Abel DIRECTOR: Diego Luna SCREENWRITERS: Diego Luna, Augusto Mendoza Mexico/U.S.A., 2009, 85 min., color Spanish with English subtitles Adorable little Abel has problems in the head. His mother collects him from the psychiatric ward hoping not to upset him. She carefully discusses with his teacher how to deal with the absence of Abel’s father. The entire family is on pins and needles, worrying about Abel breaking down. But things take an interesting turn when the little boy emphatically carves out a new role for himself in the family—he decides to become the father of the house. Abel transforms the fear his family has about his episodes into the respect due to the head of the household. Oddly enough, it works! That is, until a stranger shows up at the breakfast table, claiming to be Abel’s father. Diego Luna, in his debut effort, crafts a heartwarming tale of the way one family’s dynamic works through peculiar means. Abel is an entertaining and endearing family drama that manages to infuse its foreboding tone with a delightful sense of humor. —SHARI FRILOT ExP: John Malkovich, Russell Smith, Lianne Halfon, Gael García Bernal Pr: Pablo Cruz Ci: Patrick Murguía Ed: Miguel Presented by Schverdfinger PrD: Brigitte Broch MuS: Lynn Fainchtein Principal Cast: José María Yazpik, Entertainment Weekly Karina Gidi, Christopher Ruíz-Esparza, Gerardo Ruíz-Esparza, Carlos Aragón The Premieres program showcases some of the most Monday, January 25, 6:30 p.m. - ABELL25CE highly anticipated films of Eccles Theatre, Park City the coming year. Catch world Tuesday, January 26, 8:30 a.m. - ABELL26LM premieres and the latest work Library Center Theatre, Park City from established directors at Thursday, January 28, 6:00 p.m. - ABELL28WE Tower Theatre, SLC the Sundance Film Festival before they create a splash Saturday, January 30, 6:00 p.m. - ABELL30SE Screening Room, Sundance Resort at local theatres. 34 Cane Toads: The Company Men Cyrus The Conquest DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: John Wells DIRECTORS/SCREENWRITERS: Jay Duplass, DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: Mark Lewis U.S.A., 2009, 123 min., color Mark Duplass 2010 Sundance2010 Film Festival sundance.org/festival U.S.A./Australia, 2009, 90 min., color U.S.A., 2010, 92 min., color One of the first casualties of a corporate The cane toads are ba-a-a-ck! But this time downsize is Bobby Walker, a hot-shot sales The Duplass brothers are back with their those pesky varmints are coming at you in executive who is living the idyllic life— singular knack: treating us to a tingling, glorious 3-D. In 1988, filmmaker Mark Lewis complete with two kids and a mortgaged irresistible experience of utter discomfort— Production Company Production had tongues wagging when he unleashed picket fence. His boss, and founder of the suffused with pathos, romance, irony, and a PrCo: his celebrated documentary Cane Toads: company, doesn’t take Bobby’s severance little dollop of horror. This time they intrepidly An Unnatural History, exposing a bizarre well, and he storms into the boardroom to mine Oedipal terrain to wrestle with stirring, biological blunder. Here, Lewis takes a giant demand a reprieve of the severe measures. profound questions about the obstacles to human intimacy. Casting Director Casting Director leap forward as he revs up the technology, He learns quickly that some choices are out Ca: once again tracking the unstoppable march of of his hands, and this is only the beginning. the cane toad across the Australian continent. We embark on a journey that is all too familiar Alone and acutely depressed, having just Reviled by many, adored by a few, the toad in today’s recessionary economy: one that will learned of his ex-wife’s wedding plans, John test friendships, loyalties, and family bonds. can’t believe his luck when he encounters Costume Designer Designer Costume has gripped Australia’s consciousness, beautiful, charming Molly at a party. The two CoD: achieving both cult and criminal status. Imported to save the sugar cane crop, the John Wells explores the powerlessness of get along famously and launch a passionate Music Music losing one’s job while examining how anger, affair, until Molly’s 21-year-old son, Cyrus, Mu: toad’s spread is considered one of Australia’s greatest environmental catastrophes. Yet for fear, and forced humility can replace the enters the scene. Will Molly and Cyrus’s deep Sound security of “normal.” The inspired casting of and idiosyncratic bond leave room for John? So: a world awakening to the daunting prospect that we have forever altered our ecosystem, great actors, lending their formidable insight this is a story of global implication. With its to this timely story, makes The Company Cyrus becomes a dark, poignant, sometimes Art Director tongue not so firmly in its cheek, Cane Toads: Men a tribute to America’s unsung heroes: hilarious war dance as Molly, Cyrus, and ArD: The Conquest is a comic, yet provocative, hard-working men caught in life’s unexpected John walk the line between creepy and journey of a species that has already invaded misfortunes. —JOHN COOPER sympathetic. Each member of this awkward planet Earth.—DAVID COURIER triangle teeters somewhere between bare ExP: Barbara A. Hall Pr: Claire Rudnick honesty and furtive manipulation as he or she Polstein, Paula Weinstein, John Wells Production Designer ExP: Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, lets loose all manner of dysfunctionality. The AsP: Jinny Joung Ci: Roger Deakins PrD: Clark Bunting Pr: Mark Lewis excruciating, delightful fun is seeing where Ed: Rob Frazen Principal Cast: Ben Affleck, Ci: Kathryn Millis, Toby Oliver the boundaries ultimately land. Editor Editor Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Ed: Robert Demaio PrD: Daniel C. Nyiri Ed: Jones, Maria Bello, Rosemary DeWitt —CAROLINE LIBRESCO Tuesday, January 26, 9:30 p.m. - CANET26CN Friday, January 22, 9:30 p.m. - COMPA22CN ExP: Ridley Scott, Tony Scott Pr: Michael Eccles Theatre, Park City Eccles Theatre, Park City Costigan CoP: Chrisann Verges Ci: Jas Cinematographer Wednesday, January 27, 9:15 a.m. - CANET27CM Shelton Ed: Jay Deuby PrD: Annie Spitz Ci: Saturday, January 23, 9:15 a.m. - COMPA23CM Eccles Theatre, Park City MuS: Maggie Phillips Principal Cast: John Eccles Theatre, Park City C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, Marisa Tomei, Sunday, January 24, 3:00 p.m. - COMPA24GA Catherine Keener, Matt Walsh Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, SLC Associate Producer Producer Associate Saturday, January 23, 6:15 p.m. - CYRUS23CE Saturday, January 30, 6:15 p.m. - COMPA30CE AsP: Eccles Theatre, Park City Eccles Theatre, Park City Sunday, January 24, 8:30 a.m. - CYRUS24LM Library Center Theatre, Park City Coproducer Coproducer CoP: Saturday, January 30, 9:00 p.m. - CYRUS30PN Prospector Square Theatre, Park City Producer Pr: Executive Producer Producer Executive Credit Legend ExP: PREMIERES 35 The Extra Man Get Low Jack Goes Boating DIRECTORS: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini DIRECTOR: Aaron Schneider DIRECTOR: Philip Seymour Hoffman SCREENWRITERS: Robert Pulcini, Jonathan Ames, SCREENWRITERS: Chris Provenzano, SCREENWRITER: Bob Glaudini Shari Springer Berman, based on the novel by C. Gaby Mitchell U.S.A., 2009, 89 min., color Jonathan Ames U.S.A., 2009, 100 min., color U.S.A., 2009, 107 min., color Jack Goes Boating is a tale of love, betrayal, Featuring three of the finest actors working and friendship set against the backdrop Louis Ives, a lonely dreamer who fancies today, Get Low is the kind of film that you of working-class New York City life. Jack himself the hero of an F. Scott Fitzgerald rarely see anymore—intelligent storytelling and Connie are two single people who on novel, leaves his job and heads to Manhattan that’s awash in humanity, warmth, insight, their own might continue to recede into the to become a writer. He rents a room in the and wit. anonymous background of the city, but in ramshackle apartment of Henry Harrison, a each other begin to find the courage and wildly eccentric, but brilliant, playwright who Felix is a miserable old hermit who has lived desire to pursue their budding relationship. happens to be an “extra man”—a social escort in an isolated cabin for the past 38 years. He In contrast, the couple who brought them for the wealthy widows of New York’s high catches word that an old friend has passed together, Clyde and Lucy, are confronting the society. The two form an unexpected bond. away and hatches a plan to throw himself a unresolved issues in their rocky marriage. “funeral party.” He even wants the townsfolk, Paul Dano and Kevin Kline couldn’t be better who either despise him or fear him, to attend The multifaceted Phillip Seymour Hoffman suited to bring to life these two dapper the party and share all the crazy stories they makes his directorial debut demonstrating men lost in time, each lending his own may have heard about creepy old Felix. Is he an assured style and grace both behind the distinct sensibility to the sharply conceived a fugitive? A murderer? Or something worse? camera and in front of it. He leads a skilled characters. Delicately balancing humor and cast, who waltz through their group scenes pathos, writers/directors Shari Springer Director Aaron Schneider places his humorous in perfect counterpoint, each getting what he Berman and Robert Pulcini (American fable in 1930s Tennessee, and his attention or she needs from the other. The writing is Splendor) have a knack for bringing edgy to period detail is extraordinary. Bill Murray fiercely authentic as are the performances. tales to life with humanity, a rich universe, and Sissy Spacek are exceptional, but it’s Lyrical and lovely, Jack Goes Boating is an and a brisk compelling intellect that all Robert Duvall’s masterful performance offbeat love story that almost forgets to combine to leave the audience splendidly as Felix that brings everything together in happen.—JOHN COOPER satisfied.