Seven Movies That Are Burning Up Sundance

The 2010 Sundance Film Festival is officially underway. You gotta love Sundance, as it annually catapults important Indie gems into theaters near you (or at least into your Netflix que). Here’s our take on the seven films that have built the biggest buzz down in Park City, Utah. If there’s an existing trailer, we’ve served that up for you as well.

Blue Valentine

Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams, aka Heath Ledger’s baby mama, team up in this non-linear pic about a marriage that hits the skids. The cross-cutting relationship pic is rumored to be very steamy. Anything Gosling does is almost a musth-watch flick, as he’s established himself as one of his generation’s finest actors. This one promises to leave Utah with some serious buzz.

Buried

Ryan Reynolds, the other underrated Ryan of his generation, stars in what is basically the lovechild of The Hurt Locker, Kill Bill Vol. 2 and Phone Booth. Reynolds. One coffin. One cell phone. One lighter. 90 minutes of oxygen. This will either be the next Blair Witch Project or the next Brown Bunny. Regardless, it’s gaining some serious steam on the interwebs. Considering its crazy plot, it promise to at least be one of the more inventive films in recent Sundance history.

Company Man

This one stars Ben Affleck, Chris Cooper, Craig T. Nelson, Kevin Costner, Maria Bello and Tommy Lee Jones. It’s also been described as Traffic mashed up with Up in the Air. The director is a first-timer, so judging by the cast the script has gotta be dynamite. I’d be surprised if we didn’t hear from this one again later this year, especially considering the current job market.

Cyrus

This romp is from the Duplass Bros, the crazy fellas who have been driving forces behind flicks like Baghead and Humpday. John C. Reilly is a recently divorced dude who falls for Marisa Tomei, which wouldn’t be hard to do. She even remarkably digs him back. One problem: her son, Jonah Hill, is a live-at-home weirdo. I might be more excited about this one than any other film at the festival. It looks like a definite winner.

The Extra Man

Kevin Kline as a failed playwright who works as a gigolo for lonely elderly women. John C. Reilly, nice to see you again, is his competition. Paul Dano is Kline’s roommate, a young aspiring playwright with transvestite tendencies. Dano also has a weird crush on Katie Holmes, of all people. Rumor has it that he steals her sweater and wears it. Curious way to try and get with a chick you have the hots for, but it sounds pretty hilarious. This is based on a novel, so only time will tell if the adaptation works or not. Regardless, it promises to be interesting.

Hesher

This is Joseph Godron-Levitt’s latest step towards becoming the young Johnny Depp — an A-list star who’s delightfully all over the map with his inspired role choices. In Hesher, he’s a rail-thin anarchist/nihilist who chain smokes like he gets paid by the cigarette and gives himself amateur tats. With Natalie Portman, quite the little Indie queen herself, and Rainn Wilson also on its cast, the black comedy could be the breakout hit of the festival. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if this one garners JGL a second-consecutive year of awards season hype.

The Runaways

Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart star in the flick about the 70s glam-rock group comprised of teenage girls. Joan Jett, the head Runaway herself, served as executive producer and consultant, so this one could hit the mark. It could also come off as a prequel to Josie and the Pussycats if not done right. Nevertheless, with New Mooners Fanning and Stewart headling the cast, this one is going to make some noise. For their sakes, they better hope that noise doesn’t make audiences cover their ears.