Maybe it's Hollywood's addiction to weak-ass formula. Maybe it's a culture-wide malaise. Maybe it's a Satanic plot. Whatever the reason, movies aren't funny any more.
While John Schlesinger's "An Eye for an Eye" presents Hollywood's same old good vs. evil universe, Tim Robbins' "Dead Man Walking" triumphs by rejecting easy moral conclusions.
The biggest stories at the Sundance Film Festival are often those of the struggling filmmakers themselves: how Quentin Tarantino languished for years behind a video store counter, how Ed Burns shot "The Brothers McMullen" at his parents' house. This year, it's Todd Solondz's turn to leap from don't-quit-your-day-job obscurity.
Tucked in among the 34 films (18 features and 16
documentaries) in competition at this year's Sundance Film Festival
were more than a few serious gems. The most talked-about (and
best) competition films focused on female characters -- a reaction,
perhaps, to last year's glut of Tarantino-style shoot-'em-ups.
While John Schlesinger's "An Eye for an Eye" presents Hollywood's same old good vs. evil universe, Tim Robbins' "Dead Man Walking" triumphs by rejecting easy moral conclusions
