A drama Written & directed by Bart Freundlich Two of our greatest American actresses clash and make beautiful drama together in After the Wedding. What else can you expect when you put Michelle Williams and Julianne Moore in the same movie. Adding Billy Crudup to the mix makes it better yet. Writer/director Bart Freundlich brings … Continue reading Life becomes complicated After the Wedding
Category: Drama
Drama
Red Cow: Growing up among the fanatics
A- Coming of age drama Written & directed by Tsivia Barkai Note: I saw this excellent Israeli film before it was screened at the 2018 San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. I sat on this review for over a year, waiting when it would be available in Bay Area theaters. That has not yet happened, but I … Continue reading Red Cow: Growing up among the fanatics
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
All is True, but probably not
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
Ramen Shop: Finding family history through food
A- Foodie drama Written by Tan Fong Cheng, Wong Kim Hoh Directed by Eric Khoo As a rule, I hate foodie movies. I have a hard time caring that the chef hero can find the perfect ingredients and techniques to get his work of art a Michelin rating. Which makes Ramen Shop all the more … Continue reading Ramen Shop: Finding family history through food
Ash Is Purest White but love is for the worthy
A- Crime drama Written and directed by Zhangke Jia At first you think this is going to be a gangster movie. At one point you decide it's becoming a revenge flick. Slowly, you realize it's something very different; something much more subtle. For most of Ash Is Purest White's long runtime, there's no conventional plotline. … Continue reading Ash Is Purest White but love is for the worthy
Styx: How many can you save?
A Drama/Thriller Written by Wolfgang Fischer and Ika Künzel Directed by Wolfgang Fischer You can find a lot of movies about a vacation gone wrong, where the protagonist (or protagonists) must fight for their lives and the lives of those they love. But Wolfgang Fischer does something much more interesting in Styx. Aside from one … Continue reading Styx: How many can you save?
