THE LONLIEST PLANET- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Alex and Nica, a young engaged couple, are so eager to take a serious walking trek through Georgia’s Caucasus Mountains that they hire a local guide. Traveling deep into the wild landscape, however, the emotional atmosphere shifts for the trio.”
10/26/12- Very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
I saw 10 minutes of this movie on Comcast on Demand previews and I almost fell asleep. TRDB.
Add comment October 26th, 2012
FLIGHT- 2012- Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In this action-packed mystery thriller, Academy Award winner, Denzel Washington stars as Whip Whitaker, a seasoned airline pilot, who miraculously crash lands his plane after a mid-air catastrophe, saving nearly every soul on board. After the crash, Whip is hailed as a hero, but as more is learned, more questions than answers arise as to who or what was really at fault and what really happened on that plane?”
Very good reviews. TRDB.
11/2/12- Very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
11/11/13- A ridiculous screenplay early on and I almost turned it off shortly after the plane crash. It did get a little better. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Add comment October 26th, 2012
FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS- 2010. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A father and daughter are separated but are never truly apart in this touching story of a family tragically divided. Reshma is a troubled teenager in 1980s New York who struggles to discover a sense of self and strength amidst a daunting array of pressures and betrayals. While continually grappling with her tumultuous relationship with her mother, Reshma holds on to her dreams of reuniting with the father in Guyana she has not seen or heard from in thirteen years. Documentary filmmaker Shundell Prasad’s ambitious feature debut, which spans two continents and three decades, offers a nuanced and empathetic lens into the plight of displaced immigrant families struggling to create a brighter future for their children.”
11/2/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment October 26th, 2012
THE DETAILS- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “After ten years of marriage, Jeff and Nealy Lang (Tobey Maguire and Elizabeth Banks) have an idyllic suburban home… and a relationship on the skids. But, when a family of hungry raccoons ransacks their perfectly manicured backyard, Jeff becomes single-mindedly obsessed with eradicating the pests by any means necessary. Soon the relentless rodents aren’t merely uprooting the lawn, but also overturning the Langs’ entire bourgeois existence, as the man-versus-beast battle leads into an absurd mess of infidelity, extortion, organ donation and other assorted mayhem.”
11/2/12- An OK review in today’s NY Times but other reviews are mediocre at best. The movie sounds weird and I’ll probably skip it for now. TRDB.
Add comment October 26th, 2012
HOLY MOTORS- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “This surreal drama from France follows DL, who becomes many different individuals living very different lives over a 24-hour period — switching effortlessly from man to woman, impoverished to affluent, young to old, and even assassin to family man.”
Excellent reviews so far. TRDB.
4/18/13- A weird blending of reality and fantasy that was just too much for me and I turned it off quickly. TRDB.
Add comment October 24th, 2012
MACHUCA- 2004. Synopsis by Netflix. “Seeking escape from his stormy home life, well-to-do youngster Gonzalo (Matias Quer) befriends Pedro (Ariel Mateluna), a poor, bullied pupil who’s attending his school on scholarship. The two grow close despite class hierarchy, but politics threaten to destroy their friendship. Set in 1973 Santiago amid political unrest, this tale centers on the friendship of two schoolboys from vastly different backgrounds.”
I liked this movie very much. TRDB.
Add comment October 24th, 2012
CLOUD ATLAS- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this star-studded drama, six seemingly disparate stories take viewers from a South Pacific Island in the 19th century to 1980s America to a dystopian future, exploring the complicated links that humans share through the generations.”
Reviews are mixed- a few said the movie was boring. TRDB.
Add comment October 23rd, 2012
THE BIG PICTURE- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Successful Paris attorney Paul Exben (Romain Duris) has everything going for him, including power, wealth and a picture-perfect family. But the mirror suddenly cracks when Paul discovers that his wife, Sarah, is carrying on an affair with a photographer. After a tragic error closes the door on all that he’s achieved, Paul makes a fateful decision to escape, fleeing abroad to try and begin a new life as someone else altogether.”
10/12/12- A very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
6/16/13- A moving drama about a successful man whose life is falling apart and the decisions he makes at the time. TRDB.
Add comment October 23rd, 2012
LEAST AMONG SAINTS- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Returning home to a broken marriage and an uncertain future, combat veteran Anthony Hayward (Papazian) believes there is no hope for himself. Yet when a troubled ten year-old neighbor, Wade (Tristan Lake Leabu), calls out for help, Anthony cannot turn away. To the dismay of the boy’s social worker (Laura San Giacomo), Anthony sets out on a fool’s quest to help this heartbroken and hard-to-reach child find his long-lost father. In the midst of this new mission – the first that seems to matter since his return – Anthony begins to come to grips with both the costs of war and the universal power of human connection.”
10/12/12- Weak reviews in general. TRDB.
Add comment October 23rd, 2012
MADRID, 1987- Synopsis by Netflix. “During the political unrest of 1987, Ángela meets elderly journalist Miguel for an interview and ends up his captive, locked with him in his bathroom. Over the next 24 hours, they engage in verbal sparring that parallels the nation’s upheaval.”
Here’s what Rotten Tomatoes had to say– “Madrid, 1987 …is a two-character story with a verbose discourse on writing, journalism, careerism, aging and politics. Shot mostly within a very constricted space, the story follows an older, celebrated journalist Miguel (José Sacristán) who meets the beautiful and coy journalism-student Angela (María Valverde) to give an interview – but becomes intent upon seducing her. They end up spending time in the most unusual manner …discussing literature, prose and career trajectories …gradually divulging little insights into their own selves as we start to understand the old journalist’s cynicism and the young protégé’s intentions.
10/12/12- A good review in the NY Times. TRDB.
7/8/14- This is an “all talk” movie that I found interesting with all of the action taking place in about 100 sq. feet. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Add comment October 23rd, 2012