5 Must-Watch Titles From the 2022 Sundance Film Festival!
The 2022 Sundance Film Festival has come to a close and after the dust had settled at this online version of the iconic independent cinema showcase, I had seen 30 features and 19 short films. Out of the lot, here’s a list of my five favorite features in alphabetical order;
BRIAN AND CHARLES
There were plenty of edgy, hard-hitting, button-pushing films at this year’s fest so imagine my surprise when my favorite title ended up being a sweet, funny, offbeat, and charming little movie called “Brian and Charles.” This independent gem takes place in North Wales and finds a quirky loaner of an inventor named Brian (David Earl) constructing an oddly shaped robot (with a face that bears a slight resemblance to the acclaimed actor, Jim Broadbent) and bonding with it famously. A wonderful lead performance, a beguiling and appropriately childlike co-star, impeccable comic timing, and a sweet-natured center add to a bromance-centric movie that is every bit as humorous as it is poignant. In fact, if Taika Waititi helmed a live-action “Wallace and Gromit” movie, it might feel a little like “Brian and Charles.” Kudos to director Jim Archer and crew for making the most smile-inducing film of Sundance 2022.
CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH
Appealing writer/director/star Cooper Raiff takes a little page out of “The Wedding Singer” playbook in this winning comedy about Andrew, a somewhat aimless but lovable Bar Mitzvah party host in his early twenties who becomes smitten with an engaged woman (beautifully played by Dakota Johnson) who is ten years his senior. He also serves as a sort of big brother to this woman’s autistic 12-year-old daughter (played by Vanessa Burghardt who just so happens to be autistic in real life.) This movie is elevated by an outstanding cast that includes the likes of Raiff, Johnson, Burghardt, Evan Assante, Brad Garrett, and a wonderful Leslie Mann who turns in some of the best work of her career as Andrew’s loving mom. “Cha Cha Real Smooth” tends to be a bit precious and there are times when Andrew is almost too affable, but no matter. This is an engaging charmer and it’s considerably more complex than I thought it would be from the outset.
FIRE OF LOVE
This stunning documentary from director Sara Dosa follows Katia and Maurice Krafft, a pair of eccentric but immensely skilled volcanologists, as they travel the world studying eruptions and the devastation left behind. By way of breathtaking (and startling) volcano footage, interviews with Katia and Maurice, and a surprising amount of humor, this is quite an experience and it’s the kind of movie that is best viewed on the biggest screen possible. “Fire of Love” is as beautiful as it is terrifying but for all the heat on display, this movie emerges as quite a profound love story.
NAVALNY
No matter what side of the political coin you might fall on, you’re likely to find this movie as intense and as gripping as I did. This documentary follows Russian opposition leader and hero to the people Alexi Navalny as he searches for the truth behind a failed assassination attempt on his life. During a slow recovery process after being poisoned, Navalny gets closer and closer to that truth through the aid of much-needed help and through the aid of his supportive family. Alexi Navalny proves to be quite a charismatic documentary subject. What’s more, this thing unfolds like the ultimate spy and espionage thriller only… This is real life! Seriously, there are moments in this movie that might have been considered preposterous had they been part of a fictional film. Look no further than a pivotal (and unforgettable) phone call that takes place at the halfway mark of this engrossing documentary. It honestly has to be seen to be believed. Kudos to director Daniel Roher and his dedicated team for putting together the most exciting film of Sundance 2022.
WHEN YOU FINISH SAVING THE WORLD
Jesse Eisenberg makes his directorial debut with the story of Ziggy (Finn Wolfhard), a teenage songster whose online popularity doesn’t make much sense to Eveyln, his uptight (and emotionally closed off) mother (Julianne Moore.) Eventually, Ziggy’s simplistic, poppy sensibilities are challenged at the hands of an intellectual young lady at school prompting a bit of a change in his outlook on life. Meanwhile, Evelyn begins to bond with a teenager she’s housing at the domestic abuse center she’s in charge of. The question is, will this mother and son ultimately learn from these new relationships and see the beauty in one another? The strongest compliment I can pay “When You Finish Saving the World” and its writer and director is that it feels exactly like the kind of movie you’d expect from Eisenberg. This is to say that it never takes the easy way out with its characters. They’re flawed, filled with anxiety, slightly narcissistic, and prone to create awkward situations but they’re also very human. Led by a likable Wolfhard and a captivating (and complicated) Moore, “When You Finish Saving the World” is all about the tiny nuances and it’s the kind of first-time effort that would make the likes of Noah Baumbach proud.
OTHER FAVORITES; “Klondike,” “Speak No Evil,” “Meet Me in the Bathroom,” “Lucy and Desi,” and “A Love Song”
NOTEWORTHY SHORT FILMS FROM THE FEST; “Warsha,” “Deerwoods Deathtrap,” “Zoon,” “Night Bus,” “Chilly and Milly,” and “Stranger Than Rotterdam With Sara Driver”
For more on the Sundance Film Festival including a list of the 2022 winners, go to sundance.org.
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