It’s hard to believe that this was my sixteenth trip to this iconic platform for independent filmmakers. It feels like yesterday that I attended my first Sundance Film Festival. Unfortunately, limited print space prevents me from going into lengthy detail, so what I've done is condensed as much as I could into this one-page spread so that you, the reader, can experience a taste of the Sundance experience. For those who'd like a more extensive look at Sundance 2010, be sure to log onto Zboneman.com. In the meantime, here's a rundown of the best of what I was lucky enough to see:
  
WELCOME TO THE RILEYS
Kristen Stewart leaves the Twilight zone behind with the exceptional character drama Welcome to the Rileys. In this heartbreaking, but ultimately warm film, James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo play married couple Doug and Lois Riley. Emotionally distraught over a personal tragedy, Doug decides to stay in New Orleans while on a business trip after developing a bond with 16-year-old runaway stripper Mallory (played by a convincing Kristen Stewart). Where things go from there might surprise you. In the wrong hands, this film could have been obvious, cheesy and overly sentimental, but in the hands of competent director Jake Scott, observant screenwriter Ken Hixon, and a committed cast, Welcome to the Rileys earns every emotional payoff.
 
7 DAYS
While often repellent and unsettling, this provocative look at revenge (and capital punishment), is eye-opening, powerful, and haunting. This French import features Claude Legault as a doctor who takes the law into his own hands after his eight-year-old daughter is brutally raped and murdered. His course of action? Kidnap the perpetrator of this awful crime and give him a taste of his own medicine. 7 Days is ugly and unflinching, but the scenes of graphic torture serve a distinct purpose. This isn't a torture porn film. This is an unforgettable exposé on pain, grief, and how a quest for vengeance changes a man's life and those around him. Whether or not the doctor's actions are justifiable is up to you, the audience, but this much is certain: The performances in this picture are masterful, and director Daniel Grou serves up cinematic images I will never forget.
 
CYRUS
The Duplass Brothers – who defined the mumble-core genre with a major hand in films like The Puffy Chair, Baghead, and Humpday – return with the hilarious and heartfelt Cyrus. While Jay and Mark Duplass hardly ditch their independent roots, they've certainly made a more accessible film in Cryus. With winning performances by John C. Reilly, Jonah Hill, and Marisa Tomei, this wonderful comedy tells the story of a lovable schlub who only stands a chance with his potential soul mate if he can stand toe-to-toe with her meddling 21-year-old son. Cyrus could have been a standard irreverent farce in the tradition of Step Brothers, but The Duplass Brothers opt to keep the proceedings grounded in reality. Impeccable comic timing and likable performances take the intimate and funny Cyrus to new heights.
 
BOY 

This charming little New Zealand import from Eagle Vs. Shark helmer Taika Cohen features James Rolleston as the title character, a boy living with his grandma and young siblings in tiny Waihau Bay circa 1984. With a passion for Michael Jackson, daydreamer Boy spends his days helping take care of his brothers and sisters and trying to gain the affection of a local girl who barely knows he exists. When grandma leaves the farm for a week, Boy finds himself the man of the house, but when the father he barely knows shows up for an unexpected visit, this eccentric comedy goes in a most interesting direction. Boy has a lot of bite to it, but it’s more charming and sweet than it is edgy and mean-spirited, and Cohen not only lends a light touch behind the camera, but he also turns in a goofy but likable performance as Boy's immature, childlike father. With a wonderful New Zealand setting, terrific performances from an impressive young cast, and an insightful look into New Zealand culture, the offbeat Boy won me over.
 
BURIED

If you're claustrophobic, then the new thriller Buried is not for you. This creative effort from director Rodrigo Cortes features Ryan Reynolds as a man who awakens to find himself buried in a coffin. With limited air supply and a dying cell phone in hand, Reynolds only has a short amount of time to figure out why he's there and more importantly, how the hell to get out. You'd think that a 95-minute movie entirely set in a space as small as a coffin would make for a dull film, but you're wrong. Buried is anything but dull. Through stellar cinematography, a solid performance by Ryan Reynolds, and innovative direction by Cortes, Buried is a top-notch exercise in sweat-inducing tension and Hitchockian-style intrigue. How does it all end? As if I’d spoil it for you! 
 
SPLICE
From Vincenzo Natali, the writer/director of Cube, comes a sci-fi flick that works both as a thinking person's science fiction film and a straight-up monster movie, complete with awe-inspiring special effects. At the heart of the story are ambitious and driven genetic scientists Clive and Elsa (played by Adrian Brody and Sarah Polley). Their latest breakthrough comes in the form of a miracle called Dren. What Dren is, exactly, is best left a mystery as the less you know going into Splice, the better. What I will say is that Splice is one of those films that dares to go places you won’t think it has the balls to go to. Natali is clearly a fan of the genre, and while there is a little bit of E.T. and the overrated Species in there, Splice actually owes more to the works of David Cronenberg (specifically, The Fly). This is a cautionary tale about the risks that come with playing God, and while there are a few sections of the film that are a little underdeveloped, Splice ultimately gets its point across with flying colors. And wait until you see the marvel that is Dren – an amazing fusion of CG and live-action performance (courtesy of a stellar effects team and the beautiful Delphine Chaneac).
 
FROZEN
Read review in this issue's Independent Movie Guide