CAPERNAUM- 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this dark fable set in a Middle East country undergoing political and social upheaval, a 12-year-old boy sees nothing but suffering and pain in his future, prompting him to sue his parents for bringing him into the world.”
12/14/18- Just so-so reviews. TRDB.
2/10/19- I liked the movie very much. TRDB. At the Theater.
Add comment December 15th, 2018
LOTS OF KIDS, A MONKEY AND A CASTLE- 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “In his first foray behind the lens, actor Gustavo Salmerón paints a poignant portrait of his spirited mom, Julita, who got everything she wished for: scads of kids, a monkey and a castle. But changing economic fortunes are forcing her to downsize.”
12/14/18- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB.
Add comment December 14th, 2018
THE WORLD IS YOURS- 2018. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “To escape his life of crime, a small-time mobster in Paris accepts one last job involving Spain, drugs, the Illuminati and his overbearing mother.”
12/14/18- Excellent reviews by the critics and fair ones by audiences. On Netflix as well. TRDB.
Add comment December 14th, 2018
BITTER MELON- 2018. About an extended family of Filipino-Americans.
12/8/18- The NY Times liked the first hour of this movie but said that it went downhill from there. Sounded interesting to me. TRDB.
Add comment December 8th, 2018
THE CHARMER- 2018. Synopsis by Netflix “Desperate to avoid deportation by securing Danish citizenship, Iranian migrant Esmail is looking for a woman who can expedite his plan. But when he falls for Sarah — who sees through his charms — Esmail’s past comes back to haunt him.”
12/5/18- Very good reviews for this Iranian drama. TRDB.
12/11/18- I found the movie both sensitive and suspenseful. Definitely worth seeing. TRDB. At the Theater.
Add comment December 5th, 2018
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF DESIRE- 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Offering a fascinating but dark vision of the future, documentarian Hao Wu ventures into China’s digital universe to examine a popular live-streaming platform called YY, where minimally talented performers seek money, celebrity and human connection.”
11/30/18- Excellent reviews by everybody. TRDB.
Add comment November 30th, 2018
SICILIAN GHOST STORY- 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this real life-inspired drama, gangsters kidnap 13-year-old Giuseppe to keep his ex-mob-enforcer dad from testifying against them. While the residents of Giuseppe’s village keep mum about the crime, a smitten classmate begins a search for him.”
11/3/0/18- Excellent reviews from the critics and weak ones from audiences. TRDB.
Add comment November 30th, 2018
HAPPY AS LAZZARO- 2018. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Lazzaro is a naive and optimistic twenty-year-old farmer; Tancredi is instead a young man with a fervid imagination. Between the two it is born an unexpected friendship, that above all for Lazzaro turns out to be an important moment of growth. Over time, the two face many difficulties together, until Tancredi makes his tracks lose in the city, and Lazzaro sets out to search for him.”
Add comment November 30th, 2018
SHOPLIFTERS- 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Earning only meager incomes, Osamu and his wife supplement their wages by shoplifting, with help from son Shota. While heading home on a winter night, father and son come across a freezing young girl and make a fateful decision to take her home.”
11/23/18- Excellent reviews. TRDB.
3/21/19- Beautifully done and very well acted. TRDB. Netflix Disc.
Add comment November 23rd, 2018
FAMILY IN TRANSITION- 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “When Amit Tsuk, the patriarch of a family living in a conservative Israeli town, announces his wish to become a woman, his wife and children are shocked but get used to the idea in time. Meanwhile, Amit’s spouse begins a personal journey of her own.”
11/23/18- Excellent reviews. TRDB.
Add comment November 23rd, 2018