The Reel Dr. Bob

FILM REVIEWS #333

July 21st, 2010

  JULY 21, 2010

DEAR FRIENDS:  

PLEASE USE MY WEBSITE TO CHECK OUT INDIVIDUAL MOVIES AT www.thereeldrbob.com  

With this issue I will be simplifying the format of my recommendations for Comcast On-Demand. If you want information about any of the movies that I’ve listed On-Demand you can find it on my web site. Just type in the name of the movie.  

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-  

1) TERRIBLY HAPPY- Netflix.

2) SAVING MARRIAGE- Netflix.

3) NEW YORK STREET GAMES- By purchase only. ________________________________________________________________________________________   MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER-  

1) THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE- Premise by Netflix. “Disaster hits Millennium magazine when publisher Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) launches an exposé of the Swedish sex trade, leading to the deaths of two staffers and then to the police pursuit of a third — tech expert Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) — as the prime suspect. In Part 2 of the trilogy, based on the action novels of Stieg Larsson, the vampiric Salander vanishes as Blomkvist digs deep into a possible conspiracy.” Mostly good reviews.

7/10- I was bored as hell. It was initially hard to tell who was who and I never recovered. See “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” twice instead. TRDB.

  _________________________________________________________________________________________   MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-  

1) TERRIBLY HAPPY- Directed by Ruben Ganz. Premise by Netflix. “When Copenhagen cop Robert (Jakob Cedergren) winds up in the isolated town of Skarrild, he plans to bide his time recovering from his disreputable past so he can return to the city. But life in Skarrild is anything but peaceful in this tense thriller set in Denmark. As Robert becomes drawn into the odd local happenings, he also finds himself protecting mysterious beauty Ingerlise (Lene Maria Christensen) from her abusive husband.”   7/10- A mystery thriller from Denmark that had me on the edge of my seat. Somewhat creepy and definitely not for everybody. TRDB. Netflix.  

2) THE GREATEST- Premise by Netflix. “THE GREATEST- Premise by Netflix. “Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon star as parents still mourning the accidental death of their teenage son, Bennett, when the boy’s girlfriend reveals that she is carrying his baby. Now Bennett’s parents and brother must find a way to release their denial, obsession and anger to make room for the new life coming their way. Shana Feste directs this moving drama, while Carey Mulligan, Aaron Johnson and Johnny Simmons co-star.” Fairly good early reviews.

7/10 Not a great movie but definitely worth watching, if only for the fine acting. TRDB. Netflix.

3) SEASIDE- Premise by Netflix. “Marie (Helene Fillieres) lives in the small seaside town of Cayeux, so renowned for its pebbly beach that it has a factory that cleans the stones. An employee at the factory, Marie’s become restless with her job and her life and dreams of exploring the world; just as the town has a seasonal life — popular in the warmer climes, isolated in winter — so, too, must its residents ebb and flow with the seasons. Will Marie leave to find her dreams?”

7/10- This movie was as boring as the town of Cayeux was portrayed to be. Small town ennui. TRDB. Netflix.

4) SAVING MARRIAGE- 2006. Directed by Mike Roth and John Henning. Premise by Netflix. “In the recent intense debate over same-sex marriage, Massachusetts emerged as a key battleground state. Mike Roth and John Henning’s documentary follows progressive politicians, lobbyists and civil rights activists who brought attention to the issue. Along the way, the filmmakers meet ordinary people whose passion for this controversial topic helped them make state history and expand national awareness.”

7/10- Excellent documentary. The message is that the fight is not over. TRDB. Netflix.

5) PRODIGAL SONS- 2008. Premise by Netflix. “In high school, Kimberly Reed was male, a straight-A student and captain of the football team. But since leaving his rural Montana hometown, he’s become a woman — and a filmmaker whose documentary could not be any more personal. Half the story involves her attending her high school reunion as a transgendered female; the other half involves reuniting with her siblings, including her estranged adopted brother.” Very good reviews for this documentary. Netflix Streaming also.”

7/10- An interesting documentary with a few scenes that were actually pretty scary. TRDB. Netflix.

6) NEW YORK STREET GAMES- Directed by Matt Levy. Premise by Rotten Tomatoes. “Through interviews with dozens of prominent New Yorkers including Ray Romano, Regis Philbin, Hector Elizondo, Joe Pantoliano, Curtis Sliwa and experts including former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop (a Brooklyn boy), New York Street Games takes us back to a simpler time when the rules of the game were?.well, the rules of the game. Their stories offer an intriguing and often humorous portrait of how things used to be, how they have changed, and how to recapture some of the positives of a simpler time.”

7/10- About the games we used to play e.g. punchball, stoopball, stickball, etc. Very good documentary. TRDB. Purchased by a friend.

  _________________________________________________________________________________________   COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, JULY 27-  

1) HOME- 2008. Premise by Netflix. “When an unused highway next to their home is rebuilt and put back to use, Michel (Olivier Gourmet) and Marthe (Isabelle Huppert) soon discover it’s an affront to their once peaceful life, adding din and dust to their daily existence. Their extroverted son, Julien (Kacey Mottet Klein), grows more introspective; their daughter, Marion (Madeleine Budd), turns obsessive; and Julie (Adélaïde Leroux) is a near lost cause. But how can they fight back?” Fairly good reviews.  

2) PRODIGAL SONS- 2008. Premise by Netflix. “In high school, Kimberly Reed was male, a straight-A student and captain of the football team. But since leaving his rural Montana hometown, he’s become a woman — and a filmmaker whose documentary could not be any more personal. Half the story involves her attending her high school reunion as a transgendered female; the other half involves reuniting with her siblings, including her estranged adopted brother.” Very good reviews for this documentary. Netflix Streaming also.

7/10- An interesting documentary with a few scenes that were actually pretty scary. TRDB. Netflix.

 3) THE ART OF THE STEAL- Premise by Netflix. “A gripping tale of intrigue and mystery in the art world, this film traces the history of the Barnes collection of Post-Impressionist paintings, which was worth billions and became the subject of a power struggle after the 1951 death of the owner. Dr. Albert Barnes collected 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes, 59 Matisses, 46 Picassos and many other valuable paintings. But the political wrangling over the collection eventually led to its division.” I enjoyed this movie very much. TRDB.  

4) VINCERE- Directed by Marco Bellocchio. Premise by Netflix. “Ida Dalser (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) falls for young Benito Mussolini (Filippo Timi) in Milan and sells everything she has to help the future dictator fund his newspaper, Popolo d’Italia. But when World War I separates the newly wedded couple, Mussolini marries another woman. Ida demands to retain her rights as Mussolini’s wife and the mother of his son, but the Fascists have other plans for the dictator’s dark secret in this gripping biopic.” Just opened nationally and has received great reviews.

3/10- I saw this and felt that the acting was superb. Mezzogiorno passionately portrayed a women with an obsession for IL Duce and was probably a metaphor for the country at the time. The film itself was enjoyable if a bit too long and I understand that the director played with the facts a bit. TRDB.

5) THE SECRET OF THE GRAIN- Premise by Netflix. “After 35 years of shipyard work in the French port town of Sète, Tunisian immigrant Slimane (Habib Boufares) takes his severance pay and pursues his impossibly expensive dream of opening a couscous restaurant. His only hope lies in his fractured family, including his mistress, Lilia (Leila D’Issernio), her entrepreneurial daughter, Rym (Hafsia Herzi), and his ex-wife and ace couscous cook, Souad (Bouraouïa Marzouk), in this César-winning drama.”

7/10- I saw this about a year ago and I liked it a lot. TRDB. Netflix Streaming also.

  _________________________________________________________________________________________   OPENING THIS WEEK REGIONALLY, NATIONALLY OR LOCALLY-  

1) THE CONCERT- Premise by Netflix. “The winner of two César Awards, this uplifting comedy focuses on Andrei Filipov (Aleksei Guskov), a Russian conductor whose music career was cut short by politics. Now an alcoholic janitor, Filipov seizes a chance to reunite his orchestra and reclaim his life. Using a purloined invitation to a Parisian festival as incentive, Filipov gathers his rag-tag musicians and a French violinist (Mélanie Laurent) to realize his long-cherished dream.” A few very positive reactions but more fairly negative one. The story sounds interesting and I’ll give it a try. TRDB.  

2) COUNTDOWN TO ZERO- Premise by Netflix. “Since the first atomic bomb exploded in 1945, scientists and world leaders have grappled with the apocalyptic dangers and paradoxes posed by nuclear weapons. Lucy Walker‘s documentary presents an unblinking look at humanity’s lethal predicament. The film outlines current threats posed by a growing list of nuclear-armed states and weighs the prospects for global disarmament, soliciting insights from a gallery of world leaders and policy experts.” Just a few reviews and they are good.  

3) LIFE DURING WARTIME- Premise by Netflix. “Filmmaker Todd Solondz revisits his Happiness characters in this tale about three sisters, Trish (Allison Janney) and Joy (Shirley Henderson), each married to degenerate men, and estranged Helen (Ally Sheedy), as they ponder the virtues of forgiving and forgetting. As Joy visits Trish to escape problems with her perverted, druggy husband, Trish is unaware that her own ex-husband, a pedophile whom she’s claimed is dead, is now out of prison.” Good reviews.  

4) SPOKEN WORD- Premise by Netflix. “Drawn back home by his dying father (Ruben Blades), spoken word superstar Cruz (Kuno Becker) falls back into his old habits of all-night partying and drug abuse. As his life spins out of control, Cruz realizes he must regain his voice and earn his family’s forgiveness. Directed by Victor Nunez, this New Mexico-based drama co-stars Miguel Sandoval as a local crime boss who tempts the talented poet with easy money.” No reviews yet.  

5) SALT- Premise by Netflix. “After she’s accused of being a Russian sleeper spy, rogue CIA agent Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) goes on the run, using every tactic, accent and disguise she knows to elude her pursuers, clear her name and protect her husband. Her supervisor, Winter (Liev Schreiber), buys her story, while counterintelligence officer Peabody (Chiwetel Ejiofor) decidedly does not and will do anything to stop her in this fast-paced, intrigue-filled spy adventure.” More positive reviews than negative but even the good ones weren’t very good. I’ll wait for the DVD. TRDB. _________________________________________________________________________________________   FLORIDA- At the Emerging Cinemas of Lake Worth  

1) BREATHLESS- 1960. Premise by Netflix. “After shooting a cop, young thief Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) meets and shacks up with Patricia (Jean Seberg), an American who sells the International Herald Tribune on the streets of Paris. Hiding out in her hotel room, Michel tries to sell Patricia on a plan to go with him to Italy. But, she doesn’t know that includes a foray into criminal life. Director Jean-Luc Godard shot to cinematic stardom with this benchmark film of the French new wave. Great reviews and I liked this a lot each time I saw it.  

2) MICMACS- Premise by Netflix. “French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet takes a satirical look at the global arms trade with this foreign-language comedy starring Dany Boon as Bazil, who rallies his friends to take down weapons manufacturers responsible for his father’s death. Bazil also discovers a dump into an underground haven for cool tools and sculptures crafted from discarded junk. Dominique Pinon, André Dussollier and Jean-Pierre Marielle co-star.” Fair reviews.   ________________________________________________________________________________________   COMCAST ON-DEMAND-  

NEW-  

1) KISSES- Premise by Netflix. “In this incisive Irish import, best friends Dylan (Shane Curry) and Kylie (Kelly O’Neill) find urban beauty — and peril — when they flee their dysfunctional homes in a squalid housing project after Dylan has a terrible row with his tosspot father. Arriving in Dublin to hunt for Dylan’s older brother, the youngsters embark on a shopping spree using cash Kylie stole from her sister. But as night falls, the city takes on a menacing air.” Very good reviews.   

REPEATS- See www.thereeldrbob.com for information on any of these choices-  

1) 8: THE MORMON PROPOSITION- Haven’t Seen It

2) A CALL GIRL- Just OK

3) A SINGLE MAN- Recommended

4) A YEAR AGO IN WINTER- Haven’t Seen It

5) AN EDUCATION- Recommended

6) AVATAR- Haven’t Seen It

7) BLUEBEARD- Haven’t Seen It

8)BROTHERS- Recommended

9) CRAZY HEART- Recommended

10) CREATION- Recommended

11) GREEN ZONE- Recommended

12) GREENBERG- Haven’t Seen It

13) HERE AND THERE- Recommended

14) INVICTUS- Just OK

15) IT’S COMPLICATED- Recommended

16) JUNO- Recommended

17) LET IT RAIN- Just OK

18) LOOKING FOR ERIC- Just OK

19) MERCY- Haven’t Seen It

20) ONDINE- Didn’t like it.

21) PIRATE RADIO- Just OK

22) PRECIOUS- Recommended

23) THE BLIND SIDE- Recommended

24) THE FATHER OF MY CHILDREN- Recommended

25) THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN- Recommended

26) THE HURT LOCKER- Recommended

27) THE MAID- Recommended

28) THE MESSENGER- Recommended

29) THE YOUNG VICTORIA- Recommended

30) UP IN THE AIR- Recommended  

Cablevision Link– http://www.optimum.net/VOD/movies?cat=Movies+On+Demand%2FIndependent+Films%2FIFC+In+Theaters

DirecTV- www.directv.com/DTVAPP/listing/ppvMovies.jsp

Time Warner Link- www.twondemand.com

_______________________________________________________________________________________

BOB’S PICKS IN THE SUBURBS (Westchester and Fairfield Counties)

1) THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Premise by Netflix. “The children of same-sex parents Nic (Annette Bening) and Jules (Julianne Moore), Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson) become curious about the identity of their sperm-donor dad (Mark Ruffalo) and set out to make him part of their family unit, with frequently comical results. With his arrival, the household dynamics quickly become complicated, and nobody’s quite sure where or how he fits in, if at all.” Excellent reviews.

2) THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE- Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100. Garden Cinema Norwalk. Premise by Netflix. “Disaster hits Millennium magazine when publisher Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) launches an exposé of the Swedish sex trade, leading to the deaths of two staffers and then to the police pursuit of a third — tech expert Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) — as the prime suspect. In Part 2 of the trilogy, based on the action novels of Stieg Larsson, the vampiric Salander vanishes as Blomkvist digs deep into a possible conspiracy.” Mostly good reviews.

7/10- I was bored as hell. It was initially hard to tell who was who and I never recovered. See “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” twice instead. TRDB.

3) WINTER’S BONE- Bethel, Clearview 100. Premise by Netflix. “In this noir drama set deep in Ozark territory, resilient teenager Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) goes on the trail of her missing drug-dealing father when his absence jeopardizes the safety of their family. The deadbeat dad has a critical court date pending, and Ree is determined that he make it — despite the objections of the insular Dolly clan. Director Debra Granik‘s unflinching drama won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.” Great reviews.

6/10-Very good acting in this Appalachian slice of life but I was disappointed in the film. I felt that not enough happened and what did seemed contrived to me. A friend who I saw this with spent a year in Missouri and felt that it was indeed realistic. TRDB.

4) CYRUS- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100. Premise by Netflix. “Indie favorites Jay and Mark Duplass co-direct this wry look at modern love and family dysfunction. John C. Reilly plays a recently divorced man who thinks he’s found just the right woman (Marisa Tomei) to help him recover and move on. Unfortunately, the woman’s son, played by Jonah Hill, has no interest in allowing another man into their lives — a stance he proceeds to demonstrate in a variety of obnoxious ways.” Very good early reviews.

5) I AM LOVE- Jacob Burns, Clearview 100. Garden Cinema Norwalk. Premise by Netflix. “Oscar winner Tilda Swinton shows off her multilingual skills in this Italian melodrama, in which family dissension, unbidden desire and other tensions bubble to the surface during the patriarch’s birthday party. When the seemingly picture-perfect Recchi family gathers at the family manse to celebrate the great old man, the veneer of civility falls quickly away in director Luca Guadagnino‘s lush, atmospheric film.”

6/10- Beautifully photographed, very good story with good acting. I enjoyed this one very much. Highly recommended!! TRDB.

6) JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK- Jacob Burns. Premise by Netflix. “Documentarians Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg provide an uncompromising glimpse into the personal and professional life of comedian and red-carpet mainstay Joan Rivers, a woman clinging stubbornly and steadfastly to the pop-culture bandwagon. Stern and Sundberg — whose previous film, The Devil Came on Horseback, covered the Darfur genocide — take a no-less-intensive approach to their subject here, taking a hard look at fame’s bitter toll.” Fair reviews and good reviews in equal number.

7) COCO CHANEL AND IGOR STRAVINSKY- Clearview 100. Premise by Netflix. “Seven years after she was inspired by the bold debut of Igor Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring,” famed fashion designer Coco Chanel (Anna Mouglalis) — reeling from the death of her beau, Boy Capel (Anatole Taubmann) — meets and falls for the Russian composer (Mads Mikkelsen) in 1920s Paris. A forbidden romance ensues in Jan Kounen‘s sumptuous period drama, the closing film of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.”

7/10- Very well done, well photographed and really an epic about the romance between two people trying to revolutionize their respective fields. Great history lesson also.  I liked it. TRDB.

8)CITY ISLAND- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “When he recognizes his son Tony (Steven Strait), whom he hasn’t seen in over 20 years, among a crop of new inmates in the jail he works at, Vince Rizzo (Andy Garcia) decides to bring the troubled young man home with him, much to the surprise of his wife and kids. Helmed by writer-director Raymond De Felitta, this offbeat comedy also stars Julianna Margulies, Emily Mortimer, Dominik Garcia-Lorido and Oscar winner Alan Arkin.” Generally good reviews.

4/10- It’s about people in families and the secrets they keep from each other. Know that this is a comedy despite some serious issues. I liked it. TRDB.

9) SALT- Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. Premise by Netflix. “After she’s accused of being a Russian sleeper spy, rogue CIA agent Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) goes on the run, using every tactic, accent and disguise she knows to elude her pursuers, clear her name and protect her husband. Her supervisor, Winter (Liev Schreiber), buys her story, while counterintelligence officer Peabody (Chiwetel Ejiofor) decidedly does not and will do anything to stop her in this fast-paced, intrigue-filled spy adventure.” More positive reviews than negative but even the good ones weren’t very good. I’ll wait for the DVD. TRDB.

For Independent Films in Your Neighborhood go to- www.emergingpictures.com 

For all films go to- www.fandango.com

THAT’S IT FOR NOW-
THE REEL DR BOB
The Reel Dr. Bob

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