Thomas Vinterberg’s film adaptation of Far From The Madding Crowd opens on a long shot of Bathsheba Everdene (a terrific Carey Mulligan) opening the door to a dark barn. Illuminated by just a glimmer of light, she’s dressed sensibly in a leather coat and trousers, readying her horse. In voiceover, she explains that some say she’s […]
All Articles
Docs Iris and Best of Enemies delight and educate
Opening weekend of the San Francisco International Film Festival featured a wide range of documentaries, from the delightful and impressive Iris to the educational if somewhat disappointing Best of Enemies. Here’s a look at these two films. Iris **** Master documentarian Albert Maysle’s final film is an introduction to the lively, fashionable, and fabulous 93-year-old New York […]
Weekend 1 at SFIFF: Mr. Holmes, Entertainment, and Sand Dollars
Set in the Dominican Republic, Sand Dollars follows a local twenty-something Noeli (Yanet Mojica) who makes her living by sleeping with the rich European tourists.
Maxime Giroux on his wonderful Hasidic Jew romance Felix and Meira
Maxime Giroux discusses his new film about a Hasidic Jewish woman in Montreal who is thinking about leaving her community. It won Best Canadian Film at TIFF 2014.
Women shine behind the camera at SFIFF58
One of the great pleasures of attending the San Francisco International Film Festival is the ability to binge on films by female auteurs, which are much harder to come by throughout the year. This year, you can catch Helen Hunt’s sophomore feature, Ride, a follow-up to her wonderful debut “Then She Found Me.” It’s also […]
Ex Machina is yet another film about boys and their toys
Ex Machina isn’t just misogynistic; it gets the science wrong, too.