Chad Liffmann – Spinning Platters

Film Feature: 68th SFFILM Festival Preview #3

The 68th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM) is underway with screenings at various theaters around San Francisco and the East Bay.

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 a few remaining features and the Shorts 6: Family Films program with upcoming showtimes:

1.) SHORTS 6: FAMILY FILMS
(Various, 2024-2025. 66 min.)

HOOFS ON SKATES
(Lithuania. 13 min.)

Hoofs on Skates is a delightful tale about two friends, a pig and a cow, who enjoy skating on a frozen lake, only to be scared away by a giant fish. Eventually, the duo discovers where their assumptions and reality may be vastly differing. The stop-motion animation is cute, simplistic, and charming, and eases wordlessly (except for adorable animal-sound exchanges) into a positive message for kids.

Continue reading “Film Feature: 68th SFFILM Festival Preview #3”

Film Review: “Warfare”

Warfare prioritizes a real-time sensory experience for maximum impact

Prepare for war. Warfare is a ninety-five minute adrenaline shot of real-time warfighting that asks the audience to experience an authentic depiction of grim combat and decide how to feel about it. Some viewers will chastise the filmmakers for not taking an explicit stance, the same complaint levied against 2024’s Civil War, yet that would be missing the point. Warfare isn’t interested in historical or political context, and unfolds almost entirely without a hint of moral grandstanding. Instead, Warfare is solely focused on the visceral hell unleashed when the bullets begin to fly. In a troubling hint at war’s futility, Warfare’s very existence seems to suggest that any shred of morality can only work backwards from the end, after it’s too late and the battle is over. Continue reading “Film Review: “Warfare””

Film Feature: 68th SFFILM Festival Preview #1

The 68th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM) will take place April 17-April 27 with screenings at various theaters around San Francisco and the East Bay.

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 six films:

1.) THE BOTANIST
(China, 2025. 96 min)

The soulful connection between humans and nature lies at the forefront of Jing Yi’s directorial debut, The Botanist, about a young boy, Arsin, in the remote northern province of Xinjiang during one summer. Arsin spends his time quietly in nature, pressing flowers, examining a faded family tree and contemplating the building blocks of life. The cast of non-actors are amazing, and the stunning real-world environment is beautifully captured in a manner that exhibits the environment as a critical character. When Arsin meets Meiyu, a young girl in the village, his perception of the relationship between nature and civilization becomes simultaneously complicated and ethereal, as the filmmakers employ subtle elements of magical realism to portray his evolving emotional and physical understanding of the world. Other world-building elements include a village radio continuously spouting news about oil taxes and burgeoning industry, Arsin’s aloof brother (“uncle”) calling his network of former lovers and friends in Shanghai, and high-angled shots of the village and surrounding landscape. All of these elements create a meditative and enchanting coming-of-age story about how a forgotten pastoral corner of the world still finds ways to embrace our kinship with the natural world.

Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Fri., April 18th, 6:00pm at the Presidio Theatre
– Sat., April 19th, 5:15pm at BAMPFA Continue reading “Film Feature: 68th SFFILM Festival Preview #1”

Film Review: “The Friend”

A somber dramedy for writers and dog lovers

Iris (Naomi Watts) and Apollo go for a stroll.

Aspiring novelists and dog lovers, I have the perfect film for you! The Friend is a dramedy adapted from Sigrid Nunez’s National Book Award-winning novel. Though the book takes a unique approach by not giving the characters names except for the dog, Apollo, the film utilizes a traditional style and narrative structure. Despite its handful of plot contrivances, The Friend is a somber yet inspiring reminder of the power of strong friendships, where deep conversations come easily and unique personal connections are irreplaceable.

Continue reading “Film Review: “The Friend””

Film Review: “Death of a Unicorn”

Death of a Unicorn gallops around without a point

Undoubtedly, a lot of time and effort went into making Death of a Unicorn. There’s also little doubt that the filmmakers knew that with their film’s plot, and especially its title, their futile goal was to launch their film into immediate “cult classic” status. Everyone knows that cult films earn their “cult” status naturally and gradually. And so, unfortunately, Death of a Unicorn takes a unique premise and surrounds it with an abundance of half-baked ideas and incomplete characters. Death of a Unicorn is neither demented enough for a niche horror audience, nor entertaining enough for a mainstream audience. Perhaps the filmmakers got lost in the sauce, for what could’ve been a simple creature feature is, instead, a sloppily assembled, undisguised commentary on wealth, with a heavy-handed father-daughter subplot sprinkled in, because, why not? Continue reading “Film Review: “Death of a Unicorn””

Film Review: “The Penguin Lessons”

A charming tale with a heartwarming duo at its center

Tom (Steve Coogan) and Juan (penguin) teach Masefield.

The Penguin Lessons has all the recognizable tropes of an inspirational true-story Disney adaptation of the early 2000s; the film effectively utilizes a serious real-world backdrop but doesn’t deeply explore it, the protagonist (a teacher) recites literary passages that closely (albeit metaphorically) parallel the plot, and there’s a really cute beacon of innocence at the heart of the story – typically an animal or child, and in this case, a penguin. Based on Tom Michell’s memoir, The Penguin Lessons has enough heart and humor to elevate it above its predictive outline, and the chemistry between Steve Coogan and his absolutely adorable penguin costar(s) is worth the watch. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Penguin Lessons””

Film Review: “Novocaine”

Novocaine delivers a funny dose of violent shenanigans

Nate (Jack Quaid) dangles unfeelingly in “Novocaine.”

Novocaine opens with a needle drop that signifies a level of spot-on self-awareness that perfectly sets up the tone of the film, as if the filmmakers are telling us, “Hey, our film is gonna be ridiculous, melodramatic, and won’t pull any punches, so just sit back and enjoy!” Using Jack Quaid’s everyman charm and a central conceit that allows for an abundance of inventive comedic violence, Novocaine fulfills its goal of delivering preposterous hard-hitting entertainment. Continue reading “Film Review: “Novocaine””

Film Review: “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl”

Humor and tragedy converge in the brilliant and disquieting On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

Shula (Susan Chardy) wears a guinea fowl costume to begin “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl.”

With the release of On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, writer/director Rungano Nyoni’s first feature film since her 2017 indie darling, I Am Not a Witch, the Zambian born British filmmaker has once again proven her unique talent for depicting tribal traditions through a modern lens. Guinea Fowl is simultaneously tragic and comically disquieting, venturing in and out of surreality within its otherwise grounded character-driven narrative. Kudos to A24 and a few UK and European studios for producing and distributing Guinea Fowl, since the film is not an easy sell. Guinea Fowl should be seen; its tightly controlled narrative, powerful performances, and artistic risk-taking make it one of the first must-see films of the year. Continue reading “Film Review: “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl””

Film Review: “Cleaner”

Cleaner is an unassuming Die Hard copy with B-movie energy

Daisey Ridley has a stellar view of London and the unfolding hostage crisis.

Cleaner is the type of B-movie matinee you watch while getting ready to meet friends for dinner, or a mysterious title on your streaming platform’s home page that you indifferently hit ‘play’ as you finish the NY Times crossword before heading to bed, only to find yourself having not solved a single clue ninety-five minutes later. You’ll rarely seek the film out, but you’ll welcome its breezy distraction. Cleaner is co-directed by executive producer Sébastien Raybaud (Femme) and Martin Campbell, but the latter’s surefootedness as an action director enables Cleaner to rise above its ham-fisted script. Campbell’s filmography includes iconic brand re-launches like The Mask of Zorro, Goldeneye, and Casino Royale, silly B-movie spectacles like Vertical Limit and The Foreigner, and a few cringe-y flops like Beyond Borders and The Green Lantern. Cleaner fits within the second grouping: a silly actioner with its entertainment value and narrative absurdity evenly matched. Continue reading “Film Review: “Cleaner””

Film Review: “Love Hurts”

What hurts more… Love? Or watching this movie?

Marvin (Ke Huy Quan) wants a home for you!

Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose deserve better. The two Supporting Actor Oscar winners, for Everything Everywhere All At Once and West Side Story, respectively, can tackle dramatic and comedic material while holding an audience’s most focused attention. When used right, Quan and DeBose can elevate a film from good to great. Unfortunately, Love Hurts isn’t good. Instead, Love Hurts results from an inexperienced filmmaker who doesn’t understand how to utilize the valuable toys he has to play with. The film is excruciatingly overwritten and poorly edited, with Quan’s inherent charm as its sole saving grace. Continue reading “Film Review: “Love Hurts””