SHANGHAI CALLING- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “When attorney Sam Chao’s bosses send him to dreary Shanghai on a three-month assignment, it sets him steaming in this comedy about cultural biases. But once the lawyer arrives in the city, he quickly becomes immersed in romance and business turmoil.”
2/15/13- An OK review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment February 17th, 2013
LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “This meditative drama focuses on an encounter between two strangers in Tokyo: a young woman working as a call girl and a retired college professor. The two soon form a bond beyond their initial meeting, which begins to confuse the girl’s boyfriend.”
2/15/13- A very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
3/24/13- This latest work by Abbas Kiarostami, the Iranian director, is what one reviewer called the cinematic equivalent of a short story. Well acted and leaving most everything to the viewer to interpret. I enjoyed it but it is clearly not for everyone. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.
Add comment February 17th, 2013
KAI PO CHE- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel The 3 Mistakes of My Life, this Bollywood drama tells the story of three best friends who dream of starting a cricket training academy in Ahmedabad for very different reasons.”
2/22/13- Weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment February 14th, 2013
11 FLOWERS- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “This elegantly filmed drama of village life is told from the viewpoint of an 11-year-old who unexpectedly comes into contact with an accused murderer. The upheavals of China’s Cultural Revolution provide a turbulent backdrop to the boy’s adventures.”
2/22/13- Good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
4/30/14- A very enjoyable movie with, of course, social and political themes. The kids were great. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment February 14th, 2013
PORFIRIO- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “This no-holds-barred docudrama examines the day-to-day life of Porfirio Ramirez Aldana, a once-wealthy Colombian man who became paralyzed after being shot by the police — and then went on to commit a shocking crime.”
2/8/13- Mixed reviews– the NY Times did not like it. TRDB.
Add comment February 8th, 2013
NIGHT ACROSS THE STREET- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “A free-flowing contemplation on aging and death inspired by the stories of Hernán del Solar, director Raoul Ruiz’s final film follows as elderly man who revisits moments of his youth as he awaits the stranger he believes will kill him.”
2/8/13- Very good reviews in general and in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment February 8th, 2013
YOSSI- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “While driving through a remote part of Israel, a closeted gay doctor crosses paths with a group of soldiers who inspire him to live life in the open. Ohad Knoller reprises the title role in this sequel to Yossi & Jagger.”
1/25/13- Very good reviews in general but a poor one from the NY Times today. TRDB.
4/16/13- I did like the movie but I felt it was a bit hard to believe at a few points. Nowhere as good as “Yossi and Jagger” from 11 years ago. TRDB.
Add comment January 27th, 2013
THE TASTE OF MONEY- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this suspenseful erotic drama, the private male secretary and lover of Madam Baek, a Korean conglomerate’s middle-aged matriarch, falls for her more genuine daughter. Meanwhile, Madam Baek’s husband has an affair with the Filipino nanny.”
1/25/13- Mostly negative reviews but the NY Times liked this film very much. TRDB.
6/21/13- I have to agree with the “NO” votes. Bad, bad and I turned it off. TRDB. Netflix.
Add comment January 27th, 2013
LET MY PEOPLE GO- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A sweet and hilarious fusion of gay romantic comedy, Jewish family drama and French bedroom farce, Mikael Buch’s Let My People Go! follows the travails and daydreams of the lovelorn Reuben (Nicolas Maury), a French-Jewish gay mailman living in fairytale Finland (where he got his MA in “Comparative Sauna Cultures”) with his gorgeous Nordic boyfriend. But just before Passover, a series of mishaps and a lovers’ quarrel exile the heartbroken Reuben back to Paris and his zany family-including Almodovar goddess Carmen Maura as his ditzy mom, and Truffaut regular Jean-François Stévenin as his lothario father. Scripted by director Mikael Buch and renowned arthouse auteur Christophe Honoré (Love Songs), Let My People Go! both celebrates and upends Jewish and gay stereotypes with wit, gusto and style to spare.
1/11/13- A weak review in today’s NY Times and elsewhere as well. TRDB.
Add comment January 17th, 2013
MY BEST ENEMY- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “As Hitler’s army invades Austria, a Jewish art dealer’s son tries to turn the tables after he is betrayed by his friend, now a Third Reich stooge. In an audacious plot, the prisoner and aspiring Nazi swap identities to recover a priceless drawing.”
1/11/13- A weak review in today’s NY Times and with most of the other critics as well. TRDB.
Add comment January 17th, 2013