SFIAAFF AT A GLANCE: What: A local film festival featuring a vast showcase of films by and about Asians. When: March 10-20, 2005 Where: San Francisco, Berkeley, and San Jose Buy tickets: www.naatanet.org/festival/ or telephone (415) 865-1588. HIGHLIGHTS: * Opening Night: 3/10, 7:00 pm at the Castro Theater. “Saving Face” followed by a gala at the Asian Art Museam featuring sounds from Dan the Automator, Dhamaal, DJ King Kong and SambAsia. * “An Evening with Steven Okazaki,” featuring the world premier of Okazaki’s latest film “The Mushroom Club” and a live on-stage chat. * A retrospective film program, featuring films spanning three decades. * “Hiroshima, Mon Amour,” the 1959 classic about a French actress and a Japanese architect in his city of Hiroshima. *The documentary “Sorceress of the New Piano,” followed by a special performance by subject Margaret Leng Tan, the world’s first professional toy pianist. *”Evolution of a Filipino Family,” a 10.5 hour documentary
Starring: Will Smith, Eva Mendez, Kevin James, Amber Valletta Directed by: Andy Tennant Rated: PG-13 for language and some strong sexual references Parental Notes: This sweet romantic comedy has a good message (that any guy has a shot at happiness with any gal) and a light tone. Although it may not interest younger kids, those old enough to be interested in finding the guy or gal of their dreams will probably like it.
Starring: Debra Messing, Dermot Mulroney Directed by: Clare Kilner Rated: Rated PG-13 for sexual content including dialogue. Parental Notes: This is a fairly innocuous film for most teens and preteens, and if they like romantic comedies they will probably enjoy it. There is quite a bit of sexual innuendo, one fairly soft sex scene, and a little nudity, but little else to object to.
Starring: Robert De Niro, Dakota Fanning, Famke Janssen, Elisabeth Shue Directed by: John Polson Rated: R for frightening sequences and violence. Parental Notes: This is not a movie for youngsters, though teens who like to be scared might enjoy it. There is not a lot of graphic violence, but we do see a number of corpses and there are numerous, drawn-out suspense sequences.
Starring: Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes, Lynn Collins, Zuleikha Robinson Directed by: Michael Radford Rated: R for some nudity. Parental Notes: This is a Shakespeare play, which will make it inaccessible to many youngsters, but older kids who have studied his works before may find it interesting. There is little in the way of nudity here, only some bared breasts.
Directed by: Rob Bowman Starring: Jennifer Garner, Goran Visnjic, Kirsten Prout, Will Yun Lee, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa Rated: PG-13 for action violence. Parental Notes: This is a fairly innocus PG-13, as far as violence goes. It
Starring: Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, Zhang Ziyi. Directed by: Zhang Yimou Rated: PG-13 for sequences of stylized martial arts violence, and some sexuality. Parental Notes: The super-stylized violence here is unlikely to be a problem for teens and mature youngsters, but there are two brief attempted-rape sequences which some may find distressing.
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly, Alec Baldwin, Alan Alda Directed by: Martin Scorsese Rated: PG-13 for thematic elements, sexual content, nudity, language and a crash sequence. Parental Notes: Most of this film will be fine for preteens, though they may find its candid portrayal of Hughes’ obsessive-compulsive disorder and an intense airplane crash sequence disturbing. It will likely appeal more to teenagers interested in the era or in Hughes as a person. It’s not every day that a movie comes along which manages to somehow combine comedy, tragedy, and adventure, but “The Aviator” does just that. It’s a mind-blowing film, and not just because it includes exciting airplane sequences. “The Aviator” is the story of Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio), Hollywood mogul, aviation pioneer, and walker of the line ‘twixt genius and madness. It covers his life from his arrival in Hollywood until the height of his aviation career when he
Directed by: Joel Schumacher Starring: Gerard Butler, Emily Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson, Minnie Driver Rated: PG-13 for brief violent images. Parental Notes: There isn
Directed by: Brad Silberling Starring: Emily Browning, Liam Aiken, Jim Carrey, Timothy Spall, Meryl Streep, Billy Connolly Rated: PG for thematic elements, scary situations and brief language. Parental Notes: Although not all kids will like the film, there