The 46th Mill Valley Film Festival is now underway! For a full view of special awards, spotlights, and centerpiece films, check out the complete festival guide. Tickets can be purchased here.
Below is our third preview of the Festival, featuring brief looks at four more films (If you missed our other preview posts, you can find them here and here):
1.) MONSTER
(Japan, 2023. 126 min. In Japanese with English subtitles)
Monster is a masterfully told story of clashing perspectives, literally and cinematically, helmed by Japanese auteur director Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters). Delivered from shifting character point-of-views, Monster focuses on a sequence of school incidents involving a student, Minato (Soya Kurokawa), and his concerned single mother, Saori (Sakura Ando). The screenplay by Yûji Sakamoto is layered and nuanced, diving into the messy emotions and fallacies that make us human, and the unintended consequences of our actions. Even deeper yet, Monster is a meditative commentary on the precarious relationship between parents and teachers, teachers and students, and students with themselves.
Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Sat., Oct. 7th, 3:00pm at BAMPFA
– Thurs., Oct. 12th, 4:00pm at the Smith Rafael Film Center
2.) FALLEN LEAVES
(Finland, Germany, 2023. 81 min. In Finnish with English subtitles.)
Quirky and sardonic, Fallen Leaves is a crowd-pleasing romantic drama centered on Ansa (Alma Pöysti) and Holappa (Jussi Vatanen), two Finnish workers yearning for love. The movie’s wry and observant tone is reminiscent of Jim Jarmusch’s films, and even makes direct reference to one. Director Aki Kaurismäki (The Other Side of Hope) captures a slowly paced side of Helsinki, where good work isn’t easy to come by, and simply passing the time comes naturally. In the backdrop, the Russian-Ukranian war rages on news radio, emphasizing the dichotomy between the leads’ romantic yearnings and larger world issues.
Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Fri., Oct. 13th, 7:15pm at BAMPFA
– Sat., Oct. 14th, 2:45PM at CinéArts Sequoia
3.) THE RIGHT TO READ
(USA, 2023. 79 min.)
The Right to Read explores the harsh reality of an ineffective literacy curriculum in the US, and the new science-based approach slowly being introduced. Spearheaded by the Oakland NAACP’s Kareem Weaver and Bay Area first-grade teacher Sabrina Causey, the film traces the impact that historically low literacy levels among Black and minority children have on career success and quality of life. What needs to be done, and changed, to ensure children receive a solid reading foundation?
Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Sat., Oct. 14th, 4:15PM at CinéArts Sequoia
– Sun., Oct. 15th, 12:00pm at The Lark Theater
4.) FAST CHARLIE
(USA, 2023. 90 min.)
Based on the 2001 crime novel Gun Monkeys by Victor Gischler, Fast Charlie takes clashing crime family violence to the South. Pierce Brosnan stars as the titular Charlie, a hitman on the cusp of retiring who’s unwillingly pulled back into a regional mob conflict after one last task goes sideways. The film also features one of James Caan’s final roles. The script throws plenty of black humor, violent character demises, and tough-guy banter into the mix, creating a winking adult-oriented thrill ride.
Screenings (click here for tickets):
– Sat., Oct. 7th, 7:30pm at Smith Rafael Film Center
– Mon., Oct. 9th, 2:00pm at CinéArts Sequoia
