Posts filed under 'Seen On Netflix'
OWL AND THE SPARROW- 2007. Premise by Netflix. “After angering her stern uncle (Trong Hai), 10-year-old Thuy (Han Thi Pham) runs away and lands on the tough streets of Saigon. There, she befriends shy zookeeper Hai (The Lu Le) and flight attendant Lan (Cat Ly). Dreaming of a new family, Thuy plays matchmaker to bring the two together. Meanwhile, Thuy’s furious uncle tracks her through the city. Stephane Gauger wrote and directed this Los Angeles Film Festival Audience Award winner.” Good reviews.
12/10- Great, touching film!!! TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
December 21st, 2010
SECRET SUNSHINE- 2007. Premise by Netflix. “Trying to piece her life back together after the death of her husband, Lee Shin-ae (Do-yeon Jeon) moves to the small village where he was born with her young son in tow. Life seems to return to normal, until the boy is kidnapped and Shin-ae is devastated. Jeon won the Best Actress award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival for her performance in this emotionally gripping drama by director Chang-dong Lee.” Very good reviews. Great review in NY Times on 12/22/10.
9/1/11- An unusual movie that well captured the horror that the mother endures and her attempts to become “normal” again. I liked it very much. TRDB.
Tags: drama
December 20th, 2010
THE WIND JOURNEYS- 2009. “In the wake of his wife’s death, Ignacio leaves his small Colombian town and journeys to the country’s remote northern region, resolving to return his devil-cursed accordion to the teacher who once gave it to him. His traveling companion is teenager Fermín, who aspires to emulate Ignacio’s past life as an accordion-playing troubadour who roamed the countryside. Marciano Martínez and Yull Núñez star in filmmaker Ciro Guerra’s enthralling odyssey.”
12/10- A bit long but an interesting journey and definitely worth seeing. Great photography. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama
December 17th, 2010
DHOBI GHAT (MUMBAI DIARIES) 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Taking its name from the Mumbai neighborhood where much of the city’s washing is done — traditionally by members of the Dhobi caste — this ensemble film represents the directorial debut of Kiran Rao, wife of Bollywood star Aamir Khan. The intimate social drama focuses on a quartet of individuals from different castes — a situation that would normally preclude them from forming friendships. Unique circumstances, however, draw them together.” Good early reviews but just a fair one in the NY Times on 1/21/11.
4/11- Bollywood without music and not bad at all. The first one I’ve watched through for a long time. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: drama, Foreign
December 4th, 2010
COUNTRY STRONG- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “While out on tour to revive her stalled career, once-popular country singer Kelly (Gwyneth Paltrow) falls for emerging newcomer Beau (Garrett Hedlund) and tries desperately to hide their burgeoning romance from her ever-present husband and manager, Ed (Tim McGraw). Written and directed by Shana Feste, this musical drama co-stars Leighton Meester as a former beauty queen trying to break out as a songstress.” Fair reviews at best.
5/24/11- Despite the poor reviews I loved the music and managed through the dialogue. I’d recommend it if you like C&W music. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama
December 4th, 2010
FOUR LIONS- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Comedy writer Christopher Morris makes his feature directorial debut with this outrageous comedy about a group of young Islamic Brits who fancy themselves bloodthirsty jihadis of the first order. Co-written with Simon Blackwell, the film showcases Morris’s satirical talents at their vicious best in a scathingly hilarious indictment of true believers and the social systems that create them. Viewers took note and bestowed it the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the L.A. Film Festival.” Very good reviews.
3/11- Good reviews but I had trouble understanding the “English” and was of no interest to me. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: Comedy, drama
December 3rd, 2010
WASTE LAND- 2010. Directed by Lucy Walker. Premise by Netflix. “World-renowned artist Vik Muniz embarks on one of the most inspired collaborations of his career, joining creative forces with Brazilian catadores — garbage pickers who mine treasure from the towering trash heaps of Rio’s Jardim Gramacho landfill. In this Sundance award-winning documentary, the catadores prove to be unique and surprising individuals in their own right, waxing philosophic as they impart a valuable lesson about what society discards. Great reviews.
3/11- A very well done documentary that I enjoyed very much both for the topic and the technique. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: documentary
December 2nd, 2010
YOU WON’T MISS ME- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “After a brief stint at a psychiatric hospital, emotionally intense Shelly Brown (Stella Schnabel), a 23-year-old aspiring actress, struggles to find her own path in the world while auditioning for roles, hooking up with the wrong guys and clashing with friends. Blending footage shot on multiple film and video formats, writer-director Ry Russo-Young’s evocative character portrait also stars Carlen Altman, Borden Capalino and Simon O’Connor.” Only fair reviews.
6/7/11- I felt like I’ve seen several other movies like this one, only much better. I turned it off. Miss it! TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama
November 28th, 2010
LA DANSE– LE BALLET DE L’OPERA DE PARIS- Synopsis by Netflix. “Captured by renowned documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, the lives of the men and women that comprise world-famous Opéra national de Paris reveal an unending devotion to their craft and a passion for the dance that is unequaled. Wiseman provides an intimate behind-the-scenes view of rehearsals, performances and ephemeral moments of the dancers, choreographers and others that make up the creative troupe inside the Palais Garnier.”
Good reviews.
9/16/14- I enjoyed this documentary that included plenty of dancing as well as a good look at the individuals that make this company run from the inside. TRDB.
Tags: documentary
November 20th, 2010
TODAY’S SPECIAL- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “After he gets passed over for promotion, haute cuisine sous chef Samir (Aasif Mandvi) quits to pursue his dream of cooking in Paris, but an emergency forces him to take over his family’s shabby Indian restaurant in Queens. Taxi driver-turned-chef Akbar (Naseeruddin Shah) shares his passion for Indian food with Samir, whose romance with fellow chef Carrie (Jess Weixler) fuels his desire to prove himself and save the restaurant.”
Fair review in NY Times 11/19/10. Good reviews in general. TRDB.
2/24/12- A lightweight Hollywood/Bollywood that did have some merit. I watched it through. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: drama
November 20th, 2010
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