I saw two very different movies on Saturday, but both were about physics. Well, sort of. Physics and fiction don't blend together unless you can work in suspense, romance, tragedy, horrible diseases, and special effects. Although one movie is a big, expensive Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster, and the other a British Indiewood biopic, their titles are … Continue reading Physics Saturday: Interstellar and The Theory of Everything
Category: Drama
Drama
The Better Angels
B+ Historical drama Written and directed by A.J. Edwards About half way through A.J. Edwards' gentle exploration of our 16th president (and my namesake), it occurred to me that a native-born American who hadn't paid much attention in history class might not realize that the film was about Abraham Lincoln. Names are seldom spoken, and … Continue reading The Better Angels
Thoughts on The Bicycle Thief
If you want to understand Italian neorealism, the desperation of poverty, or simply the power of cinema, you have to see Vittorio De Sica's masterpiece, The Bicycle Thief (AKA Bicycle Thieves or Ladri di biciclette). You'll find it deservedly on any short list of great motion pictures. This film pits the desperately poor against the … Continue reading Thoughts on The Bicycle Thief
Early and Excellent Kubrick at PFA
As I discussed last week, I lost a lot of my love of Stanley Kubrick over the decades. But I didn't lose my love for all of his pictures. And amongst my favorites are his first two Hollywood pictures, The Killing and Paths of Glory. Saturday night, I revisited these favorites at the Pacific Film … Continue reading Early and Excellent Kubrick at PFA
Boyhood: As Real as Fiction Gets
A Long-form drama Written and directed by Richard Linklater I'm a sucker for long films that take place over the course of several years. But I've never seen one as real as Richard Linklater's Boyhood. This isn't a story of an extraordinary person, or of a normal person going through an extraordinary experience. But it … Continue reading Boyhood: As Real as Fiction Gets
Palo Alto: More Dazed and Completely Confused
B+ Written and directed by Gia Coppola From the book Palo Alto Stores by James Franco High school kids lead rough lives. They’re under great pressure to get into a good university. They desperately want to break free of their parents. They have to deal with an immense peer pressure. They’re trying to work out … Continue reading Palo Alto: More Dazed and Completely Confused
The San Francisco International Film Festival closes with Alex in Venice
This year's San Francisco International Film Festival ended Thursday night at the Castro with a screening of Chris Messina's directorial debut, Alex of Venice. It was not a perfect way to end the festival, but it was a good way. The crowd was surprisingly thin. There was an empty seat next to me, and the … Continue reading The San Francisco International Film Festival closes with Alex in Venice
Bad film turns good: My review of Young & Beautiful
B drama Written and directed by François Ozon As François Ozon’s drama about a 17-year-old prostitute nears its mid-point, you might find yourself wondering why you're sitting through such an awful piece of junk. Then, beyond all expectations, the film gets interesting. The once-cardboard characters become intriguing and worth caring about. A bad film has … Continue reading Bad film turns good: My review of Young & Beautiful
SFIFF: Boyhood and an Evening with Richard Linklater
Last night at the Castro, the San Francisco International Film Festival honored Richard Linklater with their Founder's Directing Award. The event included a discussion between Linklater and actor Parker Posey, followed by a screening of Linklater's new film, Boyhood. When I arrived, more than an hour before the show, the line was already around the … Continue reading SFIFF: Boyhood and an Evening with Richard Linklater
Before Monday: My review of Le Week-End
C+ Drama Written by Hanif Kureishi Directed by Roger Michell If the shockingly misleading trailer for Le Week-End makes you want to see the movie, don't. It is not, as you may have been led to believe, a romantic frolic about an aging couple rekindling their romance in the city of lights. Quite the opposite. … Continue reading Before Monday: My review of Le Week-End
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