Park City Dispatch. 3.

Twelve months ago, critics Shannon Gee (occasional correspondent for the Seattle Times) and Andy Spletzer (regular contributor to The Stranger) convinced me to see DiG! at the first screening of Sundance. Admittedly, a wonderful start to a program full of primarily good films. This time around, the first film was Michael Winterbottom's 9 Songs. The opening "song" featured the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, a band formed from the ashes of the incarnation of the Brian Jonestown Massacre featured in the earlier film. Any similarity between the two films essentially ends there. 9 Songs, in 69 minutes (nudge, nudge), is basically "sex, drugs and rock & roll" and nothing else. For folks that disliked the graphic fornication of Anatomy of Hell or Life of Jesus, these Songs are certain to disappoint. For those, like myself, that do not harbor prudish tendencies, the lack of a story that holds any significance is a far more significant worry. Ideally, John Cameron Mitchell's forthcoming jump on the art-porn bandwagon will fare better.

The short that preceded Winterbottom's mess, the straightforwardly titled Elke's Visit, takes the artistic integrity of One Night in Paris if set on a train. It ranks among the worst films ever presented at a major festival. This pair, along with similar explicit scenes in other films that appeared during the first days of the fest, leads one to wonder if there is an unfortunate trend at work. I'd argue for another pattern at work - a force that sends us adrift in the midst of sea. Two fascinating works, Keith Bearden's The Raftman's Razor and the Zellner brothers' Flotsam/Jetsam, center on a lone man floating far from land. What each does with this little detail is considerably inventive, particularly the lovely animated sequences of the former and the unexpected ending of the latter. Merely two of the surprisingly strong selection of shorts this year, the aforementioned Visit and Waiting for the Man excepted.

Thus far the strongest works of the event are, as predicted, the documentaries. Shake Hands With the Devil, a certain must-see for those ignorant of the achievements or, thanks to the inactivity of others, lack of achievements of Roméo Dallaire. The somewhat fictionalized Hotel Rwanda only presents one side of this horrific story, one we seemed doomed to repeat. Other notable docs include Dhakiyarr vs. the King (a made-for-Australian-television piece that revisits a clash between Western law and Yolngu law that left two men dead and many unanswered questions), the visually stunning The 3 Rooms of Melancholia (following the daily lives of young boys at a cadet academy), Grizzly Man (Werner Herzog's latest about controversial outdoorsman Timothy Treadwell), I am Cuba, the Siberian Mammoth (detailing the making of the legendary Mikhail Kalatozov film), Twist of Faith (Kirby Dick's document of one man's efforts against Catholic pedophilia) and Unknown White Male (about a 37-year-old gentleman who reached the end of the subway line at Coney Island with no memory of himself, a case of absolute amnesia).

One could even rank among these titles Jenni Olson's beautiful film, The Joy of Life. Influenced by William Jones (who, in turn, was influenced by James Benning), we witness largely static shots of San Francisco overlaid with two contrasting tales. The first, excerpts from Olson's Fuck Diaries; the second, a history of the Golden Gate Bridge. The latter works as an unexpected plea for a suicide barrier on the bridge. A compelling film for those seeking something far outside of the conventional narrative.

Meanwhile, in the Dramatic Competition, one disappointment is followed by another. Expected winners like Steve Buscemi's Lonesome Jim are likable enough but sadly unremarkable. Lukewarm receptions greeted Ellie Parker and Loggerheads as well. Like Olson's Life above, only Police Beat appears to be attempting something out-of-the-ordinary in its structure. We'll see if audiences embrace these diversions or not. There are still many screenings ahead and more words about them to follow.

Posted by dwhudson at January 24, 2005 3:16 PM