Michele (Giuseppe Cristiano), a 10-year-old boy growing up
in a southern Italian village, discovers another youngster,
Filippo (Mattia Di Pierro), chained up inside a small hole dug
in the yard of an abandoned house. Michele soon learns from
watching the news that the boy has been kidnapped and things
take an even darker turn when he realizes his own parents may be
involved. Aitana Sanchez-Gijon co-stars. Gabriele Salvatores
directs.
Just watching this slow film of southern Italy just makes me hot and drowsy. It’s also as much of southern Italy as I want to see. Could those small towns really be that desolate ? The story is compelling, the ending a tad maudlin. I liked the film because of the Italian, although in real life they would be speaking some dialect of Italian instead. It’s not a bad movie, but you really need a firm desire to persevere.
With a new job running the New Burbage Theatre Festival, has-been actor Geoffrey Tennant (Paul Gross) is at loose ends since the death of his beloved mentor Oliver Welles. Fortunately, Geoffrey soon discovers that his dearly departed friend is still present, in spirit, to help him reinvigorate the Shakespearean troupe. The only things in their way are an overly commercial marketing department, a hostile leading lady and a slightly dim male star.
The above is a NetFlix description for season 1 of several seasons.
This is NOT mystery. It is a Canadian series about a troupe of dysfunctional
professional actors. The language can be foul. Activity is no-holds-barred
outrageous at times. But the first season ends perfectly when a teen-age
idol against all expectations becomes a really good Hamlet. His performance
was wonderful to behold.
When his only friend dies, a young dwarf named Finbar McBride
( Peter Dinklage) relocates to an abandoned train station in rural New
Jersey, intent on living the life of a hermit. But his solitude is soon
interrupted by his colorful neighbors, which include a struggling artist
( Patricia Clarkson) coping with the recent death of her young son and a
talkative Cuban hot dog vendor ( Bobby Cannavale).
This is a true, eccentric, and warm independent film. For me, so far, it is Peter
Dinklage’s best.
This comedy follows a small fishing town in Quebec that’s facing tough times as the economy continues to take a hit. The townspeople are thrilled when a major company chooses their locale to build a factory; trouble is, the factory will be built only if the town can convince a full-time doctor to move there. So, a local man (Raymond Bouchard) organizes a no-holds-barred crusade to bring in a big city doctor (David Boutin).
This is “old fashioned” in the sense that it is simply made, presents a gentle reality with no superhuman or digital interference. And yes it is corny at times. But you can just relax and watch it without the feeling that something unpleasant is about to happen.
This sprawling Italian drama sweeps from the ’60s to the 21st century,
tracking the journey of two brothers, Nicola (Luigi Lo Cascio) and
Matteo (Alessio Boni). The two take different paths: After traveling,
Nicola becomes a successful psychiatrist, while Matteo becomes a policeman
intent on catching criminals. Their politics diverge as well, straining
the family bond. Originally aired as a miniseries on Italian television.
NetFlix offers this Italian TV miniseries on 2 disks. There are subtitles. You really do get the modern history of Italy in a memorable way by watching the series. You realize how much Italy has suffered (floods, Italian terrorists, etc). The characters are appealing. Warning: do not expect a happy ending. Life just goes on.
