Posts filed under 'Drama/Romance'
LOTTERY TICKET- Premise by Netflix. “Kevin Carson (Bow Wow), a young man living in the projects, dreams of having his life changed by winning the lottery — as do all his neighbors — but when Kevin finally hits it big, he must keep his good luck secret until he can claim the prize. Thrilled to be in possession of the $370 million ticket, Kevin endeavors to keep his scheming and sometimes hostile neighbors at bay in this uproarious comedy co-starring Ice Cube.” Generally poor reviews.
Tags: drama
August 20th, 2010
CALVIN MARSHALL- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “Though he has no athletic ability whatsoever, college student Calvin Marshall (Alex Frost) is so blindly single-minded about making the school baseball team that Coach Little (Steve Zahn) — a former minor league player — relents and lets him on the squad. But when he’s sidelined by an injury, Calvin has an opportunity to discover his true talent in life. Gary Lundgren directs this charming comedy that co-stars Michelle Lombardo.” OK review in NY Times 8/20/10.
9/10- Could have been an interesting message but went downhill as soon as the secondary characters spoke. They should have stayed with the two main characters. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama
August 20th, 2010
WELCOME- 2009. Directed by Philippe Lioret. Premise by Netflix. “When authorities forbid young Kurdish refugee Bilal (Firat Ayverdi) from crossing the English Channel to reunite with his girlfriend in England, the 17-year-old resolves to swim to his love — and finds an unlikely ally in the form of swim instructor Simon (Vincent Lindon). Facing an inevitable divorce from his wife (Audrey Dana), the middle-aged teacher takes the resolute youth under his wing in this stirring, beautifully acted French drama.”
8/10- A very good drama about the issues of illegal immigrants, the hurdles they must overcome and the brave few that help them. I liked the film. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
August 17th, 2010
VITUS- 2006. Premise by Netflix. “Pushed to succeed and live up to his parents’ ambitions at an early age, young Vitus (played by Fabrizio Borsani and Teo Gheorghiu) is a virtual genius and a prodigy at the piano. But as Vitus grows older, he decides on a different path: one that leads to an ordinary childhood. Julika Jenkins and Urs Jucker co-star in writer-director Fredi M. Murer‘s heartfelt tale, which won the Swiss Film Prize for Best Film of 2007.”
8/10- I saw this almost three years ago and said then as now that despite numerous poor reviews I thought that this was a wonderful story about a child prodigy and his quest to be “normal.” Also an excellent performance by Bruno Ganz as the grandfather and the savior of this boy. TRDB. At the Heritage Hills Film Club.
Tags: docu
August 15th, 2010
THE MILK OF SORROW- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “Stricken with a pathological fear she contracted from her mother’s breast milk — the “milk of sorrow,” a condition suffered by women who were raped during Peru’s civil wars — Fausta (Magaly Solier) goes to extreme lengths to protect her own sexuality and safety. But when her anguished mother finally dies, Fausta finds herself compelled to embark on a frightening journey that could lead her to freedom and wholeness. Claudia Llosa directs this Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film.” Good reviews.
12/10- I enjoyed this movie a lot despite it’s being slow moving. One scene of a traditional mass wedding was worth the movie. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
August 13th, 2010
A QUIET LITTLE MARRIAGE- 2008. Premise by Netflix. “With her dad descending into an Alzheimer’s haze and a junkie for a brother-in-law, happily married Olive (Mary Elizabeth Ellis) decides that the answer to life’s problems is a baby — too bad her spouse (Cy Carter) doesn’t agree. But with the missus poking holes in her diaphragm and hubby spiking her coffee with birth control pills, love may not conquer all in this Slamdance Film Festival award winner. Jimmi Simpson and Charlie Day also star.” Good reviews.
8/10- An OK film until a disappointing ending. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama
August 13th, 2010
THE PEOPLE I’VE SLEPT WITH- Premise by Netflix. “When Angela Yang (Karin Anna Cheung) finds out she’s pregnant, she’s got countless reasons to be upset about it. But, more specifically, she’s concerned because she’s slept with so many different guys that she has no idea who the father is. Her more conservative sister (Lynn Chen) makes finding the baby’s daddy — and marrying him — sound like the only plausible option. But Angela’s liberally minded best friend (Wilson Cruz) has other ideas.” Interesting review in NY Times 8/13/10.
Tags: drama
August 13th, 2010
SOUL KITCHEN- Premise by Netflix. “Young restaurant owner Zinos (Adam Bousdoukos) decides to revamp Soul Kitchen, his dumpy diner, but the customer response isn’t what he was hoping for. To make matters worse, his girlfriend (Anna Bederke) flies off to Shanghai, and the tax collector comes knocking. But with the help of an inspired new chef (Birol Ünel), Zinos still has a chance at redemption. German director Fatih Akin delivers a riotous modern romantic comedy.” The reviews I read all barely liked the movie- none liked it a lot.
Tags: Romantic Comedy
August 12th, 2010
HIDING DIVYA- Premise by Zap2it. “An Indian woman’s bipolar disorder has consequences for herself, her daughter and granddaughter.” Only one review so far and it’s great!
Tags: drama, Foreign
August 12th, 2010
AJAMI- Premise by Netflix. “When their uncle wounds an important clan member, 13-year-old Nasri (Fouad Habash) and his older brother, Omar (Shahir Kabaha), fear he has put their whole family in terrible danger in this moving, Oscar-nominated drama set on the West Bank. A truce is arranged, but Omar must start selling drugs to pay the fine he now owes. Meanwhile, a number of other locals struggle to negotiate the political and social tinderbox of Jaffa’s Ajami neighborhood.”
Very good reviews but I found it fairly sterile and could not get into the main characters. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
August 12th, 2010
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