I saw two movies on the last day of this year's San Francisco International Film Festival. The first one was directed by someone named Ross. The second by someone name Moss. Neither of them was a loss. Frank & Lola I saw this at the New Mission, and thankfully, it was in the big, downstairs … Continue reading Thursday: The last day at this year’s San Francisco International Film Festival

B biographical documentary Directed by Mark Craig What was it really like to be an astronaut when that title was still new? Navy pilot Gene Cernan joined the elite ranks of space explorers not long after the original Mercury astronauts were selected. He flew into space three times--once in a two-man Gemini capsule and twice … Continue reading The Last Man on the Moon

B- Relationship drama Written and directed by Andrew Haigh From a short story by David Constantine The English seem to pride themselves on staying calm. Consider the country's primary myth: King Arthur and His Round Table. It's about a monarch who's too polite to bring up the little problem of his wife shagging his best … Continue reading An old marriage feels the strain in 45 Years

Note: I wrote this review after seeing this film at the 2014 San Francisco International Film Festival. I assumed, at the time, that it would get a theatrical release. The release never happened, but its coming out on home video next week, so I felt it was time to post my review. A- Contemporary drama Written … Continue reading Alex in Venice Review: Father Figures and Mother in Crisis

Ain't we lucky? We've got four film festivals running this week in the Bay Area: SF DocFest opened last night and runs through this week and beyond Charlie Chaplin Days plays over the weekend New Filipino Cinema opens Thursday Also opening Thursday, the Reel Recovery Film Festival ? Hatari!, Castro, Thursday, 7:00 Archival dye-transfer Technicolor print! … Continue reading What’s Screening: June 5 – 11

I just saw the Castro's June calendar. I don't have much time, as I'm about to head off to the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, but here are a few highlights: June 10: Double Indemnity  and Body Heat. The classic noir story of an evil housewife who wants to be a rich widow, told very … Continue reading The Castro June Calendar

A few notes about the two festivals opening next Thursday: San Francisco Silent Film Festival Pianist, entertainer, film preservationist, and Mel Novikoff Award recipient Serge Bromberg (how many people have that resume) wins this year's  Francisco Silent Film Festival Award. The Festival will present him with the award on Saturday, May 30, at the screening … Continue reading Silent or Green: More on upcoming festivals

Burt Lancaster, at his most acrobatic, takes on an Errol Flynn role and pulls it off with panache in The Flame and the Arrow, a Robin Hood-like story set in medieval Italy. Like all the best swashbucklers, it's witty, exciting, beautiful to look at, only slightly suspenseful, totally ridiculous, and a whole lot of fun. I'm … Continue reading Revisiting The Flame and the Arrow

B+ drama Written and directed by Olivier Assayas A great stage actress and sometimes movie star (Juliette Binoche) reluctantly accepts to star in a revival of the play that made her famous. But there's a catch. She's too old to play the young, ambitious lesbian that became the defining part of her early career. Now … Continue reading Age and stardom: My review of Clouds of Sils Maria