Film Review: X-Men: Days of Future Past

Back to the future past!

So. Damn. Magnetizing. — He’s just so…magnetizing.

The only actors seemingly capable of producing the same intense chemistry with onscreen conversations as Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellan do…are Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy. Put them all in a movie together and it’s practically a how-to on acting. Throw in Hugh Jackman and Jennifer Lawrence and you now have one of the most talented ensembles ever. Oh, wait, Tyrion Lannister, err… Peter Dinklage, too?! With this billed cast, it could’ve been a biopic about the GEICO gecko and I’d get in line. Luckily for everyone, it’s actually X-Men: Days of Future Past, one of the best entries in the X-Men series (including all spinoffs, etc.) and an insanely fun film.

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Film Review: Words and Pictures

No matter how you paint this picture, there’s only one word for it: Bad

Clive Owen pretends like he’s in Dead Poets Society.

Australian director Fred Schepisi has an impressive resume; he’s directed the critically acclaimed pictures Roxanne, Six Degrees of Separation, and A Cry in the Darkness, among others. So naturally it’s disheartening that his newest film, Words and Pictures, is such a disappointment, especially considering it stars two high-caliber actors – – Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche. Unfortunately, writer Gerald Di Pego (Message in a Bottle; Angel Eyes) doesn’t give them much to work with, and Schepisi’s direction seems to echo the mediocrity of Di Pego’s script.

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Film Review: Godzilla

Roaring (and lumbering) back into action!

Godzilla's so vain, he probably thinks this movie's about him. — Godzilla’s so vain, he probably thinks this movie’s about him.

In comparison to 1998’s embarrassing excuse for a blockbuster, Godzilla (directed by Roland Emmerich), most popcorn flicks look Oscar worthy. What’s refreshing about 2014’s Godzilla, directed by Gareth Edwards (Monsters), is that it shows off some remarkably cool modern sequences while embracing the traditional look and feel of the classic Godzilla films and the summer movies of the late 70’s that established the blockbuster sub-genre. After the overload of monsters and CG destruction we see in movies these days, it’s a relief to know that there’s still room for a film to embrace the origins of both and still surprise us. Welcome back, Godzilla.

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Also in Theaters — 5/16/2014 — Chef / God’s Pocket / The Double

Film Review: Chef

Review by Gordon Elgart

This is one food truck you don't want to miss. — This is one food truck you don’t want to miss.

Jon Favreau writes, directs and stars in Chef, which is clearly a passion project about the passions of others. HIs main character, Chef Carl Casper, is a genius chef who’s been working for ten years in the restaurant of a man who does not appreciate genius chefs. One big night, a reviewer is coming to the restaurant to see what Chef Carl is making these days, and writes a scathing review which starts the events of the movie in motion. Chef Carl needs to put his life back together while balancing the relationship he has with his son, a child of his divorce.

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Final SFIFF Spotlights: Alex of Venice/Begin Again

Spinning Platters brings you two final spotlights from the 57th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF), which closed on Thursday with Chris Messina’s film Alex of Venice at the Castro, with many of the cast there for a fun Q&A. You can check out the Festival award winners here, and be sure to keep your eye out for many of these films as they are released throughout the year.

Alex of Venice
(USA 2014, 87 min)

Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Chris Messina in Alex of Venice.

The Mindy Project’s Chris Messina makes his directorial debut with this emotionally rich drama about the dissolution of a marriage. In the Q&A following the film, Messina cited Kramer vs. Kramer, Hannah and Her Sisters, and All the Real Girls as influencing his picture, and, indeed, all the best tonal elements of those films can be felt here. Strong performances from Mary Elizabeth Winstead as workaholic environmental attorney Alex, Katie Nehra as her more free-spirited sister, and Don Johnson as their actor father on the verge of a health crisis solidly anchor the film. Messina, as Alex’s unhappy husband George, and young Skylar Gaertner as Alex and George’s son Dakota round out the cast nicely, with Gaertner’s portrayal just as nuanced and sensitive as Justin Henry’s in Kramer vs. Kramer. A side story about Alex’s father appearing in The Cherry Orchard is a bit of a heavy-handed metaphor, but that’s just one small quibble with an otherwise excellent first feature. Continue reading “Final SFIFF Spotlights: Alex of Venice/Begin Again”

Film Review: Neighbors

It’s a very funny movie. What more do you need to know?

Zac Efron and Seth Rogen in Neighbors, in a scene chosen by me to get traffic if someone searches for "shirtless Zac Efron" — Zac Efron and Seth Rogen in Neighbors, in a scene chosen by me to get traffic if someone searches for “shirtless Zac Efron”

Comedy is subjective. What’s funny to you isn’t necessarily funny to me. There’s absolutely no way I can tell you that a movie is hilarious, and a must-see, and have it necessarily be the case for you. All that said, if you don’t think Neighbors is a very funny movie, I probably won’t take comedy recommendations from you in the future. It’s OK if you give me the same treatment. I’m guessing you won’t, though; this is as good as it gets in modern movie comedy. Continue reading “Film Review: Neighbors”

SFIFF Spotlights #8: The One I Love/Coast of Death/Night Moves

Spinning Platters brings you even more spotlights from the 57^th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF), which ends today, May 8th. Program notes and tickets available here. There are only a few screenings left, so hurry to catch the last showings, and you can also see many of the films as they open widely throughout the year.

The One I Love
(USA, 2014, 91 min)

Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass stand agape in THE ONE I LOVE

Romantic comedy meets The Twilight Zone, Charlie McDowell’s obscure relationship dramedy is a wonderful piece of bizarre metaphorical fiction. The story focuses on an unhappy married couple, Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass, who go to a beautifully secluded rural home to rekindle their love. Immediately, anomalies involving the adjacent guest house occur, and the film starts toying with our minds, offering continuous scenarios that beg the question, ‘how would I handle this?’ A quirky tone keeps the film upbeat, but the twists lead the characters down varied emotional routes, resulting in a whole new meaning to “couples therapy.”

The One I Love SFIFF Page: http://www.sffs.org/festival-home/attend/film-guide/the-one-i-love

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SFIFF Spotlights #7: Boyhood/Pioneer/Freedom Summer/Little Accidents

Spinning Platters brings you more spotlights from the 57^th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF), which continues through this Thursday, May 8th. Program notes and tickets available here. There is still plenty of time to catch some screenings, and you can also see many of the films as they open widely throughout the year.

Boyhood
(USA 2014, 162 min)

Life awaits young Mason (Ellar Coltrane) in Boyhood.

Stunning, remarkable, and amazing don’t begin to do justice to Richard Linklater’s new movie. Filmed over the course of 12 years using all the same actors, the picture follows young Mason (a captivating Ellar Coltrane) from the ages of six to 18; in one scene he’s maybe 8, and maybe 30 minutes later, he’s 12, in seamless transitions that will leave you astounded. The film could have just as easily been called Childhood or Parenthood (Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette are equally terrific as Mason’s parents), as it’s about nothing less than the ephemeral nature of time and the meaning of life itself. Is life just a series of events – marriages, divorces, birthdays, graduations? What can we count on in life besides change? Breathtakingly original and achingly poignant, Boyhood is sure to be on many critics’ top ten list at year end; I know it will be on mine.

Screenings:

Opens July 18^th at the Landmark Embarcadero Cinema

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Spinning Platters SFIFF Interview: David Zellner, writer/director — Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter

Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter has been spreading buzz around the festival circuit. The Zellner brothers’ new modern fable is a sight to see, a surreal experience to witness, and a cinematic treasure to behold. David Zellner, who co-wrote, directed, and plays a crucial supporting character in the film, sat down with me outside the theatre in which it was screening to discuss the film:

Can you give us a brief history of Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter?

Yeah, my brother and I heard about it [the urban legend] in 2001. The urban legend began circulating online and this was before Twitter and Facebook, so it was through message boards. It was very cryptic, basically saying ‘Japanese woman went from Tokyo to Minnesota for this mythical fortune’. It was so mysterious to us because of the limited information and because the idea of someone going on a treasure hunt in the modern day world was such an antiquated notion. It’s something from the age of exploration. Especially in a time now where there’s less mystery in the world. Information is more readily available. Everything is mapped out, no uncharted land. So we liked the idea of someone on this antiquated quest, but set in the year 2001.

Is that why ‘conquistadors’ are such a prevalent theme in your film?

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SFIFF Spotlights #6: Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter / Fed Up / Stand Up Planet

Spinning Platters brings you more spotlights from the 57^th San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF), which continues through Thursday, May 8th. Program notes and tickets available here.

Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter
(USA, 2014, 105 min)

Rinko Kikuchi in David Zellner's KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER — Rinko Kikuchi in David Zellner’s KUMIKO, THE TREASURE HUNTER

Based on rumors, urban legends, and some odd, tragic headlines from the early 2000s, Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter is a modern fable that mixes an assortment of thought-provoking themes into a tonally masterful picture. The Zellner brothers, David and Nathan, direct Babel veteran Rinko Kikuchi in the story of an emotionally lost, socially awkward, and solitary woman (aside from her closest friend, an adorable pet bunny named Bunzo) who journeys in search of the briefcase full of money that was hidden in the North Dakota snow by Steve Buscemi in Fargo. Weird premise, yes. Fascinating character piece, you betcha!

SFIFF info about the film here.

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