Posts filed under 'Seen On Netflix'
THE DRY LAND- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “American soldier Raymond Gonzales (Wilmer Valderrama) returns home to Texas after his tour of duty, unsure how to reconcile what he’s seen and experienced with the everyday mundanities of home and family life. This drama, from first-time writer-director Ryan Piers Williams, takes a head-on approach to confronting the conflicted emotions of the modern warrior. The stellar cast includes America Ferrera (“Ugly Betty”), Melissa Leo and Ethan Suplee.” Fair reviews.
11/10- This movie was just OK in portraying a common theme. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama
July 21st, 2010
THE ART OF THE STEAL- Premise by Netflix. “”A gripping tale of intrigue and mystery in the art world, this film traces the history of the Barnes collection of Post-Impressionist paintings, which was worth billions and became the subject of a power struggle after the 1951 death of the owner. Dr. Albert Barnes collected 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes, 59 Matisses, 46 Picassos and many other valuable paintings. But the political wrangling over the collection eventually led to its division.”
I enjoyed this movie very much. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: documentary
July 20th, 2010
HOME- 2008. France. Premise by Netflix. “When an unused highway next to their home is rebuilt and put back to use, Michel (Olivier Gourmet) and Marthe (Isabelle Huppert) soon discover it’s an affront to their once peaceful life, adding din and dust to their daily existence. Their extroverted son, Julien (Kacey Mottet Klein), grows more introspective; their daughter, Marion (Madeleine Budd), turns obsessive; and Julie (Adélaïde Leroux) is a near lost cause. But how can they fight back?” Fairly good reviews.
7/10- Interesting drama and very good acting especially the wonderful Isabelle Hupert. I liked it. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
July 20th, 2010
THE RUNAWAYS- Premise by Netflix. “Dakota Fanning stars in this musical biopic as Cherie Currie, lead singer of the 1970s all-girl rock group the Runaways, whose meteoric rise up the charts was saturated with drugs and other excesses of the era. Though the Runaways start out as a novelty act, the rock ‘n’ roll chops of Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart), Lita Ford (Scout Taylor-Compton) and the other girls lift the group to international stardom. Floria Sigismondi directs.” Reviews were just OK.
7/10- I could not get into this movie at all and turned it off fairly quickly. TRDB.
Tags: docudrama
July 20th, 2010
THE SECRET OF THE GRAIN- Premise by Netfllix. “After 35 years of shipyard work in the French port town of Sète, Tunisian immigrant Slimane (Habib Boufares) takes his severance pay and pursues his impossibly expensive dream of opening a couscous restaurant. His only hope lies in his fractured family, including his mistress, Lilia (Leila D’Issernio), her entrepreneurial daughter, Rym (Hafsia Herzi), and his ex-wife and ace couscous cook, Souad (Bouraouïa Marzouk), in this César-winning drama.”
7/10- I saw this about a year ago and I liked it a lot. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
July 20th, 2010
COUNTDOWN TO ZERO- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “Since the first atomic bomb exploded in 1945, scientists and world leaders have grappled with the apocalyptic dangers and paradoxes posed by nuclear weapons. Lucy Walker‘s documentary presents an unblinking look at humanity’s lethal predicament. The film outlines current threats posed by a growing list of nuclear-armed states and weighs the prospects for global disarmament, soliciting insights from a gallery of world leaders and policy experts.” Just a few reviews and they are good.
12/10- Great documentary!! TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: Documentary/History
July 16th, 2010
THE CONCERT- 2009. Synopsis by Netflix. “The winner of two César Awards, this uplifting comedy focuses on Andrei Filipov (Aleksei Guskov), a Russian conductor whose music career was cut short by politics. Now an alcoholic janitor, Filipov seizes a chance to reunite his orchestra and reclaim his life. Using a purloined invitation to a Parisian festival as incentive, Filipov gathers his rag-tag musicians and a French violinist (Mélanie Laurent) to realize his long-cherished dream.” A few very positive reactions but more fairly negative ones. The story sounds interesting and I’ll give it a try. TRDB.
6/24/11- A ridiculous farce and I turned it off fairly quickly. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
July 16th, 2010
ACTS OF WORSHIP-
ACTS OF WORSHIP- 2001. Premise by Netflix. “Alix (Ana Reeder) is a druggie living on the streets of Manhattan. Digna (Michael Hyatt) is an acclaimed photographer in the same city. Their worlds intersect when Digna finds Alix passed out in a stairwell and decides to take her in and help her get back on her feet. At first, it seems the two women couldn’t be more different, but as they get to know each other, they realize they’re both driven by the same fear and soon form a strong bond.”
7/10- The first 10 minutes showed what it’s like to live as a junkie on the streets of NY and after that I truly disliked this boring movie and turned it off after a half hour. TRDB.
Tags: drama
July 13th, 2010
THE VICIOUS KIND- 2008. Premise by Netflix. “When angry Caleb Sinclaire (Adam Scott) reluctantly agrees to drive his younger brother, Peter, and Peter’s girlfriend, Emma Gainsborough (Brittany Snow), home for Thanksgiving, he finds himself attracted to his brother’s pretty companion. Before long, his desire morphs into an obsession that could either completely unhinge the family — or be the catalyst he needs to confront feelings he has long repressed. J.K. Simmons and Alex Frost co-star.”
7/10- Very difficult to watch at times but I stuck it out and did find some merit. TRDB.
Tags: drama
July 11th, 2010
WELCOME TO THE RILEYS- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Devastated by their daughter’s death eight years ago, Doug (James Gandolfini) and his guilt-ridden wife, Lois (Melissa Leo), lead depressing lives without much meaning. But by forming an unconventional relationship with teen call girl Mallory (Kristen Stewart), the couple begins to rediscover hope. Directed by Jake Scott, this compelling family drama also stars David Jensen, Kathy Lamkin and Lance E. Nichols. Only fair reviews by most.
2/11- A fair drama at best with lots of stereotypical materiel but the film definitely had some merit, particularly at the end. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama
July 11th, 2010
Newer Posts
Older Posts