Happy when it rains

'Forty Shades of Blue' won the grand jury prize at Sundance. The film is sad andbeautiful but sacrifices plot for pace. And by pace, I mean s-l-o-w.

The director, Ira Sachs, wrote the semi-autobiographical screenplay through the Sundance Screenwriter's Project. How could he not win? It's about a pretty and lonely Russian woman living with an older man (a famous and infamous record producer), and the older man's handsome son. Mmmm...what do you think happens?

The director's father, Ira Sachs Sr., has lived in Park City for thirty-something years and is a notorious fixture around town. He has an annual winter party that always includes an ice sculpture Champagne fountain--a four foot penis spurting sparkling wine surrounded by little penises offering up their own dribbles. Really. I've sampled it.