Waitress
This year's closing night film tells the story of a lonely (but married) baker and waitress in a pie shop in the deep south. As she daydreams about recipes for new pies (like the "Pregnant Miserable Self-Pitying Loser Pie"), she stumbles across a new love: her OB/GYN. The story, like the title, is simple, and that's what's so refreshing. Nothing is sacrificed for the sake of a joke here or there, so while chuckles are more likely than guffaws, the final concoction is very satisfying. The film features incredible performances from its star Keri Russell, and from its writer and director, Adrienne Shelly. Though the other supporting characters could be more accurately described as caricatures, Cheryl Hines and Jeremy Sisto bring a comforting and amusing Southern charm to the roles.
-Rob Cohen
The Ghosts of Cit‚ Soleil
A truly gripping documentary about two brothers in Cit‚ Soleil, the "most dangerous city in the world" and the most notorious slum of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The footage of the two brothers, who are also leaders of the ChimŠres - the vicious gang hired by President Aristide to control opposition uprisings - is amazing, giving a sometimes graphic look at the lives the slum dwellers and gang members lead.
-Erin Shipley
A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash
This doc's purpose is to highlight the need to begin using methods of alternative energy because oil supplies are running low. The result, however, is disappointing. The movie focuses too much on talking heads; the people interviewed may be interesting, but it appears that many of them are biased. Not only that, but Crude largely consists of archival footage. From 1950s Esso commercials to shots of Palestinians throwing rocks at Israeli tanks (there is no oil in Palestine, nor Israel), the archival footage is at many times irrelevant to the narration, and to the overall point of the film.
-Stephen Morse
