FILM REVIEWS #511
August 28th, 2014
8/22/14- I enjoyed the movie but with the views and food from the Italian coast it’s hard not to. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.
2) HATESHIP LOVESHIP– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Hired to look after an elderly man and his teenage granddaughter, a dowdy caretaker finds herself drawn to the girl’s ne’er-do-well father, never realizing that the subversive teen has been sending her tender e-mails in her father’s name.”
4/11/14- Poor reviews in general but the NY Times liked it very much. TRDB.
8/24/14- I enjoyed this movie very much. Great acting by the leading characters and a sweet tale even if it helps to suspend reality just a bit. TRDB. Netflix.
3) THREE WORLDS– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “A fatal hit-and-run accident leaves a man with crushing guilt, a grieving wife with anger and a witness caught between the two. As tragedy connects the disparate lives of three people, each must come to terms with a new reality and one another.”
6/21/13- This movie got a good review in today’s NY Times. Others haven’t been as good. TRDB.
8/26/14- I enjoyed this movie very much but not that easy to watch. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
4) AFTERNOON OF A FAUN: TANAQUIL LE CLERCQ– 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Of the great ballerinas, Tanaquil Le Clercq may have been the most transcendent. She mesmerized viewers and choreographers alike – her elongated, race-horse physique became the new prototype for the great George Balanchine. The muse to both Balanchine and Jerome Robbins, they loved her as a dancer and a woman. Balanchine married her and Robbins created his famous Afternoon of a Faun for Tanny. She was the foremost dancer of her day until it suddenly all stopped. At age 27, Tanny was struck down by polio and paralyzed. She never danced again.”
8/26/14- A wonderful, thoughtful documentary with plenty of archival footage. TRDB. PBS but also available on Netflix Streaming.
Not Recommended-
1) STARRED UP– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this gritty drama, Jack O’Connell gives a standout performance as a teenage offender whose violent temper gets him moved to an adult prison, where he finds a different breed of inmate — including his long-incarcerated father.”
8/25/14- Excellent reviews. TRDB.
8/27/14- This movie, without sub-titles, is, as far as I’m concerned, WORTHLESS. I had to turn it off as I could not understand most of what they were saying. TRDB.
2) ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Depressed over the state of the human world, underground musician Adam — a vampire — hooks up again with Eve, his mysterious lover of many centuries. But the antics of Eve’s spirited little sister threaten to destroy their eternal love.”
4/11/14– Good reviews for this movie and I’ll probably see it despite recently saying that I’ll never see a vampire movie. TRDB.
8/22/14- I never should have turned this on and I happily turned it off. TRDB. Netflix.
2) AMERICAN PROMISE– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “A detailed examination of race, education and opportunity in America, this documentary follows two African American boys — and their parents — for 12 years, starting as they enter kindergarten at a prestigious private school.”
10/18/13- Reviews for this film are highly positive but in today’s NY Times the reviewer felt that the film was exploitive and did not know what to make of it. TRDB.
2) A TEACHER– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “A popular young high school teacher engaged in a passionate secret affair with one of her students gets pulled deeper into their mutual fantasy world, even as the danger of discovery threatens their relationship.”
9/6/13- A poor review in today’s NY Times and poor reviews in general. TRDB.
6/10/14- This movie deserved the poor reviews that it got. TRDB.
2) KINK– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Take a peek into the secret world of sex, fetishes and bondage with this eye-opening documentary that tells the story of the people who work at San Francisco’s Kink.com, the world’s largest producer of BDSM porn.”
8/22/14- Good reviews in general and the NY Times liked it as well. TRDB.
3) MAY IN THE SUMMER– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “May travels to Jordan for her wedding to Ziad, a fellow Arab American, but faces the disapproval of her mother, a converted evangelical Christian who doesn’t want her daughter marrying a Muslim man.”
8/22/14- Mixed reviews from critics and good ones from audiences. TRDB.
4) THE ONE I LOVE– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Confronted with the potential end of their marriage, Ethan and Sophie take off for a weekend together, hoping to negotiate their future. When they reach their idyllic destination, however, the couple strolls into a bizarre new brand of trouble.”
8/12/14- Very good reviews. TRDB.
8/15/14- A very clever story that works for the most part. Also a bit tedious at times trying to figure out who is who but overall I liked it. TRDB.
5) SALVO- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Salvo is a dead-cold Mafia hit man who invades a rival gangster’s home to off him and encounters his target’s sister, the attractive but blind Rita. Unwilling to take Rita’s life, Salvo takes her hostage instead, growing ever more fascinated by her.”
8/22/14- Mostly good reviews from the critics and less so from audiences. The NY Times liked it. TRDB.
6) SEE YOU NEXT TUESDAY– 2014- Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Mona (Eleanore Pienta) is a mentally unbalanced and very pregnant young woman in a hideous orange coat. Without any friends to speak of and alienated from her hoochie mama coworkers at a crummy Brooklyn supermarket, Mona maintains a strangely close relationship with her campy, recovering alcoholic mother May (Dana Eskelson).
8/22-14- I’ve seen just 3 professional reviews and they were all good. Audiences have liked it as well. TRDB.
7) TO BE TAKEI– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Proving there’s life after “Star Trek,” this documentary profiles the career of actor George Takei, who played Lieutenant Sulu in the series and later became a well-known advocate for gay rights, backed by a legion of enduring fans.”
8/22/14- Very good reviews. TRDB.
Not recommended-
1) IF I STAY– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “While trying to choose between love and a musical career, 17-year-old Mia Hall finds her life upended by a tragic car crash that puts her in a coma. As she lies unconscious, Mia has a vision of her life that leads her to another crossroads.”
8/22/14- Poor reviews from most critics. Audiences have liked it, however. TRDB.
2) THE POSSESSION OF MICHAEL KING– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “After the trauma of his wife’s unexpected death, filmmaker Michael King decides to revisit the question of supernatural forces in life. But he gets more than he bargained for when he makes himself the subject of a movie that explores the occult.” 8/22/14- Poor reviews all around including the one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
1) CANOPY– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “After being forced to bail out over the jungle in Singapore, a World War II fighter pilot ends up suspended by his chute in tall trees — and that’s just the beginning of the problems he’s facing if he hopes to survive.”
8/25/14- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.
2) THE NOTEBOOK– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “During the maelstrom of World War II, two twin boys are exiled from their urban home and sent to the country to live with their grandmother. Soon after their arrival, the boys find out that their alcoholic granny is loathed by her entire village.”
8/25/14- Just 2 reviews– both positive. TRDB.
Not Recommended-
1) STARRED UP- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this gritty drama, Jack O’Connell gives a standout performance as a teenage offender whose violent temper gets him moved to an adult prison, where he finds a different breed of inmate — including his long-incarcerated father.”
8/25/14- Excellent reviews. TRDB.
8/27/14- This movie, without sub-titles, is, as far as I’m concerned, WORTHLESS. I had to turn it off as I could not understand most of what they were saying. TRDB.
Not Sure Yet-
8/25/14- No reviews as yet. TRDB.
2) THE LAST OF ROBIN HOOD– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Kevin Kline stars as an aging Errol Flynn in this biopic that chronicles the womanizing actor’s relationship with teenager Beverly Aadland. The film examines Beverly’s mother’s role in the affair and the private demons behind Flynn’s reputation.”
8/25/14- I’ve seen just 3 reviews- 1 up and 2 down. TRDB.
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8/22/14- I enjoyed the movie but with the views and food from the Italian coast it’s hard not to. TRDB.
2) TO BE TAKEI– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Proving there’s life after “Star Trek,” this documentary profiles the career of actor George Takei, who played Lieutenant Sulu in the series and later became a well-known advocate for gay rights, backed by a legion of enduring fans.”
8/22/14- Very good reviews. TRDB.
7) DECODING ANNIE- Good reviews
8)THE DOG- OK reviews
Time Warner Link- www.twondemand.com
8/22/14- I enjoyed the movie but with the views and food from the Italian coast it’s hard not to. TRDB.
8/25/14- No reviews as yet. TRDB.
3) LIFE OF CRIME– Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “After kidnapping a rich property developer’s wife and holding her for ransom, two small time crooks discover that their plan has a major flaw: their hostage’s philandering husband is in no rush to free her from captivity.”
8/28/14- Mixed reviews with some good and some very bad. TRDB.
2) CALVARY- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “An anonymous man comes to Father James in confession and vows to kill him in one week, simply because the priest is himself a good man. The father spends the week contemplating good and evil, viewing his small Irish community with new eyes.”
7/27/14- Very good reviews. TRDB.
3) MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Exposing a phony soothsayer proves harder than expected when the debunker (an Englishman) becomes smitten with the purported fraud (a French beauty). This deft romantic comedy unwinds amid the gilt and glamour of the French Riviera in the 1920s.”
7/25/14- Woody’s latest has gotten poor reviews from most critics. I’m certain to see it anyway. TRDB.
4) THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, Clearview 100. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Relocating from India to a quiet village in the south of France, chef Hassan Kadam and his family open a restaurant called Maison Mumbai. But when their business starts to thrive, a competing restaurateur launches a war between the eateries.”
8/5/14- Reviews are weak from most critics. I’ve seen the coming attractions and I’d have to agree. TRDB.
5) CHEF– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “When chef Carl Casper’s plans for opening a restaurant in Los Angeles fail to pan out, he returns home to Miami and debuts a food truck instead. While trying to regain his zest for cookery, Carl also tries to mend his fractured family ties”
5/9/14- Very good professional and audience reviews. TRDB.
6) A MOST WANTED MAN– Saw Mill Hawthorne. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “A half-Russian, half-Chechen man, brutalized by torture, arrives in Hamburg, where he seeks a British banker’s help in recovering his father’s estate. But the man may not be all he seems to be in this riveting adaptation of John le Carré’s novel.”
7/8/14- Very good reviews. TRDB.
8/16/14- I found this movie confusing at first. The acting was great and propelled the movie which was more ordinary. This was Philip Seymour Hoffman’s last completed film before his untimely death. TRDB.
6/8/14- A Hollywoodish feel good movie that made me feel good. TRDB.
7) LUCY– Danbury. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this action-thriller set in Taiwan, a young woman forced to become a drug mule for the mob develops superhuman abilities when the narcotics she’s carrying in her stomach accidentally leak into her system.”
7/25/14- Weak reviews but I’ll see it anyway because I like Luc Besson (the director) and Scarlett Johansson. TRDB.
8/3/14- Science fiction is not my thing but all in all this movie was OK. Some interesting effects and some eye candy (Scarlett Johansson) brought the movie up a few notches. TRDB.
8) BEGIN AGAIN– Danbury. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Moving to New York City proves disastrous for a young singer after her boyfriend yields to the temptation of another woman. But opportunity comes knocking when she meets a recently axed music producer looking to launch her career — and save his own.”
6/27/14– Fairly good reviews by critics and audiences. The NY Times did not like it. TRDB.
7/6/14- A well done fun movie with great music and very likable characters. I liked it very much. TRDB.
For Independent Films in Palm Beach County go to www.lakeworthplayhouse.org
For Films everywhere go to- www.fandango.com
Entry Filed under: All Reviews,Old Newsletters
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