Category: Documentaries

Three Identical Strangers and their strange, entwined lives

~ Lincoln Spector

A Documentary Directed by Tim Wardle As I write this review (in April), Three Identical Strangers is the best new documentary I've yet seen this year. In 1980, 19-year-old Robert Shafran, Edward Galland, and David Kellman met each other and discovered they were identical triplets, separated at birth. Even their adopted parents didn't know that … Continue reading Three Identical Strangers and their strange, entwined lives

RBG: The life and importance of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

~ Lincoln Spector ~ 2 Comments

A- Documentary Directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen Make no mistake, there's nothing objective about Betsy West and Julie Cohen's biographic documentary about the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. They clearly believe that the Supreme Court's progressive hero is a rock star, a superhero, and a major bulwark protecting American democracy. I happen to … Continue reading RBG: The life and importance of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

2 Judges (both women) and a reluctant Buddhist: Friday at SFFILM Festival

~ Lincoln Spector ~ 1 Comment

I should explain why some of my reviews are constricted to 75 words or less. Every festival that shows new films sends a Hold Review List to press covering the event. The movies on this list either have an American distributor or are negotiating with one. The distributers don't want long reviews published too soon, … Continue reading 2 Judges (both women) and a reluctant Buddhist: Friday at SFFILM Festival

Revolution in Serbia & Exploitation in America: My Thursday at SFFILM Festival

~ Lincoln Spector

I saw two films yesterday at the San Francisco International Film Festival, also known as the SFFILM Festival. Both were worth seeing. The Other Side of Everything I'm generally suspicious of documentaries about the filmmaker…or the filmmaker's family. But this one worked. Srbijanka Turajlic, the director's mother and the subject of the film, is a … Continue reading Revolution in Serbia & Exploitation in America: My Thursday at SFFILM Festival

Mr. Rogers, Identical Triplets, & movies with music: Monday at SFFilm Fest

~ Lincoln Spector ~ 2 Comments

Unlike Sunday, there was no overall theme between the movies I saw Monday at the San Francisco International Film Festival, also known as the SFFILM Festival. Won't You Be My Neighbor? I kept my review of this film to a maximum of 75 words on the Festival's request. Ordained minister Fred Rogers - with his … Continue reading Mr. Rogers, Identical Triplets, & movies with music: Monday at SFFilm Fest

Massive fraud and no one gets punished in The China Hustle

~ Lincoln Spector

B+ Documentary Directed by Jed Rothstein As the stock market began to tank in 2008, a group of would-be heroes appeared on the horizon: some very exciting, new Chinese companies that looked like excellent investments. Well, why not? The theoretically Communist country is the largest market in the world, and one seemingly drunk on capitalism. … Continue reading Massive fraud and no one gets punished in The China Hustle