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Exploratorium. Saturday Cinema: Weekly thematic film screenings presented in the Kanbar Forum by the Exploratorium's Cinema Arts program. Saturdays. Free with museum admission. Pier 15, San Francisco, 528-4444, exploratorium.edu.
The Knockout. Cyberpunk Cinema: Thrillhouse Records presents a classic sci-fi flick every month, preceded by an episode of Cowboy Bebop. Second Monday of every month, 6:30 p.m. Free. cyberpunkcinema.tumblr.com. 3223 Mission, San Francisco, 550-6994, theknockoutsf.com.
Opera Plaza Cinema. Tangerine: It's Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and working girl Sin-Dee (incandescent newcomer Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend (James Ransone, Starlet, "Generation Kill") hasn't been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, Sin-Dee goes on a mission to track him down and set him straight, with her best friend Alexandra (newcomer Mya Taylor) tagging along hoping to cool her down. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles, including an Armenian family dealing with their own repercussions of infidelity. Director Sean Baker (Starlet, Prince of Broadway) brings rich texture and intimate detail to worlds seldom seen on film. For Tangerine he opted to shoot on an iPhone with wide-screen adapter, and the results are spectacular: fluid and intimate, the film bursts off the screen with energy and style. A decidedly modern Christmas tale told on the streets of L.A., this acclaimed dramatic comedy defies expectation at every turn. Daily. 601 Van Ness, San Francisco, 267-4893, www.landmarktheatres.com/market/SanFrancisco/OperaPlazaCinema.htm.
Opera Plaza Cinemas. Mr. Holmes: Director Bill Condon puts a spin on Arthur Conan Doyle's most celebrated character with Mr. Holmes, which stars Ian McKellen as the famous detective. The set-up is that a now-retired Holmes, his steel-trap mind starting to fade with old age, lives out his golden years in the late 1940s. He returns from a trip to Japan searching for a plant that could slow the aging process and help him regain the faculties he knows he's lost. While there, he witnessed first-hand the result of America's bombing of Hiroshima, which has put him in a contemplative state. He lives with his devoted housekeeper Mrs. Murno (Laura Linney), and her son Roger (Milo Parker), who turns out to be of great help when the detective reopens his investigation into the case that led to his retirement. Daily. Phoenix: A spellbinding mystery of identity, illusion and deception unfolds against the turmoil of post-World War II Germany in the stunning new film from acclaimed writer/director Christian Petzold (Barbara, Jerichow). Berlin, 1945: Nelly (Nina Hoss, A Most Wanted Man), a German-Jewish, ex-nightclub singer, has survived a concentration camp. But, like her country, she is scarred, her face disfigured by a bullet wound. After undergoing reconstructive surgery, Nelly emerges with a new face, one similar but different enough that her former husband, Johnny (Ronald Zehrfeld), doesn't recognize her. Rather than reveal herself, Nelly walks into a dangerous game of duplicity and disguise as she tries to figure out if the man she loves may have been the one who betrayed her to the Nazis. Submerged in shadowy atmosphere and the haunted mood of post-war Berlin, Phoenix weaves a complex, Hitchcockian tale of a nation's tragedy and a woman's search for answers as it builds towards an unforgettable, heart-stopping climax. (Partially subtitled) Daily. 601 Van Ness, San Francisco, 777-3456, www.landmarktheatres.com/san-francisco/opera-plaza-cinema.
Roxie Theater. 7 Chinese Brothers: Larry (Jason Schwartzman) drifts through life, from one menial position to the next, without much thought for the future. Often drunk, solitary and unmoored, his closest companion is his French bulldog. He has one living relative, his grandmother (Olympia Dukakis), and only one friend, Major Norwood (Tunde Adebimpe), a ladies man who scores on their nights out while Larry goes home alone. Not much fazes Larry, so he is gob-smacked to realize that he actually likes his new job at an oil-change place and not just because his new boss, Lupe (Eleanore Pienta), is so pretty. Stephen Root, Jonathan Togo, and filmmaker Alex Ross Perry are among the supporting ensemble in Bob Byington's low-key, existential comedy that also gently satirizes the workplace, whether it's the Buca di Beppo where Larry briefly toils, the Quick Lube or the assisted-living facility that Grandma calls home. Despite playing a character who is self-absorbed and sometimes obnoxious, Schwartzman imbues Larry with amiability and charm. Sun., Sept. 13, 7 p.m. 3117 16th St., San Francisco, 863-1087, roxie.com.
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