San Francisco Jewish Film Festival 2019

[Chris Knipp]

THE TABACCONIST/DER TRAFIKANT (Nicolaus Leytner 2018)

Adaptation of Robert Seethaler's fanciful German bestseller about a boy from the country who becomes an apprentice in a tobacco shop in Vienna as the Nazis rise and Jewish persecution dominates. A friendly bond develops between the young Frantz (Simon Morzé) and their most famous customer, Professor Freud (the late Bruno Ganz in one of his last roles), and Freud helps him with his love-obsession. All this is a little unconvincing, but it's touching, and the detailed recreation of last-Thirties Austria is a delight. CAPSULE REVIEW.

Presented in the SFJFF.
SFJFF showtimes:
Tuesday July 23, 2019 8:10 p.m. CineArts
Thursday July 25, 2019 8:55 p.m. Castro Theatre
Saturday August 3, 2019 1:35 p.m. Smith Rafael
Sunday August 4, 2019 6:15 p.m. Piedmont Theatre

[Chris Knipp]

BLACK HAT (Sarah Smith 2018)

A 14-minute short film shown with the feature City of Joel, this depicts a young ultra-Orthodox Jew who leads a secret life exploring his forbidden gay sexuality. The way his secret is saved from exposure this time shows that he is not alone.

SFJFF showtimes for City of Joel:
Monday July 22, 2019 1:15 p.m. CineArts
Thursday July 25, 2019 3:45 p.m. Castro Theatre
Tuesday July 30, 2019 1:00 p.m. Albany Twin

[Chris Knipp]

TEL AVIV ON FIRE (Sameh Zoabi 2018)

An enjoyably slapdash comedy about a Palestinian TV soap opera depicting romance, spying, and terrorists in 1967 Israel before the Six Day War. A Palestinian slacker (Kais Nashif, who wan Best Actor at Venice for his performance) becomes a success through an unexpected collaboration on the writing with a IDF officer at a checkpoint. CAPSULE REVIEW.

A limited US release starts July 26, 2019.

SFJFF showtimes:
Wednesday July 24, 2019 5:45 p.m. CineArts
Thursday July 25, 2019 6:10 p.m. Castro Theatre
Friday July 26, 2019 6:25 p.m. Albany Twin
Saturday August 3, 2019 8:40 p.m. Smith Rafael

[Chris Knipp]

STANDING UP, FALLING DOWN (Matt Rattner 2019)

A bittersweet coming home buddy comedy. Two comics, Ben Schwartz and Billy Crystal, play the leads in Matt Rattner's debut feature written by Peter Hoare. They meet in the men's room of a bar in eastern Long Island after Schwartz's character has returned to live with his parents at 34 because he couldn't make it in standup in Los Angeles. Cryltal is a lonely, drunken dermatologist in Ben's hometown and they become pals. Thus we meet the people around them. The story has nowhere much to go, but it is fun seeing the two play together, and the various other characters, of which there are a few too many, are well differentiated.

SFJFF showtimes:
Thursday July 25, 2019 6:00 p.m. CineArts
Saturday July 27, 2019 6:05 p.m. Castro Theatre
Sunday July 28, 2019 3:25 p.m. Albany Twin
Saturday August 3, 2019 6:25 p.m. Smith Rafael

[Chris Knipp]

BEYOND THE BOLEX (Alyssa Bolsey 2018)

Russian emigre to Switzerland created myriad photographic inventions. His great-granddaughter discovered who he was an what he did and made this film, a labor of many years. The invention that lives on is the classic "Swiss Army knife of portable movie cameras," the 16mm Bolex. It was used in early work by some major modern directors, and through their careers by a number of experimental filmmakers including Bruce Brown, Jonas Mekas, Darren Arronofsky, Stephen Speilberg, Christopher Nolan, Wim Wenders, Ridley Scott, David Lynch, Michel Gondry. CAPSULE.

SFJFF showtimes:
Thursday July 25, 2019 6:00 p.m. CineArts
Saturday July 27, 2019 6:05 p.m. Castro Theatre
Sunday July 28, 2019 3:25 p.m. Albany Twin
Saturday August 3, 2019 6:25 p.m. Smith Rafae

[Chris Knipp]

HENRI DAUMAN: LOOKING UP (Peter Kenneth Jones 2018)

A French Holocaust survivor - but he never talked about that. He came to New York at age 17 in 1950, alone, an orphan, an uncle named Sam his guardian, and through hard work, determination, and flair became a highly successful maker of iconic photographs whom nobody has heard about. Major subjects include John and Jackie Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Andy Warhol, Brigitte Bardot, Elvis Presley, and many more. This short made by the boyfriend of a granddaughter left me wishing for more.

Showtimes SFJFF:
Thursday July 25, 2019 11:40 a.m. CineArts
Friday July 26, 2019 11:15 a.m. Castro Theatre
Wednesday July 31, 2019 1:30 p.m. Albany Twin

[Chris Knipp]

LOVE, ANTOSHA (Garrett Price 2019)

An elegy and a love letter to Anton Yelchin, who made 69 movies by the age of 27, bravely fought CF, loved his Russian Jewish emigre parents with a passion, had many friends, was creative, passionate, tireless, and intelligent, and then was killed in a freak accident at the gateway of his own house. He was just about to direct his own film. Tears must be shed.

SFJFF showtime:
Monday July 29, 2019 6:00 p.m. Albany Twin
Last edited by Chris Knipp; Today at 09:17 PM.