So many costume dramas come dead on arrival, concentrating more on re-creating, rather than creating, an era. Two recent yawn-inducing samples: “The Duchess” and “The Young Victoria.”
On the other hand, Benoit Jacquot’s “Farewell, My Queen” — opening night feature at the San Francisco International Film Festival in April and now in local theaters — unfolds with urgency. Its intense focus is on events of given moments, rather than events of history. Read More
Ask Suzanne Ramsey to suggest a film that gives a legitimate taste of burlesque and she won’t be touting the recent Hollywood outing starring Cher and Christina Aguilera.
Instead, she recommends “On Tour” — and not just because she stars in it.
Her film, by French actor and director Mathieu Amalric, closes this year’s San Francisco International Film Festival and, according to Ramsey, is a lot truer to the world of new burlesque, for which she is an active proponent. Read More
The 54th annual San Francisco International Film Festival presents a bewildering variety of movies in its lineup of nearly 200 selections, exemplifying both the beauty and drawback of film festivals. The assortment is amazing, but sometimes the brief capsule summaries in program guides aren’t helpful, steering patrons in wrong directions, and not necessarily to the best offerings. Here is a short list of recommended films:
Beginners Read More
Roger Ebert may get “thumbs up” for dry wit and “four stars” for intelligence, but even those two rating systems — both of which he helped fertilize — don’t fully articulate the true value of the famous film critic and historian. Read More
