James Rocchi At The Movies

Bay Area Movie Roundup

CBS 5 Film Critic James Rocchi

(CBS 5) Here in the Bay Area, we're blessed with a great variety in smaller cinemas—the kinds of movie houses that, for too many Americans, simply aren't in their community. Here are some great options for moviegoers whether you're looking for muckraking, unique visions or a well-loved classic.

This Film is Not Yet Rated (3 out of 4 Stars)
Director Kirby Dick's given us documentaries taking on church secrecy and the frontiers of sex; now he's brought us a documentary taking on … the movies. This Film is Not Yet Rated is a muckracking expose and history of the Motion Picture Association of America—the industry-created secret group who determine how a film is rated. Dick's curious: Is the MPAA easier on violence than sex? Easier on straight sex than gay? And who are these people—who can doom a film to lower profit and obscurity with a single decision—anyhow? Dick's documentary isn't fair, but it is a great look at the nuts-and-bolts of the politics of movies America.

The Science of Sleep (3 out of 4 Stars)
Director Michel Gondry has previously made great music videos (for Bjork, The White Stripes and many more) and great, offbeat films from the scripts of Charlie Kauffman (Human Nature, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). Here, he directs from his own script, as print shop slacker Gael Garcia Bernal tries to come to grips with an intricate dream life and the affections of his new neighbor (Charlotte Gainsbourg). Gondry's previous work was done with great storytellers, so it's not surprising that The Science of Sleep lacks certain elements of character and plot—but the images are so audacious, so breathtaking and charming that you'll leave the theater intoxicated by Gondry's dreams of dreaming.

Sherrybaby (3 out of 4 Stars)
Shot on digital video, Sherrybaby is pretty much a one-actress, one-character film … but what an actress, and what a character. As played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sherry Swanson is fresh out of jail, slapped into rehab … and fiercely unrepentant about her desire to get her daughter back. What keeps Sherrybaby from movie-of-the-week territory is writer-director Laurie Collyer's exploration of the question of if that's the best thing for all concerned. As Sherry, Gyllenhaal is a magnetic, riveting wreck of a human being with the kind of complexity we don't often see in movies. Sherrybaby's rough stuff, but anyone looking for pure acting bravery will find it can't-miss moviemaking.

Jet Li's Fearless (2 out of 4 Stars)
The ads proclaim this is Jet Li's 'Last Martial Arts Epic'; whether this means he'll only make small, intimate martial artist films in the future is up to debate. In a loosely-told historical tale, Li plays a martial artist whose life leads up to a 1910 bout to represent China at the hands of four fighters from other nations. The life-journey stuff is tedious—Li's not much of an actor—but under the direction of Hong Kong action director Ronny Yu, watching Li beat people up is still one of the purest pleasures in action-fan moviegoing.

(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)