-Heidsieck acting award this year, had the audacity to attend the Slumdance opening festivities.
Slumdance - not to be confused with Slamdance - is yet another Park City mini-festival, and even lower on the cinematic food-chain. While Slamdance has actually tried to gain some respect this year, screening movies rejected by Sundance in the Treasure Mountain Inn, Slumdance has been screening still more independent work directly across the street (in the former Mrs. Fields Cookie Factory). (The main Slumdance feature was "Hang Your Dog in the Wind.")
Other celebs spotted during the festival so far have included Jodie Foster, Sandra Bullock, Roy Scheider, Blythe Danner, Sally Field, Glenn Close, Noah Wyle, Martha Plimpton, John Turturro, Tim Roth, Denis Leary, Jennifer Tilly, Jon Cryer, Lolita Davidovich, Gary Cole and young Tina Majorino.