Posts with the tag 'Foreign'
APPLAUSE- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “After a long stint in rehab, legendary actress Thea Barfoed (Paprika Steen) seeks to reconnect with her two young sons in this drama from Denmark. Now, the headstrong Thea must prove to her ex-husband, Christian (Michael Falch) — and to herself — that she’s truly reformed. Meanwhile, her nightly performances as overbearing wife Martha in the play “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” lead her to face some painful truths.” Poor review in NY Times on 1/21/11.
5/4/14- Despite a poor review from the NY Times this movie received wonderful praise, especially for the lead actress. I liked the movie very much for its acting and its story. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 21st, 2011
THE HOUSEMAID- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “A wealthy family’s new maid, Eun-yi (Do-yeon Jeon), attracts the attention of Hoon (Jung-Jae Lee), the man of the house, and a fiery affair develops between them. But although Hoon signs Eun-yi’s checks, he’s not the one controlling the relationship. One secret leads to another, until Eun-yi threatens to destroy the entire family. This update of the 1960 chiller was an Official Selection of the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.” Fair review in NY Times on 1/21/11.
2/11- Very well done until the ending which seemed incomprehensible to me. Worth seeing however. TRDB. On Concast On-Demand straight from Sundance 2011.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 21st, 2011
ALAMAR- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “Before his young son, Natan (Natan Machado Palombini), returns to Rome with his mother, Jorge (Jorge Machado) takes the boy on an extended journey to a tiny fishing village, where Natan learns to fish and snorkel amid the natural splendor of the Mexican Caribbean. Filmmaker Pedro González-Rubio’s delicate family drama also stars Nestor Marin as veteran angler Matraca, as well as a colorful cast of crocodiles, tropical birds and iguanas.”
1/11- A very interesting movie with minimal dialogue and I definitely would recommend it. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 20th, 2011
AFTERSHOCK- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Caught in the cataclysmic Tangshan earthquake of 1976, a mother is forced to choose which of her twin children — her son or her daughter — a rescue worker should save as they flee the collapsing ruins of her home. The film dramatizes the arduous struggle of the survivors — including the little girl left for dead — as families must learn to rebuild their lives in the wake of a natural disaster that left nearly 250,000 people dead.” Winner at 2011 Palm Springs Film Festival. Great reviews in general. TRDB.
11/21/11- An epic drama about one of the families devastated by the Tangshan earthquake and their quest for emotional peace living with the ramifications of the destruction. I liked it. Netflix. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 17th, 2011
POTICHE- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Director François Ozon spins a deft social comedy of the French bourgeoisie starring some of that country’s most celebrated actors, including Gérard Depardieu, Catherine Deneuve and Fabrice Luchini. After Suzanne Pujol’s (Deneuve) husband has a heart attack, she must take charge of the umbrella factory he manages. The resulting clashes between the genteel Suzanne and the Marxist union boss (Depardieu) generate plenty of riotous class conflict.” Winner at 2011 Palm Springs Film Festival this movie has received very good professional reviews and average audience reviews. TRDB.
4/11- A delightful French farce and I recommend it. DeNeuve is magnifique. TRDB. At the Theater.
Tags: Comedy, Foreign
January 17th, 2011
LOOSE CANNONS- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “This fiery comedy from director Ferzan Ozpetek finds young Tommaso (Riccardo Scamarcio) about to reveal to his large, frenetic Italian family that he’s gay. But he’s beaten to the punch by his older brother, who is promptly disinherited by their furious father. Tommaso is then put in charge of the family’s pasta factory, and while he tries hard to be a successful businessman, it’s difficult for him to hide his true feelings.”
Winner at 2011 Palm Springs Film Festival.
10/31/14- I liked this movie very much. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 17th, 2011
EVEN THE RAIN- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “In this provocative film-within-a-film, director Sebastián (Gael García Bernal) heads to Cochabamba, Bolivia, to shoot a film about Christopher Columbus’s trespasses in the New World, only to find the locals protesting present-day exploitation of the poor. Sebastián is sympathetic to the cause, but realities collide when lead actor Daniel (Carlos Aduviri), cast as a rebel against the Spanish, becomes a key figure in the current demonstrations.” Winner at 2011 Palm Springs Film Festival.
3/11- An excellent depiction of the moral conflicts involved in this type of situation. Well acted and I loved the movie. TRDB. Theater.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 17th, 2011
A SOMEWHAT GENTLE MAN- Premise by Netflix. “With revenge on his mind, a gangster (Stellan Skarsgård) who spent 12 years in prison for murder sets out to kill the man (Henrik Mestad) who put him there. But the promise of a normal life — and news that he’s on the brink of becoming a grandfather — proves a tempting distraction. Suddenly, seeking vengeance doesn’t seem nearly as important. Hans Petter Moland directs this Norwegian drama about sons and second chances.” Good review in NY Times on 1/14/11.
5/10/11- An OK dark comedy with a wonderful Skarsgard. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 14th, 2011
THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER- Synopsis by Netflix. “This beautifully shot film combines comedy and tragedy in the tale of a workaholic human resources manager (Mark Ivanir) who neglects his family to further his career. But when an employee at his bakery is killed, he begins an odd journey toward self-realization. Offering to escort the woman’s body from Israel back to her Eastern European homeland, the manager is puzzled by eccentric characters along the way but begins to understand the importance of family.”
1/11- A bit far fetched but still an interesting road trip that I enjoyed. At the Palm Springs Int. Film Festival. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 9th, 2011
THE TIME THAT REMAINS- 2011. Premise by Netflix. “From the creation of Israel in 1948 all the way through the early 21st century, a single Palestinian family endures many triumphs and tragedies over the course of several generations in this sweeping drama. Writer-director Elia Suleiman also stars in this semiautobiographical film, the third installment in a trilogy that also includes the critically acclaimed Chronicle of a Disappearance and Divine Intervention.” Good review in NY Times on 1/8/11. At Sundance 2011.
1/11- I don’t know what the critics were thinking. I found this movie of NO value and fairly stupid at that. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand straight from Sundance 2011.
Tags: drama, Foreign
January 8th, 2011
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