Author: Carrie Kahn

Moving from the arthouse to the multiplex with grace, ease, and only the occasional eye roll. Proud member of the San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle.

Film Feature: Preview #2 of the 46th Mill Valley Film Festival

Our coverage of the 46th Mill Valley Film Festival, which starts tomorrow, Thursday Oct. 5th, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 15th, continues below. We take a look at four titles worthy of your attention: two documentaries and two narrative features. You can browse the full program here, and read our first preview post here. Be sure to bookmark Spinning Platters to check back for more film snapshots during the Fest! And special note: although the Festival’s in person screenings end on the 15th, several films will be available for streaming after the Fest closes.

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Film Review: “A Million Miles Away”

Peña soars in against-all-odds astronaut story

José Hernández (Michael Peña) finally realizes a lifelong dream of becoming an astronaut.

Hollywood has long plumbed the depths of unlikely hero tales. No matter how many Rocky knock-offs the studios churn out, they never seem to tire of downtrodden and impoverished characters who must overcome great odds to lift themselves into a higher station in life. From Rocky to Rudy to Erin Brockovich, Hidden Figures and, most recently, Flamin’ Hot, these tales lift us up and inspire us even as they fight to be unique. So who can blame director Alejandra Márquez Abella for trying her hand at this well-worn but lucrative formula with her new biopic A Million Miles Away? Luckily for us, though, her effort proves to be an excellent addition to the familiar genre. 

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Film Review: “The Unknown Country”

Gladstone anchors lovely, meditative film

Tana (Lily Gladstone) pauses on her journey to her cousin’s wedding.

Lily Gladstone first garnered attention for her quietly affecting breakout role in Kelly Reichardt’s 2016 indie award winner Certain Women. She’s been back in the spotlight recently, thanks to Martin Scorsese, who cast her as Mollie, wife to Leonardo DiCaprio’s Ernest, in Scorsese’s highly anticipated upcoming adaptation of Killers of the Flower Moon. In between, Gladstone worked on several other projects (First Cow; Walking Out) and finally landed her first leading role in The Unknown Country, a beautiful, meditative film worthy of her talents.

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Film Review: “Oppenheimer”

Physics, war, and the father of the atomic bomb: Nolan’s biopic captivates

General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon, l.) confers with Manhattan Project scientific director J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy).

Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to man, Greek mythology tells us, and for that he was punished for all eternity. While physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer’s fate wasn’t quite as brutal, it proves nearly as tragic, as we see in Oppenheimer, writer/director Christopher Nolan’s epic new film about the father of the atomic bomb. 

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Film Review: “No Hard Feelings”

Limp sex comedy offers few laughs

Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman) and Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) share a moment together.

Actress and producer Jennifer Lawrence’s new film No Hard Feelings is being promoted as a sex comedy. The big problem, though, is that the picture features almost no sex and even less comedy. The film was directed by Gene Stupnitsky (Dirty Grandpa; Good Boys), who co-wrote the screenplay with fellow comedy writer John Phillips. They both were nominated for a Worst Screenplay Razzie in 2017 for their Dirty Grandpa script, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they receive similar honors for this lackluster comedic attempt.

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Film Review: “Flamin’ Hot”

Longoria’s feature film debut tells warmhearted tale of popular snack’s origin

Richard (Jesse Garcia, l.) and Clarence (Dennis Haysbert) celebrate the production of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

Actress Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives fame made her directorial debut last year with La Guerra Civil, a thoughtful and well-told documentary about Mexican-American boxer Oscar de la Hoya. She’s now helming her first feature film, and the results are more mixed. With Flamin’ Hot, Longoria tells an inspiring rags-to-riches story that, while a bit cliched, features enough strong performances and heart to recommend it.

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Film Review: “You Hurt My Feelings”

No lie here: This film is worth seeing

Don (Tobias Menzies) and Beth (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) have an unexpected conversation with their son.

We’re not even halfway through the year yet, but I think I’ve just seen my Top 10 list’s number one pick. That contender is You Hurt My Feelings, a smart and often painfully funny picture about creativity and relationship dynamics that re-teams writer/director Nicole Holofcener with actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

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Film Review: “Master Gardener”

Spending time in this garden is no picnic

Master Gardener Narvel (Joel Edgerton) chats with his boss, Norma (Sigourney Weaver).

If you’re a fan of writer/director Paul Schrader, you’re bound to be disappointed by his newest film. With Master Gardener, the Taxi Driver screenwriter seems to have lost his focus, recycling old themes with no new insights and creating a picture that alternates between gothic camp and heavy-handed tedium.

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Film Review: “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret”

Margaret on the big screen was worth the wait

After waiting for a movie for almost 50 years, can it ever live up to expectations? In the case of the film adaptation of Judy Blume’s classic 1970 coming of age novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, the answer is a resounding yes. 

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Film Feature: 66th SFFILM Festival Wrap-Up

The 66th SFFilm Festival concludes today, with screenings through this evening. We wrap up our Fest coverage with two final spotlights for you: Here’s a look at a documentary and a feature film that have been playing the film festival circuit, but may receive theatrical distribution.  Continue reading “Film Feature: 66th SFFILM Festival Wrap-Up”