BLACK BUTTERFLIES- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “This passionate biopic profiles South African poet Ingrid Jonker, whose exuberant nature is destroyed by her repeated betrayals of her supportive lover and her complex relationship with her disapproving father, the minister of censorship.”
3/2/12- Generally good reviews. TRDB.
Add comment April 15th, 2011
BOMBAY BEACH- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Set on the salt-soaked shores of Southern California’s crumbling Bombay Beach, filmmaker Alma Har’el’s three-dimensional portrait tells the story of a boy, a teenager and a man at different stages of their lives amid modern ruins.”
10/14/11- An interesting review in today’s NY Times. This movie took awards at last year’s Tribeca. TRDB.
Add comment April 15th, 2011
7 DAYS IN SLOW MOTION- 2009. Synopsis by Netflix. “When young Ravi (Teja) comes into possession of a state-of-the-art camera, it seems his dreams of being a filmmaker will come true, but there’s a catch — he has just seven days to finish his movie and return the camera. This portrait of middle-class life examines the archaic and contemporary aspects of Indian society that pull at Ravi and his domineering mother (Rajeshwari Sachdev). Will Ravi defy his expected path and choose to pursue his dream?” Two reviews, one fair and the other very good. TRDB.
Add comment April 10th, 2011
PROM- 2011. Synopsis by IMDB. “A group of teenagers get ready for their high school prom.” Weak review in NY Times on 4/29/11. TRDB.
Add comment April 10th, 2011
LEBANON, PA- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Urbane Philadelphia ad man Will (Josh Hopkins) heads to small-town Lebanon for his father’s funeral, and the road leads not only to closure but to a revelation when the 35-year-old meets his precocious teenage cousin, CJ (Rachel Kitson), and her winsome teacher, Vicki (Samantha Mathis). As his friendship with CJ deepens and his warmth for the married Vicki grows, Will comes to realize that life can’t always be summed up in a catchphrase.” Excellent reviews. TRDB.
7/8/11- Good acting and a fairly interesting story make this one OK but not great. It feels a bit like an extended TV series. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment April 10th, 2011
CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Celebrated documentary filmmaker Werner Herzog offers this unprecedented examination of Chauvet Cave, a cavern in southern France that contains the oldest human-painted images yet to be found on Earth. Besides presenting stunning cinematography of the exquisite paintings themselves, Herzog interviews experts who describe the context and reflect on the existential meaning of this artwork, which is some 30,000 years old.” Very good professional reviews and poor audience ones. TRDB.
Add comment April 10th, 2011
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this captivating Depression-era melodrama, impetuous veterinary student Jacob Jankowski (Robert Pattinson) joins a celebrated circus as an animal caretaker but faces a wrenching dilemma when he’s transfixed by angelic married performer Marlena (Reese Witherspoon). An affinity for elephants brings together the young pair, but the warmth between them sends Marlena’s cruel husband, animal trainer August (Christoph Waltz), into a frightening fury.” Mediocre professional reviews but good audience reactions. TRDB.
4/11- A soap opera type movie with a weak screenplay that was a disappointment for me. TRDB. At the Theater.
Add comment April 9th, 2011
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE: STONEWALL UPRISING- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Through eyewitness interviews and archival footage, documentary filmmakers Kate Davis and David Heilbroner recapture a pivotal moment in time that mobilized a generation of gay activists and marked the dawn of the modern Gay Rights Movement. Much like Rosa Parks’s symbolic refusal to move to the back of the bus, gay bar patrons’ refusal to comply with a police raid at Greenwich Village’s Stonewall Inn in 1969 would change the course of history.” No reviews available as yet. TRDB.
Add comment April 9th, 2011
MEET MONICA VELOUR- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Eccentric teenager Tobe (Dustin Ingram) loves 1980s soft-core “art movies” so much that he steals his grandfather’s (Brian Dennehy) Wienermobile and travels cross-country to meet his favorite star, Linda Romanoli (Kim Cattrall) — but the reality of her life is more than Tobe bargains for. Tobe finds the still beautiful Linda performing at a low-rent strip joint and then tries to help the trailer-trash single mom win a contentious custody battle.” Poor professional reviews and average viewer response. TRDB.
8/25/11- I tried to turn this off 3 different times but was compelled to continue and despite the ridiculous plot I managed to actually enjoy this film. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment April 6th, 2011
MAHLER ON THE COUCH- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “When famed composer Gustav Mahler (Johannes Silberschneider) uncovers his wife Alma’s (Barbara Romaner) sexual infidelities with up-and-coming architect Walter Gropius (Friedrich Mücke), he settles into Sigmund Freud’s (Karl Markovics) couch and pours his heart out on a variety of topics. Percy Adlon and his son, Felix, wrote and direct this quirky take on music, madness and art, propelled by the compositions of Mahler himself.”
4/11- The movie was well acted with an excellent screenplay and of course Mahler’s wonderful music. Very good. Seen at the Westchester Jewish Film Festival. TRDB.
5/18/12– Today’s NY Times thought this was OK if a bit melodramatic. TRDB.
Add comment April 3rd, 2011