FILM REVIEWS #602
July 28th, 2016
7/25/16- As usual, I enjoyed yet another of Woody’s films. TRDB.
7/9/16- Creative but absurd and I’m sorry I watched the whole thing. TRDB. Netflix.
2) DIFRET– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “After shooting a man who tried to force her into marriage, a 14-year-old Ethiopian girl is jailed and charged with murder. Now, the only thing standing between her and the death penalty is a zealous young lawyer determined to save her client’s life.”.
10/20/15- Great reviews. TRDB.
7/10/16- A very good docudrama about a young girl from Ethiopia and her attempt, with the help of a dedicated lawyer, to escape prosecution. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
3) RACE– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “While Hitler saw the 1936 Berlin Olympics as an opportunity to demonstrate Aryan supremacy, one African-American man — Jess Owens — shattered that dream with a display of athleticism that resulted in four gold medals. This film tells his story.”
2/19/16- Fair reviews from critics (even the positives had something negative to say) and OK reviews from audiences. TRDB.
7/27/16- This movie was OK for a historical lesson but as far as I’m concerned the movie was a waste of time. TRDB. Netflix.
4) PAUL WILLIAMS STILL ALIVE– 2011. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “He won Grammys and an Academy Award; wrote many #1 songs; starred in a Brian DePalma movie; put out his own hit records and albums; was a guest on The Tonight Show fifty times; and is the president of ASCAP…and you might not have heard of him. In the 1970’s, Paul Williams was the singer / actor / songwriter that emotional, alienated teenage boys all over the world wanted to be, a sex symbol before MTV, when sex symbols could be 5″2 and sing songs about loneliness with the Muppets. A wistful musical journey that will re-introduce a new generation to Williams’ soulful classics, Paul Williams: Still Alive is the charmingly self-narrated story of Stephen Kessler’s lifelong obsession with the former superstar-and what happens when the nostalgic filmmaker finally catches up with him.”
Good review in the NY Times on 6/8/12 despite a negative reaction to the director who may have taken advantage of the subject more for personal gain. TRDB.
7/28/16- An excellent documentary with great access to the subject. TRDB.
7/10/16- A very good and realistic docudrama about a young girl and her attempt, with the help of a dedicated lawyer, to free herself from prosecution by traditional tribal laws. TRDB.
3) REQUIEM FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this timely documentary, Noam Chomsky, one of America’s most respected and influential social theorists, offers sobering insights on the nation’s extreme economic inequalities and the true cost of projecting U.S. power worldwide.”
1/29/16- Good reviews by critics and poor ones by audiences. TRDB.
4) MARGUERITE– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “French socialite Marguerite Dumont has one great passion in life: singing opera. Unfortunately, she’s exceedingly bad at it. But with no one brave enough to tell her, she throws her heart and soul into preparing for her first solo recital.”
3/11/16- Excellent reviews by the critics and fairly good ones from audiences. TRDB.
4/6/16- A bit slow at times but I did like it. TRDB.
5) LOUDER THAN BOMBS– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Brought together three years after their mother’s death for an exhibit honoring her work as a photographer, brothers Conrad and Jonah share their memories of Mom as their father tries to bridge the emotional divide with his sons.”
4/8/16- Fair to good reviews including some very good ones. I’ll plan on seeing this one. TRDB.
6) THE FIRST MONDAY IN MAY– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Art and fashion collide — and the debate over whether fashion is art reignites — when New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art holds its annual Met Gala and accompanying exhibition. This film offers a look at 2014’s “China: Through the Looking Glass.”
4/15/16- Fairly good reviews for this documentary. TRDB.
7) LAST DAYS IN THE DESERT– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this intense spiritual drama inspired by the Biblical account of Jesus’s 40-day desert fast, the prophet Yeshua is challenged by the Devil himself to decide the fate of a troubled family living in barren isolation.”
5/13/16- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.
8) SEPTEMBERS OF SHIRAZ– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Set during the turbulent days of the Iranian Revolution, this tense drama chronicles the plight of a wealthy Jewish family whose patriarch is arrested, brutally interrogated and accused of spying for Israel.”
6/24/16- Although this movie got poor reviews and I can’t recommend it per se, I’d like to see it just for the history. TRDB.
2) INDIAN POINT– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Located less than 40 miles from New York City, the Indian Point nuclear power station is the target of outspoken activists who question the aging facility’s safety — particularly in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in 2011.
7/8/16- Reviews are early and few but they are very good. TRDB.
3) MEN GO TO BATTLE– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Set during the Civil War, this historical drama follows brothers Francis and Henry, whose overgrown Kentucky farm has them at loggerheads. After a fight between the two gets out of hand, Henry runs off and joins the Union army.”
7/8/16- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.
4) NORMAN LEAR: JUST ANOTHER VERSION OF YOU– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “The man who introduced America to Archie Bunker and George Jefferson — spurring social change through laughter — gets his due in this admiring biopic. From his Connecticut roots to his Hollywood success, Norman Lear’s life is explored in full.”
7/8/16- Fairly good reviews for this documentary. TRDB.
5) OUR LITTLE SISTER– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “When three sisters travel to their long-absent father’s rural home to attend his funeral, they meet their now-orphaned half-sister for the first time and offer to take her in, setting the stage for a confrontation with the family’s past.”
7/8/16- Excellent reviews for this Japanese film. TRDB.
6) ZERO DAYS– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “When the United States and Israel developed malware to sabotage a key part of Iran’s nuclear program, the worm was supposed vanish after doing its job. Though the first phase was a success, the second wasn’t, as detailed in this chilling documentary.”
7/8/16- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.
Not Recommended-
1) THE DEBT– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “American financier Oliver Campbell is set to make a killing on a hedge fund deal with the Peruvian government, but nothing is as simple or as easy as it looks — especially once the human consequences of the proposed deal are revealed.”
7/8/16- Fair reviews at best. TRDB.
2) FATHERS & DAUGHTERS– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Unfolding via interwoven narratives, this touching drama follows novelist Jake Davis after he loses his wife in a car crash and becomes a single dad to 5-year-old Katie, who’s still struggling three decades later to overcome her tumultuous childhood.”
7/8/16- Weak reviews. TRDB.
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2) GARNET’S GOLD– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Twenty years ago, Garnet Frost’s solo hike into the Scottish wilds — with no maps — became a nightmare that nearly killed him. This existential documentary follows Frost’s return to the region to seek buried treasure that he’s convinced is there.”
7/15/16- Very good reviews. TRDB.
3) HOW HE FELL IN LOVE– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Still reeling from the death of a close friend, young musician Alex meets an older married woman, Ellen, and sparks immediately fly — despite their age difference and the wall of emotional barriers between them.”
7/15/16- The critics did not like this movie but audiences liked it very much. I’d give it a try. TRDB.
4) PHANTOM BOY– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “A mysterious illness has turned Leo into a phantom boy, enabling him to leave his body and explore the city as a ghostly apparition. While in the hospital, he befriends Alex, a New York City cop injured while attempting to capture a nefarious gangster who has taken control of the city’s power supply, throwing the metropolis into chaos. Now they must form an extraordinary duo, using Leo’s phantom powers and Alex’s detective work to foil the plot and save New York from destruction.”
7/15/16- Very good reviews from critics and audiences alike for this animated movie. TRDB.
5) DON’T BLINK: ROBERT FRANK– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “One of America’s most respected and revolutionary photographers, Robert Frank is renowned for choosing unlikely subjects. This comprehensive documentary includes Frank’s candid reflections on his background, career and philosophy as a shutterbug.”
7/25/16– Fairly good reviews. TRDB.
6) THE INFILTRATOR– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “The exploits of U.S. Customs agent Robert Mazur are recounted in this narco-crime thriller set in the 1980s. Gaining the trust of some of the world’s most notorious drug lords, Mazur becomes a key player in an intricate government sting.”
7/25/16- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.
Not Recommended-
1) FREE TO RUN– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Until the 1960s, the sport of running held little interest for most Americans. But the celebrity of top U.S. runners such as Steve Prefontaine and Kathrine Switzer inspired millions of Americans to lace up their sneakers and hit the pavement.”
7/15/16- Just fair reviews for this documentary. TRDB.
2) LUCHA MEXICO– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Donning iconic masks and enacting battles that pit good against evil, Mexico’s Lucha Libre wrestlers duke it out weekly to entertain the masses. This fascinating documentary provides a behind-the-scenes look at some of the sport’s biggest stars.”
7/15/16- Mixed reviews– more positive than negative. TRDB.
3) OUTLAWS AND ANGELS– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “After leading a bank heist that results in a U.S. marshal’s death, veteran outlaw Henry and his gang head toward Mexico. With a bounty hunter on their trail, they hole up at an isolated home in the borderlands, where unexpected events ensue.”
7/15/16- Critics did not like the movie– audiences were mixed with more liking it than not. TRDB.
4) TONY ROBBINS: I AM NOT YOUR GURU– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Providing an inside look at the high-energy world of self-help guru Tony Robbins, this upbeat documentary captures the charismatic motivational speaker sharing his insights at his massive yearly seminar “Date with Destiny.”
7/25/16- Weak reviews for this documentary. TRDB.
3) DON’T WORRY BABY– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “The relationship between Harry Lang and his son, Robert, takes an unexpected turn when they discover that they slept with the same woman years earlier, a few days apart — which means either one could be the father of her 4-year-old daughter.”
7/22/16- Mixed reviews but it does sound interesting. TRDB.
4) HOOLIGAN SPARROW– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Human rights activist Ye Haiyan and the documentary camera crew accompanying her risk government harassment and even incarceration when Ye publicly protests the scandalous case of six elementary schoolgirls raped by their headmaster.”
7/22/16- Excellent reviews. TRDB.
5) THE SEVENTH FIRE– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Headed for his fifth stay in prison, American Indian gang leader Rob Brown ponders the sad state of his Ojibwe community, beset by drug violence, and realizes he’s partly to blame. Meanwhile, his protégé remains eager to become the next drug kingpin.”
7/22/16- Excellent critical review of this movie– audiences were less impressed. TRDB.
6) SUMMERTIME– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Fleeing her rural life and moving to Paris, the gay but unschooled Delphine meets avowed feminist Carole, and they begin a passionate affair. When her father falls ill, Delphine goes home to help her mother, and Carole must decide whether to follow.”
7/22/16- Very good reviews for this French drama. TRDB.
Not Recommended–
1) ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Still hanging on grimly to their inebriated lifestyle, Edina and Patsy deliriously demonstrate that their talent for anarchy and outrage hasn’t dimmed since their wildly popular BBC sitcom went off the air.”
7/22/16- Fair reviews at best. TRDB.
2) HILLARY’S AMERICA– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Continuing his determined advocacy of conservative Christian values, writer-director Dinesh D’Souza trains a highly critical lens on his favorite target, Hillary Clinton, and the Democrat party’s sometimes checkered past.”
7/22/16- Awful reviews by the critics but audiences have liked it. TRDB.
2) DON’T WORRY BABY– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “The relationship between Harry Lang and his son, Robert, takes an unexpected turn when they discover that they slept with the same woman years earlier, a few days apart — which means either one could be the father of her 4-year-old daughter.”
7/22/16- Mixed reviews but it does sound interesting. TRDB.
3) THE CHILDHOOD OF A LEADER– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “After World War I, a U.S. diplomat moves his family to France, where he’s deeply involved in drafting the Treaty of Versailles. But while he’s preoccupied with his work, his neglected 7-year-old son begins to display ominous personality traits.”
7/22/16- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.
DirecTV- www.directv.com/DTVAPP/listing/ppvMovies.jsp
Time Warner Link- www.twondemand.com
7/5/16- A bit preposterous but still OK. Definitely not as good as most critics gave it credit for. TRDB.
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