Posts filed under 'Foreign'
MACHUCA- 2004. Synopsis by Netflix. “Seeking escape from his stormy home life, well-to-do youngster Gonzalo (Matias Quer) befriends Pedro (Ariel Mateluna), a poor, bullied pupil who’s attending his school on scholarship. The two grow close despite class hierarchy, but politics threaten to destroy their friendship. Set in 1973 Santiago amid political unrest, this tale centers on the friendship of two schoolboys from vastly different backgrounds.”
I liked this movie very much. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
October 24th, 2012
THE BIG PICTURE- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Successful Paris attorney Paul Exben (Romain Duris) has everything going for him, including power, wealth and a picture-perfect family. But the mirror suddenly cracks when Paul discovers that his wife, Sarah, is carrying on an affair with a photographer. After a tragic error closes the door on all that he’s achieved, Paul makes a fateful decision to escape, fleeing abroad to try and begin a new life as someone else altogether.”
10/12/12- A very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
6/16/13- A moving drama about a successful man whose life is falling apart and the decisions he makes at the time. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
October 23rd, 2012
MADRID, 1987- Synopsis by Netflix. “During the political unrest of 1987, Ángela meets elderly journalist Miguel for an interview and ends up his captive, locked with him in his bathroom. Over the next 24 hours, they engage in verbal sparring that parallels the nation’s upheaval.”
Here’s what Rotten Tomatoes had to say– “Madrid, 1987 …is a two-character story with a verbose discourse on writing, journalism, careerism, aging and politics. Shot mostly within a very constricted space, the story follows an older, celebrated journalist Miguel (José Sacristán) who meets the beautiful and coy journalism-student Angela (María Valverde) to give an interview – but becomes intent upon seducing her. They end up spending time in the most unusual manner …discussing literature, prose and career trajectories …gradually divulging little insights into their own selves as we start to understand the old journalist’s cynicism and the young protégé’s intentions.
10/12/12- A good review in the NY Times. TRDB.
7/8/14- This is an “all talk” movie that I found interesting with all of the action taking place in about 100 sq. feet. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: drama, Foreign
October 23rd, 2012
SIMON AND THE OAKS- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “An epic drama spanning the years 1939 to 1952, this is the gripping story of Simon (Bill Skarsgaard), who grows up in a loving working class family on the outskirts of Gothenburg but always feels out of place. He finally convinces his father to send him to an upper-class grammar school, where he meets Isak, the son of a wealthy Jewish bookseller who has fled Nazi persecution in Germany. Simon is dazzled by the books, art and music he encounters in the home of Isak’s father Ruben (Jan Josef Leifers), which makes Simon long to know more about his own family background. Isak, on the other hand, draws comfort from learning to do something with his hands, helping Simon’s dad (Stefan Godicke) make boats. When Isak faces trouble at home, he is taken in by Simon’s family and the two households slowly merge, connecting in unexpected ways as war rages all over Europe.”
10/12/12- A very good review in today’s NY Times but just average ones in general. TRDB.
Tags: drama
October 23rd, 2012
LA VIE AU RANCH- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A group of young women are determined to enjoy their freedom while it lasts in this loosely plotted comedy drama from director Sophie Letourneur. Lola (Eulalie Juster), Pam (Sarah-Jane Sauvegrain), and Manon (Mahault Mollaret) are three college students who share a flat they call “the Ranch” with several of their friends. Most of what happens at the Ranch takes place on the couch, and while academics are a part of the picture, so is drinking, hanging out, partying, and endless conversations about the past, present, and future, covering everything from philosophy to bladder infections. Lola, Pam, Manon and their friends are young enough to enjoy the glories of youthful irresponsibility and get away with it, but the farther they go into their college careers, the more they realize that the demands of the real world are creeping up on them. La Vie au Ranch (aka Chicks) was an official selection at the 2010 Rotterdam International Film Festival.”
10/19/12- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
October 23rd, 2012
ALL TOGETHER- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Instead of living in a retirement home, five aging friends decide to move in together after one of them suffers a heart attack. The two couples and one widower are joined by a young caregiver, an ethnology student who is studying the group.”
10/19/12-Fairly good reviews in general and a “just OK one in the NY Times. TRDB.
6/9/13- I enjoyed this drama/comedy very much. Loved each character as well. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: drama
October 22nd, 2012
SISTER- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Every day, impoverished 12-year-old Simon sneaks into a posh Swiss ski resort, where he helps himself to the gear of wealthy tourists. Benefitting from his thievery is his lazy older sister, Louise, who refuses to live up to her responsibilities.”
Rotten Tomatoes said- “Simon (Kacey Mottet Klein) lives with his older sister (Léa Seydoux) in a housing complex below a luxury Swiss ski resort. With his sister drifting in and out of jobs and relationships, twelve-year-old Simon takes on the responsibility of providing for the two of them. Every day, he takes the lift up to the opulent ski world above, stealing equipment from rich tourists to resell to the local kids down in the valley. He is able to keep their little family afloat with his small-time hustles and his sister is thankful for the money he brings in. But, when Simon partners with a crooked British seasonal worker, he begins to lose his boundaries, affecting his relationship with his sister and plummeting him into dangerous territory.
10/5/12- Very good reviews from the NY Times and from most other critics as well. TRDB.
10/24/12- This movie gave a good depiction of the despair of the characters and therefore was a bit difficult to watch at times. All in all I’d say that I did like it. TRDB. At the Theater.
Tags: drama
October 6th, 2012
HEAD SHOT- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A darkly turbulent crime noir from Thai new wave director Pen-ek Ratanaruang, Headshot is an existential thriller, ripe with shadowy paranoia that will turn your world upside-down, literally. This disorienting game of cat and mouse is played out in present-day Thailand, where corruption runs rampant and the good die young. When Tul, a straight-laced cop, is blackmailed by a powerful politician he soon becomes disillusioned by the state of human nature and, in his vengeful condition, is recruited to become a hitman for an iconoclastic group aimed at eliminating those who are above the law. But when a devastating blow turns Tul’s vision upside-down, he finds himself engulfed by doubt, unaware of whether the condition is medical or a result of karmic retribution.”
9/28/12- The NY Times liked it in today’s review but it has received mixed reviews from other critics. TRDB.
Tags: drama
September 28th, 2012
PUSHER- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Based on the edgy and explosive series by visionary director Nicolas Winding Refn, Pusher stars Richard Coyle as a drug dealer who grows increasingly desperate over the course of a week after a botched deal lands him in the merciless clutches of a ruthless crime lord. The more desperate his behavior, the more isolated he becomes until there is nothing left standing between him and the bullet his debtors intend to fire his way.”
10/26/12- A good review in today’s NY Times but reviews are very mixed and some said that it was not as good as the original. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
September 28th, 2012
CAUGHT IN THE WEB- 2012. Directed by Kaige Chen.
An article about this movie and it’s director in the NY Times Arts and Leisure section on Sunday, 9/16/12. TRDB.
11/21/13- Synopsis by Netflix. “Reeling from a cancer diagnosis, Lanqiu inadvertently slights a fellow subway passenger, an act that’s caught on another rider’s camera phone. Facing her illness and overnight national notoriety, Lanqiu will discover that fate cuts both ways.”
11/21/13- No reviews as yet. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
September 16th, 2012
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