7 Films in 24 Hours.

I just saw my 7th film in 24 hours! I am really tired as I only got 4 hours of sleep last night, so I will soon take an extended nap. I started with a block of Sundance shorts at 11:15, some of which were really interesting.

I then went to Cold Souls at 5:15. I sat two rows behind Paul Giamatti and the rest of the cast and crew of the movie. After Cold Souls, I had a ticket to Paper Heart at 8 at the same theater. So, I walked out and bought some banana bread. There was this small tent called the "Meeting Room" next to the major tent with the concessions and waiting lines. For some reason, I assumed that this smaller tent was were people ate. So, I walked in to the crowded tent and was just standing in the corner eating my bananna bread. I look over to my left, and I see someone I thought I recognized right next to me. Holy shit, it was Michael Cera! (Superbad, Juno, Arrested Developement, etc.). And then I saw the main girl from Paper Heart walk in. A security finally tapped me on the shoulder and upon realizing that I wasn't of a high enough stature to access this VIP tent, I was asked to leave. I then walked into the plebian tent, and a bunch of girls that I knew were in the front of line, so I jumped in the front.

After Paper Heart, I went and saw The Carter. Then, this morning I saw The Greatest, a block of Slamdance Shorts, and Only. That makes 10 films so far this trip.

The Greatest Review

This film about how a family copes with the death of a high school son in a car crash is excellent besides two fatal flaws; the acting ability of the two major actors, Susan Sarandon and Pierce Brosnan. The story is incredibly compelling, the son is killed and his girlfriend survives. It turns out his girlfriend is pregnant! The family takes her in and this added some complexity to the greif the family portrays. The actress that played the girlfriend did an excellent job as did the stoner younger brother. They were both extremely beleivable. There is a scene in the begining of the film, when the family is being driving back from the funeral that is breathtaking. It portrays the family in complete silence and stillness and the misery fills the air.
And then, the most important component of the movie, the grief of the mother was ruined, because Susan Sarandon can't act. There were scenes that were almost laughable because it was so poorly portrayed. Pierce Brosnan was better than expected, but still good for Pierce is mediocre. The first time director that also wrote this film did an excellent job, but she was failed by these overrated stars that should never be casted to play a role of any sort of difficulty or complexity.

My Rating 6/10 Bottom Line: Well made film with a great story that was failed by the two-bit actress that is Susan Saradon.

Cold Souls Review

This dreamlike dark comedy starring Paul Giamatti is strangley hilarious at times and at other times it is moving. Paul Giamatti who plays himself in the film, is an actor in misery that is struggling with acting a soulful character in a Chekov play. He reads an article in The New Yorker about a company that can extract souls and preserve them, so one can live without a soul. Giamatti being curious decides to check it out. David Strathairn plays the soul doctor and is hilarious. Giamatti's first visit is full of humorous dry jokes as he is convinced to have his soul extracted. After feeling hollow and empty without a soul, Giamatti decides to borrow the soul of a Russian poet. Unsatisfied, all he wants is his own soul back, however it has been borrowed by the soap opera actress wife of a Russian mafioso.
The way the film is portrayed is very surreal and the director did an excellent job capturing this feel. Giamatti steals the screne as he is humorous and yet can believably portray such complex emotion.

My Rating 8/10 Bottom Line: Giamatti graces the screne in this dreamlike dark comedy.