Posts filed under 'Drama'
THE BIG PICTURE- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Successful Paris attorney Paul Exben (Romain Duris) has everything going for him, including power, wealth and a picture-perfect family. But the mirror suddenly cracks when Paul discovers that his wife, Sarah, is carrying on an affair with a photographer. After a tragic error closes the door on all that he’s achieved, Paul makes a fateful decision to escape, fleeing abroad to try and begin a new life as someone else altogether.”
10/12/12- A very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
6/16/13- A moving drama about a successful man whose life is falling apart and the decisions he makes at the time. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
October 23rd, 2012
LEAST AMONG SAINTS- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Returning home to a broken marriage and an uncertain future, combat veteran Anthony Hayward (Papazian) believes there is no hope for himself. Yet when a troubled ten year-old neighbor, Wade (Tristan Lake Leabu), calls out for help, Anthony cannot turn away. To the dismay of the boy’s social worker (Laura San Giacomo), Anthony sets out on a fool’s quest to help this heartbroken and hard-to-reach child find his long-lost father. In the midst of this new mission – the first that seems to matter since his return – Anthony begins to come to grips with both the costs of war and the universal power of human connection.”
10/12/12- Weak reviews in general. TRDB.
Tags: drama
October 23rd, 2012
MADRID, 1987- Synopsis by Netflix. “During the political unrest of 1987, Ángela meets elderly journalist Miguel for an interview and ends up his captive, locked with him in his bathroom. Over the next 24 hours, they engage in verbal sparring that parallels the nation’s upheaval.”
Here’s what Rotten Tomatoes had to say– “Madrid, 1987 …is a two-character story with a verbose discourse on writing, journalism, careerism, aging and politics. Shot mostly within a very constricted space, the story follows an older, celebrated journalist Miguel (José Sacristán) who meets the beautiful and coy journalism-student Angela (María Valverde) to give an interview – but becomes intent upon seducing her. They end up spending time in the most unusual manner …discussing literature, prose and career trajectories …gradually divulging little insights into their own selves as we start to understand the old journalist’s cynicism and the young protégé’s intentions.
10/12/12- A good review in the NY Times. TRDB.
7/8/14- This is an “all talk” movie that I found interesting with all of the action taking place in about 100 sq. feet. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: drama, Foreign
October 23rd, 2012
SIMON AND THE OAKS- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “An epic drama spanning the years 1939 to 1952, this is the gripping story of Simon (Bill Skarsgaard), who grows up in a loving working class family on the outskirts of Gothenburg but always feels out of place. He finally convinces his father to send him to an upper-class grammar school, where he meets Isak, the son of a wealthy Jewish bookseller who has fled Nazi persecution in Germany. Simon is dazzled by the books, art and music he encounters in the home of Isak’s father Ruben (Jan Josef Leifers), which makes Simon long to know more about his own family background. Isak, on the other hand, draws comfort from learning to do something with his hands, helping Simon’s dad (Stefan Godicke) make boats. When Isak faces trouble at home, he is taken in by Simon’s family and the two households slowly merge, connecting in unexpected ways as war rages all over Europe.”
10/12/12- A very good review in today’s NY Times but just average ones in general. TRDB.
Tags: drama
October 23rd, 2012
3, 2, 1… FRANKIE GO BOOM- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Frank has long been the victim of his brother Bruce’s filmed pranks and ambushes, yet he finds the worst is yet to come after he beds a new lady. Bruce secretly films their lovemaking and puts it on the Internet, with viral and ruinous results.”
10/12/12- This movie got a fairly good review in the NY Times. TRDB.
Tags: drama
October 23rd, 2012
LA VIE AU RANCH- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A group of young women are determined to enjoy their freedom while it lasts in this loosely plotted comedy drama from director Sophie Letourneur. Lola (Eulalie Juster), Pam (Sarah-Jane Sauvegrain), and Manon (Mahault Mollaret) are three college students who share a flat they call “the Ranch” with several of their friends. Most of what happens at the Ranch takes place on the couch, and while academics are a part of the picture, so is drinking, hanging out, partying, and endless conversations about the past, present, and future, covering everything from philosophy to bladder infections. Lola, Pam, Manon and their friends are young enough to enjoy the glories of youthful irresponsibility and get away with it, but the farther they go into their college careers, the more they realize that the demands of the real world are creeping up on them. La Vie au Ranch (aka Chicks) was an official selection at the 2010 Rotterdam International Film Festival.”
10/19/12- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
October 23rd, 2012
ALL TOGETHER- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Instead of living in a retirement home, five aging friends decide to move in together after one of them suffers a heart attack. The two couples and one widower are joined by a young caregiver, an ethnology student who is studying the group.”
10/19/12-Fairly good reviews in general and a “just OK one in the NY Times. TRDB.
6/9/13- I enjoyed this drama/comedy very much. Loved each character as well. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: drama
October 22nd, 2012
MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Based on the acclaimed novel by Salman Rushdie, this epic drama tells the story of two infants switched at birth in 1947, the year of India’s independence from Great Britain. One boy is wealthy, the other poor, and their lives become intertwined.”
4/26/13- A “just OK” review in today’s NY Times. Others have liked it less. TRDB.
Tags: drama
October 6th, 2012
THE OTHER SON- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “”The Other Son” is the moving and provocative tale of two young men — one Israeli, the other Palestinian — who discover they were accidentally switched at birth, and the complex repercussions facing them and their respective families. Joseph (Jules Sitruk), an 18-year-old musician preparing to join the Israeli army for his mandatory military service, lives at home in a comfortable suburb of Tel Aviv with his parents, France-born physician Orith (Emmanuelle Devos) and Israel-born army commander Alon Silbers (Pascal Elbé). A blood test for Joseph’s military service reveals that he is not their biological son. During the Gulf War Joseph was evacuated from a clinic along with another baby, and the pair were given back to the wrong families. While Palestinian Joseph went to Tel Aviv with the Silbers, their actual Jewish son, Yacine (Medhi Dehbi), was brought to the West Bank by an Arab couple, Said (Khalifa Natour) and Leila (Areen Omari). The revelation turns the lives of the two families upside-down, forcing them to reassess their respective identities, values, and beliefs.”
10/26/12– A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
10/28/12- I liked this movie very much. Great acting and a different slant on a premise that has been done before. The film was very well done especially and dealing with the sensitivities regarding this region of the world. Highly recommended. TRDB. At the Theater.
Tags: drama, Foreign
October 6th, 2012
SISTER- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Every day, impoverished 12-year-old Simon sneaks into a posh Swiss ski resort, where he helps himself to the gear of wealthy tourists. Benefitting from his thievery is his lazy older sister, Louise, who refuses to live up to her responsibilities.”
Rotten Tomatoes said- “Simon (Kacey Mottet Klein) lives with his older sister (Léa Seydoux) in a housing complex below a luxury Swiss ski resort. With his sister drifting in and out of jobs and relationships, twelve-year-old Simon takes on the responsibility of providing for the two of them. Every day, he takes the lift up to the opulent ski world above, stealing equipment from rich tourists to resell to the local kids down in the valley. He is able to keep their little family afloat with his small-time hustles and his sister is thankful for the money he brings in. But, when Simon partners with a crooked British seasonal worker, he begins to lose his boundaries, affecting his relationship with his sister and plummeting him into dangerous territory.
10/5/12- Very good reviews from the NY Times and from most other critics as well. TRDB.
10/24/12- This movie gave a good depiction of the despair of the characters and therefore was a bit difficult to watch at times. All in all I’d say that I did like it. TRDB. At the Theater.
Tags: drama
October 6th, 2012
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