Sundance. Never Forever.

"Never Forever from writer/director Gina Kim is a marvelous film," writes Annie Frisbie at Zoom In Online, "a haunting meditation on love, desire, and hope, with a radiant central performance from [Vera] Farmiga, in a role that couldn't be more different from the cocaine addict she played in Debra Granik's Down to the Bone... [A] small masterpiece."

Updated through 1/28.

"The film's lyrical soundtrack by Michael Nyman calls to mind an earlier work by the composer, Jane Campion's The Piano, obviously an influence on Never Forever," notes Anthony Kaufman in indieWIRE. "While evoking similar lyrical rhythms, dramatic flourishes and feminist themes, the choice of Nyman further helps to tip the film over the edge, from intimate character study to broad overreaching melodrama. Not that this is a terribly bad thing."

The Reeler interviews Kim.

Update, 1/26: A "surprisingly sensitive and mature first feature," writes Bryan Whitefield at ScreenGrab.

Updates, 1/28: "The film is problematic less because of the soapy aspects of the story... and more because the character of Sophie is a construct that never comes together," writes Alison Willmore at the IFC Blog.

And Brian Darr, right here.

Coverage of the coverage: The Park City Index.

Posted by dwhudson at January 24, 2007 2:52 PM