Author: Chad Liffmann

Film Review: “Young Woman and the Sea”

Young Woman and the Sea joins the pantheon of Disney’s finest live-action sports dramas

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Disney’s live-action sports dramas used to be a much bigger deal at the box office and in audience’s appreciation. If you’re of a certain age, movies like Cool Runnings (1993) and Iron Will (1994) carry special meaning, and if you’re slightly younger, movies like Remember the Titans (2000), The Rookie (2002), and Miracle (2004) may carry similar weight. These movies share specific characteristics: based on true stories, the protagonists are underdogs, more than a few training montages, and surface-level commentary on socio-political topics. Disney’s latest, Young Woman and the Sea, contains all the above facets and confidently carries the torch forward for the sub-genre. Director Joachim Rønning (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil) knows how and when to deploy the emotional and feminist beats of the story, so the film never feels overly stuffed or preachy. Like the great Disney live-action sports dramas that have come before it, Young Woman and the Sea is a spirited and emotional tale that is perfect for viewers of all ages. Continue reading “Film Review: “Young Woman and the Sea””

Film Review: “The Fall Guy”

Movie stars and plenty of action kick off the summer in The Fall Guy 

Loosely based on the 1980s television series starring Lee Majors, The Fall Guy is an ode to stunt work. Stunt teams have been providing the thrills of action sequences since the era of silent movies and Buster Keaton, to the present day Mission: Impossible and Fast and Furious franchises. Director David Leitch, who has helmed numerous stunt-centric projects, such as Atomic Blonde, Bullet Train, Deadpool 2, and he even co-directed the first John Wick, is the perfect figure to pay homage to the stunt profession. In doing so, The Fall Guy is also properly kicking off the 2024 summer movie season. The movie highlights movie stars, aka the beautiful celebrities recognized worldwide, as much as it highlights stuntmen and stuntwomen, aka those who likely aren’t recognized anywhere. It wouldn’t work without two top-of-their-game A-list actors with incredible chemistry, and it wouldn’t work without great stunt work. The Fall Guy has all the ingredients of an escapist popcorn flick, and rises to the occasion. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Fall Guy””

Film Feature: 67th SFFILM Festival Preview #1

The 67th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFFILM) will take place April 24-April 28 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 five films:

1.) BILLY & MOLLY: AN OTTER LOVE STORY
(UK, 2023. 78 min)

Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story is a documentary about a man and his otter friend, and the film is an absolute joy. Produced by National Geographic and directed by renowned nature photographer Charlie Hamilton-James, Billy & Molly features brilliantly photographed coastal vistas and serene sunset colors. And, of course, there’s the most adorable otter ever, Molly. She enters Billy’s life when he most needs a friend, and they end up impacting each other’s lives in profound ways. The film is heartwarmingly narrated by Billy and his wife Susan with a wry sense of humor and a deep familial awareness. Billy & Molly will make you cry, smile, laugh, and love nature (and especially otters) more than you already should.

Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Sat., April 27th, 12:15pm at the Marina Theatre Continue reading “Film Feature: 67th SFFILM Festival Preview #1”

Film Review: “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare”

Sometimes an ensemble of handsome spies killing Nazis is all you need

Heist films are commonly fun to watch, since they often include an ensemble cast, clever misdirections, and clearly defined stakes. In essence, Guy Ritchie’s latest film, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, is a World War II heist film. It’s based on Damien Lewis’s 2014 book Churchill’s Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII. The film isn’t as bloody as you may expect (it’s still very violent). It’s not as funny or fast-paced as you may expect from Guy Ritchie, nor is it as dramatic. Yet, it carries a modicum of each element which, when put together, forms a solidly entertaining spy action flick. Continue reading “Film Review: “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare””

Film Review: “Challengers”

Challengers is game, set, and … (almost) match

The human body is a fascinating topic to think about, but if you’re director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name), the human body is primarily a sexual specimen to deliberately inspect, photograph, and place alongside other sexual specimens. Understandably, when you cast three beautiful young stars to be in your film, Zendaya (Dune), Josh O’Connor (The Crown), and Mike Faist (West Side Story), you’d want to supplement their on-screen charisma by showcasing their bodies, especially if your film is a sports drama. Challengers is Guadagnino’s first foray into mainstream territory, for lack of a more applicable term. With a star-led cast and a sharp script,  the film is a compelling sports drama that contains the director’s hallmark character complexities, even if style gets in the way of substance in its final act. Continue reading “Film Review: “Challengers””

Film Review: “Civil War”

Civil War is bravura filmmaking with humanity at its core

Alex Garland directed Ex Machina in 2014, Annihilation in 2018, Men in 2022, and now, Civil War. That’s four definite or near masterpieces, in my humble opinion. Each film in his directorial oeuvre has served as a cinematic discussion about the impact an ever-changing issue has had on humanity, sometimes overt and other times metaphorical: artificial intelligence, environmental degradation, toxic masculinity, and now, divisive American political idealism. It would be easy to criticize Civil War as “teaching us nothing new,” but that would be missing the point. The film is not intended to be a blaring warning siren. Instead, Civil War is a disturbing sensory vision of the future, featuring a distinct set of strong characters to help ground its grand-scale and daring filmmaking, meant to elicit a potent sense of current anxieties. Continue reading “Film Review: “Civil War””

Film Review: “Monkey Man”

Monkey Man is a thrilling and stylistic revenge tale

It’s been sixteen years since audiences were introduced to Dev Patel in the Best Picture Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, and he’s finally getting his due, but not the traditional way. Born in England to Indian parents and ancestry, Patel often plays second string to older (white) actors, until recently when he headlined both Armando Iannucci’s The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019) and David Lowery’s The Green Knight (2021), the latter proving that maybe the underappreciated actor has more to offer. Taking it upon himself to show audiences his skillful range as an artist, Dev Patel is making his writing and directing debut with Monkey Man, a brutal action flick in purposeful and self-aware John Wick-styled tone and plotting. The film is a triumphant piece of stylistic filmmaking and action choreography, and an extremely promising launch to a thrilling new chapter in Patel’s belatedly blossoming career. Continue reading “Film Review: “Monkey Man””

Album Review: Vampire Weekend, “Only God Was Above Us”

“Ice Cream Piano” begins with a healthy dose of guitar feedback and pronounced strumming, and then the first few lines of the album soothingly unfold, “‘Fuck the world’ / You said it quiet / No one could hear you / No one but me / Cynical, you can’t deny it.” It’s a surprising, but no less strong, sequence of phrases on which to launch Vampire Weekend’s fifth studio album, Only God Was Above Us. The album explores the status quo, including international conflicts, generational attitudes, and society’s unrelenting grip on historical traumas. And yet, Only God Was Above Us, named after a headline quote in the Daily News from a real-life Aloha Airlines flight incident in 1988, is not overtly political. Rather, it’s a musical commentary about fatalism and disillusionment, punctuated by an ultimate yearning for hope and progress. It’s the most cohesively inspired Vampire Weekend album yet, with the band diving head-first into a (mostly) New York City urban soundscape of grunge and grit (see the album cover image above) while not abandoning their gleeful chamber pop origins.  Continue reading “Album Review: Vampire Weekend, “Only God Was Above Us””

Album Review: Elbow, “Audio Vertigo”

‘You’re a pitiless millstone / Impossible check / You’re a lure to the shore / And the rocks and a wreck / You’re a slender and elegant foot on the neck / And I love you.’ Elbow frontman Guy Garvey delivers these poetically devastating lyrics on “The Picture,” one of twelve tracks from the band’s tenth studio album, Audio Vertigo. Elbow’s previous album, Flying Dream 1 (which landed on our Top 20 Albums of 2021 list), was whimsical and contemplative, and now the band has emerged post-pandemic with a boisterous spirit, delivering an album full of groovy hooks and dark romantic musings. Continue reading “Album Review: Elbow, “Audio Vertigo””

Film Review: “Kung Fu Panda 4”

Fourth time around, kung fu fighting animals still make for a fun outing

The Kung Fu Panda franchise has been a reliable family-friendly brand since the first film was released in 2008, spawning three sequels and a few television series. What could be more thrilling than adorable animals displaying kung fu moves if you’re a child? And for adults, kinetic animated action sequences and efficient running times are welcome. Despite the noticeable absence of some major characters, Kung Fu Panda 4 continues the series’ consistent level of fun, once again embracing its charismatic central protagonist while featuring abundant colorful fight sequences.

Continue reading “Film Review: “Kung Fu Panda 4””