REEL'S SUNDANCE PICKS! by Pamela Powell

Sundance is less than 24 hours away.  The hype has been building; the energy can be felt even over the internet.  The PR and marketing companies have been hitting things hard.  The invitations have been sent to the VIPs to attend the many parties in all the hippest places.  But the fact remains, the films have to speak for themselves.  After months of research, I think I've come up with a comprehensive list of films that I think are worth following.

All the films are grouped into categories.  In the US DRAMATIC COMPETITION that I have flagged include:

AFTERNOON DELIGHT:  A bored housewife in an affluent neighborhood in LA adopts a stripper to become her live-in nanny.  This brass action has unimaginable changes on those involved.  Starring Juno Temple, Josh Radnor, and Jane Lynch

C.O.G.:  Based on a short story by David Sederis.  David, the main character, takes on a temporary job of picking apples in Oregon with his best friend.  As he is left alone, David develops a variety of relationships with those around him, inevitably learning about himself.  Starring Jonathan Groff, Denis O'Hare, Dean Stockwell

EMANUEL AND THE TRUTH ABOUT FISHES:  A story about  Emanuel, a teen who befriends the hip, gorgeous next door neighbor, Linda, as she reminds Emanuel of her deceased mother.  Lines are blurred between reality and fiction as the relationship develops.  Starring Kaya Scodelario, Jessica Biel, and Alfred Molina

THE LIFEGUARD:  Leigh was the woman who had it all, until everything crashed at the ripe old age of 30.  She retreats to her parents home in Connecticut slipping easily back into her teenage days as a lifeguard.  Starring Kristen Bell, Mamie Gummer, Amy Madigan and Martin Starr

THE SPECTACULAR NOW:  The teen heartthrob that every girls swoons over, but he's a mess.  A budding alcoholic with no plans, but every "cool" girls is drawn to him.  That is until he inadvertently falls in with a "nice girl."  For some reason they are drawn to each other.  How will this change each of them?  Starring Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Kyle Chandler


TOUCHY FEELY:  When a sister's skills and abilities suddenly are transferred to her opposite minded brother, she attempts to discover who she really is.  He then discovers a new part of himself as well.
Starring Rosemarie DeWitt, Allison Janney, Ron Livingston,  Scoot McNairy, and Ellen Page

TOY'S HOUSE:  3 teenage boys declare independence from their families and escape into the woods where they build a house.  Now what?  This film has a hometown connection for my family as the Producer is from Elmira, NY.  One of the notable actors, Nick Offerman, is from the Joliet, IL area.  Starring Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, and Alison Brie




UPSTREAM COLOR:  Kris is drugged by a thief, but somehow becomes entangled with her captor.
Starring Amy Seimetz, Shane Carruth and Andrew Sensenig







In the PARK CITY AT MIDNIGHT category are:

ASS BACKWARD:  Two women who tied for LAST in a high school beauty pageant are brought back to compete again after many years have passed.  Kate is now a CEO and Chloe is a "girl in a box"at a nightclub.  But they both want that crown NOW!
Starring June Diane Raphael, Casey Wilson, Alicia Silverstone, and Vincent D'Onofrio

HELL BABY:  A young expectant couple movie into a fixer upper...with issues; namely it is a house with a demonic curse.  Fortunately, Vanessa's sister is a Wiccan and the man that lives in their crawl space might be able to help them.  StarringRob Corddry, Leslie Bibb, Keegan Michael Kay, Riki Lindhome, and Paul Scheer

WE ARE WHAT WE ARE:  Ahhh, cannibalism.  It's not a dead subject!  At least at Sundance at Midnight it's not!  The Parkers keep to themselves, but due to a rainstorm, the tables are turned with supplying the family's main entree...meat.  Local authorities try to uncover and discover what really happens behind closed doors.  Starring Bill Sage, Ambyr Childers, Julia Garner, Michael Parks, Wyatt Russell and Kelly McGills

Other notable categories and Reel's Flagged Films include:
NEW FRONTIER FILMS:  "Halley," "Interior. Leather Bar."and "The Meteor."

NEXT:  "Escape from Tomorrow," "It Felt Like Love," and "A Teacher."

PREMIERES:  "A.C.O.D." "Before Midnight," "Breathe In," "Don Jon's Addiction," "The East,""the Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete,""jOBS," "The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman," "Prince Avalanche," "Stoker," "Two Mothers," "Very Good Girls," and "The Way, Way Back."

IN THE SPOTLIGHT:  "Mud," "No," "Sightseers,"and "Stories We Tell" are my picks.

WORLD DRAMATIC COMPETITION:  "Crystal Fairy," "Il Futuro," "Soldate Jeannette,"and "What They Don't Talk About When They Talk About Love."

US AND WORLD DOCUMENTARIES:  "Blood Brother," "Cutie and the Boxer," "Gideon's Army,""Twenty Feet from Stardom,""Google and the World Brain," "The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear," "The Moo Man,""The Summit," and "Who Is Dayani Cristal?"

There you have it.  Reel Honest Reviews' predictions of hot films for Sundance 2013.  I didn't think it could get better than 2012, but I think it just might be!  Check back for daily updates!