Day 5 at Sundance 2022
EMILY THE CRIMINAL
Stuck with student loan debt and a dead-end job, Emily (Aubrey Plaza) needs money fast. The jobs she really wants aren’t hiring and the ones that are can’t see past her criminal record, making things uncomfortable and leaving her desperate. Yet temporary salvation comes in the form of a shady middleman (Theo Rossi) who offers quick cash in exchange for stolen goods and eventually what seems too good to be true is anything but. Writer-director John Patton Ford ramps up the tension in “Emily the Criminal,” wasting no time in setting up the film’s high stakes. Plaza is more than up to the challenge and with roles like this as well as past Sundance entries “Black Bear” and “Ingrid Goes West,” her range is only getting better and stronger.
HAPPENING
The year is 1965 and Anne (Anamaria Vartolomei) is among the brightest students at her French university. That stellar track record is quickly overshadowed by her unexpectedly getting pregnant and the fling wanting nothing to do with the baby. Anne’s immediate reflex is to agree and terminate the pregnancy but this being the 1960’s doesn’t give her many safe options to do so. What follows is a heartbreaking quest to find answers and mercy in a life-threatening situation for the young student, culminating in a harrowing climax of desperation. Vartolomei is astounding as the troubled and quick-witted Anne, dominating the film and making it one of the best films in this year’s Sundance lineup.
LIVING
A reimagining of Akira Kurosawa’s “Ikiru” set in 1950’s London may seem like a disaster waiting to happen but the end result is far from a tragedy. Bill Nighy takes center stage as Williams, a widowed government bureaucrat who barely gets by on his day-to-day activities. Given six months to live by his doctor after a routine checkup, what would seem like a terrible blow to many, Williams sees as a gift. It’s an opportunity to reinvent aspects of his existence and be remembered in some small way. Partying with coworkers and making a dent in his neighborhood are among Williams’ last requests paving the way for a bittersweet ending. “Living” is a showcase for Nighy and he devours the role, carving a voice and mannerisms unique to his lived-down character. It’s a career best performance and that’s saying something.
WATCHER
Julia has just relocated to Romania in an effort to support her husband’s new job opportunity. As played by Maika Monroe (“It Follows”), she is lonely and slowly going out of her mind in the new locale. What begins as a creepy coincidence, quickly turns sinister as she begins to notice someone spying and following her every move. Is this real or is it all in her head? The tense atmosphere creates a surprise thriller that rewards those who connect to its unique wavelength. All is not well with Julia and the film’s finale is flashy without being over the top. Director Chloe Okuno also crafts some unique visuals in this twisted tale, elevating what would normally be a standard thriller into something special.
All photos courtesy of Sundance Institute
