Posts filed under 'Foreign'
THE WAITING ROOM- 2007. Premise by Netflix. “Single mom Anna (Anne-Marie Duff) breaks off a self-destructive affair with her friend’s husband (Rupert Graves) when she meets the man of her dreams — Stephen (Ralf Little), a handsome nursing home orderly — in a chance encounter at a train station. The feeling is mutual for Stephen, who loses interest in his tepid relationship with Fiona (Christine Bottomley) when Anna comes into the picture. Roger Goldby directs this romance set in London.”
Very good reviews. TRDB.
10/24/12- I saw this by mistake when, at first, I thought I was watching the new documentary with the same name but fortunately I did enjoy it. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
August 31st, 2010
A CHANGE OF PLANS- Premise by RottenTomatoes. “CHANGE OF PLANS (LE CODE A CHANGÉ), is a delicious comedy of manners from acclaimed Oscar- and César-nominated writer/director Danièle Thompson… CHANGE OF PLANS (LE CODE A CHANGÉ), is a delicious comedy of manners from acclaimed Oscar- and César-nominated writer/director Danièle Thompson (COUSIN COUSINE, LA BÛCHE, JET LAG, AVENUE MONTAIGNE). The film centers around a summer dinner party where ten acquaintances, each attempting to mask their own personal troubles, come together for an evening of food, wine and friendship. It’s not long before the couples begin revealing their dissatisfaction with their partners and it becomes obvious that they are planning or having affairs. The all-star ensemble cast includes Dany Boon (MICMACS), Emanuelle Seigner (THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY), Karin Viard (PARIS), and Marina Hands (LADY CHATTERLEY). Poor early reviews.
Tags: drama, Foreign
August 31st, 2010
BOY- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “Acclaimed Filipino director Auraeus Solito brings a dreamy romanticism to this tale about a budding teenage poet (Aeious Asin) who sells his comic book collection so he can afford to spend New Year’s Eve with Aries (Aries Pena), a handsome male dancer. Portraying the night of passion — and the connection between the pair — as a life-changing experience for the young man, the film is part romance and part sociopolitical commentary.” No reviews.
9/2- A colossal waste of time. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama
August 31st, 2010
LAST TRAIN HOME- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “Every year, 200 million Chinese peasants embark on a distant, arduous journey to visit family and celebrate the greatness of China. But as we learn through one family’s odyssey, just getting a train ticket can be an ordeal of Orwellian proportions. First-time Chinese-Canadian director Lixin Fan makes no judgments, allowing the audience to draw their own conclusions about this heavily ritualized act.” Great reviews.
10/10- Barebones documentary, no talking heads and the viewer is left to his own thoughts. I liked it. TRDB.
Tags: documentary
August 28th, 2010
MAP OF THE SOUNDS OF TOKYO- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “When the daughter of prominent Tokyo businessman Mr. Nagara (Takeo Nakahara) commits suicide, Nagara’s heartbroken employee Ishida (Hideo Sakaki) hires part-time hit woman Ryu (Rinko Kikuchi) to kill the man (Sergi López) perceived as responsible for the daughter’s death. Meanwhile, a curious sound engineer becomes obsessed with Ryu and her life in this lyrical and mysterious drama from acclaimed Spanish director Isabel Coixet.” Fair early reviews at best.
1/11- This one is definitely different but appealing never-the-less and I did enjoy it. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
August 25th, 2010
NORA’S WILL- 2010. Premise by Rotten Tomatoes. “Before dying, Nora hatches a plan to make her ex-husband José take care of her corpse, but she is missing something. The only flaw in the plan–a mysterious photograph forgotten under the bed–will lead to an unexpected outcome.” I’ve seen only 2 reviews but both were positive.
4/11- I liked this movie very much. Seen at the Westchester Jewish Film Festival. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
August 21st, 2010
WELCOME- 2009. Directed by Philippe Lioret. Premise by Netflix. “When authorities forbid young Kurdish refugee Bilal (Firat Ayverdi) from crossing the English Channel to reunite with his girlfriend in England, the 17-year-old resolves to swim to his love — and finds an unlikely ally in the form of swim instructor Simon (Vincent Lindon). Facing an inevitable divorce from his wife (Audrey Dana), the middle-aged teacher takes the resolute youth under his wing in this stirring, beautifully acted French drama.”
8/10- A very good drama about the issues of illegal immigrants, the hurdles they must overcome and the brave few that help them. I liked the film. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
August 17th, 2010
VITUS- 2006. Premise by Netflix. “Pushed to succeed and live up to his parents’ ambitions at an early age, young Vitus (played by Fabrizio Borsani and Teo Gheorghiu) is a virtual genius and a prodigy at the piano. But as Vitus grows older, he decides on a different path: one that leads to an ordinary childhood. Julika Jenkins and Urs Jucker co-star in writer-director Fredi M. Murer‘s heartfelt tale, which won the Swiss Film Prize for Best Film of 2007.”
8/10- I saw this almost three years ago and said then as now that despite numerous poor reviews I thought that this was a wonderful story about a child prodigy and his quest to be “normal.” Also an excellent performance by Bruno Ganz as the grandfather and the savior of this boy. TRDB. At the Heritage Hills Film Club.
Tags: docu
August 15th, 2010
THE MILK OF SORROW- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “Stricken with a pathological fear she contracted from her mother’s breast milk — the “milk of sorrow,” a condition suffered by women who were raped during Peru’s civil wars — Fausta (Magaly Solier) goes to extreme lengths to protect her own sexuality and safety. But when her anguished mother finally dies, Fausta finds herself compelled to embark on a frightening journey that could lead her to freedom and wholeness. Claudia Llosa directs this Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film.” Good reviews.
12/10- I enjoyed this movie a lot despite it’s being slow moving. One scene of a traditional mass wedding was worth the movie. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
August 13th, 2010
PEEPLI LIVE- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “When indigent farmers Natha (Omkar Das) and Budhia (Raghuvir Yadav) stand to lose their land over a loan they can’t repay, a government official comes up with a modest proposal: Commit suicide and collect a subsidy that’s paid to the relatives of deceased farmers. As Natha weighs his options, a journalist learns of his predicament and the media circus begins. Anusha Rizvi directs this satirical take on a real-life crisis afflicting India’s underclass.” OK review in NY Times 8/13/10.
1/11- Interesting idea but this ridiculous film detracted from the importance of the issue. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: documentary, Foreign
August 13th, 2010
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