DADDY LONGLEGS - On Demand Direct from the Sundance Film FestivalMay 25, 2010
Sundance Selects
Updated...
DADDY LONGLEGS was originally released on VOD in February. It has been rereleased and is now available until July 6, 2010. Below is ODW's original review from its premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.
On Demand Weekly reviews movies on demand from the perspective of watching them from the comfort of your home. This week, "Daddy Longlegs." (originally titled as "Go Get Some Rosemary.")
As we've all heard, the Sundance Film Festival has made some changes in 2010. A new festival director, a focus on "tougher, smaller" films, a few surprises like new categories (Next focuses on "no-budget" films) and the Sundance Selects film label as part of the Direct from the Sundance Film Festival initiative chooses three films being screened at the festival that will simultaneously be available nationwide On Demand. Josh and Benny Safdie's "Daddy Longlegs" is one of them as it made its North American premiere SFF 2010 and is available On Demand in your living room.
The New York-based film revolves around a divorced father named Lenny (Ronald Bronstein) during a contractual two week visit from his two young boys, created in autobiographical fashion by the Safdie brothers, invoking childhood memories of their own father. Lenny lives completely "in the now," at once distracted, selfish, charming, rash, fun, imprudent and loving -- he is many conflicting adjectives swirled into one flawed and fascinating human being.
"Longlegs" is an intimate character study devoid of the feel of artificial plotting, reminiscent in style to the way Mike Leigh or John Cassavetes use gritty realism to flesh out characters and a world. Critics tend to grumble about films like this being too Nouvelle Vague. I feel done the right way, which this is, that's a good thing. The time period feels like the 70's because of the shooting style and fashions, etc. but it's also modern, shot among todays automobiles etc. This makes the film a sort of fairy tale, something incredibly difficult to pull off as they have.
Because the film isn't about plot, it's worth it to provide description of a few golden Lenny scenes: Lenny has a one night stand and then convinces the woman to allow him to encroach upon her and her nonplussed boyfriend's upstate "vacation." Already pushing it, he shows up with his two young boys - then ignores social awkwardness completely as the unlikely group drive to the lake. Later, Lenny can't find anyone to watch the kids so to avoid losing his job he doses them with an adult sedative so they sleep till he gets back but almost succeeds in putting both of them in a coma. This is not the usual film world of lessons or karmic retribution. Life goes on, by hook or by crook.
The kids' school teachers are refreshingly friendly and well-meaning as are Lenny's off-beat friends, instead of the usual shoe-horned forces of antagonism. Honestly, Lenny is enough protagonist and antagonist that you don't need to contrive many others. The only scene that feels superfluous is a brief dream sequence near the end that tries to approximate Lenny's subconscious anxieties. We'd rather imagine what's in his head, not see it directly.
The performances are naturalistic and enjoyable down the line. Back from Josh's last feature is the attractive Eleonore Hendricks (also with a casting credit) and sharing the spotlight are the delightfully real kids (Sage and Frey Ranaldo). Most notable, however, is Ronald Bronstein, himself an award winning writer-director of 2007's Frownland, whose collaboration on this film, also as a contributing editor, reinforces a vision for film that he shares. From a Frownland interview: "I genuinely think there's value in getting an audience to chew a person over and swallow them and regurgitate them and maybe chew them over some more before arriving at some kind of assessment." Followed by: "I want the progression of the story to form organically out of the characters themselves." Mission accomplished, Ron.
Notables: Abel Ferarra (keeping it in the genre family) has a cameo as a robber in one of the brushes with danger that keep the audience aware of the frailty of Lenny's dream world. Lenny's job is a film projectionist (Bronstein worked as one to help finance Frownland.) Interesting "thanks to" credits include indie giants Christine Vachon and Scott Macauley.
As one of Sundance's "tougher, smaller" films, it's the reason to pay attention to film festivals. This film was a gem. I loved it. Recommended On Demand viewing for fans who can't make it to Park City.
Sean McPhillips is a new contributing writer to On Demand Weekly. He is a former vice president of acquisitions for Miramax Films (During Harvey's reign). He is a current writer/director for NY-based Secret Hideout Films
DADDY LONGLEGS (100 min) TV 14
Begins: 1/22/10
Ends: 2/26/10
The films featured through the Sundance Institute and Sundance Selects partnership will be available on video-on-demand the same day each premieres at the Sundance Film Festival, and will be available in approximately 40 million homes on most major cable systems including Comcast, Cablevision, Cox, Time Warner, plus the satellite provider Direct TV. The “Direct From the Sundance Film Festival” films will be found on the main movies-on-demand platforms of each cable and satellite provider.
