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Reviews
The Motel (2005)
one of the best of Sundance
This feature was surprisingly the best of the 9 films I saw at Sundance. This is an endearing story of a young boy going through the struggles of life - it is a remarkably funny and heartfelt story that really moved me and the entire audience on opening night. This is, in my honest opinion, the sleeper hit of Sundance and the best movie in the festival. DEFINITELY worth checking out, I think it was overlooked due to the hoopla and buzz of other movies with bigger name celebrities. Filmmaker Mike Kang has taken a very endearing story and made it into an excellent film, about a lonely young boy working at a family-owned motel, who befriends a mysterious stranger (Sung Kang, from Better Luck Tomorrow) that teaches him the ropes of growing up (irresponsibly). It is a hilarious movie, yet it is filled with strong emotion and drama - many, especially the mothers in the audience, were brought to tears by the end. Highly recommended, just watch it for yourself and enjoy!
Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)
An excellent first film for Miranda July
I saw Me and You and Everyone We Know at the Sundance film festival this year, and was delighted to see a deviation from the norm in this film. Like Ebert, I agree that this was one of the very few standout films in the festival. The strongest aspect of the movie for me was the actors in the film; the child actors especially I thought were hilarious in this film and endearing, and very well deserving of the Palm D'ore awards it received (i believe the film one 3 or four at Cannes). What was most interesting to me was the artist's perspective in the movie; the artistic vision that the main character has has a very real and personal feel to it, as if it was transferred from brain to canvas, or from the writer/director(Miranda) to film. You really feel a connection with the movie, with the artist, and that connection is what makes a movie important. Whether Me and You will be this year's Sideways, as Ebert predicted, has yet to be seen. However, this is a very excellent and innovative film regardless, and worth taking a look at.