1. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
In this Cannes favorite set in 1770’s Britain, a young painter named Marrianne is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of a reluctant young woman, Héloise, without her knowledge. Soon, Marrianne’s artistic gaze of Héloise shifts to one of desire, leading the duo to embark on an illicit romance. Despite its slow-burn pacing and relatively simple premise, the film leverages its subtle screenplay and cinematography into something greater than the sum of its parts as the story unfolds.
Perfect for… when Delta Airlines cancels your spring break trip to France and SFMOMA is closed for the foreseeable future. Available on Hulu
2. Sasha Velour’s Nightgowns
Sasha Velour, winner of Season 9 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, brings her long-running Brooklyn-based drag show to the fledgling mobile streaming platform, Quibi, as a part of the app’s launch of original programming. Nightgowns, described as “the drag artist’s drag show” by Velour, has long provided a place for marginalized queer voices to be heard and celebrated. The new series, which is part performance documentary and part profile of the show’s creator, provides a hopeful and joyous anecdote to a time shrouded by a profound melancholy.
Perfect for… filing the hole in your heart SF Pride’s incoming cancelation will leave. Available on Quibi/ YouTube
3. F is for Fake
F is For Fake, perhaps filmmaker Orson Welles’s least known work, lies somewhere in between a documentary, docudrama and fever dream. In the 92-minute runtime, Welles profles art counterfeiter Elmyr de Hory and Clifford Irving, writers famous for writing a fake biography about Howard Hugues, as a means to dissect the nature of deceit, truth and…magic? Interwoven between the stories of these fakers, Welles monologues in a gigantic hat. Quite frankly, there is A LOT to unpack in this flm. However, given the quarantine, you may have more than enough time to sit back, unwind and watch the most bonkers flm ever made unfold before you.
Perfect for… when your quarantined life feels suspiciously devoid of capes. Available on Kanopy Films (free through LWHS library)
4. Fantastic Mr. Fox
In Wes Anderson’s stop-motion interpretation of the classic Roald Dahl story, the idiosyncratic tendencies of both the author and director take center stage. George Clooney, Bill Murray and Meryl Streep lead a stellar cast of actors voicing the group of animals who rally together to take down the nefarious farmers: Boggis, Bunce and Beans. It’s warm, charming and makes you want to wear a tweed coat. In these stressful times, that is all one can ask for from a movie.
Perfect for… when your parents demand a family movie night and you just can’t quite stomach another viewing of “Ratatouille” Available on Amazon Prime, Netflix
5. Icarus
In Icarus, American documentary filmmaker Bryan Fogul captures the emergence of one of the biggest scandals in sporting history. While embarking on his own experiment with illegal doping practices for his amateur bike race, Fogul connects with Grigory Rodchenkov, director of Russia’s national anti-doping laboratory. Little does Fogul know, befriending Rodchenkov will throw him into the center of the explosive Russian doping scandal.
Perfect for … when you’re in the mood for a New York Times worthy scandal or a geopolitical thriller. Available on Netflix
6. The Parent Trap Two strangers, Hallie Parker and Annie James, quickly develop a rivalry while at sleep away camp. The girls seem to have only one thing in common: their looks. After sharing old memories, stories and two very convincing photographs, the girls discover that they are identical twins! Annie and Hallie hatch a plan to switch places when they return home, and reconnect their divorced parents in hopes that if they meet again, they will fall back in love. A feel-good movie complemented perfectly by a box of Oreos and a jar of peanut butter.
Perfect for… when you want to reminisce on a time when you actually looked up to Lindsay Lohan. Available on Disney Plus, DIRECTV, 123Movies, Putlocker
7. The Illusionist
Loosely based on Steven Millhauser’s short story “Eisenheim the Illusionist,” this flm follows the mysterious yet dazzling life of Eisenheim, a magician in early 20th century Vienna. When Eisenheim reunites with a star-crossed lover from his youth, soon-to-be princess Sophia Von Teschen, he employs his magical talents to try and win back her love. His pursuits are only complicated by the Chief Inspector and Crown Prince’s growing obsession with uncovering the truth behind his tricks. Eisenheim’s illusions extend far beyond his theatre; as the plot develops you may begin to realize that you— the audience—are also being fooled.
Perfect for… those who all too often question illusion vs. reality, or just need a movie with a good dose of mustaches Available on Amazon Prime, Youtube, Google Play
