Can’t miss these SIFF picks
Published 5:44 pm Wednesday, May 18, 2016
“Sunset Song.” British filmmaker Terence Davies (“Distant Voices, Still Lives”) is a master at conveying sadness and endurance—and there’s plenty of both in this slow, beautiful study of a woman in rural Scotland in the World War I era. She’s played by fashion model Agyness Deyn, proving that uncanny performances can come from anywhere. May 20, 4 p.m., Egyptian; May 21, 6:30 p.m., Majestic Bay.
“Weiner.” 100 minutes of squirm. This brutally good documentary follows Anthony Weiner around during a 2013 New York City mayoral run, where his recent sexting scandals dog him. May 20, 4:30 p.m., Uptown; May 22, 6 p.m., Uptown.
“Microbe and Gasoline.” Michel Gondry lays on the whimsy—no surprise there—in this tale of two adolescent pals who build a kind of plywood RV and get into, alas, cute adventures in the French countryside. A little goes a long way. May 21, 1 p.m., Majestic Bay; May 23, 7 p.m., Egyptian.
“Love &Friendship.” Out of an obscure Jane Austen novella, Whit Stillman crafts a droll comedy of manners. Kate Beckinsale’s withering put-downs are so surgically lethal they’re almost invisible (why does this actress waste her time with blockbusters?), and a splendid British cast keeps it all cooking. May 21, 5 p.m., Uptown; May 22, 4 p.m., Pacific Place.
“Indignation.” The college days of an industrious Jewish student (Logan Lerman) in the early 50s are oddly concentrated on the enormous ramifications of a single sexual encounter. Maybe that’s why the film seems so focused, despite the pokey pace. James Schamus (in attendance) adapted the Philip Roth novel; Sarah Gadon and Tracy Letts are superb in supporting roles. May 21, 6:30 p.m., Pacific Place; May 22, 3 p.m., Lincoln Square.
“Illegitimate.” A Romanian film of disintegrating family dynamics: A father’s shameful role during the oppressive Ceausescu regime is exposed, followed by a dark revelation about two of his children. Not as rigorous as other recent Romanian films, but some strong stuff contained within. May 24, 4:30 p.m., Uptown; May 29, 6 p.m., Lincoln Square; May 30, 9:15 p.m., Egyptian.
“Uncle Howard.” Filmmaker Howard Brookner (known mostly for an intimate documentary portrait of William S. Burroughs) died of AIDS in 1989, but his story is brought to compelling life by his nephew Aaron, who uses a huge cache of footage his uncle left behind. A fine character study and portrait of an era; its lingering question is what the generation of AIDS deaths might have contributed in the years since. Howard’s film-school classmate Jim Jarmusch is on hand to reminisce. May 25, 9:30 p.m., Egyptian; May 26, 3 p.m., Uptown; June 1, 6:30 p.m., Lincoln Square.
— Robert Horton
Herald movie critic
