A man and woman wake up together, hung over and embarrassed (they don't even know each others' names). In the course of 24 hours, they flirt and fight, run errants together, and visit some of the sites of San Francisco. But will they become a couple? One could describe Medicine for Melancholy as the African-American … Continue reading SFIFF: Medicine for Melancholy
Month: April 2008
SFIFF: Errol Morris
Last night, documentary Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line, Fog of War) stepped onstage and received this year’s Persistence of Vision Award. He accepted the award, he talked onstage with Professor B. Ruby Rich , he braved two separate Q&A sessions with the audience, and he screened his new film, Standard Operating Procedure. And he … Continue reading SFIFF: Errol Morris
SFIFF: Ice People
I missed Ice People at the Kabuki Saturday, but I borrowed a DVD from the press library and just watched it. I'm glad I did. Anne Aghion's narration-free documentary observes the people living in the most remote place on Earth (at least on dry land), Antarctica. To be precise, the scientists, undergrads, and support staff … Continue reading SFIFF: Ice People
SFIFF: Sunday at the PFA
I spent Sunday at the Pacific Film Archive, watching the East Bay edition of the San Francisco International Film Festival. I caught three films, two great, one lousy. Oddly, the two great ones both centered around women who could reasonably be described as sociopaths. One problem with the PFA: Since food and drink are banned … Continue reading SFIFF: Sunday at the PFA
SFIFF: The Warlords
After spending most of yesterday at the Kabuki, I headed to the Castro to see The Warlords. A big, historical epic staring Jet Li seemed worth crossing town. It wasn't. Huge, cumbersome, and melodramatic, The Warlords succeeded primarily in being loud. Set during the Taiping Rebellion, it stars Li as a general who turns a … Continue reading SFIFF: The Warlords
SFIFF: Mataharis
I just saw Mataharis--another really good film. This character study of three female private detectives, all working for the same agency (and the same sleazy boss), follows them as their work and private life intertwine and complicate each other. The best story involves Inés (MarÃa Vázquez), the youngest of the three and the only single … Continue reading SFIFF: Mataharis
SFIFF: Just Like Home
I'm writing this at the Kabuki, and I'll be quick. I just saw a very funny comedy from Denmark called Just Like Home. It follows several people in a small town that's thrown into confusion from reports of a man running naked through the strees. Director/co-writer Lone Scherfig builds a quiet tone that works up … Continue reading SFIFF: Just Like Home
This Week At the Movies
I posted two articles this week, both about the San Francisco International Film Festival (opening as I type this). The first described films I haven't seen but would like to, and the second offered microreviews of the films I've been able to preview. Grandma's Boy (1922), Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum, Saturday, 7:30. In his … Continue reading This Week At the Movies
San Fran Fest Preview
The San Francisco International Film Festival opens tomorrow night, and I have so far seen five of the films to be presented there. Here's what I think of them, in order from best to worst. All of these films will have runs after the festival, so you'll have additional chances to see them. Ballast. Vast, … Continue reading San Fran Fest Preview
What Looks Good at the Festival
I thought I'd share some of the films I hope to catch at the San Francisco International Film Festival. I can't officially recommend any of these because I haven't yet seen them, but I hope to catch at least a few of them. I'm not including films here that will get a regular release after … Continue reading What Looks Good at the Festival
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