September 9th, 2010
SEPTEMBER 8, 2010
DEAR FRIENDS:
QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES THIS WEEK-
1) HAPPILY EVER AFTER- Netflix.
2) A FEW DAYS IN SEPTEMBER- Netflix.
3) THE EXPLODING GIRL- Netflix.
4) ANIMAL KINGDOM- Clearview 100 Theater.
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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER-
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.9/10-
Violent, poignant and very well acted. I liked it. TRDB. At the Clearview 100 Theater.
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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-
1) BOY- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “Acclaimed Filipino director
Auraeus Solito brings a dreamy romanticism to this tale about a budding teenage poet (
Aeious Asin) who sells his comic book collection so he can afford to spend New Year’s Eve with Aries (
Aries Pena), a handsome male dancer. Portraying the night of passion — and the connection between the pair — as a life-changing experience for the young man, the film is part romance and part sociopolitical commentary.”
No reviews.9/2-
A colossal waste of time. TRDB. Netflix.
2) ORLANDO- 1992. Premise by Netflix. “Director Sally Potter adapts Virginia Woolf’s 1928 allegorical novel about a woman who lives for 400 years — the first half as a man — in this surrealist study of sex and gender roles throughout the ages. The transition from man to woman and from the 16th to the 20th century is realized by Tilda Swinton‘s breakthrough performance and the film’s Oscar-nominated costumes and art direction. Quentin Crisp plays Queen Elizabeth I.”
9/10- Bizarre movie and I just could not get into it and I tried. TRDB. Netflix.
3) HAPPILY EVER AFTER- 2005. Premise by Netflix. “Writer, director and actor Yvan Attal trains his lens on the vicissitudes of love, marriage and monogamy in this crisp romantic comedy. Married with children, Vincent (Attal) is cheating on his wife, Gabrielle (Charlotte Gainsbourg), who’s having thoughts of infidelity herself. Meanwhile, Georges (Alain Chabat) dreams of release from his constrictive marriage, and bachelor playboy Fred (Alain Cohen) longs for a committed relationship.”
9/10- Well acted comedy/drama with a message. One great scene when Gainsbourg and her husband have an unusual fight. TRDB. Netflix.
4) A FEW DAYS IN SEPTEMBER- 2006. Premise by Netflix. “On Sept. 1, 2001, 10 days before the events that shook the world, CIA agent Elliott (Nick Nolte) disappears. With the help of Elliott’s son David (Tom Riley), French agent Irène Montano (Juliette Binoche) scours Venice and Paris to find him, with a bizarre, poetry-reading assassin (John Turturro) on their trail. The clock ticks toward the fateful day, as the information Elliott holds threatens to keep him hidden permanently.”
9/10- I enjoyed the movie and appreciated Juliette Binoche much more than usual. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
5) THE EXPLODING GIRL- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “Zoe Kazan carries this indie romance from writer-director Bradley Rust Gray with her finely nuanced performance as Ivy, a college student who uses her Brooklyn spring break sojourn to reevaluate her life and loves. With her current relationship fizzling out via cell phone, Ivy finds herself rethinking her longtime platonic friendship with best pal Al (Mark Rendall). Franklin Pipp and Maryann Urbano co-star.” Fairly good reviews.
9/10- Not much happens in this drama but the sincerity of the script and the fine natural acting made it enjoyable. TRDB. Netflix Streaming and also on DVD.
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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, SEPT. 14-
1) AFTERSCHOOL- Premise by Zap2it. “A prep-school student accidentally films the drug-related deaths of two classmates, then is asked to put together a memorial video.” Mixed reviews, mostly positive, but all said it was different.
2) ME AND ORSON WELLES- Premise by Zap2it. “After a chance encounter, theater-loving teen Richard Samuels gets the opportunity of a lifetime when famed director Orson Welles gives him a small role in his 1937 production of “Julius Caesar.” Unexpectedly thrust into the heady world of the stage, Richard finds himself surrounded by ambition, clashing egos and sheer brilliance.” Described as light and frothy or the equivalent by most reviewers.
3) LETTERS TO JULIET- Premise by Netflix. “By responding to a letter addressed to Shakespeare’s tragic heroine Juliet Capulet, a young American woman (
Amanda Seyfried) vacationing in Verona, Italy, sets in motion a series of events that leads her — and the missive’s lovelorn author (
Vanessa Redgrave) — in search of romance. Directed by
Gary Winick, this deeply tender and uplifting drama also features
Gael García Bernal and
Franco Nero.
Lousy reviews but several people I know did like it for what it was.
4) LOOKING FOR ERIC- Premise by Netflix. “Eric Bishop (
Steve Evets) is a soccer-loving Manchester postman on the brink of a nervous breakdown. With his work life and love life in shambles, Eric seeks advice from his hero, the famously philosophical Manchester United star
Eric Cantona (playing himself). The sports comedy-drama — in competition at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival — comes courtesy of master British director
Ken Loach.”5/10-
I found this movie somewhat trivial and contrived and not too funny. TRDB._______________________________________________________________________________________
OPENING REGIONALLY, NATIONALLY OR LOCALLY-
1) LEGENDARY- Premise by Netflix. “Fed up with fending off bullies, bookish teen Cal Chetley (
Devon Graye) joins his high school’s wrestling team with hopes that his older brother, Mike (WWE star
John Cena) — a gifted athlete who wrestled in high school and college — will want to whip him into shape. Trouble is, the brothers haven’t had much of a relationship since their father was killed in a car accident and Mike left Cal and their mother behind.”
I saw one review and it referred to SCHMALTZ.
2) LE REFUGE- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “When Louis (
Melvil Poupaud) dies of a drug overdose in Paris, his wealthy mother sees no other option but to take in his strung-out but pregnant girlfriend, Mousse (
Isabelle Carré). Determined to keep her child, Mousse flees Paris for a country home. Louis’ brother (
Louis-Ronan Choisy) visits, and she develops a fascination with him that is both erotic and angry.
François Ozon crafts an intimate portrait of an enigmatic woman seeking a purpose.”
Very good reviews.
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FLORIDA- At the Emerging Cinema of Lake Worth
1) 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 than anything you’ve seen before. Good acting and an unusual way of handling some contemporary issues. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.
2) MADEMOISELLE CHAMBON- Directed by Stephane Brize and starring Sandrine Kiberlan, Vincent Lindon and Aure Atika. Good review in NY Times 5/28/106/10- A wonderful drama about a working class man who develops an unlikely and unexpected romance with his son’s school teacher. I loved it. TRDB.
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COMCAST ON-DEMAND- Movies of Interest
NEW-
1) CALVIN MARSHALL- Premise by Netflix. “Though he has no athletic ability whatsoever, college student Calvin Marshall (
Alex Frost) is so blindly single-minded about making the school baseball team that Coach Little (
Steve Zahn) — a former minor league player — relents and lets him on the squad. But when he’s sidelined by an injury, Calvin has an opportunity to discover his true talent in life.
Gary Lundgren directs this charming comedy that co-stars
Michelle Lombardo.”
OK review in NY Times 8/20/10.
REPEATS-
1) 8: THE MORMON PROPOSITION- Haven’t Seen It
2) AJAMI- Well received Israeli award winner but I was disappointed
3) A SINGLE MAN- Recommended
4) A YEAR AGO IN WINTER- Haven’t Seen It
5) AVATAR- Haven’t Seen It
6) BABIES- Very good reviews
7) CAIRO TIME- I was disappointed but others liked it
8)CHANGE OF PLANS- Mixed reviews
9) CHLOE- Back again. I liked it
10) CITY ISLAND- I’d recommend it
11) CRAZY HEART- Recommended
12) GHOST WRITER- Recommended
13) GREEN ZONE- Recommended
14) HELEN- Haven’t seen it
15) HERE AND THERE- Recommended
16) HEY HEY IT’S ESTHER BLUEBERGER- I liked it
17) INVICTUS- Just OK
18) IT’S COMPLICATED- Recommended
19) JUNO- Back again- I liked it
20) KISSES- Good reviews
21) LA MISSION- I liked it
22) LET IT RAIN- Just OK
23) LIFE DURING WARTIME- Very different but I’d recommend it
24) MAKING PLANS FOR LENA- I haven’t seen it but very mixed reviews
25) MAP OF THE SOUNDS OF TOKYO- Positive reviews
26) MOTHER- I liked it
27) MULTIPLE SARCASMS- Bad!
28) MY NAME IS KHAN- I liked it
29) SOUL KITCHEN- Good reviews
30) THE EXTRA MAN- Haven’t Seen It
31) THE WHITE RIBBON- Very popular but weird and didn’t like it
32) UP IN THE AIR- Recommended
33) YOO-HOO, MRS. GOLDBERG- I liked it
34) YOUTH IN REVOLT- I liked it
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BOB’S PICKS IN THE SUBURBS- (Westchester and Fairfield Counties)
NEW in the Suburbs-
1) LEBANON- Clearview 100. 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.
2) THE TILLMAN STORY- Jacob Burns. Premise by Netflix. “When
Pat Tillman, a former pro football player and decorated U.S. soldier, was killed in Afghanistan, the military reported that he’d died battling the Taliban. But later, a much different story emerged: Tillman was killed by friendly fire. Since that day, Tillman’s family has waged their own war, fighting tirelessly with the government in order to unravel the truth behind the cover-up. Filmmaker
Amir Bar-Lev documents their struggle.”
Very good reviews.
3) THE EDGE OF HEAVEN- Jacob Burns. Premise by Netflix. “When his father accidentally kills a prostitute, Nejat Aksu (
Baki Davrak) seeks out her 27-year-old daughter, Ayten (
Nurgül Yesilcay), to make amends. Nejat focuses his search in Turkey, but Ayten, who’s part of a closely watched activist group, has fled to Germany. The lives of four Turks and two Germans are soon entwined as a result of circumstances beyond their control in this compelling drama, which earned Best Screenplay honors at Cannes.”
I saw this 2 years ago and liked it very much. TRDB.
4) FLIPPED- Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 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.” Reviews were just OK, more positive than negative for this well meaning family movie.
REPEATS-
1) THE AMERICAN- Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2010. Premise by Netflix. “On the heels of a rough assignment, assassin Jack (
George Clooney) declares that his next job will be his last. Dispatched to a small Italian town to await further orders, Jack embarks on a double life that may be more relaxing than is good for him. Although duty will surely call, Jack becomes friends with Father Benedetto (
Paolo Bonacelli) and falls for villager Clara (
Violante Placido) in this suspense thriller directed by
Anton Corbijn.”
Good press reviews but friends have not liked it.
2) MAO’S LAST DANCER- Bethel, Clearview 100. Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2009. Premise by Netflix. “A delegation from Madame Mao’s Beijing Dance Academy selects 11-year-old peasant villager
Li Cunxin to study ballet in far-off Beijing, where he trains for seven grueling years to become one of China’s greatest dancers. His efforts win him the opportunity to dance in America, opening his eyes to a new love and the possibility of a dramatic defection from China in this remarkable true story based on Cunxin’s autobiography.”
Fairly good reviews but a few said the movie was too timid. TRDB.8/10-
Great dancing makes up for a somewhat weak story. I enjoyed the movie despite all the schmaltz. TRDB.3) CAIRO TIME- Bethel. Clearview 100. 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. NY Times felt it was good but a bit timid.
8/10- I felt that the movie was poorly scripted and the characters weak, particularly the waif-like Patricia Clarkson whose acting I generally enjoy. Too many lessons about the Muslim culture. TRDB.
4) GET LOW- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne. Premise by Netflix. “
Robert Duvall and
Sissy Spacek team up to tell the true story of Felix “Bush” Breazeale, a Tennessee loner who planned his own funeral in 1938 while he was still around to attend — and enjoy — the proceedings. Also starring
Bill Murray and
Lucas Black as the co-proprietors of the funeral home, the dramatic thriller was penned by the screenwriting team of C. Gaby Mitchell (Blood Diamond) and Chris Provenzano (“Mad Men”).”
Great reviews.
8/10 To my surprise I did like this movie even though it was clearly a vehicle for Duvall to shine once more. I have never liked Murray outside of the comic role and didn’t here either. TRDB.
5) ANIMAL KINGDOM- 2010. Clearview 100. 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.9/10-
Violent, poignant and very well acted. I liked it. TRDB.6) THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT- Saw Mill Hawthorne. 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.
THAT’S IT FOR NOW-
THE REEL DR BOB
The Reel Dr. Bob
For Independent Films in Your Neighborhood go to- www.emergingpictures.com
For all films go to- www.fandango.com
Entry Filed under: All Reviews,Old Newsletters
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