2011 Sundance Snapshot

I've already given you the scoop on My Idiot Brother, but the Paul Rudd comedy isn't the only film that Elizabeth Banks was promoting at Sundance. Her second movie, The Details, is also about a family, but that's where the similarities between the two end. Here's more about the black comedy.

• Who's behind it? The film stars Tobey Maguire, Elizabeth Banks, Kerry Washington, Ray Liotta, and Laura Linney. It was written and directed by Jacob Aaron Estes.
• What's it about? Jeff (Maguire) and Nealy (Banks) have been married for 10 years, and are starting to feel the negative effects of suburban married life: they rarely sex anymore, and they're constantly at each other's throats. When he's not escaping to the world of Internet porn, Jeff becomes obsessed with trapping the raccoons that have been destroying his new lawn. Between his two new hobbies, Jeff inadvertently sets off a chain of events that get him into more trouble than he ever could have imagined.

So is this your kind of film? Find out when you read more

Though my time at the Sundance Film Festival is winding down, I've still got plenty of goodies to share with you all. The Son of No One piqued my interest for its star-studded cast, and though the cop thriller wasn't my favorite of the festival's offerings, it's not without its merits. Here's how the film measures up.

• Who's behind it? Dito Montiel (Fighting, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints) wrote and directed the film, which stars Channing Tatum, Katie Holmes, Al Pacino, and Tracy Morgan.
• What's it about? The film captures two different times in the life of Jonathan White (Tatum). In 2002, he's living in Staten Island with his wife (Holmes) and young daughter. He commutes two hours a day to work as a rookie in the police force, and his personal life and career are put into peril when he starts receiving threatening messages about his haunting past. The other half of the movie shows Jonathan as a young boy living in the projects, and the audience soon learns that the older Jonathan has some serious skeletons in his closet that could destroy everything he's built.

To see where the film impressed me, just read more

Ed Helms has been building a film career for himself thanks to an extra boost from last year's smash hit The Hangover, and he headlines Cedar Rapids, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Helms plays yet another good guy to the core, but like his most recent comedy, his character gets himself into quite a bit of trouble.

• Who's behind it? Miguel Arteta (The Good Girl, Youth in Revolt) directed this comedy starring Ed Helms, Anne Heche, John C. Reilly, and Sigourney Weaver.
• What's it about? Tim (Helms) is a sheltered insurance agent from Wisconsin who is content with his simple life that consists of taking care of clients and a weekly sexual encounter with his former elementary school teacher. When the top salesman at his agency suddenly dies, Tim is sent to an annual convention with fellow insurance hotshots from around the country. Not only are Tim's small-town sensibilities put to the test, but he's forced to embrace the reality that not everything (or everyone) are what they appear to be on the surface.

For my verdict, just read more

Freddie Highmore, the British actor who made a name for himself as the adorable Peter in Finding Neverland, is all grown-up now, and his latest film proves that he hasn't lost any of the raw talent that brought us to tears when he was just a boy. Homework, a teen dramedy of sorts, has already been acquired from Sundance by Fox Searchlight, so here's more on the film that will eventually be coming to a theater near you.

• Who's behind it? In addition to Freddie Highmore and Emma Roberts, director Gavin Wiesen had plenty of stars to fill his supporting cast, including Rita Wilson, Alicia Silverstone, Blair Underwood, Elizabeth Reaser, and Michael Angarano.
• What's it about? Highmore plays George, a teenage loner in New York City who refuses to do his homework assignments despite his obviously sharp mind. Consumed with the idea that all people are going to die eventually anyway, George can't find a reason to commit himself to schoolwork and instead chooses to spend class time nurturing his budding artistic skills. When he meets Sally (Emma Roberts), George finds his first true friend, and his world changes as he begins to experience emotions that he never knew he had — but his graduation from high school hangs in jeopardy.

To see why the film shines, just read more

I can't say I'm surprised that Like Crazy, a little love story that's both enchanting and heartbreaking (a la last year's Blue Valentine) was one of the first films to get picked up for wide release from Sundance. It's got all the makings of a festival favorite: an engaging story packed with emotion, a premise that audiences can relate to, and breakthrough performances from a pair of young actors.

• Who's behind it? The film stars Anton Yelchin (Star Trek, Terminator Salvation) and British up-and-comer Felicity Jones, and was directed by Sundance vet Drake Doremus.
• What's it about? Yelchin and Jones play Jacob and Anna, a couple who meets in their senior year of college and instantly develop a connection when they begin dating. Complications arise when Anna, a Brit, violates the terms of her visa and consequently has to return to England. As they step into the real world and begin their separate lives as adults, Jacob and Anna's long-distance relationship is tested as they grow apart but can't seem to shake their connection.

More on Like Crazy when you read more

I've been excited about My Idiot Brother pretty much since the full cast was announced back in June, so catching the film's premiere at Sundance this weekend was a huge treat. The movie follows Paul Rudd as an unflappable optimist whose devotion to honesty gets him into one sticky situation after another, particularly when he starts couch hopping between his three sisters. Though I had already mentally set the bar pretty high, I was pleased to find a comedy that's smart, fresh, and often very funny. (Apparently I wasn't the only one: the film was snatched up by the Weinstein Company just hours after the premiere.)

• Who's behind it? Director Jesse Peretz has compiled a dream cast of characters headlined by Paul Rudd and including Zooey Deschanel, Elizabeth Banks, Emily Mortimer, Rashida Jones, Steve Coogan, and Adam Scott.
• What's it about? Rudd plays Ned, a free-spirited farmer (read: crunchy hippie), whose positive attitude and unyielding faith in the people around him often gets in the way of his sense of judgment. Ned is arrested for selling marijuana to a police officer (who claimed he was having a bad week and in need of a pick-me-up), and is released from prison eight months later. When his girlfriend kicks him off their farm, Ned is shuttled around between his mother and three sisters where he unintentionally meddles in each of their own busy lives and personal issues.

For my thoughts on the film, just keep reading.