The 65th SFFilm Festival opened on Thursday and will run through Sunday, May 1st, so there’s still plenty of time to check out some new films this weekend and through next week. Here’s a look at four more offerings.
1.) NAVALNY
(USA/Germany/Russia, 2022. 98 min)
Back in late January, nobody knew just how relevant this documentary about Russian opposition leader, poisoning victim, and current prisoner Alexi Navalny would be just a few weeks later, as the Russians invaded Ukraine. Nominated for Sundance’s Documentary Grand Jury prize and winning both the Festival Favorite Award and the Audience U.S. Documentary Award, this portrait of courage is as relevant as it is intriguing. An eye opening look at Russian politics, director Daniel Roher’s film shouldn’t be missed.
Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Sat., April 23rd, 4:30pm at the Castro
– If you miss Saturday’s screening, the film is also available on CNN.
2) Both Sides of the Blade (AKA Fire)
(France, 2022. 116 min)
French director Claire Denis (of Chocolat fame) won the Silver Bear Directing award at the Berlin International Film Festival for this relationship drama, so apparently the Berlin jury likes overwrought melodramas more than I do. Juliette Binoche’s Sara is caught between her husband and her old boyfriend, who also happens to be her husband’s friend and business partner. None of the characters are particularly likable, and by midway through the picture, I really didn’t care what happened to any of the players or who got hurt. The film plays out like Marriage Story on steroids, so your enjoyment of it may depend on your tolerance for overhearing other couple’s bitter arguments. Side stories about Sara’s troubled stepson and her radio show guests feel tacked on and not well integrated with the main plot.
Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Sat., April 23rd, 8:00pm at the Castro
– If you miss Saturday’s screening, the film will will be in theaters in limited release in early July.
3) Sell/Buy/Date
(USA, 2022. 97 min)
Writer/performer Sarah Jones brings her controversial one woman 2016 off-Broadway show to the screen in an unconventional way that sometimes works and sometimes falls flat, but always holds our attention. She faced significant pushback turning her show about sex work into a documentary, and she incorporates that hostility into the film. The result is a a film that sometimes feels too focused on Jones and her handwringing, but still offers a multifaceted look at sex work from those who think it’s exploitation and those who think it’s empowering, expecially with regard to its intersection with race and class. Incorporating the characters from her live show (all of whom Jones plays) sometimes feels too gimmicky and out of place for the seriousness of the subject, but the real life interviews lend the film its gravitas. And a particularly intimate story told by Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston is as emotionally charged a moment as any documentarian could hope for.
Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Sun., April 24th, 5:30pm at the Vogue Theater
4) La Guerra Civil
(UK/USA/Mexico, 2022. 102 min)
Actress Eva Longoria’s first film, a documentary about the 1996 boxing match between Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez and Mexican American Oscar De La Hoya, not only is a terrific sports story, but also a thoughtful and reflective look at the larger cultural implications of the duo’s rivalry. The film explores what the match meant to both countries, and, in doing so, considers issues of identity and belonging. De La Hoya provided Longoria with a lot of never before seen footage, giving viewers a fascinating insider’s view.
Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Sun., April 24th, 7:45pm at BAMPFA, Berkeley
