As the Sundance Film Festival kicked off its 30th season, the program promised even more oddball choices than usual. Here’s a brief rundown of the 8 Strangest Ideas for a Movie showing at Sundance 2014:
“Frank”
Okay, it’s about a young musician (Domhnall Gleeson) taking advice from an older mentor (Michael Fassbender). Who happens to be an avant-garde genius in the field. Nothing odd there. Except the genius conceals his face by wearing a large cardboard head at all times.
“The Voices”
An eerie tale of murder that involves an evil talking cat and a good talking dog. Whom are they talking to? Why, Ryan Reynolds, of course. Maybe it was the evil cat who told him to do “R.I.P.D.”
“They Came Together”
This one is an “SNL”-style goof extended to movie length: It’s a sendup of romantic-comedy clichés starring Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd. Now go back and read the title again. Ew.
“52 Tuesdays”
In this Australian film, Mom is undergoing sex-change therapy. Naturally, this means she can only see her 16-year-old daughter once a week, and only on Tuesday.
“Boyhood”
Speaking of time-lapse movies, this one could have been called “12 Years a Boy.” “School of Rock” director Richard Linklater has been filming this drama in increments since 2002, following a couple (Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke) and their son (Ellar Coltrane) over a 12-year period.
“Love Is Strange”
Ben and George (John Lithgow and Alfred Molina) are a gay couple who have been together for 39 years and celebrate a new era by marrying. Hurrah! But then they have to split up because of the economy. Boo!
“Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter”
A one-character story about a woman (Rinko Kikuchi of “Babel”) who travels from Tokyo to Minneapolis because she’s convinced that the buried loot from the movie “Fargo” is really out there somewhere. And the whole thing is based on a true story that happened in 2001.
“Life After Beth”
Meet Zach (Dane DeHaan of “The Place Beyond the Pines”). Zach is sad. Zach’s girlfriend, Beth (Aubrey Plaza of “Parks and Recreation”), has died. But she comes back as a zombie, so it’s cool.