Can one call a 95-minute, low-budget, animated film an epic? I think this one qualifies. It may also qualify as a masterpiece. It’s certainly an excellent and an important movie. Iranian/French cartoonist Marjane Satrapi based Persepolis on her own autobiographical graphic novels (Vincent Paronnaud shares screenwriting and directing credits). Through the eyes of young Marjane [...]
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Political drama Written and directed by Francisco Vargas The Violin opens with a brutal scene of torture and rape conducted by soldiers against their helpless, bound victims. Don’t let the title deceive you; this is not a musical. Although Francisco Vargas’ film of repression and rebellion feels immediate and contemporary, I can’t say exactly when [...]
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I’ve previewed three films scheduled for the Berlin & Beyond festival opening Thursday at the Castro. Here’s how they stand: Fashion Victims, Friday, 8:00. Financial, professional, and personal pressures push fashion salesman Wolfgang Zenker to the edge in Ingo Rasper’s vaguely serious comedy. We can laugh at this man’s self-destruction because he’s such a self-centered [...]
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I’ve already told you my Top Ten criteria and shared my thoughts as I worked through the selection process. I’ve even let you know that I look for variety in quality work when selecting my Top Ten, rather than say that this drama is better than that comedy. (If you don’t know what I’m talking [...]
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