Persepolis, Rafael, Embarcadero, Shattuck, opens Friday. Can one call a 95-minute, low-budget, animated film an epic? I think this one qualifies. It may also qualify as a masterpiece. It's certainly an excellent and an important movie. Iranian/French cartoonist Marjane Satrapi based Persepolis on her own autobiographical graphic novels (Vincent Paronnaud shares screenwriting and directing credits). … Continue reading Recommendations and Warnings From Persia to New York
Berlin & Beyond Preview, Part II
I managed to screen one more film before the festival: Runaway Horse, Castro, Sunday, 8:15. Nothing like running into an old friend to ruin your vacation. You can certainly understand why Helmut feels that way. The old college buddy who suddenly turns up at the beach is loud, boisterous, and annoying, and comes adorned with … Continue reading Berlin & Beyond Preview, Part II
Persepolis
Can one call a 95-minute, low-budget, animated film an epic? I think this one qualifies. It may also qualify as a masterpiece. It’s certainly an excellent and an important movie. Iranian/French cartoonist Marjane Satrapi based Persepolis on her own autobiographical graphic novels (Vincent Paronnaud shares screenwriting and directing credits). Through the eyes of young Marjane … Continue reading Persepolis
The Violin
Political drama Written and directed by Francisco Vargas The Violin opens with a brutal scene of torture and rape conducted by soldiers against their helpless, bound victims. Don’t let the title deceive you; this is not a musical. Although Francisco Vargas’ film of repression and rebellion feels immediate and contemporary, I can’t say exactly when … Continue reading The Violin
Berlin & Beyond Preview
I've previewed three films scheduled for the Berlin & Beyond festival opening Thursday at the Castro. Here's how they stand: Fashion Victims, Friday, 8:00. Financial, professional, and personal pressures push fashion salesman Wolfgang Zenker to the edge in Ingo Rasper’s vaguely serious comedy. We can laugh at this man’s self-destruction because he’s such a self-centered … Continue reading Berlin & Beyond Preview
Kurosawa Recommendations (and No Warnings)
This week's listings can be summed up in two words: Kurosawa and Castro. Outside of the many excellent films showing in first run, that's pretty much what's worth catching. Odd Reels Night, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 7:30. Now this sounds like fun. YBCA curator Joel Shepard will screen a collection of reels from … Continue reading Kurosawa Recommendations (and No Warnings)
Top Ten Films of 2007
I've already told you my Top Ten criteria and shared my thoughts as I worked through the selection process. I've even let you know that I look for variety in quality work when selecting my Top Ten, rather than say that this drama is better than that comedy. (If you don't know what I'm talking … Continue reading Top Ten Films of 2007
Top Ten Preparation, Part V: Final Winnowing
In our last chapter, I managed to get the number of candidates down to 13, despite adding three additional films to the candidates list. Now I must add another, I Am Legend, bringing the number up to 14. So what can I remove? In Part III, I considered the possibility of eliminating La Vie En … Continue reading Top Ten Preparation, Part V: Final Winnowing
I Am Legend
Sci-fi horror thriller Written by Mark Protosevich & Akiva Goldsman Based on the novel by Richard Matheson Directed by Francis Lawrence I wonder if the Warner Brothers executives who greenlit this movie knew what they were getting into. You okay a big budget end-of-the-human-race scifi adventure starring Will Smith (seems a safe bet), and you … Continue reading I Am Legend
He-Man Hur and Harold Lloyd: Recommendations and Warnings
Ben-Hur (1959), Castro, Saturday. The best of the many big, long religious epics Hollywood churned out when the wide screen was a selling point, Ben-Hur doesn't quite manage to be the masterpiece that many people remember. The story is heavy-handed, especially in the final hour when the Christianity is ladled on rather thick. But it's … Continue reading He-Man Hur and Harold Lloyd: Recommendations and Warnings
Bayflicks 