SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL: Day 3

Jennifer Anniston Turns on the Charm; Robin Williams Loses His Idealism

An 8.30 start to check out the new film, The Good Girl, from Chuck and Buck director Miguel Arteta. For the most part, his latest film is more conservative and less interesting than its predecessors, and would have had nothing to offer, had it not been for the wonderful work of Jennifer Anniston.

As a sad character who escapes a lonely dead-end existence from a job she hates and her dope-toking husband, she starts an affair with another deep-seated loner who calls himself Holden.

A sharply observed study of small-town life, The Good Girl has some lovely moments, but it’s Anniston who drives the film. Unlike Jake Gylenhaal, who merely repeats Bubble Boy, but takes it down an octave. After October Sky, he seems to have slipped into a mundane pattern of mediocrity, and here, his insipid, colourless performance is the film’s main flaw. But Anniston’s touching, funny yet profoundly honest performance is its strength, and for her alone, The Good Girl is worth seeing.

Straight after the screening it was time to meet the lovely Ms Anniston. Casually dressed in t-shirt and jeans, Anniston talked Friends and discussed watching her movie with husband Brad Pitt.

Anniston emerged as a delightfully unpretentious starlet, I was then fortunate to have a one-on-one chat with John Malkovich, who talked about what it takes to get the kinds of films he likes, made. Quiet, intelligent and fascinating, it was a short but valuable interview.

From Malkovich to Robin Williams? Quite a leap as I headed to my last screening of the day: One Hour Photo, one of the most pleasant surprises at this year’s Festival, and featuring an Oscar-calibre performance by Williams.

In a role that will bring a newfound respect for Williams, the actor plays a lonely photo lab technician in a large supermarket, whose obsessive fascination for a perfect American family, spins out of control once his idealism is shattered. A remarkable film from writer/director Mark Romanek, One Hour Photo plays with the audience, taking the viewer on an unexpected and unpredictable journey. Tautly directed, Romanek superbly creates tension and mood, resulting in a film that is hypnotic and fascinating.

Williams creates a character of so many varying masks, that one is never certain who he is until the final shot. His performance has a purity to it, and it’s the kind of work that will fully define Williams as an extraordinary actor. Flawless script and top-notch direction, coupled with Williams’ performance, makes One Hour Photo as an intelligent and intoxicating thriller.

Following the screening, Robin appeared on stage for an uncustomary and highly entertaining question and answer session. A perfect way to end another day at Sundance.