Re: Movies
Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2022 9:09 am
1456 - The Arbor (2010) - 7/10 - This film looks at playwright Andrea Dunbar, who died at age 29 in 1990, and her children, older daughter Lorraine in particular. Andrea lived a rough life and passed this on to Lorraine as well. Lorraine was 11 when her mother died and was soon addicted to drugs plus a number of other issues. The film uses actors to lip-synch actual interviews with Andrea's family plus has a number of scenes from Andrea's first play (also called The Arbor) portrayed in a common area on the estates where Andrea lived. It's a bit odd, but also effective since Andrea based much of her play on her own life.
1457 - Seven Up! (1964) - 7.5/10 - A group of seven year olds from diverse backgrounds are brought together for a trip to a zoo. The film looks at the children in their lives at school and interviews them on a variety of topics. It's an interesting film. Seven year olds learning latin, though...egad!
1458 - 7 Plus Seven (1970) - 7/10 - This film catches up with 14 of the children from the first film. They are 14 now and are generally much more reserved than they were at age 7. They are only shown through interviews and flashbacks this time around and the film isn't quite as interesting as the original.
1459 - Fire on the Marmara (2011) - 7/10 - In 2010, a flotilla of ships headed to Gaza on a relief mission. The Israelis had Gaza blockaded and sent commandos to board the ships while they were still in international waters around 80 miles from the coast. It led to a number of deaths and strained relations between Israel and Turkey. I don't really want to get into politics here, but the whole Israel-Palestine issue is major issue that will hopefully get resolved in the near future, though that seems highly unlikely.
1460 - Santa Teresa y otras historias (2015) - 6/10 - This visual essay was interesting at times, but others might get more out of it than I did.
1461 - Death of a Cyclist (1955) - 8/10 - Two members of Spain's upper class are having an affair. On the way home from a tryst, they hit a bicyclist and instead of helping him, flee the scene fearing discovery of their affair. Juan is deeply affected by this and gives the matter a lot of thought. Maria Jose is more interested in self preservation. It's a nice film.
1462 - A Wednesday (2008) - 8/10 - A police commissioner who is retiring remembers a case involving a man who called him to inform him of bombs planted around the city. It's pretty entertaining.
1463 - The Cremator (1969) - 7/10 - A man who runs a crematorium in late 1930s Czechoslovakia enjoys his work a bit too much. As the Nazis take over, he slowly descends into madness.
1464 - Friday Foster (1975) - 7.5/10 - Pam Grier stars as photographer Friday Foster and an assignment at the airport leads to murders and a conspiracy that puts her life in danger. It's a fun film, though I think that I still enjoyed the comic strip a bit more.