Sundance has memorable films

The 2009 Sundance Film Festival is a thing of the past, but did it stack up against previous Sundances?

As a faithful attendee for every one of the festival's 25 years, I would probably have to say that this year may not linger in my memory as one of the best; however, having seen 45 or 50 of the films on this year's varied slate, once again I find myself haunted by a collage of unforgettable images, situations and performances.

Among this year's dramatic films in English, at least five of them linger in my mind for their all-around excellence.

A definite standout is Max Mayer's beautiful prize-winning film, "Adam," about a young man with Asperger's syndrome, and starring two first-rate young actors, Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne. And equally memorable is the British film "An Education," by Danish director Lone Scherfig, featuring a performance by another excellent young actress, Carey Mulligan, who has more than one critic calling her "the new Audrey Hepburn."

Also near the top of my list would be "Five Minutes of Heaven," starring Liam Neeson and James Nesbitt. It's a tense film set in Ireland, which focuses on the meeting of two men: one who had shot a man 33 years earlier, and the other, the younger brother of the man he had killed.

And also high on my list of English-language films would be "The Messenger," featuring first-rate performances by Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster and Samantha Morton, concerning two Army sergeants who are assigned to notify families of the deaths of their loved ones in the military.

The film I couldn't resist seeing twice was triple prize-winner "Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire," directed by Lee Daniels and centering on the character of "Precious," wonderfully played by Gabourey Sidibe. Certainly not a film for everyone, it is nonetheless a powerful film that, despite all its brutality and its barrage of bad language, is stunningly done. It not only became the winner of this year's jury prize AND the audience prize as well, but it also garnered the award for best actress (for actress Mo'nique who plays the mother of the main girl).

Of the dramatic films in a foreign language, there are three that stand out for me. All three, interestingly enough, are in Spanish and/or Portuguese: "Sin Nombre," from Mexico; "The Maid," from Chile; and "Carmo, Hit the Road" from Spain, though set in Paraguay, Bolivia, and Brazil. Also of special interest was the film "Zion and His Brother," set in Israel and in Hebrew.