A- Drama Written by Ben Elton Directed by Kenneth Branagh First you must overcome the makeup. He doesn't look like Kenneth Branagh. He looks too much like a portrait of William Shakespeare to believe that he's human. But then he starts talking, with Branagh's voice, and you can suspend your disbelief. All is True takes … Continue reading All is True, but probably not
Month: May 2019
Welles, Lang, Kobayashi & Rock ‘n’ Roll: BAMPFA’s summer schedule
The Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive's summer program offers popular classics and little-known works. And, since it's the BAMPFA, it includes a lot of films you might want to see. Since it's the PFA, every movie must be part of a series. Here are the nine series starting in the summer: Julio Bracho and Mexican … Continue reading Welles, Lang, Kobayashi & Rock ‘n’ Roll: BAMPFA’s summer schedule
The Baker’s Wife at the BAMPFA
The first thing you should know about Marcel Pagnol's 1938 comedy, The Baker's Wife, is that it's very, very funny. The second thing you need to know is that it's also sweet and humane, especially as this story of adultery in provincial France comes to its end. My wife and I saw it at the … Continue reading The Baker’s Wife at the BAMPFA
What’s Screening: May 10 – 16
This week on Bay Area movie screens: Satan and Adam, Herzog and Gorbachev, James Dean and Paul Thomas Anderson, and the biggest of them all: King Kong and Godzilla. Also two film festivals. Festivals CAAMFest (The Center for Asian American Media) continues through this week and beyond A The French Had a Name for It, … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 10 – 16
Meeting Gorbachev with Werner Herzog
C+ Documentary Directed by Werner Herzog and Andre Singer Do you ever wonder about something you know little about, so you Google it or go to Wikipedia? I'm beginning to suspect that when Werner Herzog gets that feeling, he makes a documentary. This time, Herzog picked an exceptionally interesting subject to learn about: Mikhail Gorbachev, … Continue reading Meeting Gorbachev with Werner Herzog
Sunday at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival
I'll tell you one thing about the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. While it's extremely fun, it's also exhausting. I don't think I could have survived another day of it. Here's what I saw on the last day: Japanese Girls At the Harbor In the early 1930s, Japan created realistic, humanistic silent films. This work … Continue reading Sunday at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival
Saturday at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival
I saw five feature films Saturday at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, and three were about socially unacceptable romances (and yes, they were all heterosexual).. Lights of Old Broadway Marion Davies plays identical twins separated at birth, but that's not what this comedy is really about. It's a love story set against the Irish … Continue reading Saturday at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival
Friday at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival
Another busy day at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival . You Never Know WomenWilliam Wellman directed this entertaining tale set an acrobatic troupe. Problems come up when a wealthy cad sets his sights on a beautiful acrobat, who doesn't realize that the head of the troupe loves her. Much worse, she doesn't realize that … Continue reading Friday at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival
Thursday at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival
Thursday was the first full day at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. And believe me; it was full.. Amazing Tales From the Archives The free, 10am show this year presented four illustrated lectures. The first had San Francisco's Silent Film Festival's Robert Byrne, along with Thierry Lecointe, discussing flip books made from early films. … Continue reading Thursday at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival
What’s Screening: May 3 – 9
This week in Bay Area movie screens: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Dr. Ruth, Tom Hanks, Barry Jenkins, Stanley Kubrick, Marlon Brando, and film festivals silent, Asian, and truthful. Festivals The San Francisco Silent Film Festival continues through Sunday. Read my preview. Doclands also continues through Sunday CAAMFest (The Asian-American Film Festival) opens Thursday New films opening A- … Continue reading What’s Screening: May 3 – 9
