A Little Bit Ironic? Yeah, I really do think.

Usually when I go to Sundance, I miss all the big winners. I'll admit, I'm a sucker for big name actors and big name directors showing up to their films. It's the only chance I get to be close to those who inspire me. Sad but true. As such, I usually only see the PREMIERE catagory which is films that already have exhibition. They are rarely great. All last week I thought about how I always see movies that aren't indie. They're films with huge actors and newbie, maybe someday, great directors.

Well, this year I saw a lil bit of everything for better or for worse. The only premeires I saw were DARWIN AWARDS, A GUIDE TO KNOWING YOUR SAINTS (both RAD!) and THE NIGHT LISTENER (stupid). I saw alot of the in between and hated most of it. Then I see that 2 docs I thought were trite and far, far away from thought provoking WON something! Maybe I was way too tired and maybe (and most likely) I was SICK AND TIRED of seeing doc's about illegal immigrants.....

Firstly, DeNADIE won the World Documentary Audience Award. Do people feel so bad about themselves they have to vote this rinky dink, poorly made film a winner?? It's about Honduran refugees braving Mexico to get to the U.S. Their plight is truly admirable and the things they face are horrific...but this is not a good film. The stats they put up seem like freaky, overdramatic left wing stats that could easily be proven false and the main characters never fully explain why they need to leave so bad. This films is so impartial, I felt the main people they were documenting should've stayed home! Ugh. Hats off though (seriously) for these super indie people telling their story. As a film though, no way.

Second...
"In the Pit," an utterly forgettable film about people building a freeway overpass in Mexico City won World Cinema Jury Prize Documentary. Whaaaat?? Lame movie. Great topic, great ideas.....not a movie though, See my review: here.

Again, I'm not a heartless bastard and I feel for these people...but these doc's sucked.

Then, I see that 2 of my festival faves "A Guide to Knowing Your Saints" and "Quinceanera." won big time!! I think Quinceanera is going to be a minor league HIT and that feels nice to not only see it, but give it support.

My point is thus...
I usually see stuff that is either not seen again or you gotta search for it. This year, I saw stuff that won....for better or worse. I've also been reading reviews of "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints" that are negative. Actually, I've read they were negative, I haven't read em. BUT....it's a great movie. The kind that needs Sundance creds to get people to see it. I guess in all it was a good Sundance, I was just too tired to appreciate it.