B+ Documentary Written & Directed by Julia Bacha I missed this documentary when it did the festival rounds last year, but I finally caught it on a review DVD (sent to me by Landmark Theatres) in time for its Friday opening. So here I am, wondering if I’m reviewing the movie or the message. Make … Continue reading Budrus
Category: Reviews
Upcoming One- (and Two-) Night Stands
I got a chance to preview two foreign films that will make very brief Bay Area appearances next week. If you don't catch them now, you may never get another chance. A- Sawako Decides, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Thursday, January 13, 7:30; Sunday, January 16, 1:00. How do you manage in a highly … Continue reading Upcoming One- (and Two-) Night Stands
The King’s Speech
A Drama Written by David Seidler Directed by Tom Hooper Three years ago, Helen Mirren showed us the life of England’s long-running Monarch in The Queen. But in The King’s Speech, writer David Seidler and director Tom Hooper introduce us to her far more interesting father. George VI (the Duke of York through much of … Continue reading The King’s Speech
Marwencol
A Documentary, opening Friday. Five men attacked Mark Hogancamp with such viciousness he lost his entire memory and considerable brain function. As a form of self-therapy, he has used Barbie Dolls, GI Joe-type action figures, and models to create a fantasy world of his own. That world centers on a town, Marwencol, in World War … Continue reading Marwencol
Last Year at Marienbad
The first time I saw Last Year at Marienbad was in college, in the 1970s. The teachers didn't tell us what to expect, they just gathered several classes together in the auditorium and screened this "important film." I found it deathly boring. We all did. One friend said it needed a pie fight--or even the … Continue reading Last Year at Marienbad
Kings of Pastry
B Documentary Directed by Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker Full Disclosure:I saw this film at a special screening Monday night at the Balboa, after which we were treated to some of the most incredible chocolate I have ever tasted. I'll try to keep that from effecting my review. You may have seen, or heard of, … Continue reading Kings of Pastry
More Keaton on Blu-ray
With this post I’m inaugurating something new in Bayflicks: Blu-ray reviews of classic films. Sherlock Jr. and The Three Ages Kino releases its third Buster Keaton Blu-ray title on November 16, and while it’s nowhere near as exciting as The General (or, I assume their Steamboat Bill Jr. disc, which I haven't seen), it’s a … Continue reading More Keaton on Blu-ray
Nowhere Boy
A My wife and I caught Nowhere Boy Saturday night. I went in knowing a considerable amount about John Lennon’s life. I went out knowing a whole lot more about how his emotional makeup. Or at least more about how some very talented filmmakers assume his makeup to have been. For those who haven’t heard, … Continue reading Nowhere Boy
Fresh
B+ Documentary Directed by Ana Sofia Joanes I hate reviewing didactic, political documentaries, even when I like them. I’m never sure if I’m judging them as works of art and entertainment, considering how well they make their argument, or simply reacting to whether I agree with the filmmakers’ very obvious point of view. And, of … Continue reading Fresh
Howl
A- You can’t expect a dramatic film about Allen Ginsberg to be a conventional biopic? Especially if the film is titled after his famous epic poem. (Full disclosure: I’ve never read it.) Like the poem for which it’s named, Howl is challenging, cutting-edge, and unconventional. Yes, it gives an overview of Ginsberg’s life through 1957 … Continue reading Howl
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