The director of Juliet, Naked during Q&A.

Sundance. It’s the one thing that I look forward to every January. Every year we have a system to pick our top choices and then we hope for the best. This was the first year I was in the waiting room hoping to purchase tickets. Although it was a bit of a wait, it was pretty easy once I got in. Some of the top picks were already sold out by the time I got in, but one of our top picks was still in the running so we grabbed it along with another top choice. With two films to attend, this was one of our most laid back years yet.

Juliet, Naked

One of my top choices was Juliet, Naked. Based on a Nick Hornby novel, it was already a must watch for me, but the casting really won me over. How could you go wrong with Chris O’Dowd, Rose Bryne, and Ethan Hawke? You can’t.

Here’s the Sundance synposis that sold me on the movie:

Annie is stuck in a long-term relationship with Duncan—an obsessive fan of obscure rocker Tucker Crowe. Duncan is far more devoted to his music idol than to Annie. When the acoustic demo of Tucker’s hit record from 25 years ago surfaces, it leads to a life-changing encounter between Annie and the elusive rocker himself.

This movie is likely one of my favorites we’ve seen at Sundance. It was funny, had a great soundtrack, and the casting was perfect! This was picked up by Lionsgate so definitely check it out when it’s released. If you’re a fan of romantic comedies, chick flicks, or Nick Hornby, you’re going to love it.

Damsel

Our second movie was Damsel. This movie was written, directed, and produced by two brothers, David and Nathan Zellner. They can also be seen on screen. It’s set in the Old West and has some great leads including Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska, but it wasn’t something I’d want to watch again. Although I really enjoyed watching Robert Pattinson play a totally different character than what I’ve seen, the entire movie was a little too much and I felt like a lot of it fell flat.

Sundance 2018

As with any Sundance Film Festival, every movie is hit or miss and we ended up with one hit and one miss this time around. I really can’t wait to see Juliet, Naked again and would highy recommend it to everyone that likes those types of movies. If you get a chance to watch either of these movies, I’d love to know what you think!