Posts filed under 'All Reviews'
KABOOM- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Lovelorn college student Smith (Thomas Dekker) spends his days hanging with his friend Stella (Haley Bennett) and his nights lusting after his straight roommate Thor (Chris Zylka), until one wild party shatters his world in this comic thriller from edgy director Gregg Araki. After eating drug-laced cookies, Smith witnesses the murder of an enigmatic woman who has haunted his dreams, and he begins a bizarre journey that will determine his future.” Only fair reviews. At Sundance 2011.
6/3/11- Awful movie and I turned it off quickly. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama
January 16th, 2011
A SOMEWHAT GENTLE MAN- Premise by Netflix. “With revenge on his mind, a gangster (Stellan Skarsgård) who spent 12 years in prison for murder sets out to kill the man (Henrik Mestad) who put him there. But the promise of a normal life — and news that he’s on the brink of becoming a grandfather — proves a tempting distraction. Suddenly, seeking vengeance doesn’t seem nearly as important. Hans Petter Moland directs this Norwegian drama about sons and second chances.” Good review in NY Times on 1/14/11.
5/10/11- An OK dark comedy with a wonderful Skarsgard. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 14th, 2011
COLORS IN THE DARK-2010. By Sophie Heldman and starring Bruno Ganz and Senta Berger. About an aging couple and their dealing with older age and with each other.
1/11– I thought that the movie was just “good.” TRDB. At the Palm Spring Int. Film Festival.
January 12th, 2011
SOLEMN PROMISE- About a Serbian man who asks his Muslim servant to take care of his beautiful wife as he is leaving for war. A very interesting story and I liked it. TRDB. At the Palm Springs Int. Film Festival.
January 10th, 2011
PAPER BIRDS- Premise by Netflix. “Struggling to make ends meet in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, vaudeville entertainers Jorge (Imanol Arias), Rocío (Carmen Machi) and their troupe adopt an orphan boy (Roger Príncep) as they take their show on the road through the devastated Iberian countryside. But their troubles multiply when government troops suspect them of being rebel sympathizers. Emilio Aragón directs this drama that co-stars Fernando Cayo and Lluís Homar.” Good buzz at PSIFF 2011.
January 9th, 2011
SON OF BABYLON- Premise by Netflix. “After the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq, a young Kurdish boy and his grandmother set off on a quest to find some trace of the boy’s missing father, a soldier in the defeated national army. Director Mohamed Al Daradji’s poignant narrative personalizes the search for meaning and hope in the wake of Iraq’s suffering during Hussein’s reign as well as during the deadly upheaval that followed.”
1/11- Great acting makes this movie a must see. TRDB.
January 8th, 2011
PRECIOUS LIFE- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Mohammad Abu Mustafa, a 4-month-old Palestinian boy living in the barricaded Gaza Strip, was born without an immune system and faces certain death if he does not receive a bone marrow transplant at an Israeli hospital — an unlikely prospect. Learning of the story, a well-known journalist tries to generate public sympathy for the boy’s plight, knowing full well the grim outcome if he’s unable to find the funds to make the miracle happen.”
1/11- Great documentary and clearly the director was able to gain the confidence of the Palestinian couple who were the subjects. Loved the movie. TRDB. At the theater.
Tags: docmentary
January 8th, 2011
THE TIME THAT REMAINS- 2011. Premise by Netflix. “From the creation of Israel in 1948 all the way through the early 21st century, a single Palestinian family endures many triumphs and tragedies over the course of several generations in this sweeping drama. Writer-director Elia Suleiman also stars in this semiautobiographical film, the third installment in a trilogy that also includes the critically acclaimed Chronicle of a Disappearance and Divine Intervention.” Good review in NY Times on 1/8/11. At Sundance 2011.
1/11- I don’t know what the critics were thinking. I found this movie of NO value and fairly stupid at that. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand straight from Sundance 2011.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 8th, 2011
VISION- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “Directed by longtime star of independent German cinemaMargarethe von Trotta, this reverent biopic chronicles the fascinating story of 12th-century Christian mystic and scientist Hildegard von Bingen (Barbara Sukowa). Despite living in an era when women are proscribed from preaching and interpreting scripture, Hildegard believes that the visions she experiences are a gift from God that she must reveal — even at the risk of condemnation.” Very good reviews.
1/11- I liked this movie although I thought it could have been 15 to 20 minutes shorter. TRDB. At the theater.
Tags: docudrama
January 5th, 2011
SECRET SUNSHINE- 2007. Premise by Netflix. “Trying to piece her life back together after the death of her husband, Lee Shin-ae (Do-yeon Jeon) moves to the small village where he was born with her young son in tow. Life seems to return to normal, until the boy is kidnapped and Shin-ae is devastated. Jeon won the Best Actress award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival for her performance in this emotionally gripping drama by director Chang-dong Lee.” Very good reviews. Great review in NY Times on 12/22/10.
9/1/11- An unusual movie that well captured the horror that the mother endures and her attempts to become “normal” again. I liked it very much. TRDB.
Tags: drama
December 20th, 2010
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