August 13th, 2010
AUGUST 12, 2010
DEAR FRIENDS:
My children and grandchildren have all gone home and we’re back to the empty nest and of course I’m getting back into the movies. I’ve seen most of what’s around in theaters right now but some new films are due out now. I’ll keep you posted.
QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-
1) TOOTS- Netflix.
2) CHILDREN OF INVENTION- Netflix.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER-
NONE, ALTHOUGH “LIFE DURING WARTIME” IS CURRENTLY SHOWING IN THEATERS.
I SAW IT “ON-DEMAND.”
__________________________________________________________________________________________
MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-
1) THE SPIRIT OF THE BEHIVE- 1973. Premise by Netflix. “In this mesmerizing allegorical tale set in post-Civil War Spain, precocious young Ana (Ana Torrent) becomes obsessed with finding the spirit of Frankenstein’s monster after watching director James Whale’s 1931 classic. When she happens upon a wounded military deserter, Ana believes that she’s evoked the cinematic creature. Helmed by Victor Erice, the film also stars Fernando Fernan Gomez and Teresa Gimpera as Ana’s disengaged parents.”8/10- Great reviews but I had trouble getting into the film. The child actress Ana Torrent is special. TRDB. Netflix.
2) TOOTS- 2006. Premise by Netflix. “Filmmaker Kristi Jacobson celebrates the life of her sharp-tongued grandfather, Toots Shor, a colorful Manhattan restaurateur who counted among his clientele scores of celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio and Dwight Eisenhower. Interviews with Shor’s pals, such as Lauren Bacall, Walter Cronkite and Yogi Berra, recall the post-World War II days when regular folk mingled at the bar with movie stars, sports heroes and politicians.”
8/10- A very good documentary as much about Toot’s friends and New York as about Toots himself. I recommend it. TRDB. Netflix.
3) LIFE DURING WARTIME- 2010. 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.
8/10- This movie is so different from anything you’ve seen before. Good acting and an unusual way of handling some contemporary issues. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.
4) TOI ET MOI- 2006. France. Premise by Netflix. “Lena (Marion Cotillard) and her sister Ariane (Julie Depardieu) are both single girls weary of looking for Mr. Right. At least Ariane’s job writing captions for romantic photo stories gives her an outlet, as she uses her dreams for inspiration. But she’s also idealized love beyond reality. When the perfect guy finally shows up, will either woman be prepared? Jonathan Zaccaï, Eric Berger and Chantal Lauby co-star in this knowing romantic comedy”
8/10- A bit simple at times but I did like the characters, especially Marion Cotillard and I’d recommend the movie. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
5) GREENBERG- 2009. 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.
8/10- A quirky drama that held my interest and I’d recommend it. TRDB. Netflix.
6) 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.
8/10- A very good drama with wonderful acting, especially the children. I liked it a lot. TRDB. Netflix.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, AUG. 17-
1) OFF AND RUNNING- Premise by Netflix. “African American teen Avery Klein-Cloud has white Jewish lesbian parents, an older Puerto Rican brother and a younger Korean brother. As she tries to contact her biological mother, Avery risks alienating the adoptive family she’s always loved. Examining the complexities of race, identity and family, filmmaker Nicole Opper’s compelling documentary follows Avery as she wrestles with the consequences of researching her roots.” Very good reviews. Also to Netflix Streaming.
2) THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD- Premise by Netflix. “On a train crossing the Manchurian desert, an unlikely trio — good bounty hunter Park Do-won (
Woo-sung Jung), bad gangster Park Chang-yi (
Byung-hun Lee) and weird train robber Yoon Tae-goo (
Kang-ho Song) — unite to find a treasure map’s promised loot. Racing through the unforgiving landscape, they stay one step ahead of rivals and the Japanese army.
Ji-woon Kim directs this Sergio Leone-inspired adventure.”
Mixed reviews, more good than bad.
3) THE CITY OF YOUR FINAL DESTINATION- Premise by Netflix. “After duping school officials into awarding him a grant to write a biography on novelist Jules Gund, grad student Omar Razaghi (
Omar Metwally) is forced to travel to Uruguay to get legitimate authorization from the late author’s three executors. Directed by
James Ivory (A Room with a View), this moving adaptation of author Peter Cameron’s novel of the same name also stars
Anthony Hopkins,
Laura Linney and
Charlotte Gainsbourg.”
Very good reviews.________________________________________________________________________________________
OPENING LOCALLY, REGIONALLY OR NATIONALLY THIS WEEK-
1) ANIMAL KINGDOM- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “When his mother dies suddenly, a 17-year-old boy (
James Frecheville) finds himself drawn into the clutches of a diabolical criminal family, until a good-hearted detective (
Guy Pearce) makes a concerted effort to change the boy’s fate. Australian writer-director
David Michôd‘s first feature-length drama won the World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.”
Great reviews.
2) EAT PRAY LOVE- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “
Julia Roberts stars in the adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir about coping with a traumatic divorce. After failing to conceive a child and deciding to reshape her life, Elizabeth (Roberts) travels the world in search of direction. She heads to Italy, India and Indonesia, seeking the perfect pasta, a route to self-enlightenment and the true meaning of faith. Along the way she meets a bevy of odd characters and, possibly, her true love.”
No reviews yet.
3) THE BUTCHER’S SON (LA SOGA)- Premise by Netflix. “Making his screenwriting debut,
Manny Perez stars in this tough chronicle of Luisito, a young man walking the line between honesty and the corruption he sees all around him in the Dominican Republic. As a child he was called “sensitive” by his butcher father, but as an adult, Luisito has been hardened by the brutal life on the streets — and by his obsessive thirst to avenge his father’s murder.
Denise Quiñones co-stars in this gritty actioner.”
Good early reviews.
4) A FILM UNFINISHED- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “This potent documentary uses a long-lost film reel to illustrate how the Nazis controlled images of Jewish life during World War II. Though the Nazis made a propaganda movie of contented Jews in the Warsaw ghetto, the missing spool exposes the truth. Director
Yael Hersonski shows how the imagery was staged to distort historical knowledge and, with the aid of Jewish survivors’ testimony, chronicles the horrifying reality of ghetto life.”
A few reviews, all positive.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
FLORIDA- At the Emerging Cinemas of Lake Worth. CLOSED AUG. 4 THROUGH AUG. 19 FOR RENOVATIONS OF PROJECTION SYSTEM.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
COMCAST ON-DEMAND-
NEW-
1) THE GHOST WRITER- Premise by Netflix. “A writer (
Ewan McGregor) stumbles upon a long-hidden secret when he agrees to help former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (
Pierce Brosnan) complete his memoirs on a remote island after the politician’s assistant drowns in a mysterious accident. In director
Roman Polanski‘s tense drama, the author realizes that his discovery threatens some very powerful people who will do anything to ensure that certain episodes from Lang’s past remain buried.”3/10-
A political thriller and fairly good at that. TRDB. On Netflix also.
2) 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.
8/10- This movie is so different than anything you’ve seen before. Good acting and an unusual way of handling some contemporary issues. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.
3) MOTHER- Premise by Netflix. “A murder rocks a South Korean town and suspicion quickly falls on a reclusive, mentally challenged — and alibi-free — young man (
Bin Won). When an inept public defender botches the boy’s case, his mother (
Hye-ja Kim) sets out to prove her son’s innocence. Acclaimed director
Joon-ho Bong (Memories of Murder) explores the lengths a mother will go to protect her child in this atmospheric crime thriller.”
OK review in NY Times.3/10-
While a bit slow, the wonderful acting and the story itself made this a very good movie. TRDB. On Netflix also.
4) 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. On Netflix also.
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) AVATAR- Haven’t Seen It
6) BLUEBEARD- Haven’t Seen It
7) BROTHERS- Recommended
8)CRAZY HEART- Recommended
9) CREATION- Recommended
10) FOR MY FATHER- OK
11) GREEN ZONE- Recommended
12) GREENBERG- OK
13) HERE AND THERE- Recommended
14) INVICTUS- Just OK
15) IT’S COMPLICATED- Recommended
16) LET IT RAIN- Just OK
17) LOOKING FOR ERIC- Just OK
18) ONDINE- Didn’t like it but others did
19) PIRATE RADIO- Just OK
20) THE BLIND SIDE- Recommended
21) THE EXTRA MAN- Haven’t Seen It
22) THE GREATEST- Recommended
23) THE YOUNG VICTORIA- Recommended
24) UP IN THE AIR- Recommended
________________________________________________________________________________________
BOB’S PICKS IN THE SUBURBS- (Westchester and Fairfield Counties)
NEW-
1) EAT PRAY LOVE- Saw Mill Hawthorne, Bethel, Danbury. Premise by Netflix. “
Julia Roberts stars in the adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir about coping with a traumatic divorce. After failing to conceive a child and deciding to reshape her life, Elizabeth (Roberts) travels the world in search of direction. She heads to Italy, India and Indonesia, seeking the perfect pasta, a route to self-enlightenment and the true meaning of faith. Along the way she meets a bevy of odd characters and, possibly, her true love.”
No reviews yet.
2) CAIRO TIME- Jacob Burns, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 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.
REPEATS-
1) THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100, 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.
2) THE EXTRA MAN- Bethel, Clearview 100. Premise by Netflix. “Forced to quit his prep school job after a humiliating incident, would-be dramatist Louis Ives (
Paul Dano) heads to New York City, where he rents a room from has-been playwright Henry Harrison (
Kevin Kline) — who earns a living escorting rich dowagers about town. Despite their huge age difference, the two develop a bond as Henry takes Louis under his wing and leads him on a series of wild adventures.
Katie Holmes and
John C. Reilly also star.”
Mixed reviews, more plus than minus. TRDB.
3) 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.
4) THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE- 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.
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.
8/10- This movie is so different than anything you’ve seen before. Good acting and an unusual way of handling some contemporary issues. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.
6 )MIDDLE MEN- Clearview 100, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 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.
THAT’S IT FOR NOW-
THE REEL DR BOB
The Reel Dr. Bob
Entry Filed under: Old Newsletters
Leave a Comment
Some HTML allowed:
<a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>
Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed