Peg Aloi
My second Sundance dispatch deals with abortion, torture and cannibalism: what a scintillating combination for a bitterly cold weekend!
The first three films I saw at the Sundance Film Festival were very high-profile premieres.
After a brief respite, we were driven indoors (again) and told to stay there, so we turned to our screens for entertainment.
Rather disappointingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, the expressions of lesbian eroticism in Benedetta are very obviously depicted for the male gaze.
Stephen Sondheim’s songs told stories about people just trying to be, sung by characters struggling to make sense of a confusing world, yearning to take the next step. But his intricately structured melodies soared and tiptoed and sauntered and sometimes wisely took the long way home.
These are people behaving badly, even while they struggle to retain their dignity.
This wholly original period piece crackles with energy, humor, and pathos.
The overlapping worlds of ancient Paris architecture, entrenched police corruption, and the criminality of underground internet culture generate some suspenseful plot twists and white-knuckle scenes of terror.
Here are some wonderful offerings to get you through the gloomy months ahead, including under-sung and under-seen horror baubles that you may have missed.
Arts Feature: Best Movies (With Some Disappointments) of 2021
Our demanding critics choose the best films (along with some disappointments) of the year.
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