Posts filed under 'Drama/Romance'
ONE WEEK- 2008. Premise by Netflix. “Joshua Jackson stars in this bittersweet odyssey as Ben, a young man who’s just received news of his terminal illness. Leaving his perplexed fiancée, Samantha (Liane Balaban), Ben buys a 1973 Norton motorcycle and heads for the Pacific. His journey takes him through nature, introduces him to interesting fellow travelers, brings him unexpected romance and begins to put his impending fate in perspective.” Mixed reviews.
9/10- I saw most of this movie (tuned in late) and thought it was OK. TRDB.
Tags: drama
September 23rd, 2010
PURITY- 2002. Directed by Anat Zuria. Israeli documentary about the Jewish ritual mikvah.
10/10- I found this to be quite interesting and I learned a lot from it. Just 63 minutes long. TRDB. At Purchase College.
Tags: documentary, Foreign
September 22nd, 2010
JAFFA- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “In the Israeli city of Jaffa, an Arab father and son — Hasan and Taufik — work at a garage owned by a Jewish family that includes the pretty Mali (Dana Ivgy). But the tensions simmering beneath the surface of the genial workplace are about to come to a boil. A secret affair between Mali and Taufik has grave repercussions when Mali becomes pregnant in this gripping drama, an official selection at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.” Mixed reviews but more negative than positive.
11/10- A very well acted and thought provoking drama and I recommend it. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: drama, Foreign
September 22nd, 2010
WALL STREET- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “20-plus years after he introduced us to the phrase “greed is good,” controversial filmmaker Oliver Stone (W., World Trade Center) returns to the world of high finance, unfettered capitalism and white-collar crime. Michael Douglas reprises his Oscar-winning role as Gordon Gekko, the deliciously diabolical money magnate who never passes up a chance to make a buck. Shia LaBeouf also stars as a young trader embroiled in a puzzling murder.” Poor reviews.
Tags: drama
September 21st, 2010
UNCLE BOONME WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Under the care of his dedicated sister-in-law (Jenjira Pongpas), terminally ill Uncle Boonmee (Thanapat Saisaymar) spends his final days reminiscing about his past lives with the recently arrived ghost of his dead wife (Natthakarn Aphaiwonk) and his long-missing son (Geerasak Kulhong). Directed by celebrated Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul, this free-floating fantasy film took home the Palme d’Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.” Three reviews, all great. TRDB.
7/12/11- Well, maybe it’s me but this well reviewed movie failed to movie me except to think about turning it off, probably because of my expectations. Beautiful landscapes but the story was so esoteric and mysterious that I often failed to see his point and at some level I felt that this was another example of “the emperor’s new clothes.” TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
September 14th, 2010
HEARTBREAKER- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Hardworking brother-and-sister team Alex (Romain Duris) and Mélanie (Julie Ferrier) don’t run a matchmaking business; rather, they get paid to break matches by splitting up unhealthy couples. But their 100 percent success rate is in serious jeopardy when their own hearts get involved. Now, falling in love could be an occupational hazard. Pascal Chaumeil directs this French-language romantic comedy.” Fair review in NY Times 9/10/10.
9/10- Incredibly ridiculous comedy but I enjoyed it very much. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.
Tags: Drama/Romance
September 11th, 2010
WATERCOLORS- 2008. Premise by Netflx. “At a gallery opening of his work, artist Danny Wheeler (Tye Olson) looks back at the intense experiences that have shaped his life, starting with a fateful high school romance with Carter Melman (Kyle Claire), a classmate and talented swimmer. Their strong but troubled attraction — and the artistic inspiration that Danny drew from it — still pose issues for him 15 years later, both in his art and his current romantic relationship.” Mixed reviews.
Tags: drama
September 10th, 2010
THE EDGE OF HEAVEN- 2007. Premise by Netflix. “When his father accidentally kills a prostitute, Nejat Aksu (Baki Davrak) seeks out her 27-year-old daughter, Ayten (Nurgül Yesilcay), to make amends. Nejat focuses his search in Turkey, but Ayten, who’s part of a closely watched activist group, has fled to Germany. The lives of four Turks and two Germans are soon entwined as a result of circumstances beyond their control in this compelling drama, which earned Best Screenplay honors at Cannes.”
3/11- I saw this movie 2 years ago and liked it very much. I saw it again yesterday (3/24/11) and enjoyed it even more. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
September 7th, 2010
THE BLACK SWAN- 2010. Premise by Netflix. ” In this supernatural thriller from director Darren Aronofsky, ambitious New York City ballet dancer Nina (Natalie Portman) lands a key role in “Swan Lake,” but soon finds her dreams of stardom threatened by rival ballerina Lilly (Mila Kunis). As the contentious rivalry between the dancers intensifies, Nina’s obsession descends into paranoia, delusion and more. Winona Ryder, Barbara Hershey and Vincent Cassel co-star.” Very good reviews.
12/10-A very suspenseful and disturbing movie with enough to keep Freud busy for years. I liked it. TRDB. At the theater.
Tags: drama
September 7th, 2010
A FEW DAYS IN SEPTEMBER- 2006. Premise by Netflix. “On Sept. 1, 2001, 10 days before the events that shook the world, CIA agent Elliott (Nick Nolte) disappears. With the help of Elliott’s son David (Tom Riley), French agent Irène Montano (Juliette Binoche) scours Venice and Paris to find him, with a bizarre, poetry-reading assassin (John Turturro) on their trail. The clock ticks toward the fateful day, as the information Elliott holds threatens to keep him hidden permanently.”
9/10- I enjoyed the movie and appreciated Juliette Binoche much more than usual. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: drama, Foreign, Mystery
September 6th, 2010
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