Review: Gregg Araki's 'White Bird in a Blizzard' starring Shailene Woodley and Eva Green

NOTE: This is a reprint of my review from the Sundance Film Festival. White Bird in a Blizzard is available now On Demand.

It's easy to dismiss White Bird in a Blizzard as Shailene Woodley's Havoc, the Anne Hathaway yawner that showed her frisky, naked side in an attempt to break The Princess Diaries stigma she was trapped in. While it may have worked for her, obviously it did, Woodley has always been mature beyond her years, and so as she flashes her nude bod and embraces her character's raw sexuality, it doesn't seem like such a wild step for her; more like a natural progression. It helps that the film is directed by Gregg Araki, whose films usually have more going on beneath the surface than just stories of teen angst and sexual yearning.

White Bird in a Blizzard is based on the novel by Laura Kasischke, adapted by Araki and spruced up with his penchant for the surreal and slightly dysfunctional. Part mystery, part languid coming-of-age story, the film is set in the 1980s, a period that seems to be a particular favorite for Araki, although his hold over the time is purely surface in this case. Vivacious high school student Kat Connors (Woodley) comes home one day to find her totally unhinged mother Eve (Eva Green, at her insane best) fully dressed and sleeping in her room, appearing totally unaware of her surroundings. There's tension between them, but not the normal tension between a parent and child. There's sadness and a touch of hatred on both sides; nothing like the outright venom Eve holds for Kat's father, Brock (Christopher Meloni, tightly coiled), a sad-sack pushover who doesn't seem to know how to handle a house full of strong-willed women. Within a few days, Eve has up and disappeared without a trace or a good-bye note.

The mystery of Eve's disappearance is never far from Araki's attentions, but it lurks in the background of a story that's mainly about Kat's angry steps into womanhood. The chain-smoking, skimpy outfit-wearing Kat knows what she wants, and has no problem going after it. She's literally dating the boy next door, a shirtless dunce (Shiloh Fernandez) who suddenly seems disinterested in sex. So Kat gets what she needs elsewhere, banging the studly cop (Thomas Jane) investigating Eve's disappearance. Kat has no problem going into the gory details of their carnal encounters, describing them in earnest to her best friends (Gabourey Sidibe and Mark Indelicato), a pair of outsiders who happily eat up her stories with a spoon.

We come to learn that Kat used to be overweight, but has shed the pounds and is only now coming to realize her powers over men. But as we watch her develop into a sexual vixen, flashbacks walk us through Eve's deteriorating mental state. Eve wants to be youthful and adventurous again, and sees Kat as a vampire sucking the life right out of her just as much as her boring marriage. As she becomes more erratic, it only becomes more suspicious that nobody seems to be all that concerned about her disappearance. With a slightly out-of-phase tone that's less his "Teenage Apocalypse" trilogy and more Mysterious Skin meets Twin Peaks(Laura Palmer herself, Sheryl Lee, makes an appearance), Araki explores ideas of body image and female identity with an unusual spin, backed by all of the director's favorite '80s pop hits. But Araki has a difficult time mustering up a lot of energy for the story at times, punctuated by pointless therapy sessions between Kat and her shrink (Angela Bassett). It takes forever for things to get moving, and even when they do it often doesn't seem to be going anywhere until Kat's past and present converge in a twist that David Lynch would be proud of, even if it comes out of nowhere.

Eva Green doesn't get a ton of screen time but she's a dominating presence even though her performance is pure camp in the Mommie Dearest mold. She'd tower over everyone if it wasn't for Woodley, again showing remarkable range from insecure teen to confident woman. It's a role that may turn off some of her fans, especially those who know her from the ABC Family days, but at least Woodley has chosen worthy material to make such a bold step. White Bird in a Blizzard lacks momentum as a tawdry mystery, but it's worth seeing for Woodley, Green, and Araki's intoxicating sense of mood.

 Rating: 3 out of 5

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New Trailer for Gregg Araki's 'White Bird in a Blizzard' Starring Shailene Woodley

You wept for her in The Fault in Our Stars and cheered for her in Divergent, but in White Bird in a Blizzard you may be a little bit turned off (or turned on) by the character Shailene Woodley plays. Directed by Gregg Araki, the guy who gave us the "Teenage Wasteland" trilogy in the '90s and helped re-establish Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a serious actor with Mysterious Skin, the film gained a lot of attention at Sundance due to the hypersexual performance by Woodley and the Lynch-ian tone established by Araki.

Following on the recently released poster a new trailer for White Bird in a Blizzard has been released and if nothing else it shows a side of Woodley nobody has ever seen until now. Woodley plays teenaged Kat Connor, a girl just maturing into womanhood, who is coping with the sudden disappearance of her unstable mother, played by Eva Green in full psycho mode.  Christopher Meloni plays her hapless father, while Thomas Jane is a local cop and sexual conquest, while Shiloh Fernandez is her dim-witted boyfriend who simply isn't enough man for her. Angela Bassett co-stars as a therapist while Gabourey Sidibe is Woodley's best friend. Despite the clear Twin Peaks influence the film doesn't totally live up to what Woodley and Green deliver, saying in my review that it "lacks momentum as a tawdry mystery". How audiences react to Woodley here is going to be very interesting because it could have some blow back on her bigger studio projects.

White Bird in a Blizzard hits VOD on September 25th and theaters October 24th.

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New Posters for 'White Bird in a Blizzard', 'Kite', 'Camp X-Ray', and More

When audiences finally have a chance to check out Shailene Woodley in Gregg Araki's White Bird in a Blizzard, any notions of her as just another teen actress will go out the window. She tarts it up pretty good in the film about a girl dealing with the mysterious disappearance of her wacko mother, played by Eva Green, with whom she may have more in common than she cares to admit. Thomas Jane plays one of Woodley's sexual conquests (yeah, that's right), with Christopher Meloni as her father, and Shiloh Fernandez as her dopey boyfriend. This is very much a film about a young girl's loss of purity, contrasted in this snowy poster for the film. White Bird in a Blizzard hits VOD on September 25th and theaters October 24th. You can check out my early review of the film here.

Here's a new poster for Ralph Ziman's manga adaptation, Kite, starring Samuel L. Jackson, India Eisley, and Callan McAuliffe. Opening exclusively on DirecTV next week and theaters in October, here's the official synopsis: In a vast, multicultural and decimated urban landscape, post-financial collapse, Sawa, beautiful but emotionally detached, lives a secret life as a covert assassin. The daughter of a police detective involved in the investigation of human trafficking, she was orphaned at the tender age of 12 when an unknown assailant targeted both of her parents. Now 18, Sawa is a human time-bomb intent upon eliminating members of the flesh-cartels whom she presumes murdered her family—men who exploit the defenseless children of a collapsed society for the pleasure of high-paying, foreign clients.

Joke all you want but Kristen Stewart's performance in the military drama Camp X-Ray is mighty impressive, and the film is set to make a big splash on October 28th. The Guantanamo Bay film is directed by Peter Sattler, and the first poster captures the isolation of Stewart's character, a soldier who forges a relationship with a detainee. Here's the synopsis:  A young woman joins the military to be part of something bigger than herself and her small town roots. But she ends up as a new guard at Guantanamo Bay instead, where her mission is far from black and white. Surrounded by hostile jihadists and aggressive squadmates, she strikes up an unusual friendship with one of the detainees. A story of two people, on opposite sides of a war, struggling to find their way through the ethical quagmire of Guantanamo Bay. And in the process, they form an unlikely bond that changes them both.

Two new posters have been released for Horns, showing the light and dark side of David Aja's adaptation of the Joe Hill novel. Daniel Radcliffe stars as Ig Parrish, a small-town guy who is accused of raping and murdering his girlfriend (Juno Temple), and seeks out the truth with the help of two powerful demonic horns that sprout on his head. They give him the ability to force others to reveal their darkest sins and give in to baser instincts. Horns opens on Halloween, and if you want more check out my interview with Aja from Comic-Con. 

 

Kind of weird that Stephen Daldry (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) has yet to secure a release date for his adaptation of Trash, which stars Rooney Mara, Martin Sheen, and Wagner Moura. Every single film Daldry has directed has wound up nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, so one has to think Trash will eventually find its way into theaters. The film, penned by Richard Curtis (Love Actually), follows three homeless kids in a Third World country who are pursued by the local police after they find something valuable in a dump site. 

 

And finally, Dumb and Dumber To channels the Scarlett Johansson action flick Lucy in two new posters. Only these guys are using 1% of their brains rather than the customary 10%. Here's the synopsis for the long-awaited sequel starring Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey, opening on November 14th: Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels reprise their signature roles as Lloyd and Harry in the sequel to the smash hit that took the physical comedy and kicked it in the nuts: Dumb and Dumber To.  The original film’s directors, Peter and Bobby Farrelly, take Lloyd and Harry on a road trip to find a child Harry never knew he had and the responsibility neither should ever, ever be given.

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See a Different Side of Shailene Woodley in Clip from 'White Bird In A Blizzard'

It hasn't taken long for audiences to absolutely fall in love with Shailene Woodley, and for good reason. Not only has she starred in some great movies, but she has shown a maturity well beyond her age. She's finely tuned her ability to play both strong and fragile characters with equal vigor so that no matter what role she's in we always want to cheer her on. And with The Fault In Our Stars out right now and making people weep openly for her character, it's a wonder what those same audiences will think of  Woodley in White Bird In a Blizzard.

A new clip from Gregg Araki's film has been released and, as noted in my review from Sundance, Woodley is really putting herself out there and embracing her character's raw sexuality. Yep, Woodley plays something of a sexual vixen during parts of this story, as seen in this footage where she's frequently making out with Shiloh Fernandez. There's also a considerable amount of nudity and aggressive sex with Thomas Jane, so this is one movie parents will want to leave the Woodley-loving kids at home for.

So what's the movie about since this clip looks more like a Depeche Mode music video? Woodley plays high school student Kat Connors, a girl whose lunatic mother (played deliciously by Eva Green) suddenly disappears, throwing Kat's life and that of her sad-sack father (Christopher Meloni) into disarray. The story spans years with Araki combining mystery and coming-of-age elements with a vintage spin, but overall the film doesn't work as well as Woodley's shocking performance deserves.

White Bird In a Blizzard hits VOD September 25th and theaters October 24th.

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Sundance Review: Gregg Araki's 'White Bird in a Blizzard' Starring Shailene Woodley

It's easy to dismiss White Bird in a Blizzard as Shailene Woodley's Havoc, the Anne Hathaway yawner that showed her frisky, naked side in an attempt to break The Princess Diaries stigma she was trapped in. While it may have worked for her, obviously it did, Woodley has always been mature beyond her years, and so as she flashes her nude bod and embraces her character's raw sexuality, it doesn't seem like such a wild step for her; more like a natural progression. It helps that the film is directed by Gregg Araki, whose films usually have more going on beneath the surface than just stories of teen angst and sexual yearning.

White Bird in a Blizzard is based on the novel by Laura Kasischke, adapted by Araki and spruced up with his penchant for the surreal and slightly dysfunctional. Part mystery, part languid coming-of-age story, the film is set in the 1980s, a period that seems to be a particular favorite for Araki, although his hold over the time is purely surface in this case. Vivacious high school student Kat Connors (Woodley) comes home one day to find her totally unhinged mother Eve (Eva Green, at her insane best) fully dressed and sleeping in her room, appearing totally unaware of her surroundings. There's tension between them, but not the normal tension between a parent and child. There's sadness and a touch of hatred on both sides. Nothing like the outright venom Eve holds for Kat's father, Brock (Christopher Meloni, tightly coiled), a sad-sack pushover who doesn't seem to know how to handle a house full of strong-willed women. Within a few days, Eve has up and disappeared without a trace or a good-bye note.

The mystery of Eve's disappearance is never far from Araki's attentions, but it lurks in the background of a story that's mainly about Kat's angry steps into womanhood. The chain-smoking, skimpy outfit-wearing Kat knows what she wants, and has no problem going after it. She's literally dating the boy next door, a shirtless dunce (Shiloh Fernandez) who suddenly seems disinterested in sex. So Kat gets what she needs elsewhere, banging the studly cop (Thomas Jane) investigating Eve's disappearance. Kat has no problem going into the gory details of their carnal encounters, describing them in earnest to her best friends (Gabourey Sidibe and Mark Indelicato), a pair of outsiders who happily eat up her stories with a spoon.

We come to learn that Kat used to be overweight, but has shed the pounds and is only now coming to realize her powers over men. But as we watch her develop into a sexual vixen, flashbacks walk us through Eve's deteriorating mental state. Eve wants to be youthful and adventurous again, and sees Kat as a vampire sucking the life right out of her just as much as her boring marriage. As she becomes more erratic, it only becomes more suspicious that nobody seems to be all that concerned about her disappearance. With a slightly out-of-phase tone that's less his "Teenage Apocalypse" trilogy and more MysteriousSkin meets Twin Peaks (Laura Palmer herself, Sheryl Lee, makes an appearance), Araki explores ideas of body image and female identity with an unusual spin, backed by all of the director's favorite '80s pop hits. But Araki has a difficult time mustering up a lot of energy for the story at times, punctuated by pointless therapy sessions between Kat and her shrink (Angela Bassett). It takes forever for things to get moving, and even when they do it often doesn't seem to be going anywhere until Kat's past and present converge in a twist that David Lynch would be proud of, even if it comes out of nowhere.

Eva Green doesn't get a ton of screen time but she's a dominating presence even though her performance is pure camp in the Mommie Dearest mold. She'd tower over everyone if it wasn't for Woodley, again showing remarkable range from insecure teen to confident woman. It's a role that may turn off some of her fans, especially those who know her from the ABC Family days, but at least Woodley has chosen worthy material to make such a bold step. White Bird in a Blizzard lacks momentum as a tawdry mystery, but it's worth seeing for Woodley, Green, and Araki's intoxicating sense of mood.

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First Trailer for 'White Bird in a Blizzard' with Shailene Woodley and Eva Green

Now that Sundance has revealed its full festival slate of movies, there are a few that arrive with considerably more buzz than others. One that will surely open to jam-packed screenings is Gregg Araki's White Bird in a Blizzard, which has Shailene Woodley, Eva Green, Gabourey Sidibe, Thomas Jane, Christopher Meloni, and Shiloh Fernandez starring in the adaptation of Laura Kasischke's novel.

With its debut now only a couple of weeks ago, the first trailer has been released, suggesting this is Araki more in Mysterious Skin territory than Kaboom. Woodley plays Kat Connors, a young woman whose life is upended when her troubled mother (Green) sudden disappears. It's a little odd seeing the 33-year-old Green playing mom to the 22-year-old Woodley, but otherwise this looks extremely promising.

Araki will be shopping for distributors when White Bird in a Blizzard plays at Park City next month.


White Bird In a Blizzard Trailer VO by Sébastien Boulogne

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'The Raid 2', 'A Most Wanted Man', 'Laggies' and More Added to Sundance Line-Up

After an interesting but unspectacular first crop of announcements, the Sundance Film Festival has come out swinging with the rest of the line-up from the Premieres and Documentaries categories. The one that has me all riled up is The Raid 2, the bone-breaking sequel to The Raid: Redemption. Also worth getting excited for are Anton Corbijn's John Le Carre adaptation A Most Wanted Man starring Rachel McAdams and Philip Seymour Hoffman; Lynn Shelton's Laggies with Keira Knightley and Chloe Moretz; offbeat biopic Frank with Michael Fassbender; Brit Marling and Mike Cahill's I Origins; Marjane Satrapi's The Voices starring Ryan Reynolds; anti-romantic comedy They Came Together with Paul Rudd and Amy Pohler; and White Bird in a Blizzard starring Shailene Woodley.

Check out the latest additions below. Sundance runs from January 16th-26th.

Premieres

Calvary / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: John Michael McDonagh) —Calvary is a blackly comedic drama about a priest tormented by his community. Father James is a good man intent on making the world a better place. When his life is threatened one day during confession, he finds he has to battle the dark forces closing in around him. Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Chris O'Dowd, Kelly Reilly, Aidan Gillen, Dylan Moran, Marie-Josée Croz.

Frank / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Lenny Abrahamson, Screenwriters: Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan) —
Frank is an offbeat comedy about a wannabe musician who finds himself out of his depth when he joins an avant garde rock band led by the enigmatic Frank—a musical genius who hides himself inside a large fake head.
Cast: Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Scoot McNairy.

Hits / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Cross) — A small town in upstate New York is populated by people who wallow in unrealistic expectations. There, fame, delusion, earnestness, and recklessness meet, shake hands, and disrupt the lives around them. Cast: Meredith Hagner, Matt Walsh, James Adomian, Jake Cherry Derek Waters, Wyatt Cenac.

 I Origins / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Mike Cahill) — A molecular biologist and his lab partner uncover startling evidence that could fundamentally change society as we know it and cause them to question their once-certain beliefs in science and spirituality. Cast: Michael Pitt, Brit Marling, Astrid Bergès-Frisbey, Steven Yeun, Archie Panjabi.

Laggies/ U.S.A. (Director: Lynn Shelton, Screenwriter: Andrea Seigel) — Laggies is a coming of age story about a 28-year-old woman stuck in permanent adolescence. Unable to find her career calling, still hanging out with the same friends, and living with her high school boyfriend, Megan must finally navigate her own future when an unexpected marriage proposal sends her into a panic. Cast: Keira Knightley, Sam Rockwell, Chloë Grace Moretz, Ellie Kemper, Jeff Garlin, Mark Webber.

Little Accidents / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Sara Colangelo) — In a small American coal town living in the shadow of a recent mining accident, the disappearance of a teenage boy draws three people together—a surviving miner, the lonely wife of a mine executive, and a local boy—in a web of secrets. Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Boyd Holbrook, Chloë Sevigny, Jacob Lofland, Josh Lucas.

Love is Strange / U.S.A. (Director: Ira Sachs, Screenwriters: Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias) — After 39 years together, Ben and George finally tie the knot, but George loses his job as a result, and the newlyweds must sell their New York apartment and live apart, relying on friends and family to make ends meet. Cast: John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Marisa Tomei, Darren Burrows, Charlie Tahan, Cheyenne Jackson.

A Most Wanted Man / Germany, U.S.A. (Director: Anton Corbijn, Screenwriter: Andrew Bovell) — Based on John le Carré’s bestselling book, Anton Corbijn directs this modern-day thriller with Academy Award–winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright, and two-time Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe headlining an ensemble cast. Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe, Robin Wright.

Nick Offerman: American Ham / U.S.A. (Director: Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Screenwriter: Nick Offerman) — WARNING: MINOR NUDITY AND NOT SUITABLE FOR VEGETARIANS. This live taping of Nick Offerman's hilarious one-man show at New York's historic Town Hall theater features a collection of anecdotes, songs, and woodworking/oral sex techniques. The routine includes Offerman's 10 tips for living a more prosperous life, so hearken well. Cast: Nick Offerman.

The One I Love / U.S.A. (Director: Charlie McDowell, Screenwriter: Justin Lader) — Struggling with a marriage on the brink of falling apart, a couple escapes for the weekend in pursuit of their better selves, only to discover an unusual dilemma waiting for them. Cast: Mark Duplass, Elisabeth Moss, Ted Danson.

The Raid 2 / Indonesia (Director and screenwriter: Gareth Evans) — Picking up where the first film left off, The Raid 2 follows Rama as he goes undercover and infiltrates the ranks of a ruthless Jakarta crime syndicate in order to protect his family and expose the corruption in his own police force. Cast: Iko Uwais, Yayan Ruhian, Arifin Putra, Oka Antara, Tio Pakusadewo, Alex Abbad.

 Rudderless / U.S.A. (Director: William H. Macy, Screenwriters: Casey Twenter, Jeff Robison, William H. Macy) — When a grieving father in a downward spiral stumbles upon a box of his deceased son's original music, he forms a rock 'n' roll band, which changes his life. Cast: Billy Crudup, Anton Yelchin, Felicity Huffman, Selena Gomez, Laurence Fishburne, William H. Macy.CLOSING NIGHT FILM

They Came Together / U.S.A. (Director: David Wain, Screenwriters: Michael Showalter, David Wain) — This subversion/spoof/deconstruction of the romantic comedy genre has a vaguely, but not overtly, Jewish leading man, a klutzy, but adorable, leading lady, and New York City itself as another character in the story. Cast: Amy Poehler, Paul Rudd, Ed Helms, Cobie Smulders, Max Greenfield, Christopher Meloni.

 The Trip to Italy / United Kingdom (Director: Michael Winterbottom, Screenwriters: Rob Brydon, Steve Coogan, Michael Winterbottom) — Michael Winterbottom reunites Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon for more delectable food, some sharp-elbowed rivalry, and plenty of laughs. Cast: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon.

The Voices / U.S.A., Germany (Director: Marjane Satrapi, Screenwriter: Michael Perry) — This genre-bending tale centers around Jerry Hickfang, a lovable but disturbed factory worker who yearns for attention from a woman in accounting. When their relationship takes a sudden, murderous turn, Jerry's evil talking cat and benevolent talking dog lead him down a fantastical path where he ultimately finds salvation. Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, Jacki Weaver.

White Bird in a Blizzard / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Gregg Araki) — Based on the acclaimed novel by Laura Kasischke, White Bird in a Blizzard tells the story of Kat Connors, a young woman whose life is turned upside down by the sudden disappearance of her beautiful, enigmatic mother. Cast: Shailene Woodley, Eva Green, Christopher Meloni, Shiloh Fernandez, Gabourey Sidibe, Thomas Jane.

Young Ones / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jake Paltrow) — When a series of events is set into motion, altering his young life forever, Jerome is forced to make choices that no child should ever have to make. Cast: Michael Shannon, Nicholas Hoult, Elle Fanning, Kodi Smit-McPhee.

Documentary Premieres

The Battered Bastards of Baseball / U.S.A. (Directors: Chapman Way, Maclain Way) — Hollywood veteran Bing Russell creates the only independent baseball team in the country—alarming the baseball establishment and sparking the meteoric rise of the 1970s Portland Mavericks.

Finding Fela / U.S.A. (Director: Alex Gibney) — Fela Anikulapo Kuti created the musical movement Afrobeat and used it as a political forum to oppose the Nigerian dictatorship and advocate for the rights of oppressed people. This is the story of his life, music, and political importance.

Freedom Summer / U.S.A. (Director: Stanley Nelson) — In the summer of 1964, more than 700 students descended on violent, segregated Mississippi. Defying authorities, they registered voters, created freedom schools, and established the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. Fifty years later, eyewitness accounts and never-before-seen archival material tell their story. Not all of them would make it through.

Happy Valley / U.S.A. (Director: Amir Bar-Lev) — The children of "Happy Valley" were victimized for years, by a key member of the legendary Penn State college football program. But were Jerry Sandusky’s crimes an open secret?  With rare access, director Amir Bar-Lev delves beneath the headlines to tell a modern American parable of guilt, redemption, and identity.

Last Days in Vietnam / U.S.A. (Director: Rory Kennedy) — During the chaotic final weeks of the Vietnam War, the North Vietnamese Army closes in on Saigon as the panicked South Vietnamese people desperately attempt to escape. On the ground, American soldiers and diplomats confront a moral quandary: whether to obey White House orders to evacuate only U.S. citizens.

Life Itself / U.S.A. (Director: Steve James) — Life Itself recounts the surprising and entertaining life of renowned film critic and social commentator Roger Ebert. The film details his early days as a freewheeling bachelor and Pulitzer Prize winner, his famously contentious partnership with Gene Siskel, his life-altering marriage, and his brave and transcendent battle with cancer.

Mitt / U.S.A. (Director: Greg Whiteley) — A filmmaker is granted unprecedented access to a political candidate and his family as he runs for President.

This May Be the Last Time / U.S.A. (Director: Sterlin Harjo) — Filmmaker Sterlin Harjo's Grandfather disappeared mysteriously in 1962. The community searching for him sang songs of encouragement that were passed down for generations. Harjo explores the origins of these songs as well as the violent history of his people.

To Be Takei / U.S.A. (Director: Jennifer Kroot) — Over seven decades, actor and activist George Takei journeyed from a World War II internment camp to the helm of the Starship Enterprise, and then to the daily news feeds of five million Facebook fans. Join George and his husband, Brad, on a wacky and profound trek for life, liberty, and love.

We Are The Giant / U.S.A., United Kingdom (Director: Greg Barker) — We Are The Giant tells the stories of ordinary individuals who are transformed by the moral and personal challenges they encounter when standing up for what they believe is right. Powerful and tragic, yet inspirational, their struggles for freedom echo across history and offer hope against seemingly impossible odds.

WHITEY: United States of America v. James J. Bulger / U.S.A. (Director: Joe Berlinger) — Infamous gangster James "Whitey" Bulger’s relationship with the FBI and Department of Justice allowed him to reign over a criminal empire in Boston for decades. Joe Berlinger’s documentary chronicles Bulger’s recent sensational trial, using it as a springboard to explore allegations of corruption within the highest levels of law enforcement.

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First Look at Shailene Woodley and Eva Green in Gregg Araki's 'White Bird in a Blizzard'

She may have already earned a Golden Globe nomination and won an Indie Spirit Award, but things are only just now starting to really blow up for Shailene Woodley. Now that the whole Spider-Man thing seems to be behind her (she's clearly not ever coming back), she has a potential Hunger Games-sized blockbuster in Divergent on the way. But at the same time she's also sticking to smaller indie projects that have helped cultivate a devoted audience, such as this year's The Spectacular Now and the upcoming adaptation of The Fault In Our Stars. One film that many seem to be overlooking is Gregg Araki's White Bird in a Blizzard, and we're getting our very first images from it.

Based on Laura Kasischke's novel, the film boasts a solid cast of Woodley, Eva Green, Chris Meloni, Gabourey Sidibe, Angela Bassett, and Shiloh Fernandez in the coming-of-age story of Kat Connors, who learns to deal with life after her mother suddenly disappears. As the images suggest, there's more going on here than just a simple "missing persons" case as Kat is haunted by vivid dreams of something terrible.  Not that we should ever expect Araki to make a "simple" movie about anything.

It's still a little early for a release date on this one, but if it premieres at Sundance like Araki's films usually do, expect a distributor to pick it up.

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