Some films worth checking out
In navigating the offerings of the SFFilm Festival, it’s important to remember that there are movies for almost every taste, whether you like the bizarre, the straightforward, the serious, the not-so-serious or all of them rolled into one. Here are some
Ma Rosa
Without a frame of melodrama, this powerful film follows a Filipino family caught up in crystal-meth charges and police corruption. The police raid on the family is gritty, realistic filmmaking at its best, and Jaclyn Rose, as the mother, won the best actress award at Cannes, no doubt in large part to her quietly devastating final scene. 6 p.m. April 8, Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive; 5:30 p.m. April 16, Roxie.
To see a trailer: www.tinyurl.com/h8ks6jd
Half-Life in Fukushima
Except for the cleanup crews, there are few people left in Fukushima, the Chernobyl of Japan, since a tsunami created a nuclear disaster there. But that hasn’t stopped farmer Naoto Matsumura from trying to restore his old life, and this documentary follows him as he ambles through radioactive zones. The experience is haunting and sad. 6:30 p.m. April 13, Yerba Buena; 3:30 p.m. April 17 and 2 p.m. April 19, Roxie.
To see a trailer: www.tinyurl.com/gvtm7hl
The House of Tomorrow
In a welcome story twist, a sheltered American teen named Sebastian, from a liberal, futurist household, befriends a rebellious, aspiring punk rocker from an evangelical household. Ellen Burstyn, as Sebastian’s grandmother, heads a charming ensemble cast. 3:45 p.m. April 8, SFMOMA; 4:15 p.m. April 9, Dolby; 6:45 p.m. April 13, SFMOMA.
Score: A Film Music Documentary
Slightly geeky and infectiously entertaining, this informative movie sheds light on a little-understood but incredibly important art form: film music. Many of the best composers in the business appear onscreen to discuss their craft, and of course, the music soars. 1 p.m. April 9, Dolby; 3 p.m. April 11, SFMOMA; 8:30 p.m. April 17, Victoria.
To see a trailer: www.tinyurl.com/z3kgeqe
Marjorie Prime
This intelligent science fiction drama concerns a woman who uses a computergenerated version of her late husband to help preserve her fading memories. It’s a very well-acted film, thanks to Jon Hamm, Lois Smith, Tim Robbins and Geena Davis, who after all these years away from the big screen still looks amazing. 8:45 p.m. April 6, Castro; 6 p.m. April 9, Yerba Buena.
To see a trailer: www.tinyurl.com/hq77xou
God’s Own Country
In this gritty, timely and wonderfully moving romantic drama, an emotionally challenged Yorkshire farmer falls for a Romanian migrant, who teaches the young man how to connect with animals — and humans. It’s an homage to “Brokeback Mountain,” only with undercurrents of immigrant tensions and rural malaise — and a much more optimistic outlook. Don’t miss it. 5 p.m. April 15, Roxie; 8:30 p.m. April 17, Alamo.
To see a trailer: www.tinyurl.com/ms5jpvd
The Ornithologist
Bizarre, surreal, erotic and ultimately satisfying, this mind-bender from Portugal follows an ornithologist who can’t seem to stay out trouble when he ventures out into the woods for a bird-watching expedition. This is one strange mix of birds, sex and religious imagery, but it’s hard not be hypnotized by it all. 8:30 p.m. April 15, BAMPFA; 5 p.m. April 16, SFMOMA.
To see a trailer: www.tinyurl.com/ze56p83
Park
Sometimes unsettling and despairing, this Greek film about disaffected kids derives much of its power from the setting: the ruins of the 2004 Athens Olympics. The cast is made up of mostly amateur actors, but they are up to the Olympian task of making these youths feel real. 8:30 p.m. April 14, Roxie; 3 p.m. April 19, Alamo.
To see a trailer: www.tinyurl.com/h8fjvg5
Family Life
In this dryly amusing Chilean feature, a house-sitter named Martin takes his job way too literally — making himself truly at home — and things get out of hand in a hurry. This is simple, elegant storytelling, with more complicated than meets the eye. 8:45 p.m. April 12, BAMPFA; 6 p.m. April 13, Roxie; 1:15 p.m. April 15, Alamo.
Heal the Living
Dazzlingly shot, this emotionally rich French film tells the stories of an injured surfer, a mother with heart problems, and a dedicated group of doctors. The flashbacks of first love will stay with you. 9 p.m. April 10, Victoria; 6 p.m. April 19, Alamo.