FILM REVIEWS #454
May 2nd, 2013
4/26/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
4/27/13- As far as I’m concerned this movie could have been titled “Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn Meet Rambo. What a waste! TRDB.
2) THE ICEMAN– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “This thriller based on a true story follows Richard Kuklinski, who killed more than 100 people for the mob — and his own pleasure — between 1964 and 1986. Despite his prolific violence, Kuklinski was a devoted husband and father of two daughters.”
4/21/13- Early reviews look good for this docudrama. TRDB.
5/1/13- A riveting performance by Michael as the contract killer Richard Kuklinski places this movie at a suspenseful level and keeps it there. TRDB.
4/28/13- This was an enjoyable, quirky French bedroom farce that I enjoyed. TRDB.
2) THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “This piercing documentary examines the case of five teenagers, all African-American or Latino, who were convicted of the brutal rape of a white woman in Central Park in 1989. Years later, the confession of the real rapist set the jailed men free.”
Excellent reviews. TRDB.
4/29/13- A well researched and interesting documentary about this famous case with discussion of the societal ramifications involved. TRDB. Netflix.
3) GIRL MODEL– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Documentarians Ashley Sabin and David Redmon take an unflinching look at the modeling industry, focusing on a conflicted American scout — herself a former model — who recruits poverty-stricken adolescent girls from Russia to work in Japan.”
Rotten Tomatoes had this to say- “Told through the eyes of a 13-year-old Siberian girl and the American scout who discovered her, Girl Model follows a complex global supply chain of young girls sent abroad to seek their fortunes in the unregulated and often murky world of the modeling industry”
9/7/12- Good early reviews in general but a review in today’s NY Times is weak. TRDB.
5/1/13- A very good documentary exposing the lies and deceit involved in this industry. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
2) HYDE PARK ON THE HUDSON– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In June 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Bill Murray) and his wife Eleanor (Olivia Williams) host the King and Queen of England (Samuel West and Olivia Colman) for a weekend at the Roosevelt home at Hyde Park on Hudson, in upstate New York – the first-ever visit of a reigning English monarch to America. With Britain facing imminent war with Germany, the Royals are desperately looking to FDR for support. But international affairs must be juggled with the complexities of FDR’s domestic establishment, as wife, mother, and mistresses all conspire to make the royal weekend an unforgettable one.”
Mediocre early reviews. TRDB.
12/7/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
3) MIGHTY FINE– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “When an ambitious father transplants his family from New York to New Orleans, his intentions are lofty, but his clan’s reactions are mixed. At the same time, his apparel business is headed for trouble in this bittersweet comedy set in the 1970s.”
5/25/12- Today’s NY Times gave this a good review except for the ending of the movie. TRDB.
4) UPSTREAM COLOR– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “A woman is abducted and hypnotized with material harvested from a flower. When she falls for a man, the two realize they have been subjected to the same process. Together they search for a place of safety and struggle to reassemble their wrecked lives.”
3/22/13- Sounds strange but very good reviews from lots of critics. TRDB.
4/5/13- Today’s NY Times liked the movie but also found it strange. TRDB.
5) NORMAN– 2011. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Norman Long is a high school loner, a self-aware and darkly funny teen who’s just trying to handle his daily existence. In the wake of his mother’s sudden death, Norman must now also deal with the reality that his father is starting to lose his battle with stomach cancer. A few just OK reviews. TRDB.
10/21/11- An OK review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
6) STARLET- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Jane, a 21-year-old slacker, finds $10,000 stashed in a thermos she buys at a garage sale. Unsure what to do with the money, she begins spending time with Sadie, the elderly widow who held the garage sale, and an unlikely friendship develops.”
Fairly good reviews so far. TRDB.
11/9/12- Excellent review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
7) THE LAST GLADIATORS– 2013- Synopsis by Netflix. “Director Alex Gibney takes an unprecedented look at the National Hockey League’s most feared enforcers and explores the career of Chris “Knuckles” Nilan. The role was simple: protect their teammates no matter the cost.”
2/1/13- Mixed early reviews but the NY Times gave this movie a good review in today’s critique. TRDB.
2) GRACELAND- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “When criminals accidentally abduct the daughter of chauffeur Marlon Villar instead of the daughter of his longtime boss Manuel Chango, a corrupt Filipino politician, Marlon finds himself caught up in a nightmare of deception and betrayal.”
4/26/13- Very good review in today’s NY Times and from most other critics as well. TRDB.
3) THE GHASTLY LOVE OF JOHNNY X– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Banished to Earth, intergalactic bad boy Johnny X and his gang of goons soon get embroiled in a wacky scheme involving a femme fatale, a shifty concert promoter and a dead musician who won’t let a little decomposition keep him from rockin’.”
4/26/13- A poor review for this movie in today’s NY Times. Audiences seem to like it however. TRDB.
4) MORTEM– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “This enigmatic thriller tracks two women on a country drive who check into a spooky-looking hotel and end up locked in a room full of strange voices. But when one roommate’s male lover magically appears, reality begins bending in earnest.”
4/26/13- A weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
5) MARRIED AND COUNTING– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Toasting 25 years together, Pat and Stephen take their love on the road to get married in every state that sanctions gay nuptials. George Takei narrates their yearlong journey that culminates on the steps of the Supreme Court.”
4/26/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
6) THE NUMBERS STATION– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Burned-out black ops agent Emerson is given the lackluster assignment of protecting Katherine, a young code operator at a remote CIA station. When the station comes under attack, Emerson is forced to choose between orders and ethics.”
4/26/13- Poor reviews all around including today’s NY Times review. TRDB.
7) ONE NIGHT STAND– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “A funny, behind-the-scenes journey as Broadway, Hollywood and indie artists collaborate to produce four original shorts in 24 hours. Four groups of writers and composers choose their casts and work overnight to write and compose four 15-minute musicals.”
4/26/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. I saw only one other review and it was positive. TRDB.
8)PARADICE: LOVE– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Teresa, a 50-year-old Austrian, vacations on Kenya’s sun-kissed shores looking for love among the local beach boys who survive on European “sugar mamas.” She falls for Munga, but soon realizes that his false sincerity is part of the sex tourism game.”
4/26/13- A good review in today’s NY Times and elsewhere as well. TRDB.
9) SUN DON’T SHINE– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Driving the sun-scorched highways of eastern Florida, Leo and Crystal aren’t on a vacation or aimless road trip; their journey is much more sinister. Each passing mile reveals more about them and the dark truth behind their voyage.”
4/26/13- A good review in today’s NY Times and from other critics as well. TRDB.
10) TRASH DANCE– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “This documentary tracks the vision of choreographer Allison Orr as she coaxes a crew of trash collectors to perform for the public. The event ultimately takes place on an airport runway, where thousands of people watch 16 garbage trucks “dancing.”
4/26/13- A good review in today’s NY Times and from other critics as well. TRDB.
2) POST TENEBRAS LUX– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “An affluent couple lives in the Mexican countryside with their two adorable children. But their idyllic surroundings belie a disturbing existence where violence and suffering are commonplace and light and darkness struggle to eliminate one another.”
4/17/13- Early reviews are weak. TRDB.
3) 1st. NIGHT- 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Adam (Richard E. Grant) is a rich industrialist, who aspires to a more cultured world. Spurred on by playful jibes that he is little more than a city suit living the capitalist’s dream, this frustrated amateur opera singer decides to throw an opera in his lavish country retreat. Once his friends see him belting out the notes, he feels sure it will spell the end to their shallow taunts. In fact, it might even help him win the hand of Celia (Sarah Brightman), the female conductor he has been pursuing whom – it just so happens – is the first to be recruited for his showpiece.”
4/17/13- Terrible reviews for this one. TRDB.
4) CAROLINE AND JACKIE– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “To celebrate her birthday, Caroline visits her sister Jackie. But what starts out as a fun evening with friends quickly goes awry, as the sisters’ obscure past gives rise to a profound emotional tension that takes a toll on the night’s affair.”
4/17/13- Very good early reviews. TRDB.
5) CINCO DE MAYO– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “This action-packed historical epic depicts the political strategy, war tactics and human drama leading up to the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, when a scrappy Mexican army astonished its French occupiers with its resilience.”
4/17/13- Very early reviews are very, very bad!! TRDB.
6) DEAD MAN’S BURDEN– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1870, homesteader Martha McCall wants to sell the family farm in New Mexico and move with her husband, Heck, to San Francisco. But the unexpected return of Wade, her brother who was presumed dead in the Civil War, throws her plans into turmoil.”
4/17/13- No reviews as yet but it does sound interesting. TRDB.
7) GREETINGS FROM TIM BUCKLEY– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Young, troubled and unknown, singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley grapples with his own self-doubts in the days leading up to a tribute concert in honor of his famous father, Tim Buckley, who died tragically of a drug overdose.”
4/21/13- No reviews as yet. TRDB.
8)THE ICEMAN– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “This thriller based on a true story follows Richard Kuklinski, who killed more than 100 people for the mob — and his own pleasure — between 1964 and 1986. Despite his prolific violence, Kuklinski was a devoted husband and father of two daughters.”
4/21/13- Early reviews look good for this docudrama. TRDB.
5/1/13 A riveting performance by Michael Shannon as the contract killer Richard Kuklinski places this movie at a suspenseful level and keeps it there. TRDB.
9) LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED is directed by Golden Globe (R) and Oscar (R) winning filmmaker Susanne Bier, written by Bier and Anders Thomas Jensen and starring Pierce Brosnan and Trine Dyrholm. Philip (Brosnan), an Englishman living in Denmark, is a lonely, middle-aged widower and estranged single father. Ida (Dyrholm) is a Danish hairdresser, recuperating from a long bout of illness, who’s just been left by her husband for a younger woman, Thilde. The fates of these two bruised souls are about to intertwine.”
4/21/13- Fairly good early reviews. TRDB.
10) SOMETHING IN THE AIR– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Growing up in the wake of France’s civil crisis of May 1968, Gilles and his teen friends are determined to sustain the partisan passions of that era. But now it’s 1971, and Gilles is also beginning to think more about his other aspirations in life.”
4/21/13- OK early reviews. TRDB.
11) WHAT MAISIE KNEW– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this updated rendering of the timeless Henry James novel, a perceptive 6-year-old girl becomes a bargaining tool when she gets caught in the midst of a toxic custody fight between her self-seeking, childish parents.”
4/21/13- Very good early reviews. TRDB.
12) SCATTER MY ASHES AT BERGDORF’S– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “This documentary peels back the curtain at Bergdorf Goodman, the iconic New York store that’s been launching design careers for more than a century. Key creative personnel and fans such as Joan Rivers and Candice Bergen discuss Bergdorf’s appeal.”
4/21/13- No reviews as yet. TRDB.
2) DJANGO UNCHAINED– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Accompanied by a German bounty hunter, a freed slave named Django travels across America to free his wife from a sadistic plantation owner. Quentin Tarantino directs this modern-day spaghetti Western.”
Excellent reviews. TRDB.
4/23/13- A way over the top Western by the master of violence. It took me a while to get used to this movie but in the end I thought it was OK. TRDB.
3) WHAT RICHARD DID– 2002. Synopsis by Netflix. “After embarking on a summer fling with pretty Lara Hogan, privileged teen Richard Karlsen senses competition for Lara from one of his rugby teammates. But when Richard’s jealousy surfaces at a party, it gives rise to tragic repercussions.”
4/28/13- Very good early reviews. TRDB.
4) GREETINGS FROM TIM BUCKLEY– Synopsis by Netflix. “Young, troubled and unknown, singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley grapples with his own self-doubts in the days leading up to a tribute concert in honor of his famous father, Tim Buckley, who died tragically of a drug overdose.”
4/28/13- No reviews as yet. TRDB.
5) SEE GIRL RUN– Synopsis by Netflix. “Fleeing a stale marriage, New Yorker Emmie returns home and hooks up with old flame Scott, a cartoonist who’s settled for mediocrity. Amid the promise of new romance, they discover that the years apart have changed them forever.”
4/28/13- Early reviews are fair at best. TRDB.
11) FLIGHT- Good reviews
12) FOR A GOOD TIME, CALL—- Stupid, stupid, stupid
23) MOONRISE KINGDOM- I liked it
24) PARENTAL GUIDANCE- I enjoyed it but it was not great
28) ROOM 237- Fairly good reviews
29) THE SESSIONS- I loved this movie
30) SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS- I didn’t care for the movie
35) TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE- Not great but I did like it
36) WAITING FOR LIGHTNING- The NY Times called this movie boring
38) THE WORDS- I enjoyed this movie
DirecTV- www.directv.com/DTVAPP/listing/ppvMovies.jsp
Time Warner Link- www.twondemand.com
4/12/13- Today’s NY Times gave this movie an OK review basically saying that the movie was good but that it fell into the “hero worship” category. TRDB.
4/19/13- Very disappointed! I really wanted to like this movie but, as written by one critic, it was a superficial historical tribute with very little about the man himself. TRDB.
2) THE COMPANY YOU KEEP– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Robert Redford stars as Jim Grant, a lawyer and single dad who has to go on the lam after a reporter identifies him as a long-sought U.S. terrorist. As the journalist locates more of Grant’s old contacts, his guilt begins to appear less certain.”
3/21/13- Fairly good reviews for this Robert Redford movie. TRDB.
4/5/13- An OK review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
4/19/13- I liked the movie but I felt that there was very little new information here and that I had seen this all before. I think that the talent (and plenty of it) was better than the screenplay. And what’s with the Hollywood ending? TRDB.
3) RENOIR- Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1915, elderly painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir is crippled by both loss and arthritis, but when vibrant teenager Andrée brightens his life, he finds new purpose — as does his son Jean, a wounded soldier who is inspired by Andrée’s love of cinema.”
3/18/13- A few early reviews and they are very good. TRDB.
3/29/13- A good review in today’s NY Times emphasizing the visual aspect of the film. TRDB.
4/5/13- I enjoyed the story, the acting and the beautiful photography. TRDB.
4) THE BIG WEDDING- Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “A long-divorced couple feigns years of wedded bliss to please a special guest at their son’s nuptials: his birth mother. As the hoax spins out of control among family and friends, it leaves behind a poignant and funny tale about the ties that bind.”
4/19/13- Weak reviews. TRDB.
5) MUD– Jacob Burns, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Two Mississippi teens, Ellis and Neckbone, meet a mysterious drifter named Mud hiding on a deserted river island and get caught up in his tangled web of tall tales about bounty hunters, crimes of passion, lost love and a perfect woman named Juniper.”
4/19/13- Very good reviews so far. TRDB.
4/26/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
4/27/13- As far as I’m concerned this movie could have been titled “Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn Meet Rambo. What a waste! TRDB.
6) THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Luke is a professional motorcycle rider who turns to bank robberies to support his newborn son, but when he crosses paths with a rookie police officer, their violent confrontation spirals into a tense generational feud.”
3/28/13- A mixed review in today’s NY Times but better reviews from other critics. TRDB.
7) DISCONNECT– Clearview 100. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “This drama about the thrills and perils of seeking fulfillment online focuses on a male escort, an outcast schoolboy and a married couple in trouble. Each of the characters is fated to find out just how badly their secrets and desires can undo them.”
4/12/13- Good reviews from many critics as well as the NY Times. TRDB.
For Independent Films in Palm Beach County go to www.lakeworthplayhouse.org
For Films everywhere go to- www.fandango.com
Entry Filed under: Old Newsletters
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