The 2023 Sundance Film Festival is here and with so many films to watch, there just isn’t enough time to commit to full reviews for every single film I see. With 16 on my watchlist, I want to still give love to all of the projects that I set my eyes on. Today I am recapping four films that I have seen and breaking down their scores including: The Eight Mountains, Fremont, Bad Behaviour and The Starling Girl.
The Eight Mountains: Directed by Felix van Groeningen, Charlotte Vandermeersch
This film left me mesmerized. It is the most beautiful film that you will see this year and that’s not just due to the cinematography. The set design is gorgeous and the sound is breathtaking. An atmospheric film that pushes technical to its limits. The performances from Luca Marinellii and Alessandro Borghi are both intense and heartbreaking, making you care about this friendship from the very start to the bitter end. A story about two men who want to experience the world in their own ways. Both flawed with the best intentions. A film that will live with me for a long time.
15 for Writing: 13
15 for Performances: 13
10 for Entertainment: 8
10 for Direction: 9
10 for Emotions: 9
5 for Cinematography: 5
5 for Score: 3
5 for Pacing: 3
15 for Technical: 12
5 for Rewatchability: 4
5 for Automatic: 5
The Eight Mountains: 84/100
Fremont: Directed by Babak Jalali
I found myself really enjoying this one. I think the debut performance from Anaita Wali Zada is so impressive, bringing so much depth. Her performance along with Jeremy Allen White bring really some much needed chemistry to this project. A really easy story about a dreamer who wants more in life, but is struggling with the weight of her past. I found the conversations here to be really interesting and they kept me engaged just enough to get through the runtime. The direction overall is solid as well. Didn’t do anything to reinvent the wheel, but overall a solid outing.
15 for Writing: 11
15 for Performances: 13
10 for Entertainment: 7
10 for Direction: 7
10 for Emotions: 7
5 for Cinematography: 4
5 for Score: 3
5 for Pacing: 4
15 for Technical: 12
5 for Rewatchability: 4
5 for Automatic: 5
Fremont: 77/100
Bad Behaviour: Directed by Alice Englert
This is complicated. To this point I still have no idea what this film is. This is yet another film that has a clear identity crisis. Tonally unsound throughout with very choppy storytelling and pacing. Jennifer Connelly and Ben Whishaw are both fantastic in this, but their performances couldn’t save this mess of a film. I can appreciate the mother/daughter angle, but again, it felt so choppy and out of place that it really felt like we were watching two very different movies at once that just happened to converge in the end. The first dud of the Sundance season.
15 for Writing: 8
15 for Performances: 11
10 for Entertainment: 7
10 for Direction: 7
10 for Emotions: 7
5 for Cinematography: 3
5 for Score: 3
5 for Pacing: 3
15 for Technical: 10
5 for Rewatchability: 2
5 for Automatic: 5
Bad Behaviour: 66/100
The Starling Girl: Directed by Laurel Parmet
The Starling Girl is an uncomfortable watch no doubt. A coming-of-age story regarding a girl looking for her place in a strict Christian community. A very vivid and unforgiving story that makes your skin crawl once you understand what’s really going on. The performances are the shining star of this flawed film with Eliza Scanlen being the driving force and Lewis Pullman delivering a really nice reserved effort. The film doesn’t do anything to reinvent the wheel and the writing isn’t as strong as I would have wanted it to be, but the performances are what you come to watch this for. Unsettling, tense and authentic.
15 for Writing: 11
15 for Performances: 13
10 for Entertainment: 6
10 for Direction: 7
10 for Emotions: 8
5 for Cinematography: 3
5 for Score: 3
5 for Pacing: 3
15 for Technical: 10
5 for Rewatchability: 2
5 for Automatic: 5
The Starling Girl: 71/100
Jack Lautaret is a Banana Meter approved film critic, Host of the Jack Lautaret YouTube Channel and writer for Music City Drive-In. He is a member of the Online Film and Television Association. Twitter: @JackLautaret
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