BODY HEAT- 1981. Written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan and starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Ted Danson and Mickey Rourke. Hurt begins a relatonship with Turner, the wife of a rich businessman. They eventually plot how they can be together. Plot twists make this an exciting movie and I liked it. Netflix. 9/09
Tags: drama
September 26th, 2009
SEPTEMBER 24. 2009
DEAR FRIENDS-
TWO NEW MOVIES for me this week at the-
THEATRE-
1) AMREEKA- 2009. Written and directed by Cherien Dabis and starring Nisreen Faour and Hiam Abbass (Lemon Tree). About a divorced mother and her teenage son who move from Bethlehem in the West Bank to a small town in Illinois and their subsequent difficulties in adjusting. Amreeka is the Arabic word for America. Very good acting and very realistic as well. I liked it a lot. 9/09
2) THE INFORMANT- 2009. By Steven Soderbergh and starring Matt Damon. A satire about a corporate whistleblower who has been less than truthful in the details. I thought the movie was just OK- a little too long and repetitive. The plot swings reminded me of “Catch Me If You Can” with Leonardo Di Caprio but not nearly as good. 9/09
HOME-
1)
EXPIRED– 2007. Written and directed by Cecilia Miniucci. Starring Samantha Morton. About a lonely young woman who meets a weird social misfit.
She has a brief interlude from her lackluster life. The movie was just OK. Netflix Streaming. 9/09
2)
KABEI: OUR MOTHER– 2008. Directed by Yoji Yamada and starring Sayuri Yoshinaga, the movie is based on the writings of Teruyo Nogami. A beautiful story about a woman in 1940 Japan whose husband is jailed for “treason” when he speaks against Japanese aggression. The film is about how she survives and cares for her family while he is in prison.
Great movie! Netflix. 9/09
3) EASY VIRTUE– 2008. Written and directed by Stephan Elliott and starring Jessica Beal, Colin Firth, Kristin Scott Thomas and Ben Barnes. Barnes marries an “unruly” American and brings her back to his English country estate . The family is not ready to accept her and in fact do all they can to get rid of her. The film was just OK. Netflix. 9/09
4) THE VILLAGE BARBERSHOP- Starring John Ratzenberger as a beer drinking, horse betting aging barber who is forced to hire a woman barber (Shelly Cole) when his partner dies unexpectedly. Stupid movie and I turned it off. 9/09. Netflix.
5) TRUMBO- 2007. A very interesting documentary about Dalton Trumbo, the writer, created with several movie actors reading his letters along with the usual talking heads. Lots of detail about the blacklisting of actors and screenwriters by the movie industry and it’s effect on them personally. A good documentary if a little repetitive. Netflix. 9/09
6) TULPAN- 2008. By Sergei Dvortsevoy. A docudrama about the nomadic sheepherders of Kazakh. Interesting photography of barren landscapes and I can still taste the dust. I liked the film but be prepared that it’s very slow moving. Netflix Streaming. 9/09
COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, SEPT. 29-
1) THE GIRLFRIEND EXPERIENCE- Premise by Netflix. “
Play Preview Filmed in about two weeks on a budget of less than $2 million, director
Steven Soderbergh‘s experimental feature focuses on the life of a high-priced New York City call girl, played by bona fide porn star
Sasha Grey. The movie tells its tale in nonlinear fashion, throwing random scenes at the viewer, who must piece together the puzzle to understand the story. Other than Grey, the actors are nonprofessionals who improvised many of their scenes.”
Mixed reviews. I’ll see it.
3) THE BROTHERS BLOOM- Premise by Netflix. “The Brothers Bloom made a name for themselves as the world’s best con men. Now, the younger (
Adrien Brody) is ready to retire on the millions the pair has swindled. But when his brother (
Mark Ruffalo) lures him into one last job, he reluctantly agrees. What he hasn’t counted on, though, is falling for their mark, an adventure-seeking heiress (
Rachel Weisz).
Robbie Coltrane and Babel’s
Rinko Kikuchi co-star.”
Mixed reviews.5) MANAGEMENT- Premise by Netflix. “
Play Preview Golden Globe winner
Jennifer Aniston stars in this comedic tale as a traveling art saleswoman who makes the mistake of her life when she shares a one-night stand with a dim-witted motel manager (
Steve Zahn) who takes to following her all around the country.
Woody Harrelson and
Fred Ward also star in this romantic comedy from writer-director
Stephen Belber.”
Sounds like a waste of time and I’ll pass.
OPENING THIS WEEK- I reviewed these last week. See Newsletter #294
FLORIDA- At the Emerging Cinemas of Lake Worth-
1) CLOUD 9- Premise by IMDB. “A romantic drama about a woman who enters into an affair after 30 years of marriage.” Very good reviews.
2) IT MIGHT GET LOUD- Premise by IMDB. “A documentary on the electric guitar from the point of view of three significant rock musicians: the Edge, Jimmy Page and Jack White.” Good reviews.
COMCAST ON-DEMAND-
1) A QUIET MARRIAGE
2) FIVE MINUTES OF HEAVEN
3) GOODBYE SOLO- Saw this and liked it.
4) JULIA
5) LYMELIFE
6) FLAME & CITRON- Saw it and liked it. About 2 men who kill Nazis.
7) PARIS- With Juliette Binoche and is a love story about Paris.
Link for Cablevision-
http://www.optimum.net/VOD/movies?cat=Movies+On+Demand%2FIndependent+Films%2FIFC+In+Theaters.
BOB’S PICKS IN THE BURBS-
1) THE COVE- Bethel. Saw it and liked it a lot.
2) MY ONE AND ONLY- Bethel, Clearview 100. Haven’t seen it but heard it was cute fluff.
3) THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE- Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk, Saw Mill Hawthorne. Saw it and found it just OK.
4) THE INFORMANT!- Bethel, Danbury, Saw Mill Hawthorne
5) JULIE AND JULIA- Bethel, Danbury, Saw Mill Hawthorne. Mixed reviews.
6) BRIGHT STAR- Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk, Jacob Burns, Saw Mill Hawthorne.Mixed reviews, mostly positive.
7) AMREEKA- Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Saw it and liked it.
8)PARIS – Jacob Burns, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Fairly good reviews and supposedly a love story about Paris.
9) (500) DAYS OF SUMMER- Saw Mill Hawthorne. Saw it and liked it.
THAT’S IT FOR NOW-
THE REEL DR BOB
September 24th, 2009
2007. A very interesting documentary about Dalton Trumbo, the writer, created with several movie actors reading his letters along with the usual talking heads. Lots of detail about the blacklisting of actors and screenwriters by the movie industry and it’s effect on them personally. A good documentary if a little repetitive. Netflix. 9/09
Tags: Documentary/History
September 22nd, 2009
DISGRACE- 2008. Directed by Steve Jacob. Premise by Netflix. “After an imprudent affair with a student, Cape Town professor David Lurie (John Malkovich) flees to his daughter’s remote farm to escape the scandal, only to find tragedy when a trio of black youths brutally assaults them. But Lurie is forced to face apartheid’s lasting repercussions when he discovers that one of the attackers is related to a trusted employee (Eriq Ebouaney) in this pensive drama based on J.M. Coetzee’s novel.”
4/10- Somewhat weak script but the usual great acting by Malkovich makes the movie. Great vistas of the mountains. TRDB.
Tags: drama
September 20th, 2009
LAILA’S BIRTHDAY- 2008. Ramallah. Directed by Rashid Masharawi and starring Mohammed Bakri. About a former judge who is working as a taxi driver. The film goes through his day as he works and tries to navigated the difficulties and frustrations of life in a Palestinian town and at the same time prepare for his daughter’s 7th. birthday. I loved the movie. At the Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival. 9/09
Tags: drama, Foreign
September 16th, 2009
CRUDE- Premise by Netflix. “Filmmaker Joe Berlinger‘s provocative documentary explores the ongoing battle waged by 30,000 indigenous Ecuadorans and their lawyers against Chevron for dumping billions of gallons of toxic oil waste into the Amazon. Berlinger examines the environmental catastrophe — dubbed the “Amazon Chernobyl” — from all sides, following the drama as it moves from the contamination site to the courtroom and beyond, even landing on the cover of Vanity Fair.” Very good reviews.
3/10- Fascinating documentary, especially the second half and I highly recommend it. TRDB.
Tags: documentary
September 7th, 2009
HERB AND DOROTHY- Premise by Rotten Tomatoes. “This documentary film tells the extraordinary story of Herb, a postal clerk, and Dorothy, a librarian — an ordinary couple of modest means who managed to build one of the most important contemporary art collections in history.” Good reviews.
Premise by Netflix. “HERB AND DOROTHY- Premise by Netflix. “Chronicling the story of unlikely art collectors Herb Vogel and Dorothy Vogel, filmmaker Megumi Sasaki demonstrates that it’s not necessary to be wealthy in order to build a significant collection in this fascinating documentary. A postal clerk and a librarian, the Vogels share a passion for art, which they pursued over decades, becoming two of the most important collectors of minimalist and conceptual art with more than 4,000 pieces.” Very good reviews.
12/23/09- I saw this and found it very interesting and I’d definitely recommend it. TRDB.
Tags: documentary
September 7th, 2009
Premise by Netflix. “Set in the wake of the 1996 race riots in St. Petersburg, Fla. — which erupted when a white cop killed a black motorist during a traffic stop — this episodic drama follows three rudderless adolescents trying to make sense of their world. Amid a landscape churning with intolerance and violence, punk rocker Jason (Travis Maynard), auto mechanic Cale (Lewis Brogan) and promiscuous waitress Nicole (Kayla Tabish) connect — and disconnect.” Mixed reviews on this movie.
1/10- I watched for half hour and turned it off. What garbage!! Netflix.
Tags: documentary
September 7th, 2009
2008. Directed and co-written by Erick Zonca. Starring Tilda Swinton who plays an alcoholic who kidnaps a boy, attempts to extort money and gets involved with bad people in Mexico. Too long, too convoluted but a great Swinton makes it happen. Netflix. 8/09 
Tags: drama
September 5th, 2009
2007. Directed by Enrique Fernandez and Cesar Charlone and starring Cesar Troncoso. The Pope is about to visit a small town in Uruguay and the townsfolk are looking for ways to profit from the thousands of people coming for the visit. The movie is about a man who decides to install a public toilet and charge for it’s use. Very slow and probably not worth the effort. Netflix. 8/09 
Tags: drama, Foreign
September 5th, 2009