Rants and Ruminations

One of the Bay Area’s top cinema events is back – the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (SFJFF) , running through August 6 at the Castro, the Piedmont and the Vogue. The SFJFF is the world’s oldest and largest Jewish film festival, and the program offers 68 films from 18 countries. Here are four movies to seek out:

• Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy: This remarkably insightful documentary explores the making of Midnight Cowboy and its place both in cinema and in American culture. Midnight Cowboy won Oscars for Best Picture, Director and Adapted Screenplay, all with an X-rating. Sure, we know Midnight Cowboy as a groundbreaking film, but Desperate Souls argues that it both reflected the zeitgeist of the moment and opened new possibilities in American filmmaking. Filmmaker Nancy Buirski builds her case with superb sourcing, including the unique perspective of Jennifer Salt who observed her father, screenwriter Waldo Salt, and director John Schlesinger birth the film; she also acted in the movie and came to date its star, Jon Voight. Voight himself bookends the film with emotionally powerful reflections.
• Erica Jong: Breaking the Wall: Erica Jong, celebrity author of bestsellers and popularizer of feminist and erotic writing, has led a fascinating life, and documentarian Kaspar Kasics has the good sense to let a great storyteller unspool her own story. We get a full dose of Erica Jong, both in contemporary footage and in archival television interviews. For all her notoriety, Jong has consistently served as what we used to call a public intellectual (and now call a thought leader). Jong is remarkably prescient in her 20th century television interviews (and faced some cringeworthy sexism from the likes of David Susskind and Merv Griffin). Kasics also lets us hear Jong and her sister recalling their unusual childhood and gives us a glimpse inside Jong’s current marriage.
• My Neighbor Adolph: In this wry fable from Russian-born Israeli filmmaker Leon Prudovsky, chess master Polsky (David Hayman) has lost all his family in the Holocaust. Consumed by grief and bitterness, he lives the life of a misanthropic recluse in a remote South American countryside. Polsky is rocked when the long-vacant house next door becomes occupied by a mysterious German (the piercing-eyed Ugo Kier), who Polsky becomes convinced is Adolph Hitler himself. To convince skeptical authorities of his theory, Polsky must get past his terror and loathing to personally engage with the neighbor. A battle of wits between two strong-willed men ensues, and Hayman and Kier are superb.
• The Secret of Human Flight: Always expect something we’ve never seen before from director H.P. Mendoza, this time working from a screenplay by Jesse Orenshein. Ben (Grant Rodenmeyer) is shocked by the sudden death of his wife and writing partner (Rena Hardesty). His grief plunges the neurotic Ben into psychosis and he is vulnerable enough to embrace a self-help guru (Paul Raci – Oscar-nominated for his unforgettable performance in The Sound of Metal as a tough rehab counselor for the hearing-impaired). Everyone except Ben can see red flags blaring that this purported mystic is really a con man – he has only one handwritten copy of the book that he hawks on infomercial videos, he lives in an RV with New Mexico plates and his name is Mealworm. H.P. Mendoza is a Bay Area treasure, having written and directed the rollicking and refreshing comedy Colma: The Musical, the genre-bending art film I Am a Ghost and the topical dark comedy Bitter Melon. (Watch for a cameo by L.A. Renigen, star of Colma: A Musical.) Check out bits of Raci’s performance in the irresistible trailer below.

The 2023 SLO Film Fest has opened. I’ve screened over a dozen of the features, and here are eight that you shouldn’t miss:

• Scrapper: Georgie, a precocious 12-year-old girl, thinks that she is independently living her best life, until the unexpected appearance of the dad she hasn’t known. In her first feature, British writer-director Charlotte Regan has created a deliciously charming character, played to roguish perfection by Lola Campbell. Harris Dickinson (Triangle of Sadness) is very good as the dad. The screenplay, about loss, connection and second chances, is brimming with humanity. Won the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema/Dramatic at Sundance.
• BlackBerry: This is the funny true story of Canadian geeks who find themselves suddenly dominating the nascent smartphone market…but only for a while. It’s an odd couple pairing of co-CEOs – a shy and brilliant engineer (Jay Baruchal) and brutally obnoxious master of the pitch (Glenn Howerton). Engineering and marketing genius, paired with breathtaking audacity, take them to the top. Unfortunately, hubris is generated, too. BlackBerry is a a surefire audience-pleaser. Make sure you watch the end credits to see what happened to the real guys.
• Rodeo: A remarkably fierce young woman invites herself into a crew of dirt riders, Rodeo is set with remarkable verisimilitude in a subculture of young bikers from France’s hardscrabble immigrant communities. First feature for French director Lola Quivoron, who is the real star of this ever kinetic, roller coaster of a movie. If she wants to, Quivoron will be making big Hollywood action films like The Fast and the Furious. Won the Un Certain Regard coup de coeur prize at Cannes.
• The Grab: This exposé is an important documentary at the level of An Inconvenient Truth. The Grab documents and clearly explains the global grab for food and water resources by corporations and nations. Impressively researched, The Grab is engrossing and sobering.
• Mediterranean Fever: A depressive writer becomes friends with his shady neighbor and the two embark on a dark journey. Second feature for Palestinian director Maha Haj. I don’t want to describe the tone of Mediterranean Fever, like I do many films, as “darkly funny” because the tone is singular. Haj has written a story about that unfunniest of topics, depression, and keeps us watching with subtle, observational humor. Won the Un Certain Regard screenplay prize at Cannes.
• Everybody Wants to Be Loved: This German dramedy is a triumph of the harried mom genre. As a psychotherapist, Ina (Anne Ratte-Polle) spends her workdays listening to whining and naval-gazing. Then she goes home to her self-absorbed boyfriend and her teen daughter – and the job of teenagers is to be self-absorbed. Nobody is more narcissistic and entitled than Ina’s mom. It’s the mom’s birthday, and she is rampaging with demands. The daughter is threatening to move in with Ina’s ex, and the boyfriend wants to move the family to Finland for his career. As Ina is swirling around this vortex of egotism, she gets some sobering news about her own health. As everyone converges on the birthday party, what could possibly go wrong? First feature for director and co-writer Katharina Woll. 
• Searching for Sugar Man: Great choice for a retrospective by SLO Film Fest programmers. This doc is about a modest guy who didn’t know that he was a rock star. For real. Won the 2013 Oscar for Best Feature Documentary.
• Dusty and Stones: For an unadulterated Feel Good movie, it’s hard to beat this little documentary that layers on the improbabilities. It’s about a Country Western duo from Swaziland (since renamed Eswatini) who get a chance to visit Nashville and compete in a Texas country music festival. Who knew there was a Country Western music scene in Swaziland, complete with line dancing and Stetsons? There are plenty of nuggets here., beginning with the guys’ unbounded joy at hearing their music recorded with the very best Nashville studio equipment and session musicians. And they explain to the denizens of an African-American barbershop that they are headed for a country music festival in a small East Texas town. And, sitting in a Nashville motel, they contemplate their first Taco Bell cuisine. It’s a little movie, but it’s a hoot.

The SLO Film Fest runs in-person through April 30 in San Luis Obispo. The encore week, from April 30 through May 7, will feature both live screenings in Paso Robles and much of the program being available virtually. Peruse the program and get your tickets at SLO Film Fest. Here’s a teaser for BlackBerry.

The 2023 SLO Film Fest opens on April 25 with its characteristic mix of aspirational cinema and sheer fun. The tagline is Let’s Go Back to the Movies, and it’s hard to guess which event figures to be the most exuberant. Here are some contenders:

• Opening night: Highlighted with a screening of BlackBerry, the funny true story of Canadian geeks who find themselves suddenly dominating the nascent smartphone market…but not for long. SLO Film Fest Executive Director Skye McLennan calls out BlackBerry as especially fun to see with an audience because of its mix of humor and nostalgia. Popular so far with critics and film festival audiences, this movie should be a surefire audience-pleaser.
• E.T. at the drive-in: Your opportunity to introduce a carload of kids to E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial at the Sunset Drive-In. It’s a 4K restoration, and this year you can bike in, just like Elliott and his pal in the basket.
• Surf Nite: In what McLennan calls “the Rocky Horror Picture Show for surfers”, an episode of HBO’s 100 Foot Wave will presented by Big Wave legend Garret McNamara (who set a world record for surfing 78-foot wave at Nazaré, Portugal). With drinks in the lobby and music from the Boomer Surf Band, the Fremont Theater audience should be stoked.

Cinephiles will be drawn to an impressive cohort of international films, each written and directed by a new female director – and each already an award-winner. Any film festival would be proud to present these four films. As McLennan says, this program “brings the world to SLO.”

• Scrapper: A precocious 12-year-old girl thinks that she is independently living her best life, until the unexpected appearance of the dad she hasn’t known. Won the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema/Dramatic at Sundance. First feature for British director Charlotte Regan.
• Our Father, the Devil: An African immigrant in France is rocked when an African priest shows up in her workplace – and he could actually be the savage warlord who traumatized her in her homeland. Nominated for an Independent Spirit Award and has won the best picture award at 13 film festivals so far. First feature for Cameroon-born, American director Ellie Foumbi.
• Mediterranean Fever: A depressive writer becomes friends with his shady neighbor and the two embark on a dark journey. Won the Un Certain Regard screenplay prize at Cannes. Second feature for Palestinian director Maha Haj.
• Rodeo: A remarkably fierce young woman invites herself into a crew of dirt riders, Won the Un Certain Regard coup de coeur prize at Cannes. First feature for French director Lola Quivoron.

There’s plenty more, with over 40 features, workshops and over ten programs of shorts. I’m screening my way through the program, and will post my MUST SEE recommendations before the fest opens.

The SLO Film Fest will be in-person from April 25-30 in San Luis Obispo. The encore week, from April 30 through May 7, will feature both live screenings in Paso Robles and much of the program being available virtually. Peruse the program and get your tickets at SLO Film Fest.

Julie Ledru in RODEO. Courtesy of SLO Film Fest.

Not everyone experiences love in the same way, and the SLO Film Fest has curated a program of short films that reflect that diversity.  The five films, which total 76 minutes, are:

• A Real One: As different as night and day, Lauren and Keisha, two 17-year-old girls entering their final weeks of senior year, stand on the cusp of adulthood when Lauren is forced to reveal a secret that threatens their lifelong friendship.
• Dear Mama…: Set in the 1990s in South LA, a family grieves a recent loss and is forced to confront the emotional aftermath of their own tragedy before taking the first steps to heal.
• Jahleel & Star: In an intimate portrayal of the effects incarceration has on families, two siblings travel to see their father in prison. World Premiere.
• The Marigolds Listen: With a shift in perspective, the filmmaker takes on the point of view of a bouquet of flowers that thrives or wilts in reaction to a couple’s relationship.
• We Were Meant to: In a world where Black men have wings and their first flight is a rite of passage, Akil must defy his own fears, insecurities, and societal barriers while discovering his perfect launch into manhood.

The moderated in-person screening is sponsored by the City of San Luis Obispo. Before the screening, R.A.C.E. Matters SLO is hosting a brunch mixer with appetizers, bubbles, and exciting updates.

The $30 brunch begins at 10:30 AM at Saint’s Barrel; purchase brunch tickets here. The film program, which is free, starts at 1 PM at the Fremont; register for the free screening here.

Here’s tonight’s Oscar Dinner, with dishes inspired by each of the Best Picture nominees.. Clockwise from lower left:

• Peanut butter, bacon and banana sandwich, grilled in butter for Elvis: Had to go with Elvis’ favorite comfort food; it can’t be any worse than the Baz Luhrman movie. I actually ate this sandwich, which I later determined was unwise.
• Fruit Loops, with a cell phone on the table from Top Gun: Maverick: When Maverick staggers into a rural diner after electing from his test flight, the kid is eating Fruit Loops. And Maverick has to buy a round at the bar because he puts his cell phone on the bar. BTW the diner is director Joseph Kosinski’s reference to Cecil’s Cafe, a beloved, now defunct, diner in his hometown of Marshalltown, Iowa.
• Severed finger ice sculpture and Guinness Stout for The Banshees of Inisherin. Colm and Pádraic shared pints of Guinness every day until Colm started thunking his fingers on Pádraic’s front door. We tried floating the fingers in the Guinness, but it was a failure.
• Applesauce for Women Talking: A kid is given a dose of medicine in applesauce. And it just seemed like a Mennonite kind of thing.
• Everything bagel from Everything Everywhere All at Once: It’s obvious. And we could have gone with hot dog fingers, Chinese noodles or birthday goodies.
• Blueberry shrub for Avatar: the Way of Water: We’re prompted by the vivid color palette, and we’re not alone. Avatar: The Way of Water has spawned a food experience with its own Satu’li Canteen at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park.  The Ocean Moon Bowl, for example, is made with tuna, blue noodles, watermelon radish, pickled daikon, rainbow carrots, avocado, cucumbers and red cabbage with a miso and sweet soy drizzle.
• Nutella from Triangle of Sadness: One of the film’s wry jokes is the express delivery to the luxury yacht of what must surely be something exquisite, and it turns out to be Nutella, Europe’s least magical food item.
• Roast goose wing from All Quiet on the Western Front: Paul’s squad steals a goose from a farm near their trench and enjoy a rare moment of culinary bliss.
• German macaroni (käsespätzle) and endive salad for Tar: We used an Austrian recipe from The Wife’s family. And Lydia Tar would want a bougie salad like this endive salad with apples and pecans.
• Scrambled eggs from The Fabelmans: In an emotionally loaded kitchen encounter, Sammy’s mom Mitzi distractedly messes up the eggs (but Sammy eats them anyway).