B+ Comedy Written by Dan Kleinman & Sameh Zoabi Directed by Sameh Zoabi The plot of this Israeli/Palestinian comedy is entirely farcical, but the actors play it straight. Therefore, you can believe in the main character and root for him, despite the absurd situation. None of this sacrifices the laughs. That main character, the young … Continue reading Soap opera in the holy land with Tel Aviv On Fire
Category: Comedy
Say hello to The Farewell
B+ Dramatic comedy Written and directed by Lulu Wang Chinese and Chinese Americans don't always see eye-to-eye. These generational clashes provide a lot of the laughs in The Farewell. But writer/director Lulu Wang keeps the existential pain of mortality always in the foreground, reminding us that something very serious is happening along with the humor. … Continue reading Say hello to The Farewell
Comedies at the end of the century
Good comedies come rarely these days. But 20 years ago, as the 20th century came to a close, the American film industry made and released a lot of very funny movies. Some of them were overlooked. Others did well, but bad sequels tarnished their reputations. Many are still loved. One is among the most beloved … Continue reading Comedies at the end of the century
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
The Big Bad Fox & the joys of simple animation
B Animated family fare Written by Benjamin Renner and Jean Regnaud Directed by Benjamin Renner and Patrick Imbert Note: I saw this family comedy last year before it screened at the SFFIM Festival. It never got a theatrical fun in the Bay Area. It appears it won't get one. But it will be available on … Continue reading The Big Bad Fox & the joys of simple animation
The Kid Brother Blu-ray review
If people know about Harold Lloyd at all, they think of Safety Last. Or maybe The Freshman. But for my money, his penultimate silent, The Kid Brother, is his masterpiece. It has several of the funniest, brilliantly designed, extended comedy sequences ever filmed. But it's more than just a very funny movie. It makes you … Continue reading The Kid Brother Blu-ray review
It Happened One Night one afternoon at BAMPFA
Almost every Wednesday afternoon at 3:10, BAMPFA screens a film with a lecture or discussion in one of their In Focus series. This Wednesday, I finally got to one. Perhaps that's because they were screening Frank Capra's 1934 classic It Happened One Night. But also because I believe that screenwriters don't get enough credit, and … Continue reading It Happened One Night one afternoon at BAMPFA
