SUNDANCE FILMS: DRAMATIC

Broken English December 31, 1969

Starring: Parker Posey, Melvil Poupaud, Drea de Matteo Directed by: Zoe Cassavetes More Info: Reviews, 10 Photos, Trailer, About, Credits, News, Forum Synopsis: Known mainly for playing quirkily comic characters, Parker Posey shows she can tackle a serious role just as skillfully in Zoe Cassevetes's moving film. BROKEN ENGLISH stars Posey as Nora Wilder, a thirtysomething whose disastrous dating experiences in the Big Apple have put her on the verge of giving up all hope when it comes to love and happiness.

 

Rocket Science December 31, 1969

Starring: Reece Daniel Thompson, Anna Kendrick, Nicholas D'Agosto Directed by: Jeffrey Blitz More Info: Reviews, 2 Photos, Trailer, About, Credits, News, Forum Synopsis: Jeffrey Blitz (2002's SPELLBOUND) directs this comedy that follows in the footsteps of teen outsider indies such DONNIE DARKO, THUMBSUCKER, NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, and RUSHMORE. Set in New Jersey, the film follows Hal Hefner (impressive newcomer Reese Thompson) in his attempts to go through high school unnoticed.

 

Joshua December 31, 1969
	Starring: Jacob Kogan, Vera Farmiga, Sam Rockwell Directed by: George Ratliff More Info: Reviews, 19 Photos, Trailer, About, Credits, News, Forum Synopsis: Brad (Sam Rockwell) and Abby Cairn (Vera Farmiga) seem to have it all. A successful Manhattan couple living in a plush uptown apartment, they have just welcomed their second child into the family--a lovely little girl named Lily.

 

Grace is Gone December 31, 1969

Starring: Alessandro Nivola, Gracie Bednarczyk, John Cusack Directed by: James C. Strouse More Info: Reviews, 9 Photos, Trailer, About, Credits, News, Forum Synopsis: Though 2007 saw a flood of Iraq-related films, GRACE IS GONE takes a different approach from many of the others. Unlike REDACTED and LIONS FOR LAMBS, this directorial debut from screenwriter James C. Strouse (LONESOME JIM) doesn't focus on the conflict itself.

 

Adrift in Manhattan December 31, 1969

Starring: Heather Graham, Victor Rasuk, Dominic Chianese Directed by: Alfredo de Villa More Info: Reviews, 5 Photos, About, Credits, News, Forum Synopsis: A lush meditation on isolation and intersection in the big city, Alfredo de Villa's Adrift in Manhattan is the layered story of three characters who find courage to move to the next stage of life through profound encounters with strangers they meet on their daily routes.

 

Snow Angels December 31, 1969

Starring: Michael Angarano, Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell Directed by: David Gordon Green More Info: Reviews, 10 Photos, Trailer, About, Credits, News, Forum Synopsis: Director David Gordon Green (GEORGE WASHINGTON) adds another carefully sculpted drama to his resume with SNOW ANGELS. Green deposits a strong cast in a snowbound Pennsylvania town for his fourth full-length feature, which revolves around the troubled teenage life of young Arthur (Michael Angarano). Arthur divides his time between working at a Chinese restaurant and dealing with the break up of his parents.

 

Teeth December 31, 1969

Starring: Jess Weixler, John Hensley, Josh Pais Directed by: Mitchell Lichtenstein More Info: Reviews, 7 Photos, Trailer, About, Credits, News, Forum Synopsis: Writer-director Mitchell Lichtenstein's feature debut is a horror comedy combining elements of atom-age 1950s horror films with mythology and feminist theory. The result is a smart, sassy B-movie satire--funny, gross, and with a high squirm factor.

 

Starting Out in the Evening December 31, 1969

Starring: Frank Langella, Lauren Ambrose, Lili Taylor Directed by: Andrew Wagner More Info: Reviews, 5 Photos, Trailer, About, Credits, News, Forum Synopsis: Though he's spent most of his career as a character actor in supporting roles, Frank Langella gives the lead performance of a lifetime in STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING, based on the novel by Brian Morton. Flanked by Lili Taylor and Lauren Ambrose, Langella is the central piece in a film that focuses on its characters.

 

Sangre de Mi Sangre December 31, 1969

Starring: Jorge Adrian Espinolda, Armando Hernandez, Paola Mendoza Directed by: Christopher Zalla More Info: Reviews, 10 Photos, Trailer, About, Credits, News, Forum Synopsis: Winner of the 2008 Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, SANGRE DE MI SANGRE is a dark, intense thriller from director Christopher Zalla. It's the story of two young Mexican men, Pedro (Jorge Adrian Espindola) and Juan (Armando Hernandez), who meet while making an illegal crossing from Mexico to Manhattan, crammed into the back of a truck.

 

Hounddog December 31, 1969

Starring: David Morse, Robin Wright, Dakota Fanning Directed by: Deborah Kampmeier More Info: Reviews, 27 Photos, About, Credits, News, Forum Synopsis: HOUNDDOG is writer-director Deborah Kampmeier's controversial story of lost innocence set in rural Alabama in the 1950s. Heavy with the dank, rustic hues of the South, the film is a powerfully vivid and imagistic portrayal of the power of music to overcome the greatest of obstacles.

 

Never Forever December 31, 1969
	Starring: Ha Jung-Woo, Vera Farmiga, David McInnis Directed by: Gina Kim More Info: Reviews, 4 Photos, About, Credits, News, Forum Synopsis: Sophie seems to have an idyllic life; she's the perfect Caucasian housewife for Andrew, her successful Asian American husband. Their relationship is put to the test, though, when she can't conceive a child.

 

The Pool December 31, 1969

Starring: Nana Patekar, Jhangir Badshah, Venkatesh Chavan Directed by: Chris Smith More Info: Reviews, 13 Photos, About, Credits, News, Forum Synopsis: A filmmaker who returns to Sundance in a new guise is a familiar enough occurrence, but to return with gifts as uniquely rendered as Chris Smith has with The Pool is rare in any year. In the same vein as his latest documentary work, Smith's creative acumen focuses on the gulf between the rich and poor, sharing its insights, observations, poignancy, and truth in a deceptively simple narrative.

 

Four Sheets to the Wind December 31, 1969
	Starring: Laura Bailey, Jeri Arredondo, Christian Kane More Info: Reviews, 9 Photos, About, Credits, News, Forum Synopsis: Cufe Smallhill's father never has much to say, but one day, he is quieter than usual. When Cufe finds his father dead beside a bottle of pills, he does as he promised and drags the body out to the family pond, unceremoniously sinking it to the bottom.

 

The Good Life December 31, 1969

Starring: Mark Webber, Zooey Deschanel, Bill Paxton, Harry Dean Stanton More Info: Reviews, 9 Photos, About, Credits, News, Forum Synopsis: In the cold, small-town heartland that has always been the defining state of mind for America, there are two worlds. There is a community whose focal point is the football team, and there is the alienated existence of the kid who doesn't fit in. In The Good Life, a debut feature that is remarkable for its maturity and sophistication, filmmaker Steve Berra unerringly sketches a portrait of life in these environs that is at once full of torment and hope.

 

On the Road with Judas December 31, 1969

Starring: Aaron Ruell, Kevin Corrigan, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Eleanor Hutchins More Info: Reviews, 4 Photos, About, Credits, News, Forum Synopsis: If we tell ourselves stories to live, as a famous author puts it, then the task of modern cinema is not just to allow us to experience but also to revisit and become conscious. And if all this seems so ethereal, so academic, meet JJ Lask, the author and creator of some of the most original storytelling I've seen this year.

 

Weapons December 31, 1969
	Starring: Nick Cannon, Paul Dano, Mark Webber Directed by: Adam Bhala Lough More Info: Reviews, 6 Photos, About, Credits, News, Forum Synopsis: Reggie (Nick Cannon) is a young, responsible African American man about to have his first job interview when he spies a shiner on his little sister's face and becomes obsessed with finding a gun to exact revenge.