Sundance Recap #3
The festival is nearly over now, with only one final day left for movie-watching. I'm way behind on recaps, so it's time to start chipping away at my recap list.
OH, HI!

Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman play a couple named Iris and Isaac who have a disagreement during their first vacation together. The disagreement? Whether or not they're actually a couple. Iris refuses to give up on the relationship and uses some unconventional methods with the hopes of convincing Isaac that they are meant to be. Meanwhile, her tactics only seem to be having the opposite effect on Isaac, creating a wedge that could be insurmountable.
A lot of suspension of disbelief is required to truly enjoy Oh, Hi! The movie goes to some truly absurd and far-fetched places that can easily lose the viewer. But if you're willing to go with it, it's a lot of fun! Molly Gordon and Logan Lerman play off each other very well and have a nice, easy chemistry that feels so relaxed despite all of the crazy things that are asked of them. To me, their performances made this work, as well as the commentary on men and women in relationships during this digital age. RATING: 7.5/10
THE THING WITH FEATHERS

Benedict Cumberbatch plays a widower who finds his grief manifest in peculiar ways in The Thing With Feathers. After his wife’s sudden and tragic death, Benedict’s character simply known as Dad, takes to drawing to let his emotions out. Each time he draws, one recurring subject haunts his work: a big black crow. Soon this creation starts haunting him and his sons during their waking life and no matter what they do, they can’t seem to be rid of him.Â
The Thing With Feathers is a great showcase for Benedict Cumberbatch’s talents as he gets to portray both a grieving widower as well as the voice of his monstrous creation. He’s excellent here, but unfortunately, the rest of the film around him is a bit of a mess. The big problem with Feathers is that it clumsily tries to shift too many tones all at once. It never knows when it wants to commit to pure horror (it has real shades of The Babadook at times…) or, more often than not, psychological drama with random bits of comedy. It all feels too jarring, and like it’s trying to bite off more than it can chew and leaves the metaphor feeling a bit heavy-handed. While it has many impressively breathtaking sequences, it’s just too uneven overall for me to love. RATING: 5/10
TRAIN DREAMS

Train Dreams follows the life of a man named Robert Grainier (an understated yet magnificent Joel Edgerton), as he attempts to build a home and provide for his young family during the early 1900s. He leaves his town in Idaho and travels to the Pacific Northwest, working on the railroad to expand access for travel to everyone in the country. His wife Gladys (Felicity Jones) hates that he has to be away for months at a time, but Robert assures her there is no feasible alternative. But after an unspeakable tragedy, Robert closes himself off to the world and has to reconcile his life to a new reality he never imagined.Â
Train Dreams is a beautiful, contemplative film in every way. With lush cinematography, a haunting score, and beautiful, poignant performances; there is just so much to love here! I honestly hesitate to say too much more because I don't want to spoil the treasures this film has to offer. But suffice it to say, this movie is wonderful and should be seen as soon as it's released. RATING: 8/10
We'll stop there for now, but come back soon for more Sundance recaps!
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