Slice-of-life drama Written and directed by Reha Erdem I think the San Francisco Film Society will open its new Kabuki screen with a pretty good film, but I’m not really sure. I screened Times and Winds under such wretched conditions that I’m not confident of its quality. It will no doubt look much, much better … Continue reading Times and Winds
Category: Reviews
Up the Yangtze
[B] Documentary Directed by Yung Chang China's Three Gorges Dam may be the largest hydroelectric project ever attempted. Spanning the highly-populated Yangtze River basin, it has been in construction for many years, yet isn't expected to be complete until 2011. As many as four million people may have to be relocated as the flood waters … Continue reading Up the Yangtze
Alexandra
Quiet war drama Written and directed by Alexander Sokurov I had no idea the Russian army allows elderly civilians to visit their grandchildren at the front. Whether or not there's any reality to this conceit, Alexander (Russian Ark) Sokurov uses it like a master to explored the effect of the Chechen war on just about … Continue reading Alexandra
Johnny To Report
Last night, the Pacific Film Archive introduced me to Johnnie To. Okay, I didn’t meet the Hong Kong action auteur personally, but the archive introduced me to his work. I liked it. The occasion: opening night of the PFA’s new series, Hong Kong Nocturne: The Films of Johnnie To. The films: The Mission and Fulltime … Continue reading Johnny To Report
Postal
Very broad satire Written by Uwe Boll and Bryan C. Knight; based on the video game Directed by Uwe Boll Postal starts with a promising scene for an intentionally offensive comedy. Two terrorists in an airliner cockpit (presumably on 9/11) discuss how many virgins they'll get in the afterlife. It turns out they've been given … Continue reading Postal
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Action Adventure Written by David Koepp, from a story by George Lucas and Jeff Nathanson Directed by Steven Spielberg I dreaded disaster when I first heard that George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Harrison Ford making a fourth Indiana Jones movie. Nearly twenty years after Indie's latest outing, I felt it was best to let sleeping … Continue reading Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Shine a Light
Rock concert documentary Directed by Martin Scorsese Martin Scorsese’s Rolling Stones concert film bombs horribly in the first half, but rights itself in the span of one song and sails on to to a glorious but too-soon finish. If the first half had been as good as the second, Shine a Light would sit next … Continue reading Shine a Light
How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer
Drama Written and directed by Georgina Riedel I’ll gladly watch any movie staring Elizabeth Peña. Even when she plays a character whose motivations seem more inspired by plot necessities than human emotions, she manages to convey all the depth, warmth, and confusion of real human life. And she’s hot. How the Garcia Girls Spent Their … Continue reading How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer
Iron Man
Superhero Action Movie Written by a whole bunch of people Directed by Jon Favreau After 15 days of documentaries, serious dramas, and dark comedies at the San Francisco International Film Festival, nothing cleanses the palette like a well-made, big-budget Hollywood entertainment. Iron Man fit the bill perfectly. While not up to the quality of Spiderman … Continue reading Iron Man
Standard Operating Procedure
Political Documentary Directed by Errol Morris We all know Lynndie England--or we think we do. She's the young, seemingly carefree soldier photographed taunting prisoners in those infamous Abu Ghraib prison photos. In other words, she's the very bad apple that ruined the worldwide image of the brave American soldier. Errol Morris want you to see … Continue reading Standard Operating Procedure
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