Posts filed under 'Foreign'
C.R.A.Z.Y.- 2005. Premise by Netflix. “There are five boys in the Beaulieu family — Christian, Raymond, Antoine, Zachary and Yvan. But Zac (played by Emile Vallee and Marc-Andre Grondin) is the only one who’s gay. That’s why growing up in Montreal alongside his heterosexual brothers and his strict, emotionally distant father (Michel Cote) proves especially challenging for the blossoming outsider, who finds solace in the music of Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones and David Bowie.”
1/11- I enjoyed this movie a lot although a bit too long. Good depiction of what it’s like to be different in general and gay in particular. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 24th, 2011
HERE- 2011. Premise by Netflix. “When he travels to Armenia to make a set of hyperaccurate, satellite-based maps of the country, professional cartographer Will Shepard (Ben Foster) falls in with Gadarine Najarian (Lubna Azabal), a disaffected photographer trying to reconnect with her roots. Deciding to travel the country together, the pair embark on an unsettling journey of discovery into the Armenian landscape and into their solitary lives. Braden King directs this drama.” Mentioned in NY Times on 1/22/11 re Sundance.
4/13/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times. OK reviews by other critics and only fair audience response. TRDB.
8/10/12- I found this movie interesting if a little pretentious with some of the extra voice-overs by Peter Coyote. Good acting and a good story however. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 23rd, 2011
CIRCUMSTANCE- 2011. Premise by Netflix. “Iranian teens Atafeh (Nikohl Boosheri) and Shireen (Sarah Kazemy) explore their forbidden attraction to one another against the backdrop of modern-day Tehran’s subcultures. Atafeh’s brother, Mehran (Reza Sixo Safai), returns home after drug rehab and is soon dismayed by his sister’s newfound sense of liberation. Giving up on his dreams to become a classical musician, Mehran joins the morality police, causing deeper rifts in the family.” Mentioned in NY Times on 1/22/11 re Sundance.
8/27/11- Good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
9/19/11- A very good drama that clearly depicts the dangers of living in such a repressive society. Good acting and the movie seemed real. TRDB. At the Theater.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 23rd, 2011
WHEN WE LEAVE- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Umay, 25, is torn between two cultures when she leaves her abusive husband and takes their young son, Cem, from Istanbul to her family home in Germany. Seeking refuge with her parents, Umay hopes to start anew, but her family disapproves. She finds work in a restaurant and falls in love with a German co-worker, Stipe, who happily welcomes her and Cem into his life, but turmoil erupts when Umay’s family decides to return Cem to his father.” Article about this movie in NY Times on 1/23/11 – Mostly very good reviews. TRDB.
1/11- OK review in NY Times on 1/28/11. TRDB.
6/20/11- I did like this film but it was way too long and the ending left me wondering what the director was thinking what with the melodrama. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 22nd, 2011
APPLAUSE- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “After a long stint in rehab, legendary actress Thea Barfoed (Paprika Steen) seeks to reconnect with her two young sons in this drama from Denmark. Now, the headstrong Thea must prove to her ex-husband, Christian (Michael Falch) — and to herself — that she’s truly reformed. Meanwhile, her nightly performances as overbearing wife Martha in the play “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” lead her to face some painful truths.” Poor review in NY Times on 1/21/11.
5/4/14- Despite a poor review from the NY Times this movie received wonderful praise, especially for the lead actress. I liked the movie very much for its acting and its story. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 21st, 2011
THE HOUSEMAID- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “A wealthy family’s new maid, Eun-yi (Do-yeon Jeon), attracts the attention of Hoon (Jung-Jae Lee), the man of the house, and a fiery affair develops between them. But although Hoon signs Eun-yi’s checks, he’s not the one controlling the relationship. One secret leads to another, until Eun-yi threatens to destroy the entire family. This update of the 1960 chiller was an Official Selection of the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.” Fair review in NY Times on 1/21/11.
2/11- Very well done until the ending which seemed incomprehensible to me. Worth seeing however. TRDB. On Concast On-Demand straight from Sundance 2011.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 21st, 2011
ALAMAR- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “Before his young son, Natan (Natan Machado Palombini), returns to Rome with his mother, Jorge (Jorge Machado) takes the boy on an extended journey to a tiny fishing village, where Natan learns to fish and snorkel amid the natural splendor of the Mexican Caribbean. Filmmaker Pedro González-Rubio’s delicate family drama also stars Nestor Marin as veteran angler Matraca, as well as a colorful cast of crocodiles, tropical birds and iguanas.”
1/11- A very interesting movie with minimal dialogue and I definitely would recommend it. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 20th, 2011
AFTERSHOCK- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Caught in the cataclysmic Tangshan earthquake of 1976, a mother is forced to choose which of her twin children — her son or her daughter — a rescue worker should save as they flee the collapsing ruins of her home. The film dramatizes the arduous struggle of the survivors — including the little girl left for dead — as families must learn to rebuild their lives in the wake of a natural disaster that left nearly 250,000 people dead.” Winner at 2011 Palm Springs Film Festival. Great reviews in general. TRDB.
11/21/11- An epic drama about one of the families devastated by the Tangshan earthquake and their quest for emotional peace living with the ramifications of the destruction. I liked it. Netflix. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 17th, 2011
SOUND OF NOISE- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “This intriguing comedy follows six renegade musicians trying to fill their Swedish hometown with sound, even if they have to wreak a little havoc to hit the right notes. But hot on their trail is tone-deaf, music-hating policeman Amadeus Warnebring (Bengt Nilsson). While the six percussionists appropriate public areas and items to make their music, Warnebring wrangles with his demanding family and a boss intent on arresting every local musician.”
3/9/12- Good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Tags: Comedy, drama
January 17th, 2011
POTICHE- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Director François Ozon spins a deft social comedy of the French bourgeoisie starring some of that country’s most celebrated actors, including Gérard Depardieu, Catherine Deneuve and Fabrice Luchini. After Suzanne Pujol’s (Deneuve) husband has a heart attack, she must take charge of the umbrella factory he manages. The resulting clashes between the genteel Suzanne and the Marxist union boss (Depardieu) generate plenty of riotous class conflict.” Winner at 2011 Palm Springs Film Festival this movie has received very good professional reviews and average audience reviews. TRDB.
4/11- A delightful French farce and I recommend it. DeNeuve is magnifique. TRDB. At the Theater.
Tags: Comedy, Foreign
January 17th, 2011
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