Pete's weekend round-up: Sweet Smell of Success and recession-era movie picks

There's great entertainment value to be found at the Film Noir Festival and the Concord Solano Drive-In; little movies Wendy and Lucy and Frozen River make a big impression.

Sweet Smell of Success plays this Sunday at the Castro Theatre, closing out the wildly successful Noir City festival

I’ve been loving Noir City, the annual 10-night festival of film noir movies from the 1940s and ‘50s. This year's attendance has been nothing short of staggering: more than 1,000 people are showing up every night to watch these gems on the silver screen. If you haven’t gone, you should definitely check it out—just make sure to buy your tickets in advance through the Noircity.com website, and get to the Castro early (parking can be challenging in the neighborhood, and seating fills up fast). The closing day of the festival this Sunday offers one of the best double features you could ever hope to see: Sweet Smell of Success and The Killers. Both films star Burt Lancaster, and both completely rock the house. Take that Super Bowl 43!

Any aspiring filmmaker with big dreams but no money should get out and see the independent drama Wendy and Lucy, opening today at Berkeley’s Shattuck Cinemas and at the Embarcadero Center in San Francisco. This touching, tiny film about a young woman and her dog at a crossroads in life was shot for a few thousand dollars. Michelle Williams gives a fascinating lead performance—often without speaking. It’s a recession-era film that really resonates. I saw it just after Christmas and have thought about it every day since.

Another terrific—and tiny-budgeted—film to check out is Frozen River. Veteran character actress Melissa Leo scored her first Oscar nomination (she’s up against Meryl Streep, Angelina Jolie, and Kate Winslet, so good luck with that) for her knockout performance as a financially strapped woman who is lured into the criminal world of immigrant smuggling on the Canada/U.S. border. Gripping and noirish, Frozen River is being re-released today at the Elmwood Cinemas in Berkeley.

Finally, with all this recession chat, I want to remind everyone about the great deal that the Concord Solano Drive-In theater offers. First of all, it’s one of the only working drive-ins anywhere, and it’s the only place around that offers first-run films as double features. And the prices can’t be beat: adult admission is just $6.75, kids 5–11 are $1 each, kids under four are free. On Family Fun Night Tuesdays, adults pay just $4.75. Bring your own food and have a great time. This week, the drive in is showing the Liam Neeson thriller Taken with the Tom Cruise WW2 drama Valkyrie on one screen, and the family-friendly double feature Paul Blart: Mall Cop with Bedtime Stories on the other.
 

Posted at 11:08 AM in Pete's Popcorn Picks | Permalink