she can drive as fast as me but she stops at all the lights

title: codependent lesbian space alien seeks same
director/screenwriter: madeleine olnek
category: park city at midnight
rating: 4 out of 5



in a galaxy far, far away, the ozone of the planet zots is being depleted because of Big Feelings. three lesbian space aliens travel to earth in search of awkward first-dates, heartbreak, and disappointment, the obvious cure for their over-active emotions, and the only way to save their endangered planet.

one such space alien meets and falls in love with jane, a lonely and over-eager stationery store clerk who has been unlucky in love. jane doesn't seem to mind that her new girlfriend, zoinx, is a space-alien: in fact, jane doesn't seem to even notice. their unlikely romance, as well as the dating antics of fellow citizens of zots zylar and barr, propel this quirky tale into action, using the touchtones of sci-fi camp, and 50s b-movies effects. equal parts plan 9 from outer space, go fish and men in black, director and screenwriter madeleine olnek's debut feature is smartly written and charmingly portrayed by a terrific cast.

with impeccable timing and charming style, the film delighted the audience at the festival. so maybe chrissigrl and i were guilty of only squeezing in the film after meeting the director and promising her and her crush-worthy "producer" we'd attend. regardless, codependent lesbian space alien seeks same ended up being one of the most enjoyable films i screened at sundance 2011.

before this river becomes an ocean

title: higher ground
director/screenwriter: vera farmiga
category: u.s. dramatic competition
rating: 3 out of 5



higher ground tells the story of one woman's awakening and growth, woven on the tapestry of spirituality and the school of hard knocks. director and screenwriter vera farmiga also stars as the lead, a woman named corinne. she "gives yet another richly nuanced performance, [tackling] complex issues with sophistication and graceful insight, crafting a moving story about the transformative powers of faith and doubt." (source.)

while it is obvious farmiga is skilled--the script, direction, and pacing were impeccable--i found my interpretation of the storyline to be impressively biased: that embracing faith is the antithesis of being an interesting human being. the film portrays faith as an inevitability, an easy solution, a consolation prize for living life. hallelujah? by the end of the film, i felt strongly that the characters' enlightenment was more of a plot fail, a dead-end, than a solace.

the audiences loved this film, though. but there is a strength to farmiga's story--either her story, or her storytelling--that felt palpable, honest, beautiful. flawed, but beautiful. many scenes felt candid and raw, autobiographical. in all the ways that good cinema can be, i found higher ground polarizing: a film that read, to me, like a manifesto for atheism far more than a testament to how awesome god is; others (like those many behind me singing along with the closing credits hymn, for serious) undoubtedly felt buoyant, connected. walking out of the theatre that night, i ruminated on this, and wondered if this open interpretation was indeed the intention of the director. maybe i'd know more if i had stayed for the Q&A.