Sundance: Day Four

Dave Calhoun reports from Sundance, where the British invasion is in full swing, and where Mike Mills' excellent 'Thumbsucker' screens.

Jan 26 2005

Day four: The British Invasion and Mike Mills' 'Thumbsucker'.

The Brits are out in force at this year's Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

Not only are Matthew Vaughan's 'Layer Cake', Michael Winterbottom's 'Nine Songs' and Gaby Dellal's 'On a Clear Day' all screening at the festival, but several British actors and directors are in town to celebrate their work on American projects.

Robert Carlyle ('Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School'), Piers Brosnan ('The Matador'), Steve Coogan ('Happy Endings'), John Maybury ('The Jacket'), Daniel Day-Lewis ('The Ballad of Jack and Rose') and Jamie Bell ('Dear Wendy', 'Chumbscrubber') are all here, braving sub-zero temperatures, crowded streets and the constant hum of film execs' mobile phones to promote new work.

Actress Tilda Swinton is here, too, in support of 'Thumbsucker', the debut film of American graphic artist and music-promo director Mike Mills, in which she stars and receives a producing credit.

The film had its world premiere at Park City's Racquet Club theatre on Sunday afternoon, after which many of the cast and crew took part in a post-screening Q&A.

Keanu Reeves, Benjamin Bratt, Swinton, Mills and others crowded the stage to take questions. The prize for the most stupid question of the festival so far must go to the audience member who quizzed Reeves - who plays a dentist in the film - as to whether he studied other screen portrayals of dentists in order to prepare for the role. Reeves' response? A flat 'no' and barely stifled laughter.

'Thumbsucker' is a quietly hip coming-of-age story, based on a novel by Walter Kern and carried along by good performances, stylish photography and the music of The Polyphonic Spree and the late Elliot Smith. Mills' lyrical aesthetic certainly betrays his successful music-promo background.

Nineteen-year-old newcomer Lou Pucci plays Justin, a teenager who suffers both the creeping mid-life crises of his parents (Swinton and Vincent D'Onofrio) and his own confusing angst.

The film explores varying ideas of ageing, and what Mills' script sometimes lacks is more than compensated for by dreamy atmospherics and compassionate performances.

Finally, I'll leave you with an overheard conversation from one of the festival's shuttle buses.

Picture the scene. A stereotypical LA film type - male, tanned, camp - is sitting on the bus, snapping in business-like fashion into his hands-free headset, dark shades on, staring into the middle distance and wrapped up in an expensive, long fur coat.

His side of the conversation runs as follows: 'Hi... Yes, I'm really happy... We sold our film to Lions Gate last night... Lions Gate, they're a distributor, the best... It's called "Rize"... No, R-I-Z-E... Yes, "Rize"... Okay, mum. Can I speak to dad now?... Yes, I know I'm a day late... Hi, dad. Happy Birthday... Sorry, I know I'm a day late...'

Who said Hollywood people are all self-obsessed assholes, concerned with nothing but their work?

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