As I do sometimes, I need to begin with the last movie of the day, as it's sitting with me the strongest. Especially this one.
'Life Itself', by Steve James (
Hoop Dreams), a touching tribute to the late film critic Roger Ebert. Primarily shot the last few weeks of his life,
it was a no-holds-barred look at his early days in journalism, to his Pulitzer Prize and rise to fame alongside Gene Siskel, with whom he shared a very complicated and thorny relationship. When he turned 50, he married the amazing Chaz Ebert, and in the film you see the love and devotion the two have for each other. It was emotional for me because like so many, I felt I knew him through his writing - most especially the
blog he wrote the last few years of his life when he'd lost the ability to speak, drink and eat. I really hope that many people will get a chance to see it. My first film of the day was a fairly lite movie called '
Happy Christmas', starring Anna Kendricks as a young lady who lands of her brothers doorstep and wreak some havoc on his family. We get a bit of Lena Dunham in this one too, always fun.
Seattle's Lynn Shelton (Your Sister's Sister) premiered her latest slice of life movie with '
The Laggies', starring Keira Knightly as a young woman trying to decide whether to marry her high school boyfriend, and meets a group of high school students to hang out with. Love interest: Sam Rockwell. Can't wait to bring it to our Seattle theatre.
I was very pleasantly surprised by the documentary '
To Be Takei', about the actor George Takei who has been extremely involved with the LGBT rights movement, and as a resident of Japanese internment camps during WWll, a person who was partially responsible for bringing that part of US history to light, and getting reparations.
We got a great 'hit' in Leah Garchik's column today in the SF Chronicle -
check it out here, and check back with all of you tomorrow!
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