The Sundance Film Festival is in full swing, and we are on the ground covering the latest in cinema debuting here in freezing Park City. There are simply too many films to see and not enough time to watch them, let alone review them in real time. But when I get some down time – which is admittedly scarce – I will do my best to offer some quick reviews of the films I’ve seen. So let’s take a quick look at some big films I’ve been able to see here at Sundance!
“Jimpa“
I am a huge fan of “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” as well as John Lithgow and Olivia Coleman, so when I saw that writer/director Sophie Hyde was back with her follow up “Jimpa,” that was all I really needed to know to watch. By all accounts, the film is a relatively standard family dramedy that follows Hannah (Olivia Coleman) and her nonbinary teenager Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde) as they take a trip to Amsterdam to visit Hannah’s father Jim, lovingly know as Jimpa (John Lithgow). Jimpa is openly gay, eccentric and loud, the kind of loving combativeness that comes with immense kindness but also an air of narcissism. When Frances expresses that they want to spend a year living with Jimpa, it forces everyone to reconsider their relationships (both past and present) and challenges their beliefs about each and the world.
“Jimpa” is clearly a deeply personal story for Hyde, moreso than her previous film, and you can see herself imprinted across many of the characters. That personal connection is both beneficial and detrimental, biting off more than it can chew narratively which drags the pacing and consistently undercuts its earnestness. Despite its shortcomings, “Jimpa” is still endearingly sweet and powerfully queer. Lithgow and Coleman are excellent as always, and while some aspects feel undercooked and underdeveloped, its portrayal of queer conversations within the community feel wholly unique and unseen, told with immense honesty and vulnerability. “Jimpa” certainly struggles, but given the current climate it’s exactly what we need right now.
Oh and um, not really a spoiler per se, but ya, I did not have full frontal John Lithgow on my 2025 bingo card.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
“Sly Lives (AKA The Burden of Black Genius)“
Questlove returns to documentary filmmaking in this follow up to his award winning “Summer of Soul.” Here, Questlove peels back the curtain even more and places Sly and The Family Stone as the front and center subject. “Sly Lives! (AKA The Burden of Black Genius)” takes a much more standard approach this time around, which removes most of the explosiveness and singular moment experience of his previous film and in turn delivers a somewhat by the numbers music doc. “Sly Lives!” isn’t any less intriguing, just that the formulaic framework holds it back from being something special in the genre. Sly Stone himself IS special, a once in a generation talent bursting at the seams with creative fortitude and well, genius. Questlove is driven by his inextricable influence on music, which often overshadows the deeper questions about black excellence, black artistry, and the burden of success.
Those themes are all present, but “Sly Lives!” plays more like a jukebox greatest hits “Behind the Music” than anything more unique given the subject and subject matter. It’s a tricky balance because Sly’s influence on music and culture cannot be denied, but Questlove really struggles to focus his scope as he attempts to examine every single rise and fall moment of his artist. Still, even living in the shadow of its predecessor, “Sly Lives!” still captures the fire in the bottle that was the man himself and the self destructive ramifications that come with being black and talented. It is still electric and propulsive, and it is impossible not to be swept up in the musical magic created as we walk through history with Sly as our guide. “Sly Lives!” may be like many others, but it still ranks among the best of its kind.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
“The Librarians“
You simply won’t see a more relevant and vital documentary this year than “The Librarians.” A stark reminder that while I may have escaped to the mountains to watch movies, there is fight for freedom happening around us and unfortunately those on the right side of history are losing. We are at a place where Librarians – the rarely seen, rarely acknowledged, keepers of books in quiet rooms are thrust into the spotlight and forced to be advocates for freedom and knowledge. “The Librarians” pulls no punches, centering on the rise of book banning in Texas, Florida and other states that sparked manufactured outrage from some of the most morally inept people fighting for -and often winning – religious oppression thinly veiled as political moves bought and paid for by rich oligarchs. These book keepers become the targets, and “The Librarians” carefully and thoughtfully examines all aspects of the system and political ploys that led to librarians being attacked and having to fight back.
“The Librarians” is infuriating but necessary, laying bare the morally corrupt and ignorant individuals who grandstand on baseless claims in an effort to silence anything they don’t like or don’t understand. It is reprehensible to listen to these people speak and WIN most of their fights, and “The Librarians” serves as both a cautionary tale and a call to action. It is quickly becoming too late, and the brave men and women who fight to protect works need our help. I try hard not to be too political when it comes to reviews, but “The Librarians” IS political in ways that require us to not be silent. Now more than ever our voices need to be heard and our feet need to take a stand. This is as good as documentaries get, folks. When it fills you with emotion so powerful you can’t even express it but want to shout it from the rooftops, you know you’ve got something truly valuable to share.
“The Librarians” is what everyone needs to see right now, no matter how hard or uncomfortable it makes you. And in a final plea to Hollywood, don’t be a coward like you were with “No Other Land” and “The Apprentice.” Pick this film up immediately and distribute it widely. Fear and silence and apathy is how they win. Don’t let them.
Rating 5 out of 5 Stars
There are plenty more days left in the festival, and I’ll be back with more reviews as soon as possible!
