THE WAY HE LOOKS- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Overprotected by his mother and smitten best friend Giovana, blind teenager Leonardo dreams of being independent. But the arrival of new classmate Gabriel complicates matters when the two boys’ friendship deepens into something more.”
11/8/14- Very good reviews. TRDB.
8/8/15- A very good story and fine acting as well made this movie most enjoyable. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment November 8th, 2014
THE TOWER- 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A searing look at Communist East Germany in its final decade, The Tower reveals the intimate realities of life behind the Berlin Wall. Based on Uwe Tellkamp’s acclaimed novel The Tower: Tales from a Vanished Land, which won the 2008 German Book Prize and was heralded by Die Zeit as “one of the most important books of European post-War literature”, this riveting series introduces viewers to respected senior surgeon Richard Hoffmann, his wife Anne, their teenage son Christian, and their community of privileged intellectuals in suburban Dresden.”
11/7/14- Just 3 professional reviews, including the NY Times and they are all negative. TRDB.
Add comment November 8th, 2014
THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “With his body progressively ravaged by ALS, world-famous physicist Stephen Hawking must rely on his wife, Jane, to continue his life’s work as he faces various challenges. This affecting biographical drama centers on the couple’s fertile partnership.”
11/7/14- Good reviews from critics and audiences alike. TRDB.
2/23/15- A great performance by Eddie Redmayne helped this drama immensely. I think that the movie couldn’t decide if it should stress the character or his theories and may have gotten a bit lost trying. I did, however, like the movie. TRDB.
Add comment November 8th, 2014
ELSA & FRED- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “ELSA AND FRED is the story of two people who, at the end of the road, discover that it’s never too late to love. After losing his wife, Fred (Christopher Plumer) feels disturbed, confused and alone, so his daughter (Marcia Gay Harden) helps move him into a small apartment where he meets Elsa (Shirley Maclaine).”
11/7/14- Awful professional reviews but audiences have given this movie average reviews. TRDB.
1/23/15– Fairly predictable and weak but Maclaine and Plumer make it passable. TRDB
Add comment November 8th, 2014
BHOPAL: A PRAYER FOR RAIN- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “This heartrending portrait of a disastrous 1984 chemical leak in Bhopal, India, chronicles events leading up to the tragedy and the shattering repercussions that turned the city into a nightmarish landscape strewn with more than 10,000 corpses.”
11/7/14- Critics are evenly divided on this movie but audiences have liked it very much. TRDB.
Add comment November 8th, 2014
THE BETTER ANGELS- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Revisiting the many hardships of Abraham Lincoln’s youth, this biographical epic also highlights the influences that helped shape his personality — including the role played by Lincoln’s stepmother, Sarah, in developing his beliefs.”
11/7/14- Weak professional reviews– audiences have been a bit more generous. TRDB.
Add comment November 8th, 2014
VIVA LA LIBERTA- 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In this elegant and chilling story about world politics, the great Toni Servillo defies expectations playing two roles, imbuing each character with brilliant nuance and astonishing attention to detail. In the first, he personifies political failure in the role of the disgraced ideologue and party leader, Enrico Oliveri. In the second, he embodies the shrewd genius of a madman as Oliveri’s unhinged twin brother who seizes control of the nation amidst the void of his brother’s disappearance.”
11/7/14- I’ve seen just 4 reviews and they are all poor. TRDB.
5/11/15- Weak reviews but I enjoyed the movie. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Add comment November 7th, 2014
PRIVATE PEACEFUL- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Though their relationship is strained by a romantic rivalry, brothers Charlie and Tommo share an abiding bond. But it’s tested as never before when the siblings end up in the same trench during World War I.”
10/31/14- Mixed reviews by critics and audiences but this one did sound interesting to me. TRDB.
Add comment November 1st, 2014
HORNS- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Not only is Ig Perish accused of murdering his girlfriend, he’s sprouted a set of horns in this horror-fantasy starring Daniel Radcliffe. The affliction quickly becomes an aid when Ig realizes his budding knobs compel people to reveal their sins.”
10/31/14- Awful reviews. TRDB.
Add comment November 1st, 2014
HIT BY LIGHTNING- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “When Ricky Miller’s online introduction to the ravishing Danita surprisingly leads to true love, he doesn’t learn until later that she’s married. But things get even more complicated after Danita asks Ricky to kill her allegedly abusive spouse.”
10/31/14- The worst reviews I’ve seen in a long time. TRDB.
Add comment October 31st, 2014