For Day 3, the programmers at the 2019 Sundance Film Festivals came out swinging. Having finally sensed the urgent need for a bit of light-heartedness in the early morning lineup, they chose to program Nisha Ganatra’s new film about a struggling late night host (Emma Thompson) who must either change with the times, or be swept away by them. The day also featured some excellent music performances by members of the multi-award winning giants Arcade Fire, as well as additional performances by Head and the Heart, Patty Griffin, Feist, and more. The traffic in town may have been at its worst, but today was definitely Sundance at it’s best.
Nathan’s Best Thing He Saw Today:
Mindy Kaling is a force to be reckoned with! Writing in starring in Late Night, Kaling and crew set the record Friday night by having Amazon acquire the rights to their film for $13 million. There is a clear reason why this film set the record. It is relatable, hilarious, pitch perfect and such a joy to watch. This will be a big hit.
Ty’s Best Thing He Saw Today:
For years, the 9am showing at Eccles has been a place where tired cinephiles pack in along side members of the industry to fight against the perils of sleep deprivation. When the final credits started rolling on Late Night, it was hard not to feel refreshed. Emma Thompson and Mindy Kaling were flawless, and the films message on gender equality and personal growth were never too overt. This may be one of the better comedy’s to ever come out of the fest.
Nathan’s Sundance Moment of the Day:
After leaving a party with unlimited Old Fashioneds (Dangerous) we wound up at a Bruce Springsteen tribute with two of my favorite artists, Head and the Heart and Feist. Then after that finished walking through the streets of Park City we walked by a bar with Arcade Fire’s Win Butler’s voice ringing out into the streets from a tiny tiny bar. Only at Sundance!
Ty’s Sundance Moment of the Day:
I loved watching Emma Thompson really lean into her character in the film Late Night, putting forth a truly delightful performance. This film really set an amazing tone for the day, and it may have even been a little responsible for me liking some of the films that screened just after it. That’s how good it was.
Nathan’s Lasting Thought of the Day:
The variety Sundance has to offer is amazing! Yesterday I saw a female empowerment comedy into a film about diagnosing audio acoustics of houses (Sound of Silence), into a post apocalyptic thriller about Robots repopulating the Earth (I Am Mother). This is why Sundance is the best!
Ty’s Lasting Thought of the Day:
I left today with a great feeling of hope. I had seen one of my favorite Sundance comedies of all time (Late Night), some of this year’s best cinematography (The Last Tree), and finished it off with a beautiful Sci-Fi thriller that would make Isaac Asimov proud. This all seems to give me the impression that Day 1 and Day 2 were simply just warm-ups. Now it’s time for some good stuff!
