Posts filed under 'Drama'
MY BROTHERS- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Set in 1987 in Ireland, this poignant drama tells the story of three brothers, teenage Noel and young Paudie and Scwally, who steal the family van and travel to a distant amusement park to replace their dying father’s treasured watch. Noel, who broke the watch, feels responsible but is buoyed by his brothers’ support. During the tribulation-laden journey, the brothers learn much about themselves, one another and the true meaning of family.”
Rotten Tomatoes had this to say– “A sudden family crisis sends three siblings off on an adventure in this comedy-drama set in working-class England in 1987. Noel (Timmy Creed) is the oldest of three bothers living with their ailing father. Noel and his siblings — eleven-year-old Paudie (Paul Courtney), who is quick with a joke and dreams of playing professional football some day, and seven-year-old Scwally (T.J. Griffin), who is shy and fascinated with Star Wars even though he hasn’t actually seen the film — are all having a hard time dealing with the knowledge that their father has only a short time to live. When Dad falls asleep, Noel takes off his watch for safekeeping, but when he gets in a fight the timepiece is broken beyond repair. Though the watch was just a cheap digital model, it was Dad’s most prized possession, won at an amusement park in Ballybunion; Noel doesn’t want Dad to know what happened, so he “borrows” a bread truck from a neighbor and sets off for Ballybunion to find a replacement. Since he hurt his hand in the fight, Noel brings Paudie along to help him work the gear shift, and Scwally is allowed to tag along so he won’t tell on his brothers; the brothers see plenty of sights have some unexpected adventures along the way as they look for the watch and come to terms with their father’s illness. My Brothers was the firs feature film from screenwriter Paul Fraser.”
11/30/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 16th, 2012
CALIFORNIA SOLO- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “After a drunken driving arrest in Los Angeles, a has-been rock star must prove his absence would cause hardship to a relative or face deportation to Scotland. As he contacts his ex-wife and daughter, he must face long-buried issues.”
Rotten Tomatoes had this to say— ”
Robert Carlyle (The Full Monty, Trainspotting) stars in this touching, human story about post-fame life and personal redemption. Former Britpop rocker Lachlan MacAldonich (Carlyle) has settled into a comfortably numb existence just outside Los Angeles. By day, he works on an organic farm and travels regularly to the city’s farmers’ markets to sell produce. By night, he retreats to his crummy apartment to record “Flame-Outs,” his podcast that recounts the tragic deaths of great musicians. The only spark in his humdrum existence is Beau (Alexia Rasmussen), a lovely struggling actress and amateur chef. One night, Lachlan gets pulled over for a DUI, a charge that dredges up his past drug offense and threatens him with deportation. Lachlan’s only hope of staying in the U.S. is proving that his removal would cause “extreme hardship” to a U.S. citizen spouse or relative, so he contacts his estranged ex-wife and daughter, raising past demons that he must finally confront. Danny Masterson co-stars. Written and directed by Marshall Lewy.”
OK reviews so far. TRDB.
11/30/12- An OK review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Tags: drama
November 16th, 2012
WHAT A MAN- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “This is a spirited and sweet romantic comedy about one man’s attempt to prove his manhood to the woman in his life. The film tells the story of Alex, a 30 year-old schoolteacher whose live-in girlfriend dumps him for a manlier man. The breakup forces him on a hilarious journey of self-discovery to prove his masculinity.”
A few good early reviews. TRDB.
11/30/12- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Tags: drama
November 15th, 2012
KILLING THEM SOFTLY- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Brad Pitt plays a slick and brutal enforcer assigned to investigate a robbery that targeted a high-stakes poker match run by his mob bosses. His methods feature plenty of violence and intimidation, backed up by timely lies and treachery.”
Very good early reviews. TRDB.
11/30/12- Poor review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Tags: drama
November 15th, 2012
HITCHCOCK- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Iconic filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock struggles with his marriage, the censors and the financiers of his 1960 film Psycho in this biopic. Driven to prove he still has an edge, Hitchcock crafts what would become one of the greatest thrillers of all time.”
11/23/12- Mixed reviews from most critics and a weak one from today’s NY Times. TRDB.
12/22/12- I found this movie slow, the acting forced and I dozed a couple of times. TRDB. At the Theater.
Tags: drama
November 11th, 2012
RUST AND BONE- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “To support his young son, faded boxer Ali takes a job as a bouncer and meets the free-spirited Stéphanie, who trains whales at a water park. After Stéphanie suffers a devastating accident, Ali begins a poignant and unexpected relationship with her.”
Great early reviews. TRDB.
11/23/12- A very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
1/25/13- I saw this recently at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and I thought it was great. TRDB.
Tags: drama
November 11th, 2012
LIFE OF PI- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel, this coming-of-age tale recounts the adventures of Pi, an Indian boy who is the sole survivor of a shipwreck. Pi finds himself on a lifeboat with only some zoo animals for company.”
Excellent reviews. TRDB.
1/2/13- I enjoyed this movie very much especially the creative cinematography. See it in 3D if you can. TRDB. At the Theater.
Tags: drama
November 11th, 2012
RED DAWN- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “When Chinese military forces invade American soil and try to pacify citizens in one community, Marine Jed Eckert (Chris Hemsworth) and a group of his local teenage pals elude capture and go underground to organize a resistance. But their uprising soon faces a ruthless adversary determined to stomp out their grass-roots rebellion. Dan Bradley directs and Josh Peck and Adrianne Palicki co-star in this remake of the hit 1984 drama of the same name.”
Awful reviews. TRDB.
Tags: drama
November 11th, 2012
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “After a four-year stay in a psychiatric institution, former teacher Pat Peoples has no choice but to move back in with his mother. While he’s trying in vain to reunite with his wife, Pat meets another woman fated to change his life.”
Very good reviews. TRDB.
11/16/12- Very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
12/4/12- A very enjoyable piece of fluff that had a few lessons about life as well. TRDB. Theater.
Tags: drama
November 11th, 2012
WAKE IN FRIGHT- 1971. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Awe-inspiring, brutal and stunning, Wake in Fright is the story of John Grant, a bonded teacher who arrives in the rough outback mining town of Bundanyabba, planning to stay overnight before catching the plane to Sydney. But, as his one night stretches to five, he plunges headlong toward his own destruction. When the alcohol-induced mist lifts, the educated John Grant is no more. Instead there is a self-loathing man in a desolate wasteland, dirty, red-eyed, sitting against a tree and looking at a rifle with one bullet left… Believed lost for many years, Wake in Fright has been painstakingly restored by Australia’s National Film and Sound Archive and AtLab Deluxe, and is presented in its original uncompromising form.”
Excellent reviews. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 10th, 2012
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