CAESAR MUST DIE- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Brothers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani take their cameras inside Rome’s Rebbibia Prison as its inmates stage a production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. The film reveals the Bard’s power to enlighten as the men connect the play to their own lives.”
2/6/13- Good reviews in general and in today’s NY Times as well. TRDB.
Add comment February 6th, 2013
DAVID- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “A single name — David — connects the destinies of three men living in different eras and geographies in this Hindi action thriller: 1975 David lives in London and works for the Mob; 1999 David is a Mumbai teen; and 2010 David is a Goa fisherman.”
1/5/13- A weak review in today’s NY Times and a fair one elsewhere. TRDB.
Add comment February 5th, 2013
AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Unemployed adman Roberto is struggling to revive his career when a whimsical visit to the spot where he and his wife honeymooned leads to a potentially deadly accident. Ever the spin doctor, he skillfully turns the event into a media feeding frenzy.”
1/5/13- Poor reviews in general and in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment February 5th, 2013
JOHN DIES AT THE END- 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “It’s a drug that promises an out-of-body experience with each hit. On the street they call it Soy Sauce, and users drift across time and dimensions. But some who come back are no longer human. Suddenly a silent otherworldly invasion is underway, and mankind needs a hero. What it gets instead is John and David, a pair of college dropouts who can barely hold down jobs. Can these two stop the oncoming horror in time to save humanity? No. No, they can’t.”
2/1/13- This movie sounds stupid but the NY Times and others have given it good reviews. A few have not. TRDB.
Add comment February 1st, 2013
YOSSI- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “While driving through a remote part of Israel, a closeted gay doctor crosses paths with a group of soldiers who inspire him to live life in the open. Ohad Knoller reprises the title role in this sequel to Yossi & Jagger.”
1/25/13- Very good reviews in general but a poor one from the NY Times today. TRDB.
4/16/13- I did like the movie but I felt it was a bit hard to believe at a few points. Nowhere as good as “Yossi and Jagger” from 11 years ago. TRDB.
Add comment January 27th, 2013
KNIFE FIGHT- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “This satirical drama follows a cunning political strategist as he spins the truth to keep his misbehaving governor and senator clients out of trouble. But when he starts working for an unlikely client, his take-no-prisoners game changes.”
1/25/13- Poor reviews all around including today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment January 27th, 2013
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Crack film editors Nick and Darryl are hired to save a movie in desperate need of their skills, a gig that turns out to be filled with bad luck. Both men’s relationships are upended and their partnership is tested by the film’s delusional director.”
1/25/13- Good review in today’s NY Times and elsewhere as well. TRDB.
6/25/13- I enjoyed this low budget movie about personal relationships and professional relationships. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Add comment January 27th, 2013
NANA- 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “This spare, haunting, deceptively slight film – marking the feature debut of French filmmaker Valerie Massadian – zeroes in on the behavior and existential state of its 4-year-old protagonist. Growing up in rural France, Nana lives in a seemingly idyllic environment, but Massadian increasingly complicates our notion of the child’s innocence. Opening with a matter-of-fact depiction of the butchering of a pig (Nana lives on her grandfather’s pig farm), the film gradually tightens its focus to convey the child’s perspective as she entertains herself in solitude.”
1/25/13- Great review in today’s NY Times- mixed reviews from others. TRDB.
Add comment January 27th, 2013
THE TASTE OF MONEY- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this suspenseful erotic drama, the private male secretary and lover of Madam Baek, a Korean conglomerate’s middle-aged matriarch, falls for her more genuine daughter. Meanwhile, Madam Baek’s husband has an affair with the Filipino nanny.”
1/25/13- Mostly negative reviews but the NY Times liked this film very much. TRDB.
6/21/13- I have to agree with the “NO” votes. Bad, bad and I turned it off. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment January 27th, 2013
SIDE EFFECTS- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Emily Hawkins copes with her depression by taking large numbers of prescription medication. But when her emotions spiral out of control due to the upcoming release of her husband from prison, she turns to a new medication, with unforeseen results.”
2/8/13-Fairly good reviews in general and an OK review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
3/1/13- I saw this with my wife Jane and my friends Barbara and Ken and we all liked this mystery. TRDB.
Add comment January 27th, 2013