Posts with the tag 'Foreign'
I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG- 2008. Synopsis by Netflix. “After more than a decade apart, estranged sisters Juliette (Kristin Scott Thomas) and Lea (Elsa Zylberstein) try to rebuild their fractured relationship. But the task is hardly easy, considering Juliette’s past: She’s been in jail for 15 years — for killing someone. As she settles into small-town life with Lea’s family, the locals can’t help but talk. Writer-director Philippe Claudel’s feature film debut garnered him a Golden Globe nomination.”
11/08 and 4/11- I’ve seen this movie twice and loved it both times. I recommend it highly. TRDB. Netflix and at the Heritage Hills Film Club.
Tags: drama, Foreign
April 4th, 2011
MAHLER ON THE COUCH- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “When famed composer Gustav Mahler (Johannes Silberschneider) uncovers his wife Alma’s (Barbara Romaner) sexual infidelities with up-and-coming architect Walter Gropius (Friedrich Mücke), he settles into Sigmund Freud’s (Karl Markovics) couch and pours his heart out on a variety of topics. Percy Adlon and his son, Felix, wrote and direct this quirky take on music, madness and art, propelled by the compositions of Mahler himself.”
4/11- The movie was well acted with an excellent screenplay and of course Mahler’s wonderful music. Very good. Seen at the Westchester Jewish Film Festival. TRDB.
5/18/12– Today’s NY Times thought this was OK if a bit melodramatic. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
April 3rd, 2011
THE PRINCESS OF MONTPENSIER- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Aristocrat Marie de Mézières (Mélanie Thierry) loves the dashing Duke Henri de Guise (Gaspard Ulliel), but her father (Philippe Magnan) forces her to marry a prince she doesn’t know (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet). With her new husband at war, Marie’s passion for Henri grows stronger than ever. Bertrand Tavernier directs this historical drama set against a backdrop of religious conflict in 16th-century France.” Very good audience reviews. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
April 2nd, 2011
ANITA- 2009. Directed by Marcos Carnevale and starring Norma Aleandro and Alejandra Manzo as the young woman with Down’s Syndrome. About a handicapped young lady who is wandering the streets of Buenos Aires after a tragic event. Very good. Seen at the Westchester Jewish Film Festival. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
April 2nd, 2011
QUEEN TO PLAY- 2009. Synopsis by Netflix. “Intrigued by a pair of vacationing lovers playing chess, hotel maid Hélène (Sandrine Bonnaire) sets her sights on mastering the game. With some coaching from a doctor (Kevin Kline) who employs her services, Hélène hones her chess skills and begins to notice big changes in her life. Written and directed by Caroline Bottaro, this charming French drama also stars Jennifer Beals and Francis Renaud.” Good review in NY Times on 4/1/11. TRDB.
8/16/11- I really liked this movie and felt that it captured beautifully the need for people to stake out something that they own for themselves. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: Drama/Romance, Foreign
April 1st, 2011
LE QUATTRO VOLTE- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “This visual poem brings to life Pythagoras’s theory that the soul moves from human to animal to vegetable to mineral in its evolutionary journey. Wordlessly, the film follows an elderly Italian goat herder as he makes the remarkable transition. Director Michelangelo Frammartino captures the essence of everyday life in the Italian countryside as the man transforms into a baby goat, a giant tree and a lump of coal.” Many terrific reviews. TRDB.
9/15/11- When the reviews said that the movie was “wordless” they weren’t kidding. I guess I like dialogue and I hated this well received movie. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: drama, Foreign
March 30th, 2011
CIRCO- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Mexican ringmaster Tino struggles to operate his family’s long-running traveling circus in the midst of an economic downturn, while coping with the demands of his fed-up wife and four talented young children in this fascinating documentary. Featuring music by alt-country rockers Calexico, the film explores family ties and cultural inheritance while taking viewers all across rural Mexico’s beautiful back roads.” Very good reviews. TRDB.
10/4/11- A remarkable documentary showing a slice of life and a good look at what living in a travelling circus is like, warts and all, especially the extended family dynamics. TRDB.Netflix.
Tags: documentary, Foreign
March 25th, 2011
NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Two distinct activities are underway in Chile’s Atacama Desert: While astronomers study distant stars through a giant telescope, local people sift through the soil looking for graves of family members killed during the nation’s brutal political past. The region’s uniquely dry, clear air encourages both pursuits and inspires director Patricio Guzmán to draw metaphorical links between them in this thoughtful, heartfelt documentary.” Good review in NY Times on 3/18/11. TRDB.
10/7/11- A very good documentary that makes many comparisons between various social issues in Chile and beyond. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: documentary, Foreign
March 18th, 2011
THE GIFT TO STALIN- 2011. Premise by Rotten Tomatoes. ” Set in Kazakhstan in 1949, during a time when minorities were forced to move to central Asia by the former Soviet government. A Jewish kid named Sashka is on a train with his grandfather, being deported with others. His grandfather dies on the train… Set in Kazakhstan in 1949, during a time when minorities were forced to move to central Asia by the former Soviet government. A Jewish kid named Sashka is on a train with his grandfather, being deported with others. His grandfather dies on the train and he has to get off with the body at a small village. He meets an old man, Kasym, and stays with him. But the tragedy is upon the village. Every villager is killed and only Sashka survived.” Good review in NY Times on 3/18/11. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
March 18th, 2011
MIRAL- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “After she rescues dozens children who survived a massacre in Jerusalem in 1948, Palestinian Hind Husseini (Hiam Abbass) establishes an orphanage that helps thousands of other children left homeless by violence. But the success of her peace-through-education institution is tested when pupil Miral (Freida Pinto) gets a taste of radical politics in the region’s refugee camps. Julian Schnabel directs this film that co-stars Willem Dafoe.” Uniformly poor reviews but the film does sound interesting. TRDB.
This film stirred controversy when it’s opening was held at the UN as it was an unusual place for a film opening, particularly since it was felt by some to be anti-Israel. TRDB.
7/16/11- I feel that the movie was just fair and it absolutely portrayed the Israelis in a negative light including a torture scene. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
March 17th, 2011
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