Friday night, my wife and I attended the Pacific Film Archive's first screening of 2018 - a new 4K restoration of Andrei Tarkovsky's final film, The Sacrifice. The film opens with the main character (Erland Josephson) teaching a young boy how to plant and care for a new tree. This is clearly an optimistic sign … Continue reading Tarkovsky’s Sacrifice at the Pacific Film Archive
Category: Drama
Drama
The Other Side of Hope has its moments, but…
C+ Drama with comic elements Written and directed by Aki Kaurismäki This Finnish film about refugees and those that help and hinder them runs along two very different story threads. Both of them have their good points, but they conflict so badly with each other that they don't really work together. The strongest thread follows … Continue reading The Other Side of Hope has its moments, but…
Darkest Hour finds the light to push on through
A Historical drama Written by Anthony McCarten Directed by Joe Wright Dunkirk showed us a soldier's point of view of the disaster-turned-victory that saved England from Nazi conquest. Darkest Hour covers much of the same history, but from the point of the nation's leader - the newly-appointed Winston Churchill. We go into this rousing story … Continue reading Darkest Hour finds the light to push on through
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Murder on the Orient Express, The Learning Tree, Finding Oscar, The Leopard Man, & Loving Vincent
Just another selection of random movies I've finally got around to seeing. A- Murder on the Orient Express (2017), Grand Lake Theatre Much better than the stagey 1974 version, and a whole lot more fun - even if it does take considerable liberties with period details and basic plausibility. Director and star Kenneth Branagh turns Hercule … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Murder on the Orient Express, The Learning Tree, Finding Oscar, The Leopard Man, & Loving Vincent
The Divine Order: Women’s suffrage finally comes to small-town Switzerland
B+ Historical drama Written and directed by Petra Biondina Volpe Switzerland fought women's suffrage longer than other western democracies. Women didn't get to vote in that tiny country until 1971, and they had to wait another twenty years before they could vote in all elections. This feel-good drama about that struggle places the fight not … Continue reading The Divine Order: Women’s suffrage finally comes to small-town Switzerland
The Last Detail & Last Flag Flying
Richard Linklater blew me away with three great films in a row: Bernie, Before Midnight, and Boyhood - especially Boyhood. I eagerly looked forward to what he would do next. I recently got a chance to find out. Linklater's latest film, Last Flag Flying, is a disappointment. It's not bad, but it's considerably less than … Continue reading The Last Detail & Last Flag Flying
My thoughts on Blow-Up
In 1966, Londoners had to contend with rowdy, uncontrollable gangs of mimes. At least that's the impression you get from watching Michelangelo Antonioni's first English-language film, Blow-Up. My wife and I had planned to see the new digital restoration of Blow-Up Saturday night at the Pacific Film Archive, but I threw my back out. Sitting … Continue reading My thoughts on Blow-Up
A Weekend of Silents in Early December
Need more silent films in your life - on the big screen with live accompaniment? You'll find the first weekend of December very satisfying. First, there's A Day of Silents, a one-day festival at the Castro on Saturday, December 2. Then, on Sunday, December 3, the Rafael will screen Buster Keaton's last silent feature, Spite … Continue reading A Weekend of Silents in Early December
The Last Laugh on Blu-ray
In F.W. Murnau's 1924 masterpiece, The Last Laugh, an aging man - proud of his job and the uniform that comes with it - is demoted to a lesser position by a heartless manager. It will break him. Aside from being a powerful story centered around a great star performance, The Last Laugh is one … Continue reading The Last Laugh on Blu-ray
Gay romance in God’s Own Country
A- Drama Written and directed by Francis Lee A young man living a miserable existence finds love and happiness, if he can hold onto them - and hold onto the lover who opens up his world. Johnny (Josh O'Connor) works hard on his family's sheep farm in a very rural piece of northern England. His … Continue reading Gay romance in God’s Own Country
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