Posts filed under 'Seen On Netflix'
CARANCHO- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “A car accident on the streets of Argentina brings Luján (Martina Gusman) and Sosa (Ricardo Darín) together: she’s a doctor caring for the critically wounded driver, he’s a smooth-talking ambulance chaser with an eye on the dying man’s money. Passion draws them together, but in a nation rife with such accidents, love alone may not conquer their differences. Pablo Trapero’s thoughtful film is an Official Selection of the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.” Very good early reviews. TRDB.
6/21/11- A little too long and way too many car crashes but the story is interesting and definitely a slice of life. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
February 4th, 2011
DAS FRAULEIN- 2006. Premise by Netflix. “Three women in Zurich have one thing in common: a life they left behind in Yugoslavia. Reza has spent 30 years reinventing herself as a single businesswoman. Mila, her employee, longs to return home. Ana, new to Switzerland, comes to Reza looking for work — and maybe to shake things up at the café Reza runs. The resulting relationship makes each of them reflect on the war-torn landscape of their past.” Mixed reviews, mostly good.
I enjoyed this movie very much. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
February 2nd, 2011
PHIL OCHS: THERE BUT FOR FORTUNE- 2010. “Fiercely devoted to championing peace and social justice, folk singer Phil Ochs rose to fame at the height of the 1960s protest movements, yet his incisive lyrics and resonant melodies remain relevant for audiences today. This film tells his story. Through performance footage and interviews with Ochs’s contemporaries and admirers — including Joan Baez, Pete Seeger and Sean Penn — the documentary paints a portrait of a uniquely American artist.” Great reviews.
7/29/11- An excellent documentary about this man that I didn’t know or remember too much about. Good archival footage as well. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: documentary
February 1st, 2011
ROOM IN ROME- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Elena Anaya and Natasha Yarovenko star in this provocative drama about Alba and Natasha, two women who meet in Rome and end up in a hotel roomwhere they bare their bodies and souls to each other during one memorable, passionate night. As their steamy encounter brings them emotionally closer, they share their deepest secrets and desires. Award-winning writer-director Julio Medem brings us this serious and sexy foray into uncharted territory.” Two reviews, both good.
3/11- As far as I’m concerned this film was, despite being written a bit better than most, soft core porn at best and I’m embarrassed to say that I turned it off. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: Drama/Romance
January 30th, 2011
THE LIE- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Sometimes, you reeeeally don’t want to go to work. And sometimes that feeling is so strong that you’ll do anything to get out of it — even if that means telling a lie that has the power to completely change the trajectory of your life. Joshua Leonard (who co-starred in the indie breakout hit The Blair Witch Project) makes his directorial debut with this indie drama based on a short story by T.C. Boyle.” Winner at Sundance 2011.
A few good early reviews. TRDB.
11/18/11- An excellent review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
2/24/12- A very well acted and interesting story about relationships, particularly spousal, and mid- course corrections in life. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: drama
January 30th, 2011
KINYARWANDA- 2011. Premise by Netflix. “In this first-ever dramatic feature produced by Rwandans, the events of the horrific 1994 genocide are personalized through six intertwined stories. As the violence rages, mosques become a haven for Rwandans of all affiliations seeking protection. Director and writer Alrick Brown seeks the gray areas in this dark period of history, finding all-too-human motivations and resilience in the face of unimaginable catastrophe.” At Sundance 2011. Excellent reviews. TRDB.
6/17/12- One more of the Rwanda genocide movies but this one presents a complex question when it examines forgiveness. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 30th, 2011
HELL AND BACK AGAIN- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this unvarnished documentary set on the Afghan front line, U.S. Marine Sgt. Nathan Harris is wounded by Taliban machine-gun fire, then returns to his North Carolina home to grapple with the stress of civilian life. Embedded with Harris’s company on the battlefield, filmmaker Danfung Dennis discovers that for the 25-year-old veteran, recovering from a bullet to the head is no tougher than regaining a foothold in an apathetic homeland.” At Sundance 2011. Fair audience reviews and a few professional reviews– all good. TRDB.
1/24/12- Another reminder that war is hell. Very well done and highly recommended. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: doc, documentary
January 30th, 2011
UNCLE KENT- 2011. Premise by Netflix. “Kent (Kent Osborne), a pothead cartoonist working from his Los Angeles home, invites Kate (Jennifer Prediger), a New York journalist he met on a chat site, for a weekend visit. He’s sure that they’ll end up sleeping together, but Kate seems to have other things on her mind. Sexual escapades — even a threesome — abound, but the matchup of Kent‘s dreams is always just out of reach. Writer-director Joe Swanberg co-stars.” At Sundance 2011.
8/11/11- I found the movie remotely interesting but the main character should have outgrown this lifestyle years ago. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: drama
January 29th, 2011
THESE AMAZING SHADOWS- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Fueled by exclusive interviews and dazzling archival footage, filmmakers Paul Mariano and Kurt Norton shine a light on the work of the National Film Registry and the art of preserving aesthetically, culturally and historically significant cinema. Highlights in this Sundance selection include input from the likes of Christopher Nolan, John Waters, Rob Reiner, Debbie Reynolds, Tim Roth and George Takei.” At Sundance 2011.
11/26/11- This documentary is a must-see for anybody seriously interested in movies and their influence on our culture. Quotes I loved are “movies are a window to the world” and “movies are a time capsule of our society.” Great Documentary. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: documentary
January 29th, 2011
BHUTTO- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Duane Baughman and Johnny O’Hara’s documentary is an in-depth and at times incendiary look at the epic life and tragic death of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, whose 2007 assassination sent her country’s political system into a tailspin. As a passionate and outspoken voice of reason and democracy, Bhutto‘s return to the seat of power seemed inevitable; but as a deeply divisive figure, her death was perhaps inescapable as well.” Very good early reviews.
5/19/11- A very well done documentary if a little one-sided toward the Bhutto family. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: documentary
January 29th, 2011
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