SKYFALL- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “When a serious menace threatens MI6, James Bond is on the case — putting aside his own life and personal issues to hunt and obliterate the perpetrators. Meanwhile, secrets arise from M’s past that strain Bond’s loyalty to his longtime boss.”
Great reviews!! TRDB.
4/7/13- Despite the wonderful reviews I’ll go with the reviewer who called this movie a “crushing bore.” TRDB.
Add comment October 27th, 2012
THE BLACK TULIP- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “After the Taliban is routed from Afghanistan in early 2001, the Mansouri family seizes the new window of freedom by opening a restaurant called “Poet’s Corner,” with an open microphone and an inviting platform for all to read poetry and tell their stories. This newfound hope proves to be fleeting as they struggle to maintain their lifestyle when encountering very real threats from lingering factions of the Taliban.”
10/26/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times and by other professional critics as well. Audiences have liked this movie a lot. TRDB.
Add comment October 26th, 2012
CHASING MAVERICKS- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Chasing Mavericks is the inspirational true story of real life surfing phenom Jay Moriarity (played by newcomer Jonny Weston). When 15 year old Jay discovers that the mythic Mavericks surf break, one of the biggest waves on Earth, is not only real, but exists just miles from his Santa Cruz home, he enlists the help of local legend Frosty Hesson (played by Gerard Butler) to train him to survive it. As Jay and Frosty embark on their quest to accomplish the impossible, they form a unique friendship that transforms both their lives, and their quest to tame Mavericks becomes about far more than surfing. Chasing Mavericks was made with the help of some of the biggest names in the surfing world, and features some of the most mind-blowing real wave footage ever captured on film.”
10/26/12- An OK review in today’s NY Times but weak professional reviews in general. Audiences have liked it. TRDB.
Add comment October 26th, 2012
THE LONLIEST PLANET- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Alex and Nica, a young engaged couple, are so eager to take a serious walking trek through Georgia’s Caucasus Mountains that they hire a local guide. Traveling deep into the wild landscape, however, the emotional atmosphere shifts for the trio.”
10/26/12- Very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
I saw 10 minutes of this movie on Comcast on Demand previews and I almost fell asleep. TRDB.
Add comment October 26th, 2012
FLIGHT- 2012- Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In this action-packed mystery thriller, Academy Award winner, Denzel Washington stars as Whip Whitaker, a seasoned airline pilot, who miraculously crash lands his plane after a mid-air catastrophe, saving nearly every soul on board. After the crash, Whip is hailed as a hero, but as more is learned, more questions than answers arise as to who or what was really at fault and what really happened on that plane?”
Very good reviews. TRDB.
11/2/12- Very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
11/11/13- A ridiculous screenplay early on and I almost turned it off shortly after the plane crash. It did get a little better. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Add comment October 26th, 2012
FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS- 2010. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A father and daughter are separated but are never truly apart in this touching story of a family tragically divided. Reshma is a troubled teenager in 1980s New York who struggles to discover a sense of self and strength amidst a daunting array of pressures and betrayals. While continually grappling with her tumultuous relationship with her mother, Reshma holds on to her dreams of reuniting with the father in Guyana she has not seen or heard from in thirteen years. Documentary filmmaker Shundell Prasad’s ambitious feature debut, which spans two continents and three decades, offers a nuanced and empathetic lens into the plight of displaced immigrant families struggling to create a brighter future for their children.”
11/2/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment October 26th, 2012
THE DETAILS- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “After ten years of marriage, Jeff and Nealy Lang (Tobey Maguire and Elizabeth Banks) have an idyllic suburban home… and a relationship on the skids. But, when a family of hungry raccoons ransacks their perfectly manicured backyard, Jeff becomes single-mindedly obsessed with eradicating the pests by any means necessary. Soon the relentless rodents aren’t merely uprooting the lawn, but also overturning the Langs’ entire bourgeois existence, as the man-versus-beast battle leads into an absurd mess of infidelity, extortion, organ donation and other assorted mayhem.”
11/2/12- An OK review in today’s NY Times but other reviews are mediocre at best. The movie sounds weird and I’ll probably skip it for now. TRDB.
Add comment October 26th, 2012
HOLY MOTORS- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “This surreal drama from France follows DL, who becomes many different individuals living very different lives over a 24-hour period — switching effortlessly from man to woman, impoverished to affluent, young to old, and even assassin to family man.”
Excellent reviews so far. TRDB.
4/18/13- A weird blending of reality and fantasy that was just too much for me and I turned it off quickly. TRDB.
Add comment October 24th, 2012
MACHUCA- 2004. Synopsis by Netflix. “Seeking escape from his stormy home life, well-to-do youngster Gonzalo (Matias Quer) befriends Pedro (Ariel Mateluna), a poor, bullied pupil who’s attending his school on scholarship. The two grow close despite class hierarchy, but politics threaten to destroy their friendship. Set in 1973 Santiago amid political unrest, this tale centers on the friendship of two schoolboys from vastly different backgrounds.”
I liked this movie very much. TRDB.
Add comment October 24th, 2012
CLOUD ATLAS- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this star-studded drama, six seemingly disparate stories take viewers from a South Pacific Island in the 19th century to 1980s America to a dystopian future, exploring the complicated links that humans share through the generations.”
Reviews are mixed- a few said the movie was boring. TRDB.
Add comment October 23rd, 2012