#sfiff58

DC: This film's reach exceeds it's grasp by a fairly wide margin. While the premise was undeniably excellent— high concept sci-fi at the level of Philip K. Dick—the execution missed the mark widely here. What we ended up with was a tediously long A-line with no significant B-line, the totality of which could have been condensed into a half-hour short. While the visual effects were very impressive for an indie film, and the acting wasn't terrible, neither could make up for the slow pacing, lackluster screenwriting, and lack of overall cohesion. C-.

DC:This film receives a solid "A" in my book for delivering exactly what it promises: Lots of laughs, amusing characters, and a look into what it's like to work at completely unique and interesting job--cartoon editor for The New Yorker. Aside from one or two NSFW comics, the film is rated great, light-hearted fun for the whole family. MK: I arrived late to this showing, and can't give a complete review. From what I saw, it was a great peek into the inner workings of the New Yorker cartoon department, and full of delightful cuts to both published and failed pieces. This storyline held its own, and was somewhat confused by occasional attempts to delve into the genius and personal struggles of the cartoon editor, which I found distracting and unnecessary.

DC: The Wolfpack, the true story of 7 brothers (who look like they could have been septuplets) forced to live since birth within a small apartment in the Lower East Side, is documentary gold and also just about as weird as you'd expect. The film chronicles the unusual lives and upbringing of these home-schooled, movie-imitating brothers as they take their first tentative steps into the outside world, against the injunctions of their bizarre, controlling father. You don't know whether to feel sorry or incensed at their effectively enslaved yet caring mother for acquiescing to this stunted, cloistered existence. What surprised me about this film was actually how normal the brothers were, in spite of an upbringing so sheltered that it should be considered child abuse. Surely it helped that there were seven of them and that they got along well, but aside from speaking mainly in movie cliches and not knowing what the internet is, they didn't seem all that unusual, especially in New York City. Going into it, I expected them to be a little bit weirder or worse for the wear, but they seemed like surprisingly normal kids. Overall this one gets a B+, mainly due to the sheer social anthropology of it. I mean, how often do subjects like this come along? Credit goes to newcomer director Crystal Moselle for not messing with the story or injecting an agenda; it was pure documentation. A highly original and engaging--although very weird--moviegoing experience. MK: About as odd as the premise promised, this allows the viewer to peek into a family that could be perceived as distinctly other, without presenting a specific bias. The boys have been largely left to their own devices in life, reenacting and recording their favorite films from the seclusion of their home throughout their childhood, and now that they have broken free of that seclusion, roaming New York City at will, soaking in the wonder that is society. The story is told largely from their perspective, full of naivety and optimism, and tinged with much unease about their father, lounging away in the next room, seemingly waiting to explode. The intimations of abuse without full accusation is at times difficult to comprehend, though understandable, as it is told by the (potentially) abused, who really don't know any other life. They are all surprisingly plucky and resilient, and have a spirited, supportive relationship between them that is encouraging to watch. While this story is fascinating and unique, portraying a potentially wrought past, a difficult present, and a hopeful future, I struggle to feel that this was a story that needed to be told, and worry that its strength is in the act of voyeurism.

DC: I was floored by Chef's Table, an episodic series following exceptional chefs of the world. It was so good as a composition that it actually made me wish there was an extra star in the Netflix rating system so that I could award them what I felt this show was worth. I'll confess that yes, I love movies about food, but this production objectively raised the bar--everything from the I-dont-know-how-they-found-this-guy characters, to the perfect cinematography (shot in 4K with incredible lenses), to the outstanding musical score, to the granular attention to detail in each shot of the food. Everything converges symphonically to deliver a vivid, fresh, and multi-layered experience which in fact parallels the dining experience at a multi-star restaurant. No doubt this was intentional. Hats-off to Netflix and the production team for this one. A+.

DC: This movie is about the late David Foster Wallace, a writer so sublime, and the loss of whom so heavy that one can't help but to selfishly feel that he should have refrained from taking his own life if only so the rest of us could have continued to bask in his genius. I missed the boat on Infinite Jest, but in the summer of 2009 I read A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again and was instantly hooked, and continued to read all of his nonfiction. As this movie touches on, you read a DFW novel not to be taken away from reality but to see a vision of reality through his eyes. His hyper-acute attention to detail and machete-like vivisection of the world and it's people made even banal settings like the Illinois State Fair come alive with detail, personality, and devastating insight. Thus, it's fair to say the bar was set pretty high for this film--perhaps so high that it could never possibly have been hurdled. I'd had my misgivings about the casting choice of Jason Segel from the get-go, and while I'm certain he did the best job he possibly could have, I felt that the genius of the author simply did not shine through in his portrayal. It's my opinion that Jason, who is excellent in comedic roles, lacks certain qualities of mind necessary to realistically portray an intellect like David Foster Wallace--which is not to undermine Segel, as DFW is so unique that the vast majority of actors are also going to lack those qualities. Thus, in watching the film, you get the sense that it was Jason Segel playing Jason Segel, which was not bad per se, but seemed to be of a lower resolution than the voice on the page. I give the film a B and not a B- only because the script, being mostly dialog, was clearly tough to work with. I'm looking forward to whomever finds a way to produce a DFW script the format of which is a bit more creative and intellectually stimulating. MK: I haven't spent time with David Foster Wallace's work, outside of the short story A Supposedly Fun Thing..., so I came to this film without much knowledge of his supposed genius, and without expectations for Segel's portrayal. The character, as he was portrayed in the film, was certainly interesting and conflicted, and full of the devastation of introspection and acute observation. He was interesting to spend time with, particularly without having a traditional character's trajectory; it was curious to spend time with a creative during a time when they are not creating. I appreciated that this film explored a slice of this man's life, and the brief and somewhat messy relationship with the Rolling Stone author, which serves to create the bulk of the story and conflict. However, it felt a bit self-serving to the latter of these two Davids, who managed to stretch a six day stint with this author into a full blown, if unflattering, memoir. A true buddy film, this film in no way passes the Bechdel test.

DC: This movie was the "Surprise Screening" at this year's SFIFF, meaning nobody in the audience knew what it would be until the movie started. Fortunately I was not disappointed, and was treated to a heartwarming and at times heartwrenching story about a likeable, aging once-singer now-widower who is trying to overcome both the loss of her husband 20 years ago, and coming to terms with growing old. Effortlessly portrayed by the relatable and ever-graceful Blythe Danner, this film makes quick work of the Bechdel Test (a term I actually came to know as a result of this film), in presenting an almost entirely female-driven cast in which the male roles are relegated to the two-dimensional periphery normally reserved for female characters--a welcome reversal. Equal parts humorous and touching, director and co-screenwriter Brett Haley make both filmmaking and storytelling look easy. I give it a B+.

DC: Grade: B / B+. The Second Mother, (Portugese title: "Que Horas Ela Volta?" (When will she come back?)) is an interesting mixture of comedic familial drama and class commentary, but it errs more on the side of family, focusing on the relationship between a housemaid and her estranged daughter, who is intellectually enlightened and is shocked when she finds that her mother has taken a job as what is in her eyes a second-class citizen. The story is principally about the complex relationship between the mother and her headstrong daughter. The male characters in the film (the wealthy father and his son) are two-dimensionally drawn as creepy and interested only in leering at the daughter, and we spend far too many awkward scenes dwelling on this tension. On the other hand, the performance from the titular "Second Mother", is charming and effortlessly engaging, and the daughter herself plays her part perfectly as well. Overall it is an excellent film which avoids any pitfalls of focusing too much on emotion or class issues, and ends up finding a delightful balance.

MK: This served as an interesting contrast to Postman's White Nights, as it was also a bleak tale of unmotivated passive characters, dealing with their lives as little as possible, punctuated by dry humor and hilarious cuts to disaffected domesticated animals. Perhaps because this film was more American and moved at a quicker pace it felt easier to watch, but the characters were even more insufferable, as they were a product of their own delinquencies. The weight of this film rested on Jason Schwartzmann's performance, who carried it well. After awhile, I do find it a bit exhausting to champion fools.