Posts with the tag 'Foreign'
THE HEADLESS WOMAN- Premise by Netflix. “After she runs over something with her car — maybe a dog, maybe a human — affluent dentist Verónica (María Onetto) suffers a strange breakdown and finds she can’t recognize familiar faces in her rural Argentine town. Director Lucrecia Martel‘s third feature, a loosely structured, visually complex reflection on grief, guilt and class relations, was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival. Another film with an interesting premise and decent reviews.
12/21/09- Just saw this movie and did NOT like it at all. Way too ambiguous and so little dialogue from the main character that the movie seemed ODD at best. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
December 3rd, 2009
I’LL COME RUNNING- 2008. Co-written and directed by Spencer Parsons. Starring Melonie Diaz as a young Texan woman who has a brief romantic fling with a young man from Denmark shortly before he is due to return home. Tragic circumstances compel her to visit Denmark shortly after. Very good acting, an interesting story and I liked it. Comcast On-Demand. 11/09
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 30th, 2009
ANGRY HARVEST- Premise by Netflix. “Oscar nominated as Best Foreign Language Film, this unsettling character study set in World War II stars Armin Mueller-Stahl as Leon Wolny, a simple but thriving Polish farmer torn between his scruples and sexual desire. When Leon happens upon a Jewish woman (Elisabeth Trissenaar) who’s jumped from a train bound for a Nazi death camp, he takes her in and shelters her in his cellar. But everything changes once his long-suppressed libido surfaces.”
11/29/09- I saw this and liked it a lot. In particular the way their relationship changed as time went on from her being totally dependent on him to one of mutual dependency. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 29th, 2009
LION’S DEN- Premise by Netflix. “After waking to find her apartment a bloody mess, with her ex-lover Nahuel dead and her ex-lover Ramiro (Rodrigo Santoro) wounded, Julia (Martina Gusman) finds herself pregnant and in prison. Incarcerated with other mothers, she gives birth and tries to raise her son behind bars. As she continues to push for a new trial, Julia also deals with her formerly estranged mother, Sofía (Elli Medeiros), who now wants to take her son from her.” Good reviews for this odd sounding movie.
12/8/09- I just saw this movie and liked it a lot. Great acting and very realistic. At points I was riveted to the screen. Highly recommended. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 28th, 2009
LA FEMME NIKITA- 1990. By Luc Besson and starring Anne Parillaud. She plays a petty criminal who is convicted of murder. She is rehabilitated as an assassin in exchange for her prison sentence. I saw this years ago and loved it and I enjoyed it again but nowhere like the first time. Netflix. 11/09
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 28th, 2009
A CHRISTMAS TALE- 2008. About an extended family in France with an ailing matriarch. The theme is about the family getting together at their childhood home for a Christmas visit and dinner. There is lots of bad blood spilled before and during the visit, most of which stems from an early family trauma. I loved the movie and the relationships between the various family members. Comcast ON-DEMAND. 12/08
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 24th, 2009
BROKEN EMBRACES- Premise by Netflix. “Aging filmmaker Mateo Blanco (Lluís Homar) — aka screenwriter Harry Caine — tells his assistant (Tamar Novas) about life before the accident that left him blind, when he became embroiled in a torrid affair with aspiring actress Lena (Penélope Cruz). Harry’s story involves his agent, Judit (Blanca Portillo), and deceitful financier Ernesto Martel (José Luis Gómez). Pedro Almodovar writes and directs this colorful, romantic and tragic thriller.”
12/25/09- I liked this movie a lot. Beautiful photography and beautiful Cruz as well. You’ll probably have questions and lots of discussion at the end. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 20th, 2009
THREE MONKEYS- Premise by Netflix. “When a politician accidentally runs down a pedestrian, he pays his driver to take the rap and serve the jail term. But as the driver’s family grows restless, seeing, hearing and speaking the truth cannot be ignored. Who will ultimately pay the price? Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, this provocative Turkish drama stars Hatice Aslan and Yavuz Bingol and won the Best Director Award at Cannes Film Festival.” Some called it plodding but others said it was very good. I’ll get it.
11/24/09- I just saw this movie and loved it. Very subtle and very powerful at the same time. Terrific acting as well. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 5th, 2009
THE LIMITS OF CONTROL- Premise by Netflix. “An enigmatic stranger (Isaach De Bankolé), with no friends to speak of and no one to trust, is on a shadowy criminal mission. His moves are always marked with the knowledge that the law is never far behind. Acclaimed indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch (Broken Flowers, Coffee and Cigarettes) writes and directs this tale, which is set against the backdrop of contemporary Spain. Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt and Gael García Bernal co-star.” Mostly poor reviews but a few very good ones so I’ll give it a try.
11/28/09- I just saw this movie. As it says above, he has numerous encounters with odd people in Madrid, all of whom are apparently supposed to give him information regarding his mission. Only problem is that nothing ever happens and I finally turned the movie off. Netflix.TRDB
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 5th, 2009
THE MAID- 2009. By Sebastian Silva and starring Catalina Saavedra. About a 41yr. old woman who has been a live-in maid for a well-to-do Chilean family for 20yrs. Either depressed or psycho she pouts through most of the movie and has a hostile dependent relationship with each member of the family. It’s only when an assistant hired to help her takes a liking to her and shows her that there’s more to life than taking care of someone else’s family that she begins to smile and take an interest in life.
I liked the movie very much and agree with the reviewer who said that this movie was “an intelligent microcosm of Latin social hierarchy.” TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 5th, 2009
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