FILM REVIEWS #765
October 9th, 2019
1) JUDY– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Set in 1968, this dramatized biopic recounts singer Judy Garland’s last concerts in London, where the fragile and weary star prepares for a run of sold-out shows while beginning a courtship with her soon-to-be-fifth spouse.”
9/22/19- Very good reviews for this new film although there was much more critical praise for Zellweger than for the movie itself. TRDB.
10/7/19- I enjoyed this movie very much and Zellweger was wonderful as Judy Garland. TRDB.
1) MARIANNE & LEONARD- WORDS OF LOVE– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Documentarian Nick Broomfield chronicles the relationship between writer turned musician Leonard Cohen and his muse, Marianne Ihlen, who met in 1960 on the Greek island of Hydra — where they found love and Cohen began to find his artistic voice.”
7/5/19- Very good reviews. TRDB.
2) THE ART OF SELF-DEFENSE– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “After being randomly attacked in public, Casey signs up at a martial-arts school to learn karate and ensure his protection. But he soon discovers that there’s a dark side to his enigmatic sensei’s world.”
7/12/19- Very good reviews. TRDB.
1) PAIN AND GLORY– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “This layered drama centers on Salvador Mallo, an aging filmmaker looking deep within his soul as he attempts to recapture the creative spirit that once inspired him. As he surveys his life, Salvador is haunted by memories of his first love.”
10/4/19- Excellent reviews for this drama by Pedro Almodovar. TRDB.
2) LUCY IN THE SKY– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “For astronaut Lucy Cola, living in space was easy compared with returning to Earth, where her disconnection from family and friends leads her to begin an affair with a fellow astronaut as she slowly loses her grip on reality.”
10/4/19- Weak reviews but it sounds interesting to me and I like Natalie Portman. I’ll see it! TRDB.
3) DOLEMITE IS MY NAME– 2019. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Stung by a string of showbiz failures, floundering comedian Rudy Ray Moore (Academy Award nominee Eddie Murphy) has an epiphany that turns him into a word-of-mouth sensation: step onstage as someone else.”
10/4/19- Excellent reviews. TRDB.
4) LOW TIDE– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “As Jersey Shore townies Red, Alan and Smitty are spending the summer on the boardwalk and robbing vacation homes, Alan and his younger brother, Peter, stumble on a bag of gold coins. But trouble erupts when they try to hide the loot from the others.”
10/4/19- Fair reviews at best but it does sound interesting to me. TRDB.
5) MEMORY: THE ORIGINS OF ALIEN– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Released in 1979, director Ridley Scott’s “Alien” ushered in a new style of visual storytelling. This comprehensive documentary uses original materials to recount the creation of the film, which has its roots in mythology and underground comics.”
10/4/19- Fair to good reviews. TRDB.
6) CELEBRATION- 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Shelved for more than a decade, this immersive documentary goes behind the scenes to capture iconic couturier Yves Saint Laurent’s final few years at the helm of his Parisian fashion house. Footage from his last runway show in 2002 caps off the film.”
10/4/19- Excellent reviews. TRDB.
7) ON THE PRESIDENT’S ORDERS– Synopsis by Netflix. “In this documentary that plays like a thriller, filmmakers James Jones and Olivier Sarbil turn their lens on Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal war on drugs, which has led to the shooting deaths of more than 3,000 suspects in its first year.”
10/4/19- Reviews are generally positive but none glowing. TRDB.
8) WALLFLOWER– 2019. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “On the night a disturbed man from a small town plans to commit a mass shooting at a Seattle rave, he is befriended by an eccentric group of ravers who invite him into their home.”
10/4/19- The few early reviews I’ve seen are mixed. TRDB
1) JOKER– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Set in 1980s Gotham City, this origin story of DC Comics’ notorious archvillain the Joker chronicles the cautionary tale of a stand-up comedian whose failure drives him to criminal madness.”
10/4/19- Fair reviews for this much hyped movie. I’ skip it for sure. TRDB.
2) THE PRETENDERS– Miserable reviews
3) THE PARTS YOU LOSE– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “The Parts You Lose follows the unlikely friendship that unfolds between a young deaf boy, Wesley, and a fugitive criminal who takes refuge in an abandoned barn on the family’s rural North Dakota farm. After forming a deep bond with the man, Wesley must decide where to place his allegiances when the authorities begin to close in on the fugitive.”
10/4/19- Generally poor reviews. TRDB.
1) LUCY IN THE SKY- Cinema 100. 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “For astronaut Lucy Cola, living in space was easy compared with returning to Earth, where her disconnection from family and friends leads her to begin an affair with a fellow astronaut as she slowly loses her grip on reality.”
10/4/19- Weak reviews but it sounds interesting to me and I like Natalie Portman. I’ll see it! TRDB.
2) EL CAMINO: A BREAKING BAD MOVIE- Jacob Burns. 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “The Netflix Television Event EL CAMINO: A BREAKING BAD MOVIE reunites fans with Jesse Pinkman (Emmy-winner Aaron Paul). In the wake of his dramatic escape from captivity, Jesse must come to terms with his past in order to forge some kind of future.
10/9/19- No reviews as yet. TRDB.
8/23/19- Very good reviews for this drama/ comedy. TRDB.
REPEATS-
10/9/19- Weak reviews in general. TRDB.
1) FOR SAMA– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “The besieged city of Aleppo, Syria, is the setting of this powerful documentary, as director Waad al-Kateab composes a video diary of her searing experiences for her 1-year-old daughter before the family must flee to survive.”
7/26/19- Excellent reviews for this foreign documentary. TRDB.
2) TATTOO UPRISING– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “The history of tattoos — from ancient times to their current renaissance — is chronicled in this comprehensive documentary that examines Western fascination with Polynesian tattoo art after Capt. James Cook was exposed to South Seas cultures.”
10/6/19- Just 2 reviews so far and they are both positive. TRDB.
4) MONOS– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In a remote mountaintop setting somewhere in Latin America, a rebel group of teenage commandos bearing noms de guerre like Rambo, Smurf, Bigfoot, Wolf and Boom-Boom perform military training exercises while watching over a prisoner (Julianne Nicholson).”
9/14/19- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.
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