What's in Bay Area movie theaters this week? Two very good new movies. The Cotton Club with your choice of double bill. Molly Ivins and King Henry V. Drunken actors and gay cowboys. And film festivals from France, South Asia, and Napa. Festivals The 3rd i South Asian Film Festival plays one more day: Saturday … Continue reading What’s Screening: November 15 – 21
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
What’s Screening: November 8 – 14
Crime by Scorsese, Coppola, and Zhangke Jia, solved by Sherlock Holmes. Comedy by Mel Brooks and Jacques Tati. Boxing and amnesia. Plus a Chinese Western and two film festivals. All that and more on Bay Area movie screens this week. Festivals The 3rd i South Asian Film Festival temporarily closes Sunday. It will pop up … Continue reading What’s Screening: November 8 – 14
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: The Pirate, The King, Harriet, & The Curse of the Cat People
Since my last Recently Seen piece, I've revisited two films I hadn't seen in ages, along two new ones. (Of course, I've seen other movies over that time, but I either wrote about them elsewhere or didn't feel the need to write about them at all.) A- The Pirate (1948), Criterion Channel Cole Porter's songs … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: The Pirate, The King, Harriet, & The Curse of the Cat People
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
Doc Stories closes with Martin Scorsese & Bob Dylan
Note: I've altered this article to correct an error. Doc Stories (a festival I didn't have time to cover) closed Monday night with a bang - a celebration of Martin Scorsese's non-fiction work. Not surprisingly, it was a packed house. SFFILM Director of Programming Rachel Rosen started the event with a wonderfully short introduction, followed … Continue reading Doc Stories closes with Martin Scorsese & Bob Dylan
Movies from 1939 at the Stanford
I'm not sure who proclaimed 1939 The Great Movie Year. Probably it was Ted Turner, when he owned the MGM, Warner, and RKO libraries. A lot of beloved classics came out that year, including The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind - the two most beloved films of Hollywood's studio era. Also, 1939 … Continue reading Movies from 1939 at the Stanford
What’s Screening: November 1 – 7
Note: I've corrected this newsletter since I published it. Martin Scorsese will make two personal appearances at the Castro this week. Also three new films, comedies from Jacques Tati and The Naked Gun, those men with The Right Stuff, and that very scary Face in the Crowd. And only two film festivals. Festivals Doc Stories … Continue reading What’s Screening: November 1 – 7
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
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