Sundance 2026 - D1 - Jan 23
Sundance day by day…
This is the last Sundance in Utah for the foreseeable future. (SAD) Only three movies today... well, actually, I guess only two, but I will comment on:
First movie of the day is The Lake, a film about the looming disaster that is the collapse of the Salt Lake ecosystem that will likely make Salt Lake City uninhabitable. I did NOT see the movie as the manic drive to get there in time to get into the film did not appeal, so this is based on comments from others.
This was a big deal in SLC. For good reason. Buzz buzz buzz. Governor Cox made an appearance. All described it as a well-made film except that... well, it was faith affirming. It made clear the danger looming over our shoulders. And that the proper response to this was more fervent prayer and trusting in Heavenly Father - as is the "Utah Way".
(The still from the film, a person floating blissfully, seems on-point to me).
Dawn raids to extract immigrants who are in the process of acquiring legal status as refugees, toss em in a van and deport them... sound familiar? Though this one was 2021 Scotland, Ice was London's "The Home Office", and Scotland is Scotland - not a place known to kowtow to London.
2000 neighbors came out to prevent removal of the refugees. 200 Scottish police showed up to 'help' the Home Office officials. And everyone behaved themselves. While relevant to the current situation, the contrast is stark. The Scottish police and Home Office officials are not lawless thugs. There were no guns present. The standoff lasted for about 12 hours. A twelve hour chess match, played to a draw. A happy ending.
I found the film brilliant and moving. But I am a soft-hearted social-justice Lefty. They had like 2000 hours of cellphone footage to wade through, and they timelined out the events brilliantly. The event was brilliant, this film brings it to life in a very personal, you-are-there manner. And it makes us yearn for living in a civilized place, where the rule of law stands proud. Alas.
It had some buzz. Misplaced.
A 'Romantic Comedy' that was confusing. And just, bad. Boring. Disjointed... but let the professionals speak. Variety says:
"The reality is that there is no longer a viable audience for a movie like this one that ambles from scene to scene, that feels like it’s been built out of “actors’ moments” that got woven together in the editing room, that’s bathed in a warm bath of art shadow that makes everything look brown, and that’s overlaid with the kind of lugubrious string-section score that, if this is even possible, renders the characters more morose than they already are."
That nails it pretty good. Sad to end the day with this loser. Such is Sundance. Apparently the other film that I WAS going to see, THE INCOMER, was really good.
—- and thus ended Day1 of my 2026 Sundance experience. Stay Tuned!