Sundance diaries 2009: Day three

Wesley Snipes steals 'Brooklyn's Finest'; the reality behind 'Devil Wears Prada'

By Geoff Berkshire

Posted January 18, 2009

Metromix

Another day, another star-studded disappointment. (In case you missed it, here's the reaction to Amy Poehler's "Spring Breakdown.")

"Brooklyn's Finest," a cops-n-crooks drama from "Training Day" director Antoine Fuqua, stars Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke and Don Cheadle as cops on various sides of the law. It has the distinction of being the first major title sold at the festival (under $5 million to new distributor Senator Films) but also has an ending that may wind up on the cutting room floor after it left audiences here alternately rolling their eyes and laughing.

How “Finest” fares as a commercial release is anyone’s guess (my bet is something close to last year’s quickly forgotten “Pride and Glory”) since the movie's problems hardly begin with the ending. It’s a second-rate attempt at a Martin Scorsese/Michael Mann style street epic, without any of the visual flair or superior plotting. At least there’s an excellent supporting role for Wesley Snipes—due for a Mickey Rourke-like resurrection as a dramatic actor—and a solid turn by Gere.

Already a hit in Mexico, and acquired for U.S. release before the fest began, "Rudo y Cursi" reunites "Y tu mamá también" stars Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna with "Mamá" co-writer Carlos Cuarón (brother of "Mama" director Alfonso Cuarón), but feels like a longshot to match the success of their first collaboration. The story of two half-brothers who become soccer stars on opposing teams is a poorly executed cautionary tale about the downside of fame, and there are only fleeting glimpses of the magnetic chemistry Bernal and Luna displayed in "Mamá." It won’t help that soccer is a challenge to market in the States. (Did you ever even hear about “Goal!”?)

Even scoring a theatrical release will be the hard part for “The Killing Room,” although it has enough suspense to merit a look for non-discriminating thriller fans. A cast including Timothy Hutton, Chloe Sevigny and Nick Cannon make their way through one of those people-trapped-in-a-room plots, with the twist being one group is observing the other for top secret government tests on…something. The big reveal is firmly grounded in paranoia over George W. Bush-era policies, and a premiere right before the Obama inauguration felt particularly ill-timed.

That leaves the highlights of the day: a pair of good-not-great documentaries about two very different brands of journalism, “Reporter” and “The September Issue.”

“Reporter” tracks New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof as he travels to the Congo and attempts to raise worldwide awareness of the brutality and injustice occurring there. It’s an earnest film about the potential of the news gathering process as a force for change, and Kristof’s encounters with the locals are never less than compelling. But it remains a minor work, hampered by self-important narration from director Eric Daniel Metzgar, and winds up less illuminating than an average Kristof column.

Illuminating certainly isn’t a word that best describes “The September Issue,” which promises a look at the inner workings of Vogue magazine and legendary editor Anna Wintour (the fearsome inspiration for Meryl Streep’s character in “The Devil Wears Prada”).  Considering her reputation, some viewers may expect a warts-and-all portrait from filmmaker R.J. Cutler, but it’s clear that Wintour is too smart to look too nasty in front of the camera. Aside from two brief candid glimpses into her personal life, all Cutler uncovers is that if Wintour is demanding and difficult, it’s only because she’s incredibly good at her job.

“September’s” real star turns out to be creative director Grace Coddington, the only person bold enough to frequently butt heads with Wintour. Their relationship goes back years, and Coddington knows she’s simply too good to be replaced. Her withering asides and cunning power plays provide most of the film’s humor, helping to make it a livelier and more human work than the formulaic “Prada.” But still a creation tailor-made for repeat airings on Bravo.