Movie #1500 ........................."On Body and Soul"

Movie #1500 "On Body and Soul" is one of the Oscar nominated Foreign Language Films for 2018, and I found it  very interesting.  But it isn't for everyone......the pacing is very slow, and the subject matter doesn't lend itself to a lot of action.  The story centers on two people who work at some kind of factory that kills cows (in Hungary) and they are both very quiet, painfully shy and lonesome people who find each other intriguing --- they discover their dreams are connected, and the story throws some conflict their way, but it's all very quiet and very quirky. This is what we would consider an indie film (in spirit and action), and it would bore many people, but I have to say, I really liked the way the film ended.... 

On Body and Soul (2017)

Teströl és lélekröl (original title)

1h 56min | Drama, Romance | 2 February 2018 (USA)

2:02 | Trailer

5 VIDEOS |  77 IMAGES

When slaughterhouse workers Endre and Mária discover they share the same dreams - where they meet in a forest as deer and fall in love - they decide to make their dreams come true but it's difficult in real life.

Director:

 Ildikó Enyedi

Writer:

 Ildikó Enyedi

Stars:

 Géza Morcsányi,  Alexandra Borbély,  Zoltán Schneider 

Movie #1499 ........................."Strong Island"

Movie #1499 "Strong island" was the last documentary I watched of the ones nominated for the  academy award this year, and although it is very intense and powerful in parts, it is like a lot of documentaries --- centered on one person's story.  And it is rather involved and takes a long time to tell.  Because it doesn't tell you all the specifics as to why Yance's brother was killed, it becomes a mystery to the viewer ---- one that the film hopes you will stick with --- I must admit I dozed off occasionally, which didn't help the suspense.  I really didn't appreciate it as much as I think I was supposed to because I would give it 3 stars out of 5.  This is an example of a documentary whose pay off isn't quite as powerful as the narration itself.

Strong Island (2017)

TV-MA |  1h 47min | Documentary | 15 September 2017 (USA)

2:16 | Trailer

1 VIDEO |  4 IMAGES

• Examining the violent death of the filmmaker's brother and the judicial system that allowed his killer to go free, this documentary interrogates murderous fear and racialized perception, and re-imagines the wreckage in catastrophe's wake, challenging us to change.

Director:

 Yance Ford

Stars:

 Yance Ford,  Harvey Walker,  Kevin Myers 

Movie #1498 ......................."Icarus"

Movie #1498 "Icarus" --- must admit that I never finished this one --- it went on and on and on -- and it was all over the place.  It deals with an important topic "doping" in sports, esp. biking, and it follows an amateur who was trying to figure out how Lance Armstrong had been tested at least 50 times and never showed any traces of drugs when everyone in the business pretty much knew he was doping --- this guy Bryan Fogel (director, creator of this film) connects with the big doctor who is the center of the doping scandal of the Russian Olympic fiasco last year.  This is an important topic, but not near as important as others in this nominated group of documentaries this year, so I really don't think it has a shot come next Sunday.  I would rate it 2.5 out of 5.

Icarus (2017)

TV-14 |  2h 1min | Documentary, Thriller | 4 August 2017 (USA)

2:03 | Trailer

2 VIDEOS |  5 IMAGES

• When Bryan Fogel sets out to uncover the truth about doping in sports, a chance meeting with a Russian scientist transforms his story from a personal experiment into a geopolitical thriller involving dirty urine, unexplained death and Olympic Gold-exposing the biggest scandal in sports history.

Director:

 Bryan Fogel

Writers:

 Jon Bertain,  Bryan Fogel  

Stars:

 Bryan Fogel,  Nikita Kamaev,  Grigory Rodchenkov

Movie #1497 ........................."Last Men in Aleppo"

Movie #1497 "Last Men in Aleppo" -- I think this is going to be the winning documentary for the Academy Awards this year because it was the most emotional of all of them ( but I have one yet to see tonight).  It isn't my favorite documentary of the 5 (that would be "Faces/Places"), but it is the most passionate in its subject matter.  It's a film about the White Helmets --- perhaps an extension of the short film that won the award for short documentary last year, I'm thinking? But in this one, you follow the handful of guys that are left doing this awful, thankless job of the white helmets.  In case you don't know what they do, they are a rescue squad (of first responders who are mostly carpenters and students, and common workers) who propel themselves into action whenever the Russian planes drop bombs on various buildings, cars, white helmet centers, etc.... they spend time digging out the bodies, many of them dead, but some that they save (like in the short film last year, the little baby).  However, this one has very little ups in it --- it is very dark, and very hard to watch.  It'll leave a very sad, but lasting, impression on you.  I give it a 4 --- could be edited down a bit more, but it's really powerful, and I can't take that away from it!.

Last Men in Aleppo (2017)

De sidste mænd i Aleppo (original title)

1h 44min | Documentary, War | 27 June 2017 (USA)

2:44 | Trailer

1 VIDEO |  14 IMAGES

 

Khaled, Mahmoud, and Subhi volunteered at the white helmets trying to save lives of hundreds of victims at besieged city during the Syrian civil war.

Directors:

 Feras Fayyad,  Steen Johannessen (co-director) 

Writer:

 Feras Fayyad

Stars:

 Khaled Umar Harah,  Batul,  Mahmoud

Movie #1496 ........................."The Band's Visit"

Movie #1496 "The Band's Visit" -- I wanted to watch this film because we had seen the musical based on the movie this past October, so Dave and I watched it on the computer when we were flying to Arizona for a wedding the other day.  And it was a perfect film to watch on a loud plane --- because it was mostly full of subtitles, and the music (which there was a lot of) was well placed in the film and not just in the background (because we couldn't have heard it otherwise!)  When we had seen the musical, we thought there was a very thin plot, but what was there was very intriguing.  And we felt the same about the film that the musical is based on.  Actually, the musical adds the concert at the end, which was a nice bonus, and also quite a bit of music (since it is a musical) throughout by the individual band members.  What we really enjoyed about both is the style in which the story is told.  It is difficult to describe but I liken it to Wes Anderson's style --- where he stops action once in a while when we are first presented to a setting or people in that setting.  It is almost as if they were waiting for the camera to come in but it's to show how quirky these people are, and it makes the viewer oftentimes want to know all their back stories.  Anderson did this esp. well in "Grand Budapest Hotel" --- so you not only laugh through the scene, but at the onset when we first see the characters.  The same is going on here.  All the while, the film is very topical right now because it shows what happens when two cultures (in this case, Egypt and Israel) come together --- it's very awkward initially, but as the story progresses, we find that people aren't that different basically.  A lesson we need to study and learn right now!!! I recommend the film and give it 4 stars out of 5, but I also know that this film is not for everyone.  It's pretty quirky, very quiet, full of long moments of nothing while people stare at each other......but I enjoyed it a lot!

"THE BAND'S VISIT"       2007   PG-13        1 hour and 27 mins.

When an Egyptian police brass band travels to Israel to play at the opening of an Arab arts center, the group ends up abandoned and lost in a remote desert town, igniting a charming cross-cultural comedy. Defying expectations, the tiny Israeli community embraces the musicians, and both the Egyptians and the locals learn a few things about one another -- and themselves. This witty foreign-language film nabbed the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes.

Cast: Saleh Bakri, Ronit Elkabetz, Sasson Gabai, 

Movie #1495 ........................."I, Daniel Blake"

Movie #1495 "I, Daniel Blake"  was playing at the auditorium here in Florida so I attended by myself because it sounded like a well done film, and it was directed by Ken Loach ("The Wind that Shook the Barley")  I had also read that it won the Palm' d Orr at Cannes, and the male lead in this film won the Bafta for this film, as well.  It was a very good film --- a slice of life about a guy who finds himself in dire straits in Scotland (Glasgow, I think) when he is put on disability due to a heart condition.  The film goes out of its way to make sure you identify with Daniel and his situation --- that this could happen to anyone, and it is very scary how much people don't care.  I would give this 4 stars out of 5 ---- try to see it with subtitles because of the heavy accent.

I, Daniel Blake (2016)

R |  1h 40min | Drama | 9 June 2017 (USA)

2:23 | Trailer

2 VIDEOS |  17 IMAGES

C

After having suffered a heart-attack, a 59-year-old carpenter must fight the bureaucratic forces of the system in order to receive Employment and Support Allowance.

Director:

 Ken Loach

Writer:

 Paul Laverty (screenplay) 

Stars:

 Dave Johns,  Hayley Squires,  Sharon Percy 

Movie #1494 ........................."Blind Date" (2015 - french film)

Movie #1494 "Blind Date" was a lot of fun to watch, esp. to an audio person, like me.  There's one scene that is just full of sound effects ---let me explain the set up.  Two very focused people on their careers (she's a pianist, he is an inventor) live next to each other (she has just moved in).  When he initially tries to scare her into moving (to no avail), they start to build a relationship just as neighbors ---- I don't want to say any more, but the film has some very funny moments, and kind of a whimsical , quirky plot that not everyone would enjoy, but I surely did.  This is a very different film, and I enjoyed it from beginning to end.  I recommend it to those who are looking for something different in their romantic comedies.  I rate it 4.5 stars out of 5.

Blind Date (2015)

Un peu, beaucoup, aveuglément! (original title)

1h 30min | Comedy, Romance | 6 May 2015 (France)

He is a dedicated workaholic who lives and breathes his work. He prefers nothing more than silence. She is an accomplished pianist working on her big-break concert. To her, music and sound ...See full summary »

Director:

 Clovis Cornillac

Writers:

 Lilou Fogli (scenario),  Clovis Cornillac (scenario)  |3 more credits »

Stars:

 Mélanie Bernier,  Clovis Cornillac,  Lilou Fogli

Movie #1493 ........................."Sleeping with other People"

Movie #1493 "Sleeping with other People"  --- I enjoy rom-coms,  and esp. at Valentine's Day they seem appropriate to watch, so I found this one --- I like Jason Sudeikis on SNL, and Alison Brie's name has been popping up for a t.v. show lately, so I thought I would check this one out.  It was pretty raunchy in parts (esp. one that had me laughing on the floor, dealing with a litre bottle, and of course, anyone can guess the ending, but it's the journey to the ending that made this watchable and different from others in the genre.  And also the two main actors are very capable and seemed to have chemistry.  I read some critiques that said this film was a lot like "Friends with Benefits" and I guess it was, except for a big difference --- this was "Friends with no benefits" -- but I really liked "Friends with Benefits" a bit better  --- supporting cast was better, and the film had more poignant moments than this one --- otherwise, yep, they are a lot alike.  I would recommend this one to those interested in rom coms and don't mind some of the language and sexual discussions --- of which there are many.  I give it 3.8 out of 5 stars.

"SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE"   1 hour and 40 minutes    2015

A good-natured womanizer and a serial cheater form a platonic relationship that helps reform them in ways, while a mutual attraction sets in.

Director:

 Leslye Headland

Writer:

 Leslye Headland

Stars:

 Jason Sudeikis,  Alison Brie,  Jordan Carlos    

Movie #1492 ........................"The Boss Baby"

Movie #1492 "The Boss Baby" was a movie I needed to see because it's on my list of oscar-nominated films to see and that I could stream through netflix, so last night was the night, and I found it quite enjoyable.  There's a lot to like -- the story is quick, quite funny, topical (about a kid who is an only child for a while and his nose gets out of joint when his parents say he will have a brother), has a good villain that is sufficiently scary, but not too much because he doesn't seem real, and the animation is very good, with dazzle dazzle camera moves occasionally --- and it's very colorful, and well-voiced!  So all those things go into my 4 star critique of the film.  However, to be honest, I didn't give a fig for the conflict --- it was far-fetched and dealt with some magic (a baby factory that sends business babies to people's houses?) that I found silly, but I'm not the demographic at all..... I think kids would find it fun and the film doesn't resort to scatalogic jokes like a lot of animation does these days.  It's of quality (Dreamworks), and I recommend it to kids and adults.  I just didn't like the story's conflict all that much.   (and the fact that they tacked on a preachy theme at the end, but it's for the kiddies --- and then heavy song for the credits --- but it's of my time, so I was singing along)

"THE BOSS BABY"   2017     4 STARS OUT OF 5

A suit-wearing, briefcase-carrying baby pairs up with his 7-year old brother to stop the dastardly plot of the CEO of Puppy Co.

Director:

 Tom McGrath

Writers:

 Michael McCullers,  Marla Frazee (based on the book by) 

Stars:

 Alec Baldwin,  Steve Buscemi,  Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudro

Movie #1491 ........................."The Meyerowitz Stories" (new and selected)

Movie #1491 "The Meyerowitz Stories"  --- I saw a trailer for this and missed it in the theatre, so I streamed it last night, and it was, to me, a typical Noah Baumbach film --- very indie in spirit, takes risks, shows a  slice of life, dysfunctional family as major focus, and not much action/mostly a character driven story --- yep, yep, yep, yep, and yep!  I don't think it's for everybody because there is so much arguing by family members, and some despicable behavior shown toward them as well, that you might just want to quit watching --- lots of family angst that isn't welcomed by everyone.   But I liked it --- esp. Emma Thompson, who is practically unrecognizable as Dustin Hoffman's present wife.  Dustin Hoffman plays a character I've never seen him do, either.  He is very stiff, and delivers his lines very quickly --- And Ben Stiller and Adam Sandler are asked to do some pretty heavy acting here, and I thought they were successful (I've always felt it is harder to do comedy anyway, so most comics can do the heavy duty acting--- no surprise there).  The surprise is that Stiller and Sandler agreed to do this glum study on a dysfunctional family that probably will carry their grudges to their graves.  I also found the grand daughter ( a van patten) to be esp. effective.  And the sister ---- I've seen her in a lot of stuff, but I do believe this is a bigger part than she usually plays.  I would give the film 3.8 out of 5 stars, and recommend it to people who might like other Noah Baumbach films, like: The Squid and the Whale (which I suggested for the Barnes' family to watch one time, and I've never been forgiven for that experience), Kicking and Screaming, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Frances Ha.

"MEYEROWITZ STORIES"    2017     1 hour and 55 minutes        

An estranged family gathers together in New York for an event celebrating the artistic work of their father.

Director:

 Noah Baumbach

Writer:

 Noah Baumbach

Stars:

 Adam Sandler,  Grace Van Patten,  Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Ben Stiller