Film Review: “Wish”

Wish is Disney’s confusing ode to itself

Remember Peter Pan? Remember Snow White? Do you remember them, they’re on Disney+ right now! These half-hearted, frantic, nostalgic questions, and brand reminders, seem to be at the heart of Disney’s new animated film, Wish, which bears the weight of Disney’s 100th anniversary celebration. Borrowing the beautiful simplicity of Disney’s most iconic song, “When You Wish Upon A Star,” Wish twists the song’s message into a convoluted plot with forgettable characters. The film is a new fairytale that catchy tunes and pretty animation can’t rescue.

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Film Review: “Napoleon”

A few odd choices can’t keep Napoleon from conquering the screen

Sir Ridley Scott, the legendary director of Blade Runner, Alien, and Gladiator, is eighty-five. In an impressive stretch for his age (or any age) and profession, he has directed eight feature films in the last decade, with Gladiator 2 slated for next year. Who can blame Scott for working so prolifically — he loves making movies! It’s a treat to have a talented filmmaker churn out a steady flow of films, covering a wide range of genres. His latest, Napoleon, adds another historical epic to his filmography. Despite a few off-kilter artistic choices, Napoleon is an astounding visual achievement, a throwback Hollywood epic that only a few directors, like Scott, can still deliver.

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Film Review: “The Holdovers”

The Holdovers is a comical, instantly rewatchable holiday treat

Filmmakers who take big swings deserve appreciation for taking the risk, even if the swing results in a miss. Director Alexander Payne (Nebraska) took such a swing six years ago with Downsizing, a polarizing if not much-maligned film. Thus, it was refreshing to hear the promising news that Payne was reuniting with his Sideways star, Paul Giamatti, for a new dramedy. The Holdovers is as sad, clever, and intelligent as the best of Payne’s work, but with a surprising lighthearted touch that places it firmly amidst some of the most classic holiday films, and amongst the filmmaker’s best work. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Holdovers””

Film Review: “Priscilla”

Coppola operates with tender precision in Priscilla

When considering last year’s Baz Luhrmann film Elvis (if you will humor me for a moment), it’s a challenge to identify a more tonal antithesis than Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla. Where Elvis is noisy and energetic, Priscilla is quiet and mellow. Where Elvis is over-the-top and wide-reaching, Priscilla is narrow and understated. They are two vastly different films focused on two vastly different characters. Priscilla, though, is the better film. The comparisons are inevitable, despite their distinct objectives. Priscilla represents a delicate portrayal of Priscilla Presley’s experience with Elvis, from meetup to breakup, almost exclusively from her point of view. Continue reading “Film Review: “Priscilla””

Film Review: “The Persian Version”

The Persian Version brims with undeniable filmmaker and character charisma

Culture clashes often make for compelling cinema, usually dramatic, routinely funny, and occasionally timely. And when a single character can inhibit both sides of the culture clash, the results can have more resonant meaning. The Persian Version, an indie dramedy from writer/director Maryam Keshavarz, contains such a character — representing a timely and bold exploration of the Iranian-American experience. It’s commendable that The Persian Version doesn’t feel like a studio comedy. It’s full of stylistic flare, unlikely story threads, and vibrant music, embracing the creative freedom that pulsates at the heart of its central characters.

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Film Review: “Beyond Utopia”

Beyond Utopia is documentary filmmaking at its most thrilling and courageous, an essential viewing

Many of the best documentaries are ones that reach behind the scenes, peering into forbidden corners of society, and often the very existence of their footage pose risks to the filmmakers and their subjects. These influential films beg the question, how did they capture that?! It must have been extremely dangerous! The unfortunate reality is that the subject matters that require the most extreme precautions are also the ones that are most in need of public exposure. This is the case for Beyond Utopia, a new documentary that shows the real trials and tribulations of fleeing North Korea in unprecedented footage.

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Film Feature: Preview #3 of the 46th Mill Valley Film Festival

The 46th Mill Valley Film Festival is now underway! For a full view of special awards, spotlights, and centerpiece films, check out the complete festival guide. Tickets can be purchased here. 

Below is our third preview of the Festival, featuring brief looks at four more films (If you missed our other preview posts, you can find them here and here):

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Film Feature: Preview #1 of the 46th Mill Valley Film Festival

 

The 46th Mill Valley Film Festival will take place Oct 5 – Oct 15, 2023, with screenings at theaters all around the North and East Bay (and a few in SF).

For a full view of special awards, spotlights, and centerpiece films, check out the complete festival guide. Tickets can be purchased here. 

Below is a preview of the festival, featuring brief looks at four films:

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Film Review: “Invisible Beauty”

Hardison’s monumental life is on full display in Invisible Beauty

“I would always think of a Samurai when I would walk.” -Bethann Hardison

A pioneer who continuously pushed boundaries, Bethann Hardison is the subject of Invisible Beauty, an autobiographical (she is co-director) look at her trail-blazing life and her ongoing push for equal representation in the modeling and fashion industries. As one of the first high-profile Black models, Hardison gained widespread fame in the ‘70s and launched her own modeling agency in the mid ‘80s. Shortly after, she started the Black Girls Coalition (BGC) with fellow model and activist, Iman, to promote and support Black models. Invisible Beauty takes us behind-the-scenes of Hardison’s extraordinary journey, while appropriately following her in the present as she works on her memoir. The film features numerous interviews with a wide breadth of famous faces and impressive footage of turning-point moments that capture Hardison’s immense impact.

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Film Review: “Sitting in Bars with Cake”

Sitting in Bars with Cake is a delectable slice of laughs and cries

There’s a seemingly endless amount of movies based on books, and a shorter but not insignificant number of movies based on real life cooks. What I can’t recall ever seeing is a movie that was based on a cookbook. Better late than never! Sitting in Bars with Cake, the new dramedy based on Audrey Shulman’s autobiographical book, is a well-produced tearjerker with standout performances, a film perfectly fitting of its streaming platform release.

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