7 BOXES- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In an outdoor Paraguayan market, a butcher offers a 17-year-old delivery boy $100 to transport seven sealed boxes to a drop-off point — a task that seems simple until he finds himself pursued by a rival and his gang, thieves and the cops.”
2/7/14- Good reviews from the NY Times and from most other critics. TRDB.
5/19/14- A ridiculous movie that somehow managed to get good reviews. I gave up at about half way. TRDB.
Add comment February 7th, 2014
VIC AND FLO SAW A BEAR- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “When newly paroled Victoria Champagne returns home to rural Quebec, her parole officer, a former lover and a menacing stranger disrupt her attempt to begin life anew. As she struggles to find normality, signs of looming peril start to grow.”
2/7/14- Very good reviews including the review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
2/9/15- The movie was quite different and it held my interest. NOT for everybody!! TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Add comment February 7th, 2014
THE LAST OF THE UNJUST- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “This dark documentary examines the history of Theresienstadt, the Nazis’ model ghetto created to counter rumors about mistreatment of interned Jews. Director Claude Lanzmann interviews Benjamin Murmelstein, one of the ghetto’s last living witnesses.”
2/7/14- Excellent reviews all around. The NY Times liked it also. TRDB.
Add comment February 7th, 2014
THE ATTORNEY- 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “SONG Woo-seok has no clients, connections, or even a college degree, but his eye for business and appetite for money turn him into one of the most successful lawyers in town. But right at the peak of his success, a local teenager is falsely accused of a crime, then beaten and tortured while waiting in jail. Shocked by these conditions, SONG changes the course of his life, and takes on the case no one else will. This story is based on true events.”
2/7/14- A good review in today’s NY Times and from most other critics too. TRDB.
11/30/14- Well done and poignant movie from Korea about government overstepping its bounds in the name of National Security. Sounds familiar. TRDB.
Add comment February 7th, 2014
OMAR- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “With his girlfriend, Nadia, living on the other side of an Israeli-built boundary wall, young Palestinian Omar regularly scales it to visit her. But he faces even greater obstacles after a lethal confrontation with an Israeli soldier.”
2/2/14- Good reviews from most critics. TRDB.
6/11/14- An excellent thriller that paints a bleak picture of life as a Palestinian. One critic (Ty Burr) said that it leaves you with less answers than before. Well said. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Add comment February 2nd, 2014
MISS GRANNY- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “After learning that her family plans to send her to a nursing home, elderly widow Oh Mal-soon goes for a walk and wanders into a photo studio. When she emerges, Mal-soon miraculously finds herself transformed into a 20-year-old again.”
1/31/14- Just a few reviews– the NY Times liked it- 2 others did not. TRDB.
Add comment January 31st, 2014
STRANGER BY THE LAKE- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this gay murder thriller, young Franck notices the middle-aged Henri sitting on a beach by himself and starts a conversation. Their dialogue continues over several days, in between Franck’s repeated trysts with a seductive killer named Michel.”
1/24/14- Very good reviews in general and in today’s NY Times as well. TRDB.
5/20/14- This movie was trivial and poorly acted and went from boring to downright weird. I turned it off. TRDB.
Add comment January 26th, 2014
RUN & JUMP- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Struggling to support her family after her husband, Conor, is fundamentally changed by a stroke, Vanetia accepts a grant from a brain researcher named Ted. As Ted studies Conor, he and Vanetia form an unexpected bond.”
1/24/14- A very good review in today’s NY Times and from most other critics as well. TRDB.
1/31/14- Despite the sadness of the basic topic I liked this movie very much. Comcast On-Demand. TRDB.
Add comment January 26th, 2014
THE JEWISH CARDINAL- 2013. Synopsis by IMDB. “The Jewish Cardinal tells the amazing true story of Jean-Marie Lustiger; the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants; who maintained his cultural identity as a Jew even after converting to Catholicism at a young age; and later joining the priesthood.”
1/24/14- I liked this movie very much and highly recommend it. TRDB.
4/11/14- A very good review in today’s NY Times. Others are OK. TRDB.
Add comment January 25th, 2014
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON- 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Ryota (Masaharu Fukuyama) is a successful Tokyo architect who works long hours to provide for his wife, Midori (Machiko Ono) and six-year-old son, Keita. But when a blood test reveals Keita and another baby were switched at birth, two very different families are thrown together and forced to make a difficult decision while Ryota confronts his own issues of responsibility and what it means to be a father. LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON extends the Japanese cinema tradition of familial exploration to deliver a gentle and moving story of personal redemption that playfully navigates its way through the drama.”
1/17/14– An excellent review in today’s NY Times and from others as well. TRDB.
3/12/14- An superb portrayal of what “family” means. Wonderful acting by all and definitely a must-see.” TRDB.
Add comment January 17th, 2014