Day 4 at Sundance 2020
POSSESSOR
Photo courtesy of Arclight Films
Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough) works as an assassin for a mysterious company that uses brain implants to conduct their covert missions. When her latest target (Christopher Abbott) becomes too hard to control, desperate measures must be taken, leading to some of the most gruesome and visceral horror this side of David Cronenberg. "Possessor" is the latest from director Brandon Cronenberg ("Antiviral"), also son of David, proving that the filmmaking apple doesn't fall far from the body horror tree.
Rating: B
UNCLE FRANK
Photo courtesy of Amazon Studios
When the patriarch of a South Carolina family unexpectedly dies, the tragedy forces his estranged son Frank (Paul Bettany) to return home and face unresolved issues. Travelling by car with his lover (Peter Macdissi) and young niece (Sophia Lillis), the trio bond in unexpected ways before dealing with the funeral that serves as the film's climax. Bettany helps elevate standard material from writer/director Alan Ball (TV's "Six Feet Under" and "True Blood") in a performance that ranks among his best work.
Rating: B
THE GLORIAS
Photo courtesy of 42 West
Feminist icon Gloria Steinem is examined in the appropriately titled film "The Glorias", and the results are mixed. At times engrossing and others overstuffed, director Julie Taymor ("Titus," "Frida") never finds a good balance in this two-hour-plus movie, but when the film works it fires on all cylinders. Julianne Moore and Alicia Vikander are among the actresses who play Steinem at different life stages, and those segments work best. The first third which tackles Gloria's younger years are where the film is weakest and in need of repair. A tighter edit would definitely improve a good film in need of a better pace.
Rating: B-
KAJILLIONAIRE
Photo courtesy of Annapurna Pictures
A family of low-rent grifters (Evan Rachel Wood, Richard Jenkins and Debra Winger) welcome a new member to their crew with unexpected consequences. It's the latest from director Miranda July ("Me and You and Everyone We Know"), and it follows her streak of lifeless quirky stories that don't completely work. The family antics are too silly to ever be taken seriously, and even on a farcical level the jokes rarely land.
Rating: C
BEAST BEAST
Photo courtesy of Vanishing Angle
The new film "Beast Beast" sets up its narrative by following aimless kids wandering through life in a small town. It's a slow-paced and oddly structured film that bores rather than excites. Love, violence and disappointment are part of these kids' daily routine yet the film seems detached from their personal experiences. Produced by Alec Baldwin, "Beast Beast" is a waste waste of time time.
Rating: C-
