Posts filed under 'Seen On Netflix'
WHEN WE LEAVE- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Umay, 25, is torn between two cultures when she leaves her abusive husband and takes their young son, Cem, from Istanbul to her family home in Germany. Seeking refuge with her parents, Umay hopes to start anew, but her family disapproves. She finds work in a restaurant and falls in love with a German co-worker, Stipe, who happily welcomes her and Cem into his life, but turmoil erupts when Umay’s family decides to return Cem to his father.” Article about this movie in NY Times on 1/23/11 – Mostly very good reviews. TRDB.
1/11- OK review in NY Times on 1/28/11. TRDB.
6/20/11- I did like this film but it was way too long and the ending left me wondering what the director was thinking what with the melodrama. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 22nd, 2011
APPLAUSE- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “After a long stint in rehab, legendary actress Thea Barfoed (Paprika Steen) seeks to reconnect with her two young sons in this drama from Denmark. Now, the headstrong Thea must prove to her ex-husband, Christian (Michael Falch) — and to herself — that she’s truly reformed. Meanwhile, her nightly performances as overbearing wife Martha in the play “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” lead her to face some painful truths.” Poor review in NY Times on 1/21/11.
5/4/14- Despite a poor review from the NY Times this movie received wonderful praise, especially for the lead actress. I liked the movie very much for its acting and its story. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 21st, 2011
THE WAY BACK- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “After narrowly escaping from a wretched World War II Siberian labor camp, a small band of multinational soldiers desperately undertakes a harrowing journey to traverse Siberia, the Gobi Desert and the Himalayas on foot. Directed by Peter Weir, this exciting drama about courage and endurance — based on a true story — stars Colin Farrell, Jim Sturgess, Ed Harris, Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong and Gustaf Skarsgård.” OK reviews in general but only a fair one in the NY Times on 1/21/11.
4/11- Zero passion in this flimsy drama with a whole load of guys speaking with a fake accent. I turned it off. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama
January 21st, 2011
ALAMAR- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “Before his young son, Natan (Natan Machado Palombini), returns to Rome with his mother, Jorge (Jorge Machado) takes the boy on an extended journey to a tiny fishing village, where Natan learns to fish and snorkel amid the natural splendor of the Mexican Caribbean. Filmmaker Pedro González-Rubio’s delicate family drama also stars Nestor Marin as veteran angler Matraca, as well as a colorful cast of crocodiles, tropical birds and iguanas.”
1/11- A very interesting movie with minimal dialogue and I definitely would recommend it. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 20th, 2011
AFTERSHOCK- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Caught in the cataclysmic Tangshan earthquake of 1976, a mother is forced to choose which of her twin children — her son or her daughter — a rescue worker should save as they flee the collapsing ruins of her home. The film dramatizes the arduous struggle of the survivors — including the little girl left for dead — as families must learn to rebuild their lives in the wake of a natural disaster that left nearly 250,000 people dead.” Winner at 2011 Palm Springs Film Festival. Great reviews in general. TRDB.
11/21/11- An epic drama about one of the families devastated by the Tangshan earthquake and their quest for emotional peace living with the ramifications of the destruction. I liked it. Netflix. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 17th, 2011
LOOSE CANNONS- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “This fiery comedy from director Ferzan Ozpetek finds young Tommaso (Riccardo Scamarcio) about to reveal to his large, frenetic Italian family that he’s gay. But he’s beaten to the punch by his older brother, who is promptly disinherited by their furious father. Tommaso is then put in charge of the family’s pasta factory, and while he tries hard to be a successful businessman, it’s difficult for him to hide his true feelings.”
Winner at 2011 Palm Springs Film Festival.
10/31/14- I liked this movie very much. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 17th, 2011
DESERT FLOWER- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “Sherry Horman directs this drama based on the real-life story of Waris Dirie (Liya Kebede), a poor girl who flees an arranged marriage in Somalia, winds up in London and becomes one of the world’s most recognizable supermodels. As her star rises, Dirie speaks out against the practice of female genital mutilation, a trauma she experienced as a girl. Timothy Spall co-stars as the photographer who “discovered” Dirie working in a fast food joint.” Winner at Palm Springs Film Festival, 2011. Good review in NY Times on 3/18/11.
7/20/11- One reviewer said that this movie would have been better as a documentary and I agree. I feel that the screenplay was overly simplistic and even silly at times and the change in tone of the movie with the last scene did not sit right with me but I lasted the entire movie because I knew it was basically a true story. Recommended with some reservation. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: docudrama
January 17th, 2011
KABOOM- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Lovelorn college student Smith (Thomas Dekker) spends his days hanging with his friend Stella (Haley Bennett) and his nights lusting after his straight roommate Thor (Chris Zylka), until one wild party shatters his world in this comic thriller from edgy director Gregg Araki. After eating drug-laced cookies, Smith witnesses the murder of an enigmatic woman who has haunted his dreams, and he begins a bizarre journey that will determine his future.” Only fair reviews. At Sundance 2011.
6/3/11- Awful movie and I turned it off quickly. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama
January 16th, 2011
A SOMEWHAT GENTLE MAN- Premise by Netflix. “With revenge on his mind, a gangster (Stellan Skarsgård) who spent 12 years in prison for murder sets out to kill the man (Henrik Mestad) who put him there. But the promise of a normal life — and news that he’s on the brink of becoming a grandfather — proves a tempting distraction. Suddenly, seeking vengeance doesn’t seem nearly as important. Hans Petter Moland directs this Norwegian drama about sons and second chances.” Good review in NY Times on 1/14/11.
5/10/11- An OK dark comedy with a wonderful Skarsgard. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 14th, 2011
MARWENCOL- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “After a terrible beating left Mark Hogancamp brain damaged, he began creating models of a fictional town, Marwencol, to process the trauma. Jeff Malmberg’s documentary explains how Hogancamp uses the elaborate dioramas as stand-ins for real life. When Hogancamp’s work attracts the attention of a prestigious New York art gallery, however, he’s forced to leave the safety of his make-believe world and reconnect with the real one.” Great reviews.
4/11- Despite the uniformly rave reviews I had trouble getting into this film and although I found the idea clever and finally turned the movie off. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: documentary
January 5th, 2011
Newer Posts
Older Posts