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Davis Journal

Sundance roundup: ‘Scrapper,’ ‘Radical,’ ‘The Persian Version,’ and more Sundance offerings

Jan 30, 2023 11:29AM ● By Jenniffer Wardell

Scrapper

Photo courtesy of Sundance Institute

Scrapper

Winner of the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic, “Scrapper” is the beautifully acted, unexpectedly sweet story of a scrappy orphan girl reconnecting with her long-absent father. Though there are some moments when it reads like a grittier version of a Hallmark movie, the performances keep it grounded. Lola Campbell is fantastic as Georgie, a good-hearted, intensely loyal troublemaker who tries hard to hide her sadness. Harris Dickinson, better known for more polished roles, is surprisingly affecting as a young man desperately trying to grow up and struggling with the process. Ali Uzun adds just the right amount of sweetness as Georgie’s equally loyal sole friend. Together, the three of them create a quiet magic that makes it impossible to look away.

Radical

This year’s Festival Favorite winner, “Radical” is a warm-hearted, occasionally heartbreaking entry into the world of inspirational teaching movies. Based on a true story, “Radical” features Eugenio Derbez as a teacher who brings some unusual ideas to an impoverished Mexican border town. The movie is good at balancing the harsh economic realities of the children’s lives with moments of real joy, guided by the Derbez’s earnest charm. It’s firmly made from a Spanish cultural perspective, which means that tragedy is both more prevalent and handled differently, but there are also some quietly beautiful moments that will linger with you. 

The Persian Version

Winner of both this year’s Audience Award: US Dramatic and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, “The Persian Version” looks at family and cultural pain through a fresh, witty lens that doesn’t lessen the inherent heartbreak. Told from the perspective of both a mother and daughter trying to make a connection across both family secrets and a deep cultural divide, the movie uses fourth wall-breaking narration to give both women a voice. Though a part of me wishes the movie could go deeper than it does, giving the characters the same understanding of each other that we have of them, it’s still a fun, moving story told in a brand-new way.

Blueback

This quiet, thoughtful movie is both a meditation on a mother-daughter relationship and the importance of protecting the environment. Not a lot happens, and what does occur is mostly in flashbacks, but it’s enough to paint a portrait of two women who love the environment but can’t do it in quite the same way. It would be a richer movie if any of this was explored more deeply, but what is there has a mellow loveliness to it that makes it easier to forgive the absences. 

The Tuba Thieves

One of those movies that are more admirable than watchable, “The Tuba Thieves” isn’t really about either theft or tubas. It’s a thought experiment trying to communicate what the world is like for a deaf person, then playing with that using everything from the visuals to the placement of the closed captioning. It’s interesting if you approach it from an analytical standpoint, but for a regular audience member it gets tiring quickly.

Beyond Film

A quick tour through the Sundance’s annual offerings of film-related discussions made it clear there are definite tonal differences. The Cinema Café discussions are light and breezy, true conversations more than panels, and come off as consistently interesting no matter what the topic. The Big Conversation discussions are all about weightier themes, often including professors as well as industry people. The insights are more universal, but if you’re not really interested in the topic it’s harder to stay engaged. Power of Story is the most formal and panel-like of the Sundance discussions, and this year’s came off as particularly dull because the moderator and panelists had different ideas on what the discussion should be about.  

Jenniffer Wardell is an award-winning movie critic and member of the Utah Film Critics Association. Find her on Twitter at @wardellwriter or drop her a line at [email protected].