A- Coming of age drama Written & directed by Tsivia Barkai Note: I saw this excellent Israeli film before it was screened at the 2018 San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. I sat on this review for over a year, waiting when it would be available in Bay Area theaters. That has not yet happened, but I … Continue reading Red Cow: Growing up among the fanatics
A Discovered genre: The contemporary western drama
I think I discovered a genre. It's been around for more than 60 years and has never been recognized as such. But it's worth considering. The films in this genre, or at least the ones I've seen, have all been excellent. I call them contemporary western dramas. These are not westerns, although they echo that … Continue reading A Discovered genre: The contemporary western drama
Take Action Day at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
Monday was Take Action Day at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. It's kind of a strange name when you think about it. Sitting in a movie theater all day is anything but taking action. Of course, what it really means is that the films (all documentaries) will inspire you to take action. And the … Continue reading Take Action Day at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival: Sunday at the Castro
Sunday was my first full day at this year's San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. I saw three features: two documentaries and one narrative. They were all good, but none were excellent. This Is Personal Watching this documentary sometimes feels like experiencing all the horrors of the last three years all over again. But it also … Continue reading San Francisco Jewish Film Festival: Sunday at the Castro
Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles, & Opening night at the Jewish Film Festival
In recent years I've had some bad experiences with San Francisco Jewish Film Festival opening nights - even when the movie was excellent. Long waits, late starts, longer introductions, and horribly uncomfortable seats in the Castro balcony. This year, I'm glad to say, everything went well. We got great seats in the 4th row (I … Continue reading Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles, & Opening night at the Jewish Film Festival
What’s Screening: July 19 – 25
This week in Bay Area movie theaters: a new comedy about death, a massive epic about totalitarianism, rock and roll gone wrong, masterpieces by Orson Welles and Martin Scorsese, and a trip out of this world. Also film festivals frozen, haunted, and Jewish. Festivals The Frozen Film Festival continues through Sunday Modern Cinema: Haunted! (Gothic … Continue reading What’s Screening: July 19 – 25
Say hello to The Farewell
B+ Dramatic comedy Written and directed by Lulu Wang Chinese and Chinese Americans don't always see eye-to-eye. These generational clashes provide a lot of the laughs in The Farewell. But writer/director Lulu Wang keeps the existential pain of mortality always in the foreground, reminding us that something very serious is happening along with the humor. … Continue reading Say hello to The Farewell
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Rolling Thunder Revue, Last Black Man in SF, Rosenda, The Vikings, & The Woman in the Window
I didn't see a single movie in my European vacation. I was tempted to see The Dead Don't Die in a cinema club across the street from our Airbnb, but it was dubbed into Italian. Then, as soon as I got home, I dived into previewing the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. It wasn't until … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Rolling Thunder Revue, Last Black Man in SF, Rosenda, The Vikings, & The Woman in the Window
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival Preview: Part 2
Four more films that will play at this year's San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. Three of them are documentaries; the other is a comedy. Three of them are about Israel/ Palestine issues. This is the last article I'll write on this festival until after Opening Night. A- What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael … Continue reading San Francisco Jewish Film Festival Preview: Part 2
What’s Screening: July 12 – 18
A lot of comedy in Bay Area movie theaters this week. We get laughs from Laurel and Hardy, Billy Wilder, Wallace and Gromit, François Truffaut, Lulu Wang, and even Gregory Peck. But you can also get unintended laughs from Roger Corman and deep pretentiousness from Alain Resnais. Also, three film festivals open this week. Festivals … Continue reading What’s Screening: July 12 – 18
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