Posts filed under 'Foreign'
LOOSE CANNONS- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “This fiery comedy from director Ferzan Ozpetek finds young Tommaso (Riccardo Scamarcio) about to reveal to his large, frenetic Italian family that he’s gay. But he’s beaten to the punch by his older brother, who is promptly disinherited by their furious father. Tommaso is then put in charge of the family’s pasta factory, and while he tries hard to be a successful businessman, it’s difficult for him to hide his true feelings.”
Winner at 2011 Palm Springs Film Festival.
10/31/14- I liked this movie very much. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 17th, 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
THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER- Synopsis by Netflix. “This beautifully shot film combines comedy and tragedy in the tale of a workaholic human resources manager (Mark Ivanir) who neglects his family to further his career. But when an employee at his bakery is killed, he begins an odd journey toward self-realization. Offering to escort the woman’s body from Israel back to her Eastern European homeland, the manager is puzzled by eccentric characters along the way but begins to understand the importance of family.”
1/11- A bit far fetched but still an interesting road trip that I enjoyed. At the Palm Springs Int. Film Festival. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 9th, 2011
THE LITTLE ROOM- Premise by Netflix. “With picturesque Lausanne, Switzerland, as the backdrop, this earnest drama follows the unlikely but growing kinship between conscientious private nurse Rose (Florence Loiret Caille) and her ill-tempered elderly patient, Edmond (Michel Bouquet). Facing losses that neither can accept — her, a stillborn baby, and him, his independence — Rose and Edmond gradually bond. Eric Caravaca provides strong support as Rose’s worried spouse.”
Tags: drama
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
CIRKUS COLUMBIA- Premise Netflix. “With communism dismantled, refugee Divko Buntic (Miki Manojlovic) returns to his Herzegovina home bearing a new paramour and old grudges. His first act of comeuppance is disturbing the peace of Lucija (Mira Furlan), the wife who refused to flee with him 20 years before. Domestic strife echoes the coming civil war as Divko has Lucija tossed from her home, Lucija retaliates, and intrigue develops between their son and Divko’s new wife.”
At the 2011 Palm Springs Int. Film Festival. I enjoyed the film. TRDB.
2/17/12- Fair review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
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
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