Posts filed under 'Seen On Netflix'
HAPPILY EVER AFTER- 2005. Premise by Netflix. “Writer, director and actor Yvan Attal trains his lens on the vicissitudes of love, marriage and monogamy in this crisp romantic comedy. Married with children, Vincent (Attal) is cheating on his wife, Gabrielle (Charlotte Gainsbourg), who’s having thoughts of infidelity herself. Meanwhile, Georges (Alain Chabat) dreams of release from his constrictive marriage, and bachelor playboy Fred (Alain Cohen) longs for a committed relationship.”
9/10- Well acted comedy/drama with a message. One great scene when Gainsbourg and her husband have an unusual fight. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
September 4th, 2010
NEVER LET ME GO- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “While retracing her experiences attending a boarding school for special children, Kathy (Carey Mulligan) reconnects with her former classmates, Ruth (Keira Knightley) and Tommy (Andrew Garfield), in an effort to determine exactly what sets them apart from other people. Based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s highly acclaimed novel, this sci-fi thriller from director Mark Romanek also stars Sally Hawkins, Charlotte Rampling and Andrea Riseborough.” Just OK reviews.
3/11- An interesting idea but the movie is passionless and I was bored most of the time. I did stick it out to the end, however. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama
September 3rd, 2010
JACK GOES BOATING- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Philip Seymour Hoffman directs and stars in this romantic comedy about Jack, a marijuana-smoking Manhattan limo driver who begins an unlikely regimen of self-improvement to win the heart of a fellow misfit named Connie (Amy Ryan). But as Jack learns to cook and swim for the benefit of his girl, he also witnesses the breakup of his best friends’ marriage. John Ortiz and Daphne Rubin-Vega co-star in this adaptation of Bob Glaudini’s play.” Only a few reviews available and they are mixed.
1/11- I found the movie interesting in it’s simplicity and as usual Hoffman gives a great performance. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: Drama/Romance
September 3rd, 2010
1981- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “After his working-class family moves to a more affluent town, anxious 11-year-old Ricardo (Jean-Carl Boucher) tries to impress the popular kids at his new school by spinning an intricate web of lies, which he frantically struggles to defend. Inspired by writer-director Ricardo Trogi‘s own life, this humorous Canadian coming-of-age tale also stars Claudio Colangelo, Sandrine Bisson and Gabriel Maille.”
11/10- Excellent French-Canadian coming of age story. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: drama
September 3rd, 2010
THE RED CHAPEL- 2009. Synopsis by Netflix. “While in North Korea under the pretext of a cultural exchange, two Danish-Korean comics and a subversive journalist with a video camera attempt to ridicule their host nation’s oppressive regime but encounter moral dilemmas and political manipulation. A bold look at the ethics of deceit, director Mads Brügger‘s darkly humorous documentary (and an award winner at Sundance) provides a rare glimpse inside one of the world’s most secretive societies.” Average professional reviews but very good audience acceptance. TRDB.
10/5/11- Interesting only because of the intended deceit of the production but not enough to keep me involved and I turned it off. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: documentary
September 3rd, 2010
A WOMAN, A GUN AND A NOODLE SHOP- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “Master director Yimou Zhang tackles an adaptation of the Coen brothers’ classic Blood Simple in this period dramedy full of slapstick and plot twists. When the owner of a Chinese noodle shop attempts to kill his adulterous wife, the fireworks fly. The proprietor also hopes to eliminate his wife’s woebegone lover, but complications and high-flying action arise courtesy of a rampaging band of feudal soldiers and the shop’s wacky employees.” Good review in NY Times 9/3/10. Friends did not like this film.
2/11- Slapstick remakes don’t inspire me but I did watch it to the end. Beautiful scenery and lots of color kept me involved. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
September 3rd, 2010
GOING THE DISTANCE- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “New couple Erin (Drew Barrymore) and Garrett (Justin Long) don’t want their summer fling to end, but Erin must move across the country to finish school. As the bicoastal lovers try to keep their relationship going, they experience the tricky challenges of living long-distance. Directed by established documentary filmmaker Nanette Burstein (The Kid Stays in the Picture), this romantic comedy also stars Christina Applegate and Ron Livingston.” OK review in NY Times 9/3/10.
1/11- A load of trash and I turned it off way too late in the movie. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: Romantic Comedy
September 3rd, 2010
ETIENNE!- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “Learning his only true friend and kindred soul — his dwarf hamster, Etienne — is dying of cancer, shy hotel worker Richard (Richard Vallejos) decides to show Etienne the world before he goes. Soon, the two are tooling along the California coast on Richard’s bicycle. As they travel, man and hamster meet a variety of quirky individuals, make many new friends and realize some important life lessons in this charming indie comedy.” Good review in NY Times 9/3/10.
8/7/11- After a slow, weird beginning the movie got better and I actually enjoyed it. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: drama
September 3rd, 2010
HOWL- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “James Franco steps into the shoes of famed Beat poet Allen Ginsberg in this star-studded biopic centered around Ginsberg’s poem “Howl” — and the widely publicized obscenity trial that followed its publication in 1957. Documentarians Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (The Times of Harvey Milk) direct, with an A-list ensemble cast that includes Jon Hamm, David Strathairn, Alan Alda, Jeff Daniels, Mary-Louise Parker and Paul Rudd.” Mostly poor reviews.
1/11- I just could not get into this film– boring and relying on gimmick to make it presentable. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: documentary
September 2nd, 2010
LIKE DANDELION DUST- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “Jack (Cole Hauser) and Molly Campbell (Kate Levering) are horrified to learn that the biological father (Barry Pepper) of their adopted son, Joey (Maxwell Perry Cotton), has been released from prison and wants custody of the boy. As the legal case builds against the Campbells, the couple hatches a risky plan to save their family. Mira Sorvino also stars in this gripping drama as Pepper’s girlfriend, Wendy.” Mostly very good reviews.
3/11- A very good depiction, if not a bit predictable, of a difficult true to life issue and I liked it very much. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama
September 2nd, 2010
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