B Comedy/drama Written by Shlomit Nehama Directed by Emil Ben-Shimon A section of a synagogue collapses, and a war breaks out amongst Orthodox Jews over just how Orthodox they will be. Not surprisingly, it becomes a war of the sexes in this light comedy. I don't know how well non-Jews will understand The Women's Balcony. … Continue reading Orthodox wars in The Women’s Balcony
Category: Reviews
The Transfiguration
B- Kind of a horror movie Written and directed by Michael O'Shea Believe it or not, Michael O'Shea found a new twist to the vampire genre: Avoiding the supernatural. Everything in The Transfiguration could, at least in theory, happen. The movie's vampire has no special powers or weaknesses. He can't turn into a bat. Neither … Continue reading The Transfiguration
Paris Can Wait, and it’s a pleasant trip
B- Travelogue romance Written and directed by Eleanor Coppola The best compliment I can give Eleanor Coppola's narrative feature debut is pleasant. Paris Can Wait is not particularly funny or dramatic. Although the plot revolves around whether two people will sleep together, it's not sexy. In a few scenes, it opens modest insights into the … Continue reading Paris Can Wait, and it’s a pleasant trip
Summertime: Lesbian love in 1971
A- Romantic drama Written by Catherine Corsini and Laurette Polmanss Directed by Catherine Corsini Note: I wrote this review almost a year ago, shortly before the film's screening at the 2016 Frameline festival. I assumed that it would receive an American theatrical release. It didn't. I just discovered that the movie is available on several … Continue reading Summertime: Lesbian love in 1971
The Student teaches us about religious fascism
A Drama Written and directed by Kirill Serebrennikov One determined student can manipulate his schoolmates, teachers, and the administration, disrupting an entire high school. All he needs is a fanatical belief and the will to do anything to achieve his goals. Kirill Serebrennikov's powerful drama, The Student, shows exactly how it can be done. It's … Continue reading The Student teaches us about religious fascism
Sonita: A suspenseful documentary about forced marriage
A documentary Directed by Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami Note: This exceptional documentary struck a tremendous chord when I saw at the 2016 San Francisco Film Festival. I wrote the review below at that time, but held back publication until until Bay Area viewers could see the picture.Now that Sonita is available on Netflix, I'm publishing my review. Young … Continue reading Sonita: A suspenseful documentary about forced marriage
The Comedian
B- Drama Written by Art Linson, Jeffrey Ross, Richard LaGravenese, and Lewis Friedman; from a story by Art Linson Directed by Taylor Hackford When a film's title tells you that the main character (or characters) generate laughs for a living, you know you're in for a serious drama. But not too serious. Just as a … Continue reading The Comedian
James Baldwin, Samuel L. Jackson, & I Am Not Your Negro
A documentary Written by James Baldwin Directed by Raoul Peck In the final decade of his life, author James Baldwin wrote 30 pages of an unfinished book about his own experiences, his friendships with Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr., and the African American experience in general. Now Raoul Peck has turned … Continue reading James Baldwin, Samuel L. Jackson, & I Am Not Your Negro
The Red Turtle: A movie beyond words
A- Animated fantasy Written by Pascale Ferran & Michael Dudok de Wit Directed by Michael Dudok de Wit A man marooned on a deserted island struggles to survive, escape, and ward off loneliness in this strange, beautiful, and effecting animated tale. And in a strange way, he will find almost everything he wants. Although essentially … Continue reading The Red Turtle: A movie beyond words
Toni Erdmann: Imagine Groucho Marx as your father
A- Comedy/drama Written and directed by Maren Ade Try to imagine a Marx Brothers movie weaved into a reasonably realistic family comedy/drama that runs almost three hours. Even more amazingly, imagine that it works, and for the most part, works beautifully. Toni Erdmann places an incorrigible prankster and practical joker into the world of giant corporations … Continue reading Toni Erdmann: Imagine Groucho Marx as your father
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