FILM REVIEWS #335
August 5th, 2010
AUGUST 5, 2010
DEAR FRIENDS:
This was a slow Movie Week for me as my daughter and her family came for a visit.
PLEASE ACCESS THE NEWSLETTER AND OTHER INFO AT- www.thereeldrbob.com
QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-
1) SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY- Netflix.
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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER- None.
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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-
1) SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY- 1971. Premise by Netflix. “Divorced working woman Alexandra Greville (Glenda Jackson) has occasional sexual encounters with a younger man, sculptor Bob Elkin (Murray Head). Elkin is completely open about the fact that he’s also the lover of Alex’s acquaintance, Dr. Daniel Hirsch (Peter Finch). Both Alex and Dr. Hirsch resign themselves to living with the situation rather than risk losing Elkin completely … but can both relationships continue in equilibrium?”8/10- A classic and I liked it. TRDB. Netflix.
2) SAMARITAN GIRL- 2004. Korea. Premise by Netflix. “Hoping to save enough money to travel through Europe, teenagers Yeo-jin (Ji-min Kwak) and Jae-young (Min-jeong Seo) enter into a risky trade: Jae-young becomes a prostitute, and Yeo-jin manages their business. After Jae-young is killed, Yeo-jin assumes the role of sex worker to keep their clients happy. But Yeo-jin’s father (Eol Lee) discovers his daughter’s secret, setting off a chain of events that bring father and daughter to a crossroads.”
8/10- This movie got very mixed reviews but I liked it. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
3) SWEETGRASS- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “As much a work of cultural anthropology as it is a documentary, this unique film traces the path of a family of Montana sheepherders as they drive their flock down from the treacherous and beautiful Absaroka Beartooth mountain range. With no guiding narration, filmmakers Ilisa Barbash and Lucien Castaing-Taylor let the natural images speak for themselves, capturing the danger, pathos and humor in this haunting elegy to a bygone way of life.” Very good reviews.
8/10- Done in a very interesting way, like nothing you’ve seen before. Worth viewing. TRDB.
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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, AUG. 10-
1) GREENBERG- Premise by Netflix. “At a crossroads in his life in New York, Roger Greenberg (Ben Stiller) takes some time to figure things out and travels to Los Angeles, where he house-sits for his brother and forges an unlikely bond with his brother’s assistant, Florence (Greta Gerwig). Acclaimed director Noah Baumbach’s (The Squid and the Whale, Margot at the Wedding) finely observed relationship comedy also stars Jennifer Jason Leigh and Rhys Ifans.” Fairly good reviews and this film stayed in theaters for a while with good attendance. TRDB.
2) CHILDREN OF INVENTION- Premise by Netflix. “Evicted from their home, the Cheng family squats in a model apartment in an unfinished Boston building. But when mother Elaine (Cindy Cheung) is arrested for her accidental involvement in a pyramid scheme, young Raymond (Michael Chen) and Tina (Crystal Chiu) are left to fend for themselves. Now, Raymond must devise a plan to take care of his little sister in this stirring drama, an official selection at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.” Mostly good reviews and a few very good ones.
3) THE THORN IN THE HEART- Premise by Netflix. “Acclaimed writer and director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) turns the camera on his own family in this documentary about his aunt Suzette, a teacher in rural France from 1952 to 1986. Raised in Versailles in a family of musicians and educated in Paris, Gondry is keen on understanding a life very different from his own. In the process, he stumbles upon a wealth of new stories about the clan he thought he knew.” A few great reviews and a few miserable reviews. I’ll give it a try.
4) LETTERS TO GOD- Premise by Netflix. “Faith and hope are the twin engines that power the uplifting, bittersweet tale, based on a true story, of Tyler Doherty (Tanner Maguire), an 8-year-old boy who battles brain cancer and turns to God as his own private pen pal. Tyler writes and mails his missives daily, and his steadfast undertaking not only moves his family and friends but alters the life of the despairing postman, Brady McDaniels (Jeffrey Johnson), who opens the boy’s letters.” Miserable reviews.
5) THE GOOD HEART- Premise by Netflix. “Jacques (Brian Cox), the rough-edged owner of a New York dive bar, realizes after his fifth heart attack that he’s near the end. Unable to face closing the bar, he turns to a homeless kid, Lucas (Paul Dano), to keep the place going. For Lucas, it’s a steep learning curve, made even trickier by the fact that Jacques is a madman with a long list of crazy rules — including no new customers, no socializing with patrons and no women.”
This movie was really awful and I’d miss it. TRDB.
6) LA MISSION- Premise by Netflix. “Ultra-macho ex-con Che Rivera (Benjamin Bratt) learns the true meaning of being a father when he discovers his son (Jeremy Ray Valdez) is gay. Rivera turns violent at first, but when a beautiful neighbor (Erika Alexander) helps him see through his anger, he begins to reconcile his long-held beliefs. Peter Bratt (Benjamin’s brother) writes and directs this compelling drama, while Max Rosenak and Talisa Soto co-star.” Weak reviews.
7) MULTIPLE SARCASMS- Premise by Netflix. “In 1979, architect Gabriel (Timothy Hutton) begins questioning his existence, avoiding work and escaping into the fictional world of movies. When he starts writing a play examining the choices he’s made, it creates issues with his wife (Dana Delany), daughter (India Ennenga) and friends. Meanwhile, he tries to convince a brassy literary agent (Stockard Channing) to represent him and confides in his best friend (Mira Sorvino) in this indie drama.” Poor reviews.
8)MY NAME IS KHAN- Premise by Netflix. “Rizwan Khan (Shahrukh Khan), a Muslim man with Asperger syndrome, lives happily with his wife, Mandira (Kajol), in San Francisco until a tragedy drives her away after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Now he is on a quest to recapture the heart of the woman he loves. Traveling across America, Rizwan faces prejudice because of his religion and unusual behavior, but he also inspires the people he meets with his unique outlook on life.” The reviews were mostly very good.
9) HELEN- Premise by Netflix. “Ashley Judd stars as Helen, an adored wife, mother and successful music professor who also struggles to mask her debilitating depression until a breakdown lands her in the hospital. But this apparent setback offers Helen a new perspective on life and her condition in the form of Mathilda (Lauren Lee Smith), a fellow patient with whom Helen forms a potent bond. Sandra Nettelbeck directs this touching drama; Goran Visnjic and Alexia Fast co-star.” Good reviews in NY Times.
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OPENING REGIONALLY, NATIONALLY OR LOCALLY THIS WEEK-
1) THE SICILIAN GIRL- Premise by Netflix. “In this taut drama based on a true story, 17-year-old Rita (Veronica D’Agostino) is leading a privileged life when her father and brother are slain by rival Mafiosi. Bent on revenge, she turns to a sympathetic magistrate (Gérard Jugnot) and breaks the code of silence. In her journey from self-centered teenager to fearless advocate for justice, Rita enrages Sicily’s most powerful men, putting her life in jeopardy.” Very good reviews.
2) CAIRO TIME- Premise by Netflix. “When magazine editor Juliette (Patricia Clarkson) travels to Cairo to meet her diplomat husband, Mark (Tom McCamus), she learns from his friend Tareq (Alexander Siddig) that Mark has been delayed. As Tareq introduces her to the city and its customs, an unexpected attraction arises between them. Juliette soon grows accustomed to life in Cairo while she and Tareq try to find the best way to deal with their complex feelings in this romantic drama.” Mostly good reviews.
3) FLIPPED- Premise by Netflix. “From director Rob Reiner comes a multigenerational family saga about the highs and lows of love. Bryce and Juli first meet as second graders, with Juli having a crush on the uncertain Bryce, and as they mature, it appears their love may blossom. As they wrestle with the problems of adolescence, their parents cope with an assortment of issues of their own. Aidan Quinn, Rebecca De Mornay and Anthony Edwards co-star in this poignant romantic comedy.” No reviews as yet.
4) LEBANON- Premise by Netflix. “In this claustrophobic drama by first-time director Samuel Maoz — a veteran of the early ’80s Israel/Lebanon conflict in which the film is set — four Israeli soldiers command a tank in a situation that becomes increasingly tense and chaotic. Like Das Boot before it, most of the action is confined to the stark interiors of that tank, as the men wrestle with fear, anger and their own consciences in the face of possible death and worse.” Very good early reviews.
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FLORIDA- At the Emerging Cinemas of Lake Worth- NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME.
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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-
LOOK UP INDIVIDUAL MOVIES ON www.thereeldrbob.com
NEW-
1) 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.
2) THE THORN IN THE HEART- Premise by Netflix. “Oscar-winning director and writer Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) turns the camera on his own family in this documentary about his aunt Suzette, a teacher in rural France from 1952 to 1986. Raised in Versailles in a family of musicians and educated in Paris, Gondry is keen on understanding a life very different from his own. In the process, he stumbles on a wealth of new stories about the family he thought he knew.” A few great reviews and a few miserable reviews. I’ll give it a try. Releases on Netflix on 8/10.
REPEATS-
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) FOR MY FATHER- OK
12) GREEN ZONE- Recommended
13) GREENBERG- Haven’t Seen It
14) HERE AND THERE- Recommended
15) INVICTUS- Just OK
16) IT’S COMPLICATED- Recommended
17) JUNO- Recommended
18) LET IT RAIN- Just OK
19) LOOKING FOR ERIC- Just OK
20) MOTHER- I liked it
21) ONDINE- Didn’t like it.
22) PIRATE RADIO- Just OK
23) THE BLIND SIDE- Recommended
24) THE FATHER OF MY CHILDREN- Recommended
25) THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN- Recommended
26) THE GREATEST- Recommended
27) THE HURT LOCKER- Recommended
28) THE YOUNG VICTORIA- Recommended
29) 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
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BOB’S PICKS IN THE SUBURBS (Westchester and Fairfield Counties)-
1) THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE- Jacob Burns, Bethel, 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.
2) ONDINE- Bethel. Premise by Netflix. “An Irish fisherman (Colin Farrell) hauls in an unexpected catch when a mysterious girl (Alicja Bachleda-Curus) gets tangled in his nets and soon affects the lives of everyone around her in this fantastical seaside tale from director Neil Jordan (Interview with the Vampire). Is it possible this beautiful stranger is a mythical sea nymph who’s been summoned from the ocean’s depths … or is she something far more common?”
6/10- A waste of time but at least now I know what a Selkie is. TRDB.
3) WINTER’S BONE-Bethel. 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) THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, 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.
7/10- Great acting, great script and great idea make this a must see. Really about how couples slog through life at times, gay or straight. I loved the movie. TRDB.
5) LIFE DURING WARTIME- Clearview 100. 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.
6) MIDDLE MEN- Clearview 100, Danbury, Saw Mill Hawthorne. Premise by Netflix. “After spotting a big financial opportunity in the future of Internet pornography, straightlaced entrepreneur Jack Harris (Luke Wilson) enlists his pals Buck (Gabriel Macht) and Wayne (Giovanni Ribisi) to help him develop an online billing company specializing in adult entertainment. But as the firm takes off, Jack finds some unexpected kinks in the business of kink — including mobsters, the FBI, con men and terrorists.” Very good reviews.
7) SEE WHAT I’M SAYING: THE DEAF ENTERTAINERS DOCUMENTARY- Clearview 100. Premise by Netflix. “Four dedicated stage artists, all either deaf or hearing-impaired, are profiled in their struggle to make inroads not only in the deaf community, but with mainstream audiences as well — despite the obvious obstacles facing them. Featuring open captions to translate the sign language used by the performers, the documentary spotlights the drummer for a deaf rock band, as well as an actor, a stage comic and an aspiring songstress.” No reviews as yet.
8)I AM LOVE- 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.
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
THE REEL DR BOB
The Reel Dr. Bob
Entry Filed under: All Reviews,Newsletter from 3 weeks ago
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