Sundance 2009 Day 1

Yesterday was my first day here at Sundance 2009, and so far it seems like any other year. With the exception that it doesn’t seem as crowded – a welcome sight. I’ve yet to make it up to Main Street, so I should really wait and see how busy it is getting a table anywhere up there – that will be the real test.

I always love flying into Salt Lake City at Sundance time. It’s really rather fun watching all the local people mix with the LA crowd. The Hollywood folk stick out terribly here – most of the women look like supporting cast members of “The Real Housewives of Orange County”, and many of the men look as if they gain their fashion sense from some metrosexual handbook. Of course, the locals look like your normal everyday people – or at least your normal people in Utah. The sight at baggage claim of a burly, bearded man in an old flannel shirt, jeans that look old and worn because they actually are, and a head covered with the most basic of a winter hat standing next to some guy wearing overpriced jeans that were bought with holes and weathered look, a t-shirt with some sort of scrawl that resembles tagging on freeway overpasses, a light but stylish jacket, and enough product in his hair to warrant himself flammable is really funny to observe.

I’ve only seen a few films so far, but only one of them really kept me entertained. I saw a documentary about African-American comedians, and while that it was enjoyable, it wasn’t anything too special – a capable documentary on the struggles of African-Americans rising up in both America and show business, but nothing extraordinary.

Last night’s premiere film was called Spread. Starring Ashton Kutcher, it was hardly anything special. To quote Peter Griffin, “I found it shallow and pedantic.” Ashton’s turn as a male gigolo was anything but interesting or deep, and the script had potential to dive deep into an interesting character study of people getting lost in their hopes and dreams when moving to LA, but instead become an aimless story of oversexed people and low rung grifting. The rather predictable ending had little to no punch to it mainly because I never really cared for anyone in the movie.

The third film I’ve seen was a doc on the former Queen of Iran. It was a rather engaging story of one woman wanting to confront her former Queen into the terrible past, and in the process she began to see the humanity and the person behind the crown.

I’ve got a full schedule of films Sunday, and I’m hoping to get up to Main Street later today to get a better handle on the scene this year. And I should hopefully have some good stories!