San Francisco Jewish Film Festival 2019

[Chris Knipp]

ROB GARVER: WHAT SHE SAID: THE ART OF PAULINE KAEL (2019) CAPSULE


PAULINE KAEL

And she said a hell of a lot

Even if you have read a lot of Kael's movie criticism, there is a lot to learn about her. You realize she grew up when there were still silents. The menial jobs she had. That she had a child with the experimental filmmaker James Broughton. Paul Schrader said she was his second mother. What does that mean? That she was important. For a film reviewer who loves film reviews, she was unique. Those who ween't around when her reviews were being published can't imagine what it was like. Seeing this film will help them figure it out. She was smart, she was provocative (she could dare to be cruel), she was passionate, she had a huge memory of film. There's been nobody who's come close since.

What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael ((2019), debuted at Telluride in Aug. 2018 and has shown at 18 festivals. It was screened for this comment (not a review) as part of the SFJFF (July 18-Aug. 4, 2019)
Showtimes:
Saturday July 20, 2019, 4 pm, CineArts
Sunday July 28 12 pm Castro Theater
Sunday August 4, 4:05 pm Piedmont Theater