C+ DramaWritten by Jeffrey CaineDirected by François Girard Jeffrey Caine and François Girard's new film starts with the runup to a big concert. The crowd have come to see the first major performance of a young violin virtuoso. But the new star doesn't show up. What happened to him? After that mysterious opening, almost everything … Continue reading The Song of Names
Category: Reviews
Movie sound explained in Making Waves
B+ Documentary Directed by Midge Costin George Lucas argues that "Sound is 50 percent of the movie experience." In Midge Costin's entertaining documentary, Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound, audio geniuses like Walter Murch, Ben Burtt, and Gary Rydstrom show us how that 50 percent is created. Directors like Steven Spielberg and David Lynch … Continue reading Movie sound explained in Making Waves
Temblores fails to shake you up
C+ Drama Written & directed by Jayro Bustamante This is at least the third narrative film I've seen about anti-gay "conversion therapy." But this one is different. The protagonist isn't a teenager at the mercy of his or her overly-religious parents. Pablo is an adult male with a good job, a wife, and two loving … Continue reading Temblores fails to shake you up
The frozen north is beautiful but cruel in Ága
A- Wilderness drama Written by Milko Lazarov & Simeon Ventsislavov Directed by Milko Lazarov Life moves slowly in remote, far-north latitudes. People do difficult and dangerous chores by hand. Things don't change much. And yet, Milko Lazarov's new film, Ága, is never boring. This simple story of an aging Innuit couple has a lot to … Continue reading The frozen north is beautiful but cruel in Ága
Marriage Story is all about the divorce
A- Comedic drama Written & directed by Noah Baumbach This sad, heartwarming, and yet deeply funny film should be called Divorce Story. You know from the start that the marriage is over. If you've ever gone through a divorce, especially if there are children involved, you'll recognize the events and the emotions. In fact, you'll … Continue reading Marriage Story is all about the divorce
The Irishman at the Castro
Tuesday night, SFFilm hosted the Bay Area premiere of Martin Scorsese's latest crime drama, The Irishman, at the Castro. For the second night in a row, Scorsese was there in person. Since the film runs almost three and a half hours, without an intermission, Scorsese spoke for only about a minute and a half. He … Continue reading The Irishman at the Castro
The Cave will shake you to the core
A documentaryDirected by Feras Fayyad This fly-on-the-wall documentary about the Syrian war left me shaken and disturbed. That's appropriate. You shouldn't be able to watch screaming, terrified children and exhausted and hopeless adults, while death and destruction rains down overhead, and not be moved. The fact that it's real makes it all more terrifying. If … Continue reading The Cave will shake you to the core
Frankie doesn’t get much of a vacation
B Drama Written by Mauricio Zacharias & Ira Sachs Directed by Ira Sachs I've never been to Sintra, Portugal, but judging from this film, it's a wonderful place for a vacation. But Frankie and her family and friends have a hard time being happy. The family matriarch has cancer and probably won't survive the year. … Continue reading Frankie doesn’t get much of a vacation
How Roy Cohn ruined America
B+ Biographical Documentary Directed by Matt Tyrnauer Filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer makes a strong argument. His documentary, Where's My Roy Cohn?, suggests that if it were not for the famous lawyer, our country wouldn't be in such a mess. I'm not entirely convinced, but Cohn was certainly a major part of the problem. A malicious genius … Continue reading How Roy Cohn ruined America
Pain and Glory: A portrait of the artist as an aging man
B+ Drama Written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar You can't watch a fictitious film by a major auteur, where the protagonist is also a major auteur, and not wonder to what degree the movie is autobiographical (think 8½). When I viewed Pedro Almodóvar's new film, Pain and Glory, I had to wonder to what degree … Continue reading Pain and Glory: A portrait of the artist as an aging man
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