RETURN- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “After a tour of duty in the Middle East, Kelli expects her life to return to normal when she rejoins her husband and two children at home. But she finds herself unable to fit in as she realizes her family and friends have changed during her absence.”
2/10/12-OK reviews in general and in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
5/14/12- An ok story about the effects of military duty on those deployed and their loved ones. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment February 10th, 2012
BULLHEAD- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Tortured by his past and despairing of his stultifying present life, Belgian cattle farmer Jacky becomes entangled in a violent web of deceit involving local mobsters and determined policemen after he uses illegal growth hormones on his herd.” Very well liked by audiences and I read only 1 professional review and it was terrific. TRDB.
2/17/12- Good review in today’s NY Times for this Oscar nominated (Best Foreign Film) movie. TRDB.
7/30/12- Can’t say that I liked it but the cinematography and acting did keep me involved and despite trying to turn this off a few times I kept coming back for more. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Add comment February 3rd, 2012
CHICO & RITA- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Director Fernando Trueba and artist Javier Mariscal collaborate on this animated celebration of Cuban music that features pianist Bebo Valdés and other jazz greats in an epic story of romance, ambition and glamour set in the 1940s. Chico (voiced by Eman Xor Oña) is a gifted pianist and composer who falls in love with Rita (Limara Meneses), an equally talented singer, but her rise to success in America tears their romance apart.” Great professional reviews but so-so audience reaction so far. TRDB.
2/10/12- Good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
10/9/12- Great music along with a good old fashioned story and I liked it. TRDB.
Add comment January 31st, 2012
THE GREY- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “After narrowly surviving a deadly plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness, a band of oil riggers must fend for their lives in the ice and snow. But thanks to wolves that view their presence as a threat, they aren’t alone.”
1/27/12- A fairly good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
7/3/12- I can’t believe the good reviews. I found this movie intolerable and turned it off. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment January 29th, 2012
THE WAR BRIDE- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Shortly after English seamstress Lily (Anna Friel) marries and has a child with soldier Charlie (Aden Young), he ships out to World War II. Moving to his family’s farm, Lily finds herself stuck in a lonely place and at odds with her husband’s kin. Brenda Fricker co-stars as Charlie’s hostile mother, and Molly Parker plays Sylvia, Lily’s disabled sister-in-law. Lyndon Chubbuck (The Right Temptation) directs.”
1/25/12- After a slow start just when I thought this was a made for TV movie it got a lot better and I enjoyed it. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Add comment January 25th, 2012
EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Believing that his father left him a message before dying in the September 11 attacks, young Oskar Schell embarks on an emotional odyssey through New York City to find the lock that matches a key he found among his father’s belongings.” Weak reviews in general although some of my friends liked it very much. TRDB.
6/15/12- A bit too cute most of the time and not nearly as good as the book, it intermittently held my interest. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment January 25th, 2012
HELLO I MUST BE GOING- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “When her husband decides that he wants a divorce, 35-year-old Amy Minsky is faced with the humiliation of moving back into her parents’ home. Despite her battered self-image, Amy manages to inspire the ardor of a determined teenage boy.”
1/21/12- An article (not a review) in today’s NY Times about this film showing at Sundance. Sounds interesting. TRDB.
5/6/12- Excellent early audience reviews and so-so professional ones. TRDB.
9/7/12- Mixed reviews in general and an OK one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
3/26/13- This film had some good ideas but was hobbled by poor screenwriting. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment January 21st, 2012
EMPTY NEST- 2008. Synopsis by Netflix. “Writer-director Daniel Burman crafts this knowing look at the shifting dynamics of a marriage. The story centers on Leonardo (Oscar Martínez), a self-absorbed, middle-aged playwright, and his wife, Martha (Cecilia Roth). Their three children are grown and out of the house, leaving them to focus on their identities, both as individuals and a couple for the first time in years. Arturo Goetz and Eugenia Capizzano co-star.”
1/18/12- An OK drama that I stayed with even though it’s very slow at times. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Add comment January 18th, 2012
RAMPART- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Dave Brown is a dirty cop with a mile-wide mean streak. As he roams the streets meting out “justice,” the LAPD sinks into a corruption scandal. The countdown to Brown’s judgment is on in this fact-based film co-written by crime novelist James Ellroy.” Fairly good reviews including a few very good ones. TRDB.
Rotten Tomatoes had this to say— “Los Angeles, 1999 – Officer Dave Brown (Harrelson) is a Vietnam vet and a Rampart Precinct cop, dedicated to doing “the people’s dirty work” and asserting his own code of justice, often blurring the lines between right and wrong to maintain his action-hero state of mind. When he gets caught on tape beating a suspect, he finds himself in a personal and emotional downward spiral as the consequences of his past sins and his refusal to change his ways in light of a department-wide corruption scandal seal his fate.
5/23/12- A very interesting drama about a “bad” cop with a terrific acting job by Woody Harrelson. Despite his character it was painful to watch him spiral downward. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment January 16th, 2012
RED TAILS- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “The 332nd Fighter Group, an all-black World War II unit made up of the best escort pilots and known as the Red Tails, fights racism at home while fighting the Nazis abroad in this action-packed drama based on the true story of the Tuskegee Airmen.”
1/20/12- Excellent audience reviews, poor professional ones and a “just OK” review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
8/6/12-An awful movie replete with every generalization you’ve heard of on this topic. I turned it off quickly. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment January 2nd, 2012