Posts filed under 'Foreign'
STORM- Premise by Netflix. “As prosecutor Hannah Maynard (Kerry Fox) builds a war crimes case against former Yugoslavian army commander Goran Duric (Drazen Kühn), the key witness’s suicide threatens to let the atrocities go unpunished — unless she unearths new evidence. At the funeral, she meets the victim’s sister, Mira (Anamaria Marinca), who harbors the damning secrets Hannah needs for a conviction. But a cover-up in the ranks may stand in the way of justice.”
4/10- I saw this and liked it a lot. Very realistic and pulled no punches. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
April 17th, 2010
LA FRANCE- Premise by Netflix. “When her husband writes her from the frontlines of World War I and insists that she forget him about him, Camille (Sylvie Testud) disguises herself as a young soldier and joins the ranks, determined to track down her long-lost love. Writer-director Serge Bozon’s drama chronicles Camille’s epic journey, as her dogged search for answers leads her from the peaceful countryside existence she once enjoyed to the blood-soaked battlefields of war.” Very good reviews.
4/10- A World War 1 movie without a single battle. Testud gets in with a group of French soldiers who desert from the war and the story is about the group. I liked it. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
April 17th, 2010
XXY- Premise by Netflix. “Inés Efron plays Alex, an intersexed 15-year-old, in this compelling tale. Though she’s living as a girl, Alex and her family begin to wonder whether she’s emotionally a boy when another teenager’s sexual advances bring the issue to a head. As Alex faces a final decision regarding her gender, she meets both hostility and compassion. Director Lucía Puenzo‘s sensitive drama co-stars Valeria Bertuccelli, Martín Piroyansky and Ricardo Darín.
4/10- Good depiction of what he/she must confront through the teenage years.TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
April 17th, 2010
NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT PERSIAN CATS- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “What do you do when you can’t play music in your homeland, but you can’t leave your country to play it abroad either? This is the dilemma faced by an Iranian guy and gal who, fresh on the heels of their prison release, decide to form a rock band. Despite having drive and ambition to spare, the wannabe rockers are stymied by lack of passports, lack of funds and lack of musicians who’re willing to leave Iran in this drama from Bahman Ghobadi.” Great early reviews.
4/10- A film worth seeing that shows us what life can be like in Iran today for people who don’t conform to the repressive rules. While the street scenes of downtown Tehran and the music were very good I was only mildly entertained by the story itself as it seemed repetitive and predictable and I think more of a political statement than a great movie. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.
Tags: drama, Foreign
April 16th, 2010
35 SHOTS OF RUM- Premise by Netflix. “This heartfelt slice-of-life drama by filmmaker Claire Denis tells the story of widower Lionel (Alex Descas), a train driver, and his grown daughter, Sophie (Mati Diop). The two spend most of their time together, but change is in the cards. A neighbor (Grégoire Colin) becomes attracted to Sophie, a family friend retires and Lionel tries to maintain a friendship with his ex-girlfriend (Nicole Dogue).”
4/10- This film got uniformly excellent reviews but I can not see why. Boring as hell and I would have turned it off if not for the reviews. Nothing of significance happens. TRDB.Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
April 16th, 2010
AFGHAN STAR- Premise by Netflix. “AFGHAN STAR- Premise by Netflix. “Director Havana Marking’s eye-opening documentary captures the resurgence of pop culture in Afghanistan after three decades of Taliban rule. Following four “American Idol”-type contestants from auditions to finals in Kabul, Marking reveals a precedent in this suppressed and war-torn nation: all ethnicities, genders and age groups are equal — but everyone competing risks their lives to sing for enthused audiences.” Great reviews and I look forward to seeing this movie.
4/10- It tooK talent plus courage to make this documentary as death threats were a constant companion with dancing and music being against Sharia law. I liked the movie. TRDB.
Tags: documentary, Foreign
April 6th, 2010
THE WEDDING DIRECTOR- Premise by Netflix. “Movie director Franco Elica (Sergio Castellitto) unexpectedly finds himself in Sicily, where a local nobleman presses him into videotaping the wedding of his daughter. Instead, the director tries to sabotage the union when he falls for the bride himself. Will he win her love — or are things not at all as they appear? Marco Bellocchio directs this labyrinthine drama, which also stars Donatella Finocchiaro.”
4/10- I was bored throughout most of the movie. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
April 6th, 2010
WOMEN WITHOUT MEN- Premise by Netflix. “Amid the tumult of the American- and British-backed coup that reinstated the Shah in early-1950s Tehran, the heart-wrenching tales of five very different Iranian women converge in a lovely orchard garden, where they find both freedom and friendship. Director and acclaimed visual artist Shirin Neshat brings a striking aesthetic style to this stirring drama, an adaptation of the magical-realist novella by Shahrnoush Parsipour.” Good early reviews.
6/10- A wonderful film (the director’s first feature) with marvelous photography and a very interesting story. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
April 1st, 2010
EVERYONE ELSE- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “In director Maren Ade‘s complex drama about gender roles, power and desire, Chris (Lars Eidinger) and Gitti (Birgit Minichmayr) find their relationship tested when a brief encounter with a seemingly perfect couple prompts Chris to emulate the other man’s dominance. Gitti is game for the role-playing experiment, until submission gives way to suffocation and both partners feel their true selves slipping away.” Good reviews.
11/10- Very well done and with sophisticated European acting this movie becomes interesting without very much dialogue. TRDB. Netflix.
April 1st, 2010
GIGANTE- Premise by Netflix. “Shy supermarket security guard Jara (Horacio Camandule) becomes transfixed by Julia (Leonor Svarcas), a cleaning woman he spots through a surveillance camera. Soon, he becomes obsessed with watching her in this drama about isolation and loneliness from director Adrián Biniez. Jara designs his life around Julia’s schedule, following her to the movies, the beach — even on dates with another man. Will he ever drum up the courage to approach her?”
3/10- Somewhat slow but I liked it. His obsession at no time seemed dangerous. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
April 1st, 2010
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