NAOMI- 2010. An Israeli movie featuring veteran actors Yassi Pollak and Orna Porat. About a beautiful 28yr. old woman (Naomi) married to a much older man who is consumed with obsessive desire for her.
4/11- A very interesting character study with building suspense and I enjoyed the movie very much. TRDB. Seen at the Westchester Jewish Film Festival.
Add comment April 10th, 2011
HANNA- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) is a teenager raised in Finland and trained by her father (Eric Bana), an ex-CIA operative, to become a highly skilled assassin. But when she’s sent on a deadly mission across Europe, Hanna takes to a French family and starts longing for a normal life. She must first solve the puzzle of her mysterious past, however. Joe Wright (Atonement) directs this tense actioneer; Cate Blanchett also stars.” Very good reviews. TRDB.
10/16/11- A great idea that would have been better with a better screenplay but enjoyable never-the-less. The young actress was great. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment April 5th, 2011
MAHLER ON THE COUCH- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “When famed composer Gustav Mahler (Johannes Silberschneider) uncovers his wife Alma’s (Barbara Romaner) sexual infidelities with up-and-coming architect Walter Gropius (Friedrich Mücke), he settles into Sigmund Freud’s (Karl Markovics) couch and pours his heart out on a variety of topics. Percy Adlon and his son, Felix, wrote and direct this quirky take on music, madness and art, propelled by the compositions of Mahler himself.”
4/11- The movie was well acted with an excellent screenplay and of course Mahler’s wonderful music. Very good. Seen at the Westchester Jewish Film Festival. TRDB.
5/18/12– Today’s NY Times thought this was OK if a bit melodramatic. TRDB.
Add comment April 3rd, 2011
ANITA- 2009. Directed by Marcos Carnevale and starring Norma Aleandro and Alejandra Manzo as the young woman with Down’s Syndrome. About a handicapped young lady who is wandering the streets of Buenos Aires after a tragic event. Very good. Seen at the Westchester Jewish Film Festival. TRDB.
Add comment April 2nd, 2011
QUEEN TO PLAY- 2009. Synopsis by Netflix. “Intrigued by a pair of vacationing lovers playing chess, hotel maid Hélène (Sandrine Bonnaire) sets her sights on mastering the game. With some coaching from a doctor (Kevin Kline) who employs her services, Hélène hones her chess skills and begins to notice big changes in her life. Written and directed by Caroline Bottaro, this charming French drama also stars Jennifer Beals and Francis Renaud.” Good review in NY Times on 4/1/11. TRDB.
8/16/11- I really liked this movie and felt that it captured beautifully the need for people to stake out something that they own for themselves. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment April 1st, 2011
SOURCE CODE- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Jake Gyllenhaal portrays a soldier recruited for a time-bending government investigation that places him in another man’s mind and body, reliving the same traumatic event repeatedly in an effort to identify the perpetrators of a terrorist bombing. Vera Farmiga plays a communications specialist who provides the vital link to the soldier’s primary reality as he searches for critical clues within a recurring nightmare.” Very good early reviews and a good one in the NY Times on 4/1/11. TRDB.
8/10/11- Very good if you’re into Sci-Fi but I’m not. Still, I did see it through. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment April 1st, 2011
CIRCO- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Mexican ringmaster Tino struggles to operate his family’s long-running traveling circus in the midst of an economic downturn, while coping with the demands of his fed-up wife and four talented young children in this fascinating documentary. Featuring music by alt-country rockers Calexico, the film explores family ties and cultural inheritance while taking viewers all across rural Mexico’s beautiful back roads.” Very good reviews. TRDB.
10/4/11- A remarkable documentary showing a slice of life and a good look at what living in a travelling circus is like, warts and all, especially the extended family dynamics. TRDB.Netflix.
Add comment March 25th, 2011
JANE EYRE- 2011. Premise by Netflix. “Driven from her post at Thornfield House by her brooding employer Edward Rochester’s (Michael Fassbender) impenetrable personality, young governess Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) takes time to reflect on her childhood and the events that led her to the misty moors. Little does she know that Rochester’s mood is largely due to a dark secret. Judi Dench, Jamie Bell and Sally Hawkins co-star in this artful adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel.” Very good reviews. TRDB.
10/2/11- An excellent portrayal of the classic and definitely worth a viewing. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment March 22nd, 2011
NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Two distinct activities are underway in Chile’s Atacama Desert: While astronomers study distant stars through a giant telescope, local people sift through the soil looking for graves of family members killed during the nation’s brutal political past. The region’s uniquely dry, clear air encourages both pursuits and inspires director Patricio Guzmán to draw metaphorical links between them in this thoughtful, heartfelt documentary.” Good review in NY Times on 3/18/11. TRDB.
10/7/11- A very good documentary that makes many comparisons between various social issues in Chile and beyond. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment March 18th, 2011
THE GIFT TO STALIN- 2011. Premise by Rotten Tomatoes. ” Set in Kazakhstan in 1949, during a time when minorities were forced to move to central Asia by the former Soviet government. A Jewish kid named Sashka is on a train with his grandfather, being deported with others. His grandfather dies on the train… Set in Kazakhstan in 1949, during a time when minorities were forced to move to central Asia by the former Soviet government. A Jewish kid named Sashka is on a train with his grandfather, being deported with others. His grandfather dies on the train and he has to get off with the body at a small village. He meets an old man, Kasym, and stays with him. But the tragedy is upon the village. Every villager is killed and only Sashka survived.” Good review in NY Times on 3/18/11. TRDB.
Add comment March 18th, 2011