Posts with the tag 'Foreign'
MY BROTHERS- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Set in 1987 in Ireland, this poignant drama tells the story of three brothers, teenage Noel and young Paudie and Scwally, who steal the family van and travel to a distant amusement park to replace their dying father’s treasured watch. Noel, who broke the watch, feels responsible but is buoyed by his brothers’ support. During the tribulation-laden journey, the brothers learn much about themselves, one another and the true meaning of family.”
Rotten Tomatoes had this to say– “A sudden family crisis sends three siblings off on an adventure in this comedy-drama set in working-class England in 1987. Noel (Timmy Creed) is the oldest of three bothers living with their ailing father. Noel and his siblings — eleven-year-old Paudie (Paul Courtney), who is quick with a joke and dreams of playing professional football some day, and seven-year-old Scwally (T.J. Griffin), who is shy and fascinated with Star Wars even though he hasn’t actually seen the film — are all having a hard time dealing with the knowledge that their father has only a short time to live. When Dad falls asleep, Noel takes off his watch for safekeeping, but when he gets in a fight the timepiece is broken beyond repair. Though the watch was just a cheap digital model, it was Dad’s most prized possession, won at an amusement park in Ballybunion; Noel doesn’t want Dad to know what happened, so he “borrows” a bread truck from a neighbor and sets off for Ballybunion to find a replacement. Since he hurt his hand in the fight, Noel brings Paudie along to help him work the gear shift, and Scwally is allowed to tag along so he won’t tell on his brothers; the brothers see plenty of sights have some unexpected adventures along the way as they look for the watch and come to terms with their father’s illness. My Brothers was the firs feature film from screenwriter Paul Fraser.”
11/30/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 16th, 2012
WAKE IN FRIGHT- 1971. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Awe-inspiring, brutal and stunning, Wake in Fright is the story of John Grant, a bonded teacher who arrives in the rough outback mining town of Bundanyabba, planning to stay overnight before catching the plane to Sydney. But, as his one night stretches to five, he plunges headlong toward his own destruction. When the alcohol-induced mist lifts, the educated John Grant is no more. Instead there is a self-loathing man in a desolate wasteland, dirty, red-eyed, sitting against a tree and looking at a rifle with one bullet left… Believed lost for many years, Wake in Fright has been painstakingly restored by Australia’s National Film and Sound Archive and AtLab Deluxe, and is presented in its original uncompromising form.”
Excellent reviews. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 10th, 2012
DANBEROUS LIASONS- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A Chinese adaptation of the French novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses begins with aging socialite Mo Jieyu (Cecilia Cheung) who finds herself circling ex-boyfriend Xie Yifan (Jang Dong-kun). Mo, the rich and charming widow with a taste for pleasures, still has eyes for famous womanizer Xie, who secretly burns with love for her. And yet, in his luxurious life, Xie’s new interest lies in chaste humanitarian Du Fenyu (Ziyi Zhang), who has captured his attention and earned his desire for conquest. Mo lures Xie into a treacherous, dangerous game of hearts: win, bed, and leave Du, proving his mettle as a rogue and impossible catch. But can Xie take the honor of such a woman, without losing his own heart, as well?
11/10/12- Very mixed reviews, in the NY Times and elsewhere. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 10th, 2012
THE RETURN OF LENCHO- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “After ten years in New York pursuing an art career, 30-year-old graffiti artist Lorenzo ‘Lencho’ Aguilar finds himself back in his native Guatemala. As he organizes a collective of multidisciplinary artists to develop community-based arts projects, painful and unresolved memories from Lencho’s past resurface and threaten both his project and his life.”
11/9/12- I’ve seen just 2 reviews, including today’s NY Times and they are both bad. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 9th, 2012
OTELO BURNING- 2011. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Defying the law, three Zulu boys escape their harsh township lives through the joy of surfing. Overcoming his traditional fear of the water, Otelo Buthelezi discovers a natural talent, finding freedom on the waves. But in the turmoil of a country on the cusp of change, he is dragged down into a spiral of jealousy and violence. As Nelson Mandela finally walks free, Otelo must choose between two worlds. Otelo Burning is based on real events. It is a moving drama of courage, love, betrayal and hope.”
11/9/12- Good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 9th, 2012
A BOTTLE IN THE GAZA SEA- 2011. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Tal is a 17-year-old Frenchwoman who has settled in Jerusalem with her family. She writes a letter expressing her refusal to accept that only hatred can reign between Israelis and Palestinians. She slips the letter into a bottle, and her brother throws it into the sea near Gaza, where he is carrying out his military service. A few weeks later, Tal receives an e-mail response from a mysterious “Gazaman,” a young Palestinian named Naïm. And thus begins a turbulent but tender long-distance friendship between two young people that are separated by a history they are trying both to understand and change. This engrossing and hopeful drama starring Hiam Abbas is based on the award-winning novel by Valérie Zenatti.”
11/8/12- There is an article in today’s NY Times about this film that is playing in the “Other Israel Film Festival” in NY. TRDB.
1/4/13- An OK review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
4/14/13- I felt that the characters were interesting, the acting was very good and the film conveyed a message of hope despite all of the misery involved. See this film if you get the chance. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 9th, 2012
THE INVISIBLE MEN- 2012. Synopsis by IMDB. “An untold side of the Israeli- Palestinian Conflict: gay Palestinians – Louie, Abdu and Fares – are hiding in Tel Aviv, and until they escape, they must remain ‘the invisible men’.”
11/8/12- There is an article about this movie in today’s NY Times (not a review). It is playing in the “Other Israel Film Festival” in NY and is about 2 gay Palestinians and how they do not fit into either society. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 9th, 2012
NORTH SEA TEXAS- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. Pim, an introverted child, occupies his time drawing and fantasizing while keeping his emerging desires a secret. As a teenager, he grows infatuated with Gino, the handsome boy next door. When a hunky young man from the local fair starts living with Pim and his mother, he seizes the opportunity to leave home and move in with Gino’s family. His plan backfires as Gino departs, romancing and living with a girl from across the border. It seems like Pim’s dreams will never come true, but then one rainy day Gino returns home.”
11/2/12- A good review in today’s NY Times. Other critics and audiences have liked it also. TRDB.
8/28/14- A coming of age story that was OK, more because of the acting than because of the story. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: drama, Foreign
November 4th, 2012
IN ANOTHER COUNTRY- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Isabelle Huppert plays three women, each named Anne, in this contemplative drama set at a small hotel in the beachside town of Mohang, South Korea. All three characters subtly affect their hosts and other townspeople, including the local lifeguard.”
Very good early reviews. TRDB.
11/9/12- An OK review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
4/11/13- I found the movie interesting, especially after deciding not to parse each and every detail. Isabel Huppert is wonderful as usual. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
October 27th, 2012
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.
Tags: drama, Foreign
October 26th, 2012
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