RE-EMERGING: THE JEWS OF NIGERIA- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “This documentary follows Sam, a young Igbo man from Nigeria, as he seeks the truth about his people, who legend suggests may be of Jewish descent. The film delves into Igbo culture and reveals clues from around the globe that support Sam’s quest.”
5/17/13- Mixed early reviews of the few that were available. TRDB.
Add comment May 19th, 2013
ERASED- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Ex-CIA agent and current security expert Ben Logan has moved to Belgium with his estranged 15-year-old daughter. But when they’re both targeted for assassination, they must go on the run and learn to trust each other.”
5/17/13- A weak review in today’s NY Times and from others as well. TRDB.
Add comment May 19th, 2013
ELEMENTAL- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Three activists pursuing different causes are profiled in this environmental documentary, which moves from India to Australia to Canada. Among them is Rajendra Singh, who’s committed to saving the Ganges River from industrial pollution.”
5/17/13- A very good review in today’s NY Times. The review stresses that the movie is more about the lives of the activists than about the cause itself. TRDB.
Add comment May 19th, 2013
CAPE SPIN: AN AMERICAN POWER STRUGGLE- 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Cape Spin! An American Power Struggle tells the surreal, fascinating, tragicomic story of the battle over America’s most controversial clean energy project. Cape Wind would be the U.S.’s first offshore windfarm…But strange alliances formed for and against: Kennedys, Kochs, and everyday folks do battle with the developer and green groups over the future of American power.”
5/17/13- A poor review in today’s NY Times, mixed reviews in general and audiences have liked it. TRDB.
Add comment May 19th, 2013
TRIUMPH OF THE WALL- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Director Bill Stone sets out to document a novice stonemason’s construction of a 1,000-foot wall in rural Quebec, but his plans soon begin to unravel. When the mason realizes he’s in over his head, the film becomes a comic chronicle of determination.”
5/14/13- Only a few reviews and they are poor. TRDB.
Add comment May 14th, 2013
FIRST: THE STORY OF THE LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES- 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Follow 12 first-time Olympic athletes on the journey from their homes in different corners of the globe to meet their fate in London. This exclusive one-night event features the uplifting stories of 12 young warriors and includes exclusive personal interviews with America’s swimming sweetheart Missy Franklin, gymnastics hero John Orozco, boxing legend Queen Underwood and Australian BMX daredevil Caroline Buchanan as they discuss how the London 2012 Olympic Games changed their lives forever.”
5/14/13- No reviews as yet. TRDB.
Add comment May 13th, 2013
A GREEN STORY- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “A Greek man who came to the U.S. decades ago to start a company that sells environmentally friendly products learns he has cancer and little time to live. During his final days, he reflects on his early struggles as an immigrant businessman.”
5/14/13- No reviews as yet. TRDB.
5/24/13- A weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment May 13th, 2013
WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS- 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Acclaimed documentarian Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) takes the reins for this no-holds-barred look at one of the most unusual phenomena of early 21st century media. In 2006, an Iceland-based outfit called The Sunshine Press launched the website WikiLeaks.org. As run by Australian Internet activist Julian Assange, the site’s mandate involved regularly publishing top-secret documents and covert information, often regarding governments and their respective military operations.”
5/24/13- Very good review by everyone, including the NY Times today. TRDB.
6/13/13- A very timely documentary in our nation’s history. I liked the movie but I thought that the movie was a bit too long and I would have liked to understand Assange’s real psychological motivation for the risks he has taken. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.
Add comment May 13th, 2013
FILL THE VOID- 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Eighteen-year-old Shira (Hada Yaron) is the youngest daughter of the family and is about to be married off to a very promising young man of the same age. On Purim, her twenty-eight-year-old sister, Esther (Renana Raz), dies during childbirth, leaving her husband to care for the child and postponing Shira’s promised match. When the girls’ mother finds out that Yochay may leave the country with her only grandchild, she proposes a match between Shira and the widower, which leaves Shira to choose between her heart’s wish and her family’s wish to keep the child with them.
5/14/13- I saw this excellent movie as part of a Jewish Film Festival this year. I definitely recommend it. TRDB.
5/24/13- Great review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment May 13th, 2013
THREE SISTERS- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “In stark contrast to governmental claims that life in rural China is improving, three young sisters, ages 10, 6 and 4, live largely alone in their impoverished village, struggling with grueling field labor while their father works in a nearby town.”
5/10/13- A good review in today’s NY Times for this documentary. TRDB.
Add comment May 12th, 2013