Day 3 at Sundance 2021
THE SPARKS BROTHERS
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
Sparks may be the most influential pop band you’ve never heard of but the new documentary “The Sparks Brothers” is looking to change that oversight. Originating out of Los Angeles with quirky brothers Rob and Russell, Sparks has been behind major cultural movements in art, music and film for the last several decades. Their anonymity is something they wear like a badge of honor, with only truly dedicated fans knowing the backstory of these pop icons. Director Edgar Wright (“Baby Driver”) does a commendable job of assembling top talent to sing the band’s praises and chart their ups-and-downs, making for some crazy behind-the-scenes stories. Yet at a running time of almost two-and-a-half hours, “The Sparks Brothers” comes dangerously close to becoming too much of a good thing.
Rating: B
STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
No childhood is complete without “Sesame Street”, the seminal program that most likely taught you how to count your 1-2-3’s and that cookie starts with C. Despite being on the air for more than 50 years, most people don’t know that the popular show had an uphill battle getting on the air and that turbulent drama is explored in this very engaging documentary. Series icon, Jim Henson, is one of the many talking heads profiled here who explored the meticulous research of the long road to get “Sesame Street” on TV. We see puppeteers finessing original character designs to get them just right, paving the way for staples like Big Bird and Cookie Monster to become treasures of every child’s heart.
Rating: B
MASS
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
Years after a school shooting has torn apart a quiet community, the parents of one of the victims and the parents of the actual shooter, have agreed to gather at a neutral location (a church) to ask questions and air out their grievances. What follows is a tense confrontation between both sets of adults that doesn’t always fire on all cylinders but when it does it creates impeccable drama. Director Fran Kranz stages most of “Mass” like a play, which makes sense since it’s mostly set in a single location, but his pacing is off. He lets scenes breathe for way too long, creating an almost two-hour movie that would be more effective with a tighter edit.
Rating: B
PASSING
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
In 1920’s New York, Irene (Tessa Thompson) and Clare (Ruth Negga) are high school friends who have just reconnected after many decades apart. Both women are African American but can “pass” for white by society’s standards, leaving each of them to juggle a delicate line of acceptance within their own community. Based on Nella Larsen’s novel of the same name, “Passing” is shot in sultry black-and-white by director Rebecca Hall (“Godzilla vs. Kong”), but the film becomes way too heavy-handed at times, often making the same social statement more than once, resulting in a finely acted film that spins its wheels toward the end of its run time.
Rating: B-
EIGHT FOR SILVER
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
Set in the nineteenth century, “Eight For Silver” opens with the brutal slaughter of helpless villagers at the hands of greedy land magnates. It’s a powerful scene and sets the stage for the villagers’ revenge from beyond the grave because as the film progresses, things start to get weird for the powerful murderers. For starters, their children go missing, prompting a pathologist (Boyd Holbrook) to rule out a werewolf attack and instead implies a more sinister case for the spooky bloodshed. Director Sean Ellis (“Metro Manila”) creates an effective gothic horror mood but unfortunately doesn’t have enough substance to back it up. For every great scene of shock and gore, there’s three of muddled exposition, making “Eight For Silver” an uneven experience.
Rating: C+
COMING HOME IN THE DARK
Courtesy of Sundance Institute
“Coming Home in the Dark” is the kind of exploitative film that is so grimy and tense, it will make you want to shower after watching it, assuming you make it to the end in the first place. Violence for violence’s sake is what’s on display here, as a family vacationing in New Zealand’s countryside are taken hostage and tortured by local psychos. Think of this as “Funny Games” without the social commentary, straight up emotional and physical torture that goes on and on, daring you to keep watching just for kicks. No thanks.
Rating: C-
