FILM REVIEWS #513
September 18th, 2014
9/6/14- Very creative and I found it interesting. It is clearly not for everyone. I’d try it if I were you! TRDB. Seen at the Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival.
9/5/14- I liked this movie very much. TRDB. Seen at the Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival.
3) LOVE IS STRANGE– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “After 28 years together, Ben and George finally get hitched. But when the marriage raises controversy at the school where George works, he’s fired. Unable to afford their New York City apartment, the couple is forced to live apart.”
8/12/14- Very good reviews. TRDB.
9/16/14- Very well done movie with fine acting from Alfred Molina and John Lithgow. I liked it very much. TRDB.
9/16/14- A wonderful story about people living in a nursing home. Anybody who is old, knows someone who is old or plans to get old needs to see this animated movie. TRDB.
2) LA DANSE– LE BALLET DE L’OPERA DE PARIS– Synopsis by Netflix. “Captured by renowned documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, the lives of the men and women that comprise world-famous Opéra national de Paris reveal an unending devotion to their craft and a passion for the dance that is unequaled. Wiseman provides an intimate behind-the-scenes view of rehearsals, performances and ephemeral moments of the dancers, choreographers and others that make up the creative troupe inside the Palais Garnier.”
Good reviews.
9/16/14- I enjoyed this documentary that included plenty of dancing as well as a good look at the individuals that make this company run from the inside. Just a bit too long. TRDB.
Not Recommended-
1) BAD WORDS– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Blessed with a photographic memory but no high school education, Guy Trilby discovers that he’s eligible to enter spelling bees intended for children. As Guy steamrolls his pre-teen competition, a journalist tries to find out what motivates him.”
3/14/14- Good reviews in general and the NY Times liked it as well. TRDB.
9/4/14- I can’t believe that this trash film got any good reviews. I had to turn it off!! TRDB.
8/29/14- Better reviews from the critics as of today, 15 months later. TRDB.
2) BELLE– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “This period drama based on fact traces the life of Dido Elizabeth Belle, a biracial girl born in 1761 to a British admiral father and an African mother. Raised by her great-uncle, Dido finds her place in society despite her mixed ethnicity.”
5/2/14- Fairly good reviews and the NY Times liked it. TRDB.
3) WE ARE THE BEST– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Inspired by a graphic novel, this coming-of-age charmer set in 1980s Stockholm follows a trio of 13-year-old misfits who refuse to believe punk is dead, forming a band in spite of their collective lack of musicianship.”
5/30/14- Excellent reviews from critics and audiences have liked it also . TRDB.
4) THE LAST OF THE UNJUST– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “This dark documentary examines the history of Theresienstadt, the Nazis’ model ghetto created to counter rumors about mistreatment of interned Jews. Director Claude Lanzmann interviews Benjamin Murmelstein, one of the ghetto’s last living witnesses.”
2/7/14- Excellent reviews all around. The NY Times liked it also. TRDB.
4/12/13- A weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
2) THE CONGRESS- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Actress Robin Wright plays herself in this surreal drama about a film star who agrees to have her digital image recorded for reuse in future films. Despite the handsome payoff, Robin begins to recognize some unforeseen consequences of the deal.”
9/5/14- Fairly good critical review. Audience reviews are mixed so far. TRDB.
3) WETLANDS– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Antisocial teen Helen’s only interest in other people is reuniting her divorced parents, and a freak shaving accident may hold the answer. During a short hospital stay, she uses her outsized personality to unite the staff in her mission.”
9/7/14- Very good reviews for what sounds like a foolish story. The NY Times liked it as well. TRDB.
4) THE RULE– 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “See how the Benedictine monks of Newark Abbey, in the heart of one of America’s most dangerous cities, are able to achieve amazing success with the most vulnerable population: inner city African American and Latino teenage males. While Newark, NJ, with a high poverty rate of 32%, has an abysmal high school graduation rate, St. Benedict’s Prep has a near 100% COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE rate.”
9/5/14- Just 4 reviews so far—3 up and 1 down (the NY Times.) TRDB.
4) MEMPHIS– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Profiled against the storied musical backdrop of Memphis, a talented young singer fails to focus on his career as he struggles to understand himself. However, his internal journey threatens to be derailed by alcohol and the passions of the flesh.”
9/4/14- Fairly good professional reviews but no so popular with audiences. TRDB.
Not Recommended-
1) BUT ALWAYS– 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A snapshot of young love in the 1970s: two school friends, growing up in Beijing, both with different backgrounds and different families. As time progresses their relationship grows and so too do their families. Separated, they lose touch, only to rekindle the romance in New York City, but now having to face the fact that they both have established lives and established loves.”
9/5/14- Awful reviews from nearly every critic. Audiences didn’t like it either. TRDB.
2) KELLY & CAL- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Struggling with the challenges of parenthood, a dispirited young mother finds an unlikely friend and confidante in her paralyzed teenage neighbor. But when their relationship crosses the line, she starts to consider the consequences.”
9/7/14- Mixed reviews from professional and from audiences as well. TRDB.
3) NAKED OPERA– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Born with a disease that condemns him to an early death, Marc is a wealthy businessman determined to enjoy his remaining days to the fullest. This documentary follows Marc around the world in search of the perfect staging of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni.”
9/7/14- Poor early reviews. TRDB.
2) ALUMBRONES– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Taking viewers into the homes and workspaces of 12 artists living in Havana, this documentary shines a spotlight on the art, culture and hard realities of life in modern Cuba at a time when the country is at a crossroads.”
9/12/14- I found 4 professional reviews- 3 up including the NY Times and 1 down. The movie sounds interesting. TRDB.
3) ARCHEOLOGY OF A WOMAN– 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In ARCHAEOLOGY OF A WOMAN, Margaret (Sally Kirkland), a feisty, tormented former newspaper columnist, fights to protect her freedom in spite of the dementia she cannot control. After an episode in a shopping plaza parking lot where she is unable to find her car and is driven home by the police, her daughter Kate (Victoria Clark), an aspiring New York City chef, is beckoned upstate to her mother’s aide.”
9/12/14– Mixed professional reviews but the concept sounds good. TRDB.
4) THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ELEANOR RIGBY– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Told from two perspectives in two independent chapters, this engrossing drama depicts the dissolving union of Eleanor and Conor, who begin drifting apart in the wake of a tragic and traumatizing event.”
8/25/14- Excellent reviews. TRDB.
5) THE DROP– 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “THE DROP is a new crime drama from Michaël R. Roskam, the Academy Award nominated director of Bullhead. Based on a screenplay from Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone), THE DROP follows lonely bartender Bob Saginowski (Tom Hardy) through a covert scheme of funneling cash to local gangsters – “money drops” in the underworld of Brooklyn bars. Under the heavy hand of his employer and cousin Marv (James Gandolfini), Bob finds himself at the center of a robbery gone awry.”
9/15/14- Very good reviews. TRDB.
6) HONEYMOON– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Soon after arriving at a secluded woodland cabin, a honeymooning couple sees their bliss evaporate when a sleepwalking incident leads to increasingly odd behavior by the bride — and mounting paranoia on the part of her groom.”
9/12/14- Sounds unusual but this movie has received good reviews. The NY Times liked it. TRDB.
7) THE QUITTER– 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “When a failed baseball player’s ex-girlfriend moves back to the neighborhood with her seven-year-old daughter, he realizes he carries more regrets than how he handled his baseball career. What follows is his earnest, awkward, and at times hilarious fight to become the father he never was.”
9/15/14– I’ve seen just 4 reviews– 3 up including the NY Times and 1 down. Sounds good to me. TRDB.
8) SMILING THROUGH THE APOCALYPSE– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Smiling Through the Apocalypse chronicles a man whose editorial instincts produced one of the greatest magazines ever: Harold Hayes, the swinging editor and cultural provocateur of the iconic Esquire Magazine of the Sixties.”
9/12/14- Only a few reviews available and they are good. TRDB.
9) STRAY DOGS- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Through beautifully composed scenes of a modern urban landscape, this moving family portrait follows the odyssey of a father and his two children living on the fringes of Taipei, offering glimpses into their past and a vision of a brighter future.”
9/12/14- Very good reviews. TRDB.
2) FAITH CONNECTIONS– 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Filmmaker Pan Nalin travels to the Kumbh Mela, one of the world’s most extraordinary religious events. There, he encounters remarkable men of mind and meditation, some facing an inextricable dilemma: to embrace the world or to renounce it. FAITH CONNECTIONS explores such diverse and deeply moving stories such as those of a young runaway kid, a Sadhu, a mother desperately looking for her lost son, a yogi who is raising an abandoned baby.”
9/12/14- Just a few reviews and they are mixed. The NY Times was down on it. TRDB.
3) FINDING FANNY– 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Five Goans set off on a road trip in search of an old postman’s childhood love, Stefanie “Fanny” Fernandes, though nobody knows whether she’s alive or dead or just a figment of someone’s imagination.”
9/12/14- Just a few reviews and both professional critics and audiences have been mixed on this one. The NY Times did not like it. TRDB.
4) THE FRONTIER– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “After a prolonged estrangement, a boozy retired professor contacts his son to encourage a face-to-face meeting between them. Despite father and son’s best efforts, however, old tensions soon begin to resurface.”
9/12/14- Very weak reviews from all sources. TRDB.
5) SWEARNET: THE MOVIE– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “After their star turn in the “Trailer Park Boys” reality series, Robb Wells, John Paul Tremblay and Mike Smith launch their own video network. But their bold project is soon threatened by personal and creative differences.”
9/12/14- Poor professional reviews but audiences seem to have liked it. 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) BELLE- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “This period drama based on fact traces the life of Dido Elizabeth Belle, a biracial girl born in 1761 to a British admiral father and an African mother. Raised by her great-uncle, Dido finds her place in society despite her mixed ethnicity.”
5/2/14- Fairly good reviews and the NY Times liked it. TRDB.
3) GOD HELP THE GIRL– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “This musical by Stuart Murdoch — of the indie band Belle and Sebastian — follows Eve, whose gift for songwriting sees her through a troubled life. Her talent takes her to Glasgow, where she finally meets others who share her passion.”
9/7/14- Reviews are mixed for this movie– from critics and from audiences alike. The NY Times did not care for it. TRDB.
9/12/14- Weak reviews in general. TRDB.
5) THE DOG- OK reviews
Time Warner Link- www.twondemand.com
3) THE DROP– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “THE DROP is a new crime drama from Michaël R. Roskam, the Academy Award nominated director of Bullhead. Based on a screenplay from Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone), THE DROP follows lonely bartender Bob Saginowski (Tom Hardy) through a covert scheme of funneling cash to local gangsters – “money drops” in the underworld of Brooklyn bars. Under the heavy hand of his employer and cousin Marv (James Gandolfini), Bob finds himself at the center of a robbery gone awry.”
9/15/14- Very good reviews. TRDB.
4) THE SKELETON TWINS– Jacob Burns. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “When near-death experiences on the same day motivate estranged twins Milo and Maggie to reunite, they’re forced to reevaluate their empty lives as they attempt to mend the long-broken bond between them.”
9/3/14- Reviews are very positive for this drama. TRDB.
8/15/14– Good reviews including the one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
8/22/14- I enjoyed the movie but with the views and food from the Italian coast it’s hard not to. TRDB.
3) THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY– Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 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.
4) 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.
5) CHEF– Saw Mill Hawthorne. 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.
6/8/14- A Hollywoodish feel good movie that made me feel good. TRDB.
6) MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT– Saw Mill Hawthorne. 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.
8/4/14- As mentioned above, there have been many negative reviews of this movie but I found it a delightful drama obviously NOT meant to be a comedy. 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
Entry Filed under: Old Newsletters
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