FILM REVIEWS #481
November 28th, 2013
11/1/13- The review in today’s NY Times gave this movie an OK review but said that it lacked passion and “played it safe.” TRDB.
11/23/13- Very good reviews but not from this guy. I felt that the movie was predictable at every stage and the acting from Jennifer Gardner was weak. The story however could have been more interesting if anyone other than McConaughey showed any interest. TRDB.
2) WHICH WAY IS THE FRONT LINE FROM HERE? 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this moving documentary, Sebastian Junger pays tribute to Tim Hetherington, his co-director on the Oscar-nominated film Restrepo, a talented and compassionate photojournalist who was killed while covering the war in Libya in 2011.”
11/22/13- Excellent reviews by everybody. TRDB.
11/23/13- An excellent documentary about Tim Hetherington, the man who was killed doing his job as a photojournalist in Libya. Plenty of footage of war but also plenty of Hetherington speaking directly to the camera about his views of life. TRDB.
3) THE SQUARE- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “This intimate documentary filmed in the midst of the Egyptian revolution follows its subjects on a life-changing journey through the euphoria of victory into the uncertainties and dangers of a “transitional period” under military rule.”
10/25/13- A good review in today’s NY Times and from everyone else as well. TRDB.
11/24/13- An excellent documentary about the political changes in Egypt over the last 2 years with an emphasis on the realities involved in a popular revolution. TRDB.
11/21/13- I enjoyed this movie very much as it presented a very realistic picture of what it’s like to be poor with little hope of improvement. I was rooting for the couple. TRDB.
2) HANNAH ARENDT– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “After fleeing Nazi Germany for the United States, a Jewish-German philosopher accepts an assignment from the New Yorker to cover the trial of an infamous war criminal, resulting in an article that ignites controversy all over the world.”
8/6/13- Good reviews all over. TRDB.
11/25/13- I think that the movie gave a good description of the character and what she was about but as for the movie it felt a bit Hollywoodish and overacted. Still, I enjoyed it. TRDB.
2) IL FUTURO– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “While struggling to care for her younger brother, orphaned teen Bianca sets out to secure their future by seducing a blind neighbor who’s reputedly worth a fortune. But she’s ultimately unprepared for the effect he’ll have on her life.”
9/6/13- A good review in today’s NY Times and good reviews elsewhere as well. TRDB.
3) GOOD OL’ FREDA– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Freda Kelly was just a shy Liverpudlian teenager when she was asked to work for a local band hoping to make it big: the Beatles. In Good Ol’ Freda, the band’s former secretary tells her personal stories for the first time in 50 years.”
9/13/13- Mixed reviews, mostly positive but the NY Times didn’t care for it, saying that it was more coy than candid. TRDB.
4) OUR CHILDREN– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Based on a true story, this intense drama follows young Belgian Murielle, who marries Moroccan-born Mounier. As their four children arrive in rapid succession and Mounier’s intrusive guardian runs their lives, Murielle grows increasingly desperate.”
7/15/13- Early reviews are good for this movie. TRDB.
8/2/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
5) DRINKING BUDDIES– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Workmates at a small Chicago brewery, Luke and Kate are romantically involved with others but also the best of friends — on and off the clock. Things get complicated, however, when the couples spend a weekend together at a lakeside retreat.”
8/23/13- An excellent review in today’s NY Times and very good ones all around. TRDB.
2) COLD TURKEY- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this holiday-gone-bad yarn, Peter Bogdanovich plays the patriarch of the dysfunctional Turner clan, a blended family gathering for Thanksgiving. But with the arrival of estranged daughter Nina, long-simmering grievances and resentments surface.”
11/22/13- Awful reviews all over and in today’s NY Times as well. TRDB.
3) DETROIT UNLEADED- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “When a robber kills his father, Lebanese-American Sami abandons his college plans and takes over the family’s Detroit gas station. Co-managing with his ambitious cousin, Sami watches his future unfold amid a series of long days and weird customers.”
11/22/13- Good reviews in general and a very good one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
4) EVERYDAY– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “With her husband imprisoned on drug charges, young mother Karen tries to raise four kids alone in this documentary-style drama filmed over five years. As Karen awaits her husband’s release, the trials of everyday life test her endurance.”
11/22/13- Very good although the NY Times commented that it was difficult at times to understand the Scottish accent. TRDB.
5) HOME- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Pushing ahead in his battle with mental illness, 33-year-old Jack is ready to leave his group home and rent an apartment, despite his doctor’s doubts. But when the rent is raised and his work hours cut, Jack considers some risky options for funds.”
11/22/13- Just an OK review in today’s NY Times and it was the only review I could find. TRDB.
6) IS THE MAN WHO IS TALL HAPPY?- 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) applies his playful imagination to animating a series of conversations with the esteemed linguist, philosopher, political commentator and activist Noam Chomsky. At the heart of these talks is Chomsky’s theory of the emergence of language. In this intellectual feast, Gondry uses drawings to make complex ideas more accessible and to expand the documentary form.”
11/22/13- Very good reviews from everybody. TRDB.
7) IT’S BETTER TO JUMP– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “This documentary about past and present-day Akka, a village in Northern Israel, looks at Arab families trying to hold on to their roots. All the while, the young villagers’ defiant attitude is reflected in their reckless leaps from a seaside cliff.”
11/22/13- Weak reviews in general and in today’s NY Times as well. TRDB.
8)JFK: A PRESIDENT BETRAYED- 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “The Kennedy Administration, the golden days of our American “Camelot”, is one of the most written about and popular periods of American history. But there is one profound and moving story still waiting to be told. JFK: A President Betrayed uncovers new evidence that reveals how President John F. Kennedy boldly reversed deeply entrenched pro-war government policy to embark on secret back-channel peace efforts with Russian President Nikita Khrushchev, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and other “enemies” of the United States.”
11/22/13- Good reviews from nearly every critic including the NY Times in today’s edition. TRDB.
9) DIE NARDE (THE SCAR)- 2013. “Comprising a single helicopter ride that follows the entire length of the former Berlin Wall in real time, this compelling film traces the remains of a barrier that once split the city in two.”
11/22/13- Poor reviews including the one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
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11/8/13- The NY Times said that this movie had good characters and poor story. TRDB.
DirecTV- www.directv.com/DTVAPP/listing/ppvMovies.jsp
Time Warner Link- www.twondemand.com
4) OLDBOY- Danbury. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “After being unaccountably held captive for years, Joe Doucett is suddenly released. Now, his only mission is to hunt down and punish his captors. Aided by a young stranger, he sets about unlocking his past in this remake of a popular Korean thriller.”
11/27/13- Weak reviews all around and in today’s NY Times as well. TRDB.
REPEATS-
1) DALLAS BUYERS CLUB- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, Clearview 100. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Loosely based on true events, this drama follows Ron Woodroof, who refuses to accept he’ll die in 30 days when he’s diagnosed with AIDS in 1986. He extends his life and eventually helps many other AIDS patients by smuggling medications from abroad.”10/16/13- Very good reviews for this Indie drama. TRDB.
11/1/13- The review in today’s NY Times gave this movie an OK review but said that it lacked passion and “played it safe.” TRDB.
11/23/13- Very good reviews but not from this guy. I felt that the movie was predictable at every stage and the acting from Jennifer Gardner was weak. The story however could have been more interesting if anyone other than McConaughey showed any interest. TRDB.
2) 12 YEARS A SLAVE- Saw Mill Hawthorne, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “The autobiography of Solomon Northup, a free black man who was abducted from New York state and sold into slavery in the mid-1800s, serves as the basis for this historical drama. Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Northup, and Brad Pitt plays an abolitionist.”
9/29/13- Excellent reviews. TRDB.
10/18/13- A glowing review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
11/6/13- Overall I enjoyed this movie as this is clearly a story needing to be told. The acting was wonderful. Throughout the movie I couldn’t help thinking about this as another Holocaust movie with the dehumanizing, the oppression, the splitting of families and the often random nature of the violence inflicted on the victims, in this case Blacks. My only objection was that too many scenes seemed the same to me, each showing the difficult daily life on the plantation in one form or another. TRDB.
3) CAPTAIN PHILLIPS- Saw Mill Hawthorne. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this exciting adventure based on true events that made international headlines, Tom Hanks portrays Capt. Richard Phillips, who is taken hostage by Somali pirates after they hijack his cargo ship, and the U.S. Navy’s efforts to rescue him.”
10/11/13- This movie, starring Tom Hanks as Captain Phillips, has received excellent reviews but one critic said that it was a Hollywood style “A Hijacking”, a movie that I saw a few months ago that had a similar theme and was excellent. The NY Times liked it also. TRDB.
10/11/13- The movie was well done and helped along by the knowledge that it was taken from a true story. Tom Hanks did his usual good job. I enjoyed the last 15min. the most. TRDB.
4) GRAVITY- Saw Mill Hawthorne. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “As a medical engineer on her first shuttle mission embarks on a space walk with a seasoned astronaut, debris strikes their craft and destroys it — leaving the two floating through space tethered together, with no connection to Earth.”
10/2/13- Very good reviews and this film has been well received at festivals too. TRDB.
10/4/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
10/11/13- Kind of a weak story but the special effects are definitely worth the price of admission. TRDB.
5) THE ARMSTRONG LIE- Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Filming cyclist Lance Armstrong as he trained for the 2009 Tour de France, director Alex Gibney had intimate access to the racer’s team. Gibney’s cameras were also rolling for Armstrong’s startling 2012 confession of performance-enhancing drug use.”
10/16/13- Very good reviews. TRDB.
11/8/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
6) BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR- Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Determined to fall in love, 15-year-old Adele focuses on Thomas. But it’s a blue-haired girl she meets on the street who really piques her interest. Soon, Adele begins exploring her desire for girls as she negotiates her way to becoming a woman.”
Rotten Tomatoes had this to say– “A 15-year-old girl finds her naïve perceptions of human sexuality challenged upon meeting a blue-haired girl who encourages her to assert her individuality in director Abdel Kechiche’s deeply perceptive drama. The recipient of the prestigious Palme d’ Or at the 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival, Blue is the Warmest Color stars Adele Exarchopoulos and Lea Seydoux.”
9/28/13- Excellent reviews although A.O. Scott from the NY Times wrote a negative review after this film won at Cannes. TRDB.
11/2/13- Great acting by the two lead women and a lot of graphic lesbian sex have contributed to making this movie, the winner of the Palme d’Or Award in Cannes, the most talked about movie in a long time. The story itself was very good as well and I recommend the film. TRDB.
For Independent Films in Your Neighborhood go to- www.emergingpictures.com
For Independent Films in Palm Beach County go to www.lakeworthplayhouse.org
For Films everywhere go to- www.fandango.com
ENJOY!!
THE REEL DR. BOB
Entry Filed under: Old Newsletters
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