HOURS- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “After Nolan’s wife dies in childbirth during Hurricane Katrina, his newborn daughter is placed on a ventilator. When the hospital is evacuated, he stays with her, desperate to keep her alive as the storm rages around them.”
12/13/13- Mixed reviews in general but the NY Times liked it. TRDB.
Add comment December 13th, 2013
FRIEND 2: THE LEGACY- 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “The long-awaited sequel to Korea’s cultural phenomenon of 2001, Friend 2: The Legacy opens with LEE Joon-seok (YOO Oh-seong) preparing to complete his 17-year prison sentence for ordering the hit on his best friend turned rival gang boss. Joon-seok still has the affection of the crime boss and is the rightful heir, but must face the reality that the intervening period has significantly eroded his mentor’s health and power as well as his own standing.”
12/13/13- Weak reviews in general but an OK one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment December 13th, 2013
AMERICAN HUSTLE- 2003. Synopsis by Netflix. “This fictionalization of the “Abscam” scandal of the early 1980s follows con man Irving Rosenfeld and his lover, Sydney Prosser, as they help an eccentric FBI agent expose corruption among several members of Congress in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.”
12/13/13- A very good review in today’s NY Times and from most other critics as well. TRDB.
12/20/13- Way over the top in every way but lots of fun and I liked it. TRDB.
Add comment December 13th, 2013
LIVE AT THE FOXES DEN- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Disillusioned lawyer Bobby seeks to shake off a bad day at the Foxes Den, an old-school lounge, and immediately feels at home. He soon quits his job and starts singing nightly at the Den, whose welcoming clientele happen to need some legal advice.”
12/6/13- Critics have not liked this movie including the review in today’s NY Times. Audiences, however, have liked it very much. TRDB.
Add comment December 6th, 2013
WHITE RAINDEER- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “This downbeat Christmas comedy follows the ordeal of property agent Suzanne, whose husband Jeff is killed just as her favorite holiday approaches. On learning that Jeff was having an affair before his demise, Suzanne seeks out his ex-lover, Fantasia.”
12/6/13– Good reviews. TRDB.
Add comment December 6th, 2013
NIGHT TRAIN TO LISBON- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Raimund Gregorius, a classics professor in Switzerland, embarks on a quest to uncover the truth about the life and death of charismatic Portuguese poet Amadeu de Prado, whose life in the 1970s was dedicated to overthrowing Salazar’s dictatorship.”
12/6/13- Weak reviews all over including the review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
5/13/14– A few bright spots in an otherwise weak movie. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Add comment December 6th, 2013
TWICE BORN- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Summoned by a longtime friend, a middle-aged woman returns to Bosnia with her teenage son, who was conceived amid the tumult of the 1990s Balkan wars. But the visit soon sparks a torrent of memories that force her to confront painful truths.”
12/6/13- Weak reviews all around, including the review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment December 6th, 2013
SWERVE- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “This Australian outback thriller brings together the classic film noir ingredients when a man’s cross-country drive is diverted by car trouble. Soon after, he witnesses a spectacular car crash that includes one survivor and a money-stuffed suitcase.”
12/6/13- Poor reviews in general and from the NY Times today. TRDB.
Add comment December 6th, 2013
COMMITMENT- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “To free his sister from a labor camp, 19-year-old Myung-hoon takes on a spying mission for North Korean authorities, posing as a defector. But while living a secret life in South Korea, Myung-hoon becomes a target of his own government.”
12/6/13- A weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment December 6th, 2013
THE INVISIBLE WOMAN- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Ralph Fiennes directs and stars in this drama about the affair Charles Dickens began with a teen actress while at the height of his career. Felicity Jones plays the young thespian who catches Dickens’s eye, and Kristin Scott Thomas plays her mom.”
12/3/13- Mixed reviews but more good than bad. TRDB.
6/24/14- Very, very slow but I did see the whole thing. Just OK. TRDB.
Add comment December 4th, 2013