Posts filed under 'Foreign'
POST MORTEM- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “The bloody 1973 military coup in Chile is the center of this gripping drama about Mario (Alfredo Castro), a lonely morgue worker caught up in the chaos tearing apart his country. When the woman he loves, Nancy (Antonia Zegers), goes missing, Mario’s political awakening begins. Mario’s search for Nancy is interrupted when soldiers kidnap him and his boss (Jaime Vadell) and force them to conduct an autopsy on a secret and highly important corpse.” Very good professional reviews but just so-so audience responses. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
April 4th, 2012
THE ASSAULT- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Based on the 1994 attack on an Air France plane, this dramatization tells the story of the stunning response to this globally televised act of terrorism. Incorporating real footage, the film explores personalities from all sides of the conflict.”
OK early reviews. TRDB.
4/6/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times and by many other critics as well. TRDB.
8/6/12- I found this movie interesting primarily because it was based on a true story. There was some original footage as well. It was worth seeing for the historical information especially leading up to the storming of the aircraft. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: docudrama, Foreign
April 2nd, 2012
FREE MEN- 2011. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In German-occupied Paris, a young unemployed Algerian named Younes (played by break-out star, Tahar Rahim) earns his living as a black marketeer. Arrested by the French police but given a chance to avoid jail, Younes agrees to spy on the Paris Mosque. The police suspect the Mosque authorities, including its rector Ben Ghabrit, of aiding Muslim Resistance agents and helping North African Jews by giving them false certificates. At the Mosque, Younes meets the Algerian singer Salim Halali, and is moved by Salim’s beautiful voice and strong personality. When Younes discovers that Salim is Jewish, he stops collaborating with the police and gradually transforms from a politically ignorant immigrant into a fully-fledged freedom fighter.”
3/16/12- Mixed reviews in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
4/14/12- I saw this as part of the 2012 Jewish Film Festival at the Jacob Burns Film Center and liked it very much. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
March 16th, 2012
ATTENBERG- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Part of the new wave of Greek cinema, Attenberg is an offbeat coming-of-age film. 23-year-old Marina is living in a small, factory town by the sea where her once-visionary architect father, has returned to die. Finding the human species foreign, she keeps her distance, choosing to observe mankind through Sir David Attenborough’s mammal documentaries and the songs of Suicide. While preparing for her father’s impending death, Marina discovers her own sexuality through lessons from her only friend, Bella, and a visiting engineer. Equal parts abstract theater and melodrama, Attenberg sincerely and humorously navigates the defining moments in life.”
3/9/12- Very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
5/25/13- I enjoyed this somewhat strange foreign drama. The acting was excellent. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
March 9th, 2012
DISSOLUTION- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Loosely inspired by Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, Menkes’s most recent film combines an almost surreal fairy-tale energy with brutal black-and-white realism to explore the condition of violence that permeates contemporary Israeli society. Shot in Yafo (the predominantly Arab area of Tel Aviv), the movie follows the moral collapse and first glimmer of redemption, of a young, morose Israeli Jew, played brilliantly by Didi Fire.”
3/9/12- Excellent review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
March 9th, 2012
THE SALT OF LIFE- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Rather than living the good life he’d imagined, newly retired Gianni spends his days running errands for those around him. Bemoaning his fate, he decides to take a mistress — a task that proves easier said than done in this wistful comedy.” Very good reviews including the NY Times. TRDB.
3/11/12- A delightful comedy with a cute story. TRDB. At the Theater.
Tags: drama, Foreign
March 7th, 2012
A WEEK ALONE- 2007. Synopsis by Netflix. “An affluent Buenos Aires couple goes on vacation, leaving their children at home with only the family maid to keep an eye on them. But the peaceful dynamic the parents expect is upended when the maid’s teenage brother shows up unexpectedly.”
3/6/12- So this is what happens when you have an idle, unsupervised group of kids? Miserable movie. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: drama, Foreign
March 7th, 2012
SALLAH- 1964. Synopsis by Netflix. “After immigrating to the promised land — the new state of Israel — Sallah clashes with government officials and his kibbutz community in this 1964 comedy directed by Ephraim Kishon and starring Topol. Disgusted by overbearing bureaucracy and what he feels are unrealistic communal expectations, Sallah (Topol) butts heads with leaders and neighbors as he tries to acquire housing for his family. Gila Almagor and Arik Einstein also star.”
3/5/12- A funny satire of early life in the new State of Israel. TRDB. I borrowed it from a friend but it’s also available from Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
March 5th, 2012
THE KID WITH A BIKE- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “After being abandoned by his father, preteen Cyril fills with rage, and when good-hearted hairdresser Samantha tries to help him, the disillusioned boy is torn between his need to lash out at the world and his desire for love and stability.” Great early reviews. TRDB.
3/16/12- Great review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
4/2/12- The actor who played the kid was great and the story was a heartening act of love. There were also a few terrific scenes like the scene in a car when the boy is very upset. A better understanding of the woman’s motivation would have helped me but the movie was excellent never-the-less. TRDB. At the Theater.
Tags: drama, Foreign
March 3rd, 2012
PRAY FOR JAPAN- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “This documentary chronicles the personal stories behind the earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Japan in March 2011. Interviewees include victims, volunteers, and rescue workers who came together as a nation during a time of great tragedy.” Only a few reviews and they are poor so far. TRDB.
Tags: documentary
March 3rd, 2012
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