Posts with the tag 'Foreign'
BELOVED- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In the freewheeling Paris of the ’60s, young Madeleine (Ludivine Sagnier)-who has gone from selling shoes to sleeping with men for money-falls for a handsome Czech doctor, Jaromil (Rasha Bukvic), who she soon marries and joins in Prague. A baby daughter is born, but Jaromil’s infidelities and the arrival of Russian tanks in Prague lead Madeleine back to France-though the love between them still burns. Thirty years later in London, we follow Madeleine’s daughter, Vera (Chiara Mastroianni), who has fallen in love with a musician (American actor Paul Schneider) who is incapable of devoting himself to her, while her ex (Honoré regular Louis Garrel) still pines for her. Meanwhile in Paris, a re-married Madeleine (Catherine Deneuve) has rekindled her love affair with Jaromil (director Milos Forman, in a rare acting role). Frequent Honoré collaborator Alex Beaupain (LOVE SONGS, DANS PARIS) composed the emotional, César-nominated score for this light-hearted but ultimately moving exploration of the changing nature of relationships.”
OK professional reviews but weak audience reaction. TRDB.
8/17/12- Good review in today’s NY Times but only mixed reviews by other critics and by audiences as well. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
August 1st, 2012
PLANET OF SNAIL- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “A deaf, blind recluse with few ties to the outside world finds an ideal mate in a disabled woman, who expands his universe and inspires his passions. Their life together might not be grand, but it’s beautiful in its simplicity.”
Excellent reviews. TRDB.
5/13/13- A very different type of documentary, more like a drama that was a tribute to the characters involved. The movie itself seemed repetitive to me and perhaps would have worked better as a short but still I enjoyed it. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
July 31st, 2012
LAS ACACIAS- 2011. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Rubén is a lonely truck driver who has been covering for years the motorway from Asunción del Paraguay to Buenos Aires, carrying wood. However, today’s journey will be different. This morning, in a motorway stop near Asunción, Jacinta shows up an hour later to begin a journey by track which is going to take her to Buenos Aires. Wath’s more, Rubén finds out at that very moment that little Anahí, who’s 8 months old, will travel with them- It is not the best beginning. As kilometres go by, th relationship between Rubén and Jacinta will grow. they will slowly meet and sip into each other’s soul. None of them talks much about their lives. None asks much either. It’s a few word journey but it is not a silent one.”
Very good professional but weak audience reviews. TRDB.
9/7/12- A very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
July 28th, 2012
BURNING MAN- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Tom, a charismatic but moody chef at a chic Australian restaurant, has trouble controlling his temper — an issue that finally comes to a head when an angry outburst at his son’s birthday party draws the police.”
Fair reviews. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
July 21st, 2012
NOBODY ELSE BUT YOU- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “A local beauty’s death is ruled suicide by sleeping pills, but crime novelist Rousseau doesn’t buy it. Reality turns out to be stranger than fiction — and a source of inspiration — as he uncovers the truth about the woman’s past.”
Fairly good reviews especially from the critics. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
July 18th, 2012
KLOWN- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Two wildly inappropriate pals run amok through the countryside plowing through social taboos, unspeakable debaucheries and absurd sexual encounters. Kidnapping, canoeing and cathouses all factor into this riotous escapade where chaos rules the day.”
No professional reviews as yet but OK audience reaction. TRDB.
7/27/12- A reviewer in today’s NY Times liked this movie but said that it bordered on child porn. Go figure!! TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
July 18th, 2012
AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “This compelling documentary explores three years in the life of celebrated Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei, who uses social media and his art to inspire protests against the state, and suffers government persecution for his actions.”
Good professional reviews and fair audience ones. TRDB.
7/27/12- Excellent review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
1/8/13- A very good documentary about this artist who strives to create transparency in the Chinese government. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: documentary, Foreign
July 18th, 2012
FAREWELL, MY QUEEN- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Farewell, My Queen marks the return of acclaimed director Benoît Jacquot and brilliantly captures the passions, debauchery, occasional glimpses of nobility and ultimately the chaos that engulfed the court of Marie Antoinette in the final days before the full-scale outbreak of the Revolution. Based on the best-selling novel by Chantal Thomas, the film stars Léa Seydoux as one of Marie’s ladies-in-waiting, seemingly an innocent but quietly working her way into her mistress’s special favors, until history tosses her fate onto a decidedly different path. With the action moving effortlessly from the gilded drawing rooms of the nobles to the back quarters of those who serve them, this is a period film at once accurate and sumptuous in its visual details and modern in its emotions.”
4/3/13- Very good acting and great period costumes make up for a somewhat weak script and overall I did enjoy the movie. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
July 17th, 2012
FAMILY PORTRAIT IN BLACK AND WHITE- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Sixteen black orphans adopted by Olga Nenya struggle against racism in the Ukraine. Constantly on guard against overtly racist neighbors and skinheads, the kids look to their own inner strength and the help of Westerners to attain a brighter future. Tensions rise when a European couple offers to adopt one of the children, an offer that Olga resists as she attempts to bravely hold her family together.”
Very good reviews in general and an OK one in the NY Times on 7/14/12. TRDB.
Tags: documentary, Foreign
July 17th, 2012
VALLEY OF STRENGTH- About the challenges of settling in Palestine at the end of the 19th. century.
Weak review in the NY Times on 7/14/12. TRDB.
Tags: drama, Foreign
July 17th, 2012
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