Film Feature: Carrie’s Top 10 Films of 2013

Spinning Platters film critics Carrie Kahn and Chad Liffmann present their Top 10 Films of 2013.  Here’s Carrie’s list, presented in alphabetical order.

1.) All is Lost
Robert Refdord struggles against the elements in All is Lost.
Robert Redford struggles against the elements in All is Lost.

That a film with just a single actor and virtually no dialog can be absolutely riveting is a testament both to Robert Redford’s brilliant acting and to writer/director J.C. Chandor’s exceptional skill at his craft. Redford says more with his rugged face and worried eyes than most actors do with a wordy, five-star script. Not since Jaws and The Perfect Storm has a film so totally absorbed us in a man-against-sea survival story. And Chandor’s ambiguous ending lends itself to hours of debate and discussion; everyone who has seen this film has a strong opinion, and that a near-silent film can generate such passion makes it special and noteworthy. Continue reading “Film Feature: Carrie’s Top 10 Films of 2013”

SFIFF Spotlights #2: Thérèse / Chaika / Blackfish

Our coverage of the 56th Annual San Francisco International Film Festival (SFIFF) continues with a spotlight on three more festival films.  Check out the SFIFF website for more info and tickets:  http://festival.sffs.org/

Thérèse
(France 2012 105 min; French with English subtitles)

Audrey Tautou as Thérèse.
Audrey Tautou as Thérèse

Cast against type, Audrey Tautou suppresses her inner gamine to mope her way through Thérèse as the title character in French director Claude Miller’s final film. “Marriage will save me from the disorder in my head,” melancholy Thérèse says as she marries for status, not love, in 1920s rural France. Rebellious and unhappy, Thérèse makes decisions with serious consequences for her family. Francophiles will relish the lush cinematography, gorgeous period costumes, and Tautou’s muted performance.

Next showing:
Will open in limited release nationwide on August 23, 2013.

 

Continue reading “SFIFF Spotlights #2: Thérèse / Chaika / Blackfish”