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A slow week for DVDs but one with a few notable selections. Perhaps one the most notable is the release (finally) of Nicolas Winding Refn’s Bronson (review, amazon), a look at Britain’s most famous (or infamous) inmate.

One of quietearth’s favourites of the year (number 2 on his list to be exact) is Erik Poppe’s Troubled Water (review, amazon) is also hitting the ground running this week.

On the relationship side of things, and with lots of time before Valentine’s Day, we’ve got Jay Dipietro’s Peter and Vandy (clips, amazon), a love story told out of order and starring Jason Ritter while those looking for something a little heftier, there’s Travis Betz’s Lo (review, amazon), a story of love, mystery and demons.

Killer parental units are also making a splash this week with the release of Nelson McCormick’s The Stepfather (amazon...

Peter and Vandy, a virtual two-hander starring Jason Ritter and Jess Weixler as the titular couple, is the story of a long-term relationship, and all that entails: its ups and downs, from sweet romance to blowout flights over making a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich. Adapted from a 2002 play from writer/director Jay Dipietro, the film also shares a certain trick with another Sundance 2009 alum, 500 Days of Summer, as the story is told out of order. But the two films differ in their approach; 500 Days of Summer shows Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) growing up and figuring out the mysteries of love, whereas the New York-set Peter and Vandy is very much about both characters, the push-and-pull of their relationship, and how goofy architect Peter is changed by spiky art gallerista Vandy and vice versa. If you've been with 'the one,' you may recognize yourself in these characters. Tribeca talked to the adorable Ritter...

When I first heard about this film, I was only presented with the idea that it is a “love story told out of order” or “it’s not a love story, it’s a story about love.” Calm down everyone, I know what you’re thinking. Let me get this out of the way immediately and say that (500) Days of Summer is a much better film than Peter and Vandy. With that said, Peter and Vandy is very good little movie within itself and, at the recommendation of this reviewer, it should be seen if you get the chance to.

Based on the 2002 play of the same name, Peter and Vandy is the brainchild of first time screenwriter/director Jay Dipietro. The film is exactly that; a love story told out of order, in beautiful New York City. It kicks off with Peter (Jason Ritter, W.) and Vandy (Jess Weixler,...

Rating: 7.5/10 Writer: Jay Dipietro Director: Jay Dipietro Cast: Jason Ritter, Jess Weixler, Jesse L. Martin Studio: Strand Releasing Much of Peter And Vandy’s shtick is that it’s a love story “in disorder.” Peter (Jason Ritter) and Vandy (Jess Weixler) go through all the situations of meeting and falling in love and maybe falling out of love, but in a [...]...

Given that they premiered alongside each other at Sundance, Jay Dipietro’s temporally scrambled romance Peter and Vandy is doomed to languish in the shadow of (500) Days of Summer, like a younger sibling whose teachers constantly remind him what a good student his brother was. But Dipietro’s variation on a similar theme doesn’t entirely suffer in comparison. Like (500 Days), Dipietro’s film, which he adapted from his 2002 play, rearranges the chronology of the titular relationship so that the breakup and meet-cute bump up against each other. The sweetness of Weixler’s pillow-talk profession of love ...

There's a reason most film romances cut off after the guy finally gets the girl, and it's because after that comes all the tough stuff. Jay Dipietro's Peter and Vandy is principally concerned with studying those fraught parts of a relationship, and his time-shifting study of long-term lovers has two independent film darlings that are up to his challenge: Jason Ritter and Jess Weixler.

Ritter's finally overcome his status as "the son of John Ritter" to bloom into an indie leading man in his own right, while Weixler recently burst onto the scene with attention-getting performances in Teeth and Alexander the Last. Both actors have retained their easy chemistry long after shooting Peter and Vandy, which means their joint interview with Movieline was kind of a gigglefest.

Peter and Vandy is touching and insightful, a film that understands what that first whoosh of emotion in a relationship feels like -- and how quickly love can change and vanish. Told out of order, the film -- written and directed by Jay Dipietro, based on his play -- balances funny and sad moments and provides a springboard for strong, multifaceted performances by its two leads, Jess Weixler and Jason Ritter. Like this year's (500) Days of Summer, to which it bears a superficial resemblance, Peter and Vandy, which opens in limited released Friday (10.9.09), shows the beginning and end of a relationship before it gets to the middle section, while telling its story in nonlinear style. That juxtaposition -- which gives the film no true present tense -- takes a few minutes to get used to. But Dipietro makes it...

Those who stuck with me during the monsterous 13-day coverage blitz that was this year's Sundance Film Festival might remember this little love story. Peter and Vandy, from director Jay Dipietro, is a traditional love story told in a very non-traditional way. Like the Sundance darling 500 Days of Summer, it is told in a completely non-linear way. But unlike 500 Days, Peter and Vandy isn't a hipster fantasy -- it's a real love story set in New York City, with two great central performances from Jason Ritter (W.) and Jess Weixler (Teeth). Today I'm happy to present you with an exclusive clip from the film, in which Peter (Ritter) and Vandy (Weixler) have their first date over dinner. For some context, consider this: they've just met and even though she was dating a guy, he asked her out. And as he soon finds out, she wasn't very attached to that guy to begin with. It's...

Srand Releasing has provided Film School Rejects with a few exclusive stills from their upcoming release Peter and Vandy, a romantic drama starring Jess Weixler (Teeth) and Jason Ritter (Swimfan). While at Sundance earlier this year, I had a chance to enjoy and review this film, in which I praised it for its sweet and unique flavor -- and for the solid performances from its two young leads. You can read more in my review here. But if you're not into reading, there are photos below. The Jay Dipietro directed Peter and Vandy begins its limited release in New York and Los Angeles on October 9. Peter and Vandy is a love story told out of order. Set in Manhattan, Peter and Vandy go from strangers, to pie-eyed lovers, to a twisted and manipulative couple... just not in that order. They leave us asking what most couples ask themselves, "How the hell did we get this way?" We...

Check out the poster for Strand Releasing’s “Peter and Vandy” by director Jay Dipietro and starring Jason Ritter (W.) and Jess Weixler (Teeth). Synopsis: Peter and Vandy is a love story told out of order. Set in Manhattan, Peter and Vandy go from strangers, to pie-eyed lovers, to a twisted and manipulative couple… just not in that order. They leave us asking what most couples ask themselves, “How the hell did we get this way?” We see Peter and Vandy through everyday scenes in their life together. Trying to have sex… Meeting for the first time… Having dinner… Small, seemingly disconnected moments, but moments we all recognize. [...]...

The Provincetown International Film Festival, which takes place in Provincetown, Mass., June 17-21, will open with Woody Allen's "Whatever Works" and close with Jay Dipietro's "Peter and Vandy."

The fest will present its 2009 Filmmaker on the Edge Award to writer/director Guy Maddin; actor Alessandro Nivola will receive the Excellence in Acting award; and Strand Releasing will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

The fourth day of the Cannes Film Festival rolled onward without apparent major incident. The gorgeous Sophie Marceau and Tilda Swinton got all dressed up; also making appearances were Emile Hirsch and Monica Belluci.

Key Screenings. Competition: Ang Lee's nostalgic comedy Taking Woodstock (due for Us release on August 14), Jacques Audiard's prison drama A Prophet. Un Certain Regard: Bong Joon-ho's legal / family drama Mother, Corneliu's Porumboiu's drama Police, Adjective. Directors' Fortnight: Hong Sang-see's "film director forgets what he did the night before" Like You Know It All, Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie's "single father with kids for two weeks" flick Go Get Some Rosemary.

Films Sold. MTV picked up Adria Petty's Paris, Not France and plans to broadcast it this summer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The long featurette screened once at the Toronto fest last fall amidst concerns that Paris Hilton and her camp might object to its content.

In his directorial debut, Peter and Vandy, Jay Dipietro offers an intimate look at the deterioration of a young couple's relationship. AMCtv.com caught him on the festival circuit to discuss how peanut butter and jelly can be hazardous to your love life and why the term "dramedy" is such a downer. Q: Peter and Vandy was originally a play that you wrote and starred in. How did it go from...

Derick Martini's "Lymelife," co-written with brother Steven Martini, will open the 14th annual Gen Art Film Festival, which runs April 1-7 in New York.

The fest, which for seven consecutive evenings showcases one feature and one short from an emerging filmmaker, followed by an afterparty, will take place at the redesigned Visual Arts Theater on West 23rd Street between 8th and 9th avenues.

Executive produced by Martin Scorsese and Leonard Loventhal, "Lymelife" stars Alec Baldwin, Cynthia Nixon, Jill Hennessy, Emma Roberts, Kieran Culkin, Rory Culkin and Timothy Hutton. It made its world premiere at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received the International Critics Award.

The fest's closing-night feature will be Julie Davis' "Finding Bliss," starring Leelee Sobieski, Denise Richards, Jamie Kennedy, Matthew Davis and Kristen Johnston.

The lineup also includes the theatrical premiere of Matt Aselton's "Gigantic," starring Zooey Deschanel and Paul Dano; Jay Dipietro's "Peter and Vandy,...

What is up with Collider? They keep getting all these exclusive clips for Sundance premierers. Are they pulling in favors or do they got dirt on someone? I don't know, but luckily, we get to enjoy a look at some of the more low-key material (which we love) out of Sundance even if it isn't a trailer.

Peter and Vandy stars Jason Ritter who was in the fantastic Good Dick which premierd at last years Sundance, along with Jess Wexler and is directed by first timer Jay Dipietro. Peter and Vandy is a love story told out of order. Set in Manhattan, the story shifts back and forth in time, juxtaposing Peter and Vandy's romantic beginnings with the twisted, manipulative, regular couple they become. The film explores the question most couples ask themselves... 'How the hell did we get this way?'

Watch Peter and Vandy clips here

The Vicious Kind...

Things really slowed down on Saturday. That may have allowed some people to catch up on films they'd missed earlier in the week, but left very little to report on, not even -- sorry to say -- in the blogs. Call this "Sundance in 30 Seconds." The festival concludes tomorrow.

Deals. Nothing reported. Zero. Nada. But that doesn't mean negotiations aren't continuing on various films. Here's hoping that a few more interesting titles in the coming weeks will get picked up for distribution of some kind (whether theatrical, online, download, VOD or DVD), and not just disappear.

News. Sundance handed out a slew of awards tonight, and Elisabeth Rappe posted the list of winners as they happened. As indieWIRE pointed out, the big winner was Push: Based on a Novel by Sapphire, which snagged "the Dramatic Jury Prize, the Audience Award, and special acting prize for Mo'Nique. Lee Daniels' drama is still seeking U.

Relationships are tough, and filming relationships for the big screen is even tougher. How many times have you watched (insert romantic comedy here) and thought, "Real people in real relationships don't do that or talk that way or race through the streets on foot in an attempt to stop the person they love from boarding that airplane to Fiji." But then again, if we really filmed the mundane goings-on of your average relationship, is there really anything cinematic about that? Newbie writer-director Jay Dipietro totally thinks the "realness" of the relationship is what's most fascinating, and with Peter and Vandy, his first film, Dipietro teases us with several glimpses -- moments, really -- of a relationship between two young New York City lovers.

Like several other films here at Sundance this year, the story of Peter (Jason Ritter) and Vandy (Jess Weixler) is told out of order, with bits and pieces from the beginning,...

Park City -- Celebrating its somewhat artificially created 25th anniversary, the Sundance Film Festival began each screening this year with a series of interviews with Robert Redford, Sundance organizers and famous alums that have been fun to watch.

One thing you notice is that many interviewees tend to remember a particular year in terms of its breakout film. So 1989 was the year of "sex, lies, and videotape," 1995 was "The Brothers McMullen" and, while no one said it, I remember 2003 for "American Splendor."

Unless something extraordinary happens in the final two days, no one is going to associate a single title with 2009.

What festgoers encountered this year along with unusually mild weather were, in my opinion, an encouragingly large number of films that were solid entertainments and introduced talented filmmakers whose works -- like those of Steven Soderbergh -- should continue to delight and provoke for years to come.

Editors Note: This is part of a series of interviews, conducted via email, profiling dramatic and documentary competition and American Spectrum directors who have films screening at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. From the Sundance catalog: “Set in Manhattan, the story shifts back and forth in time, juxtaposing Peter and Vandy’s romantic beginnings with the slow deterioration that follows. The way they bicker while trying to order takeout, or laugh too …...

Peter and Vandy, starring Jess Weixler (Teeth) and Jason Ritter and adapted by director Jay Dipietro from his own play, hops around in time to show a romance's beginning and end simultaneously. Answering our 4 Questions We Ask Everyone, Dipietro talks about gift bags, threats from Mike Ditka, and why Scenes From a Marriage could make facing instant death seem bearable. Tell us about your movie: who did you work with, what did you shoot on, why did you make it? Give us the reductive, 25-word or less, "It's like [pop culture reference a] meets [pop culture reference b]!" pitch, then explain what the quick and dirty sell leaves out. Peter and Vandy is a love story told out of order. The title characters are Jason Ritter and Jess Weixler. Love them. We shot it on super 16 with my Dp’s camera (Frank Demarco who used the same camera for Hedwig, Shortbus, and some other cool stuff). My edito...

Peter and Vandy, starring Jess Weixler (Teeth) and Jason Ritter and adapted by director Jay Dipietro from his own play, hops around in time to show a romance's beginning and end simultaneously. Answering our 4 Questions We Ask Everyone, Dipietro talks about gift bags, threats from Mike Ditka, and why Scenes From a Marriage could make facing instant death seem bearable. Tell us about your movie: who did you work with, what did you shoot on, why did you make it? Give us the reductive, 25-word or less, "It's like [pop culture reference a] meets [pop culture reference b]!" pitch, then explain what the quick and dirty sell leaves out. Peter and Vandy is a love story told out of order. The title characters are Jason Ritter and Jess Weixler. Love them. We shot it on super 16 with my Dp’s camera (Frank Demarco who used the same camera for Hedwig, Shortbus, and some other cool stuff). My edito...

The Sundance Film Festival officially announced the lineup for the films playing in competition next month. The 16 movies will compete for the Grand Jury Prize in Park City, Utah at the 25th anniversary of the largest independent film festival in the U.S. from January 15-25.

The list was announced by festival director Geoff Gilmore, who recently received the first annual Sydney Pollack Award.

At the bottom of the page is a full list with synopsis and partial cast lists, but I wanted to focus on a few of the titles that stand out. Alphabetical order with omissions of films I don’t care about yet:

Arlen Faber - A single mother and a man out of rehab intrude into the life of a reclusive author, played by Jeff Daniels. He’s my other favorite Jeff, but I also like young actresses Kat Dennings and Olivia Thirlby.

Big Fan -...

I am heading out the door and have no time to really dig into this, but here is the line-up for next year's 2009 Sundance Film Festival as reported by Variety. Dramatic Competition Adam, directed and written by Max Mayer ("Better Living"), about a slightly dysfunctional man's attempt at a relationship with an alluring new neighbor. Stars Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, Frankie Faison. Amreeka, directed and written by Cherien Dabis, a drama examining the challenges faced by a divorced Palestinian woman and her teenage son upon moving to rural Illinois. With Nisreen Faour, Melkar Muallem. Arlen Faber, directed and written by John Hindman, about the intrusion of two strangers into the life of a famous reclusive author. With Jeff Daniels, Lauren Graham, Lou Pucci, Olivia Thirlby, Kat Dennings. Big Fan, directed and written by Robert Siegel (writer of "The Wrestler"), which hinges on the reaction of a...

Oh I'm so excited! One of the best fests of the year! The 2009 Sundance Film Festival has unveiled the lineup for its U.S. and World competitions for dramatic and documentary features. The non-competitive sections including Premieres, Spectrum, Midnight, and New Frontiers will be announced December 4. Sundance unspools January 15-25, 2009 in Park City, Utah.

Check out the film list after the break. via Variety.

Dramatic Competition

* Adam (Max Mayer)

* Amreeka (Cherien Dabis)

* Big Fan (Robert Siegel)

* Brief Interviews With Hideous Men (John Krasinski)

* Cold Souls (Sophie Barthes)

* Dare (Adam Salky)

* Don’t Let Me Drown (Cruz Angeles)

* The Dream of the Romans (John Hindman)

* The Greatest (Shana Feste)

* Humpday (Lynn Shelton)

* Paper Heart (Nicolas Jasenovec)

* Peter and Vandy (Jay Dipietro)

* Push (Lee Daniels)

* Sin nombre (Cary Fukunaga)

* Taking Chance (Ross Katz)

* Toe to Toe (Emily Abt)

Documentary Competition

* Art and Copy (Doug Pray)

* Boy Interrupted (Dana Perry)

* Sergio (Greg Barker...

It looks like the 25th annual Sundance Film Festival is borrowing the late Harvey Milk's famous line: You gotta give 'em hope.

Despite the war-weary, economically ravaged state of the nation and the industry, the Sundance Institute eagerly announced the 2009 competition lineup Wednesday. And while it certainly maintains a somber quotient, the festival roster includes enough fresh takes on old genres (think romance, sci-fi and politics) to satisfy moviegoers and industry players looking for some warmth during the snowy 11-day event.

At least that's how fest organizers Geoffrey Gilmore, Sundance's longtime director, and John Cooper, its programming director, choose to see it.

"What you might have expected is that the festival would be really reflective right now of a very dark time, and it's not really true," said Gilmore, in his 19th year overseeing the fest. "We haven't seen the numbers drop, we haven't seen productions severely impacted yet by these factors,...

Jason Ritter, Jess Weixler, Jesse L. Martin and Tracie Thoms are starring in Jay DiPietro's romantic drama Peter and Vandy.

Ritter and Weixler will play the title roles in a love story about the ups and downs of a young Manhattan couple. The film shifts back and forth in time from their romantic beginnings and increasingly manipulative behavior to their ultimate reconciliation.

Martin plays Peter's best friend, Paul, and Thoms plays his wife, Marissa.

DiPietro adapted his 2002 Drama Desk Award-nominated play, which he also starred in and directed, for his feature helming debut. Peter Sterling and Austin Stark are producing the project for Cook Street Prods. Matt Parker and Carly Hugo are co-producers. The film is shooting in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Weixler won a special dramatic acting jury prize for Roadside Attractions' Teeth at January's Sundance Film Festival. She is repped by Gersh.

Ritter appears in The Education of Charlie Banks and two upcoming Sundance selections, The Deal and Good Dick. He is repped by Endeavor and manager Joannie Burstein.