NATURAL RESISTANCE- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Reprising the theme of his 2004 documentary Mondovino, wine authority Jonathan Nossiter visits Italy’s vineyards to chronicle independent vintners’ efforts to resist regulatory and commercial pressures to modernize their production methods.”
5/1/15- I’ve seen just 1 review (from the NY Times) and it’s good. Sounds boring to me. TRDB.
Add comment May 1st, 2015
DAYS OF GRACE- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Set against the fervor of the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cup games, this drama presents three stories of violence and survival in Mexico City. Each is from a unique perspective, revealing the complex nature of crime in this troubled metropolis.”
5/1/15- Fair reviews from both critics and audiences. The NY Times liked it. TRDB.
Add comment May 1st, 2015
CAS & DYLAN- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “At 61, Dr. Cas Pepper is facing terminal cancer when he decides to give a lift to 22-year old Dylan, whose own unmoored life soon turns Cas’s world upside down. Soon, they’re both on the lam through the heartlands of Canada.”
5/1/15- Poor critical review, most calling it tired and clichéd. Audiences have enjoyed it, however. TRDB.
Add comment May 1st, 2015
THE DOVE FLYER- 2015. Synopsis taken from JBFC website. “Kabi is a young man coming of age in the brutal and chaotic Baghdad of the 1950s. Under pressure by local authorities, he and his family must make the gut-wrenching decision to stay in their homeland or to flee to the newly created state of Israel. Based on a novel, this is a beautifully rendered, rare look at the tumultuous postwar period and its violent dismantling of Jewish communities in the Middle East.”
4/29/15- Another very heavy movie from the Westchester Jewish Film Festival 2015, this was a history lesson as well as a drama about a community and a family. A bit confusing for me (and for the people I attended with) but we all enjoyed the movie very much. TRDB.
Add comment April 30th, 2015
LET’S GO- 2015. Synopsis by The Hollywood Reporter- “German filmmaker Michael Verhoeven has long revealed a preoccupation with his country’s past in such acclaimed films as The White Rose and The Nasty Girl. The trend continues with his adaptation of Laura Waco‘s autobiographical novel about her upbringing at the hands of her concentration camp survivor parents who made the decision to remain in Germany after the war. An insightful examination of German-Jewish identity, Let’s Go! is also a probing family drama that well merits international arthouse exposure. Originally produced for German television, the film was recently showcased at the New York Jewish Film Festival.
4/28/15- I enjoyed this movie very much and highly recommend it if you are able to find it. Seen as part of the Westchester Jewish Film Festival. TRDB.
Add comment April 28th, 2015
24 DAYS- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 2006, the shocking abduction and torture of young Jewish man Ilan Halimi in Paris set emotions aflame on the issue of anti-Semitism and the alleged inability of police investigators to comprehend the true motivations behind Ilan’s abduction.”
4/24/15- Good reviews by critics but audiences have not liked this movie so much. TRDB.
9/11/15- Despite knowing what was going to happen in this true to life movie I found it very suspenseful and well done. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment April 24th, 2015
BECAUSE I WAS A PAINTER- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In Nazi Germany’s hellish concentration camps, many inmates secretly composed drawings and sketches of their grim circumstances. While some view the preserved art as inspirational, others see only the grisly artifacts of human suffering.”
4/24/15- Good reviews, especially from critics. TRDB.
Add comment April 24th, 2015
FAR FROM MEN- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1954 rural Algeria, French teacher Daru is given the task of escorting an Arab man accused of murder to the town where the trial is to take place. Along the way, the two develop a rapport that forces Daru to make some consequential moral choices.”
4/17/15- From the Tribeca Film Festival, this was an interesting and unusual drama starring Vigo Mortensen. Somewhat glacial in its movement but I’d definitely recommend it. TRDB.
Add comment April 18th, 2015
TANGERINES- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “During the vicious Georgian-Abkhazian conflict of the 1990s, two Estonian tangerine farmers refuse to leave their homes as the fighting grows ever closer. After each one rescues a wounded soldier from the opposite side, a very personal battle ensues.
4/17/15- Very good critical review and audiences have liked it very much as well. TRDB.
7/28/15- I enjoyed this Oscar nominated film from Estonia very much. Not to be confused with the film “Tangerine.” TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment April 17th, 2015
DESERT DANCER- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this uplifting drama based on real events, Afshin Ghaffarian defies the government’s prohibition against dancing in modern Iran and founds an underground dance company, with help from some courageous friends.”
4/10/15- Poor reviews from critics and good ones from audiences. The premise is interesting enough that I’ll probably see it. TRDB.
Add comment April 11th, 2015