The Reel Dr. Bob

NOV. 5, 2009

DEAR FRIENDS-

 

PLEASE CHECK OUT MY NEW WEBSITE AT thereeldrbob.com

 

     I saw TWO AND A HALF NEW movies (I walked out of one half way through) this week at the-

THEATER-

 

1) TRUCKER- 2008. Directed by James Mottern and starring Michelle Monaghan. About a woman who is a long distance truck driver and who is unable to make lasting relationships. Her 11yr. old son who has lived with the father and not seen his mother is suddenly deposited on her doorstep. The story is about their relationship and it is NOT a typical movie of it’s kind. Very good. 10/09

 

2) THE MAID- By Sebastian Silva and starring Catalina Saavedra. About a 41yr. old woman who has been a live-in maid for a well-to-do Chilean family for 20yrs. Either depressed or psycho she pouts through most of the movie and has a hostile dependent relationship with each member of the family. It’s only when an assistant hired to help her takes a liking to her and shows her that there’s more to life than taking care of someone else’s family that she begins to smile and take an interest in life. I liked the movie but felt that this woman’s turnaround was too abrupt (at the end of the movie) to be believable and could have been done more gradually.

 

3) (UNTITLED)- Directed by Jonathan Parker and starring Adam Goldberg and Marley Shelton.  I just saw this movie and for the first time in years I walked out. Miserable, attempted farce of the art industry but the movie was a farce. The film is “untitled” and would be better off unseen. Thank me for this review now. 11/09 TRDB

 

 

VIEWED AT HOME-

 

1) ALICE DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE- Directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Ellen Burstyn, Harvey Keitel and Kris Kristofferson. About a young mother whose abusive husband is killed in an accident. She sells her house and hits the road with her 11yr. old son with the goal of reaching Monterey, where she was last happy. The movie is about her emotional trip and the people she meets. Wonderful classic. Netflix Streaming. 11/09

 

2) AFTERWARDS- Premise by Netflix. “Hotshot New York attorney Nathan Del Amico (Romain Duris) is skeptical when the strange Doctor Kay (John Malkovich) claims that he can sense when someone is about to die — until inexplicable events cause Nathan to change his mind. Now believing that he sees signs of his own death, Del Amico takes the doctor’s advice and begins making amends with his ex-wife (Evangeline Lilly) before it’s too late. Gilles Bourdos directs this stylish thriller.” No reviews as yet. TRDB

 

 

4) DANGEROUS LIASONS- 1988. Directed by Stephen Frears. Starring Glenn Close, John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer. Close and Malkovich play a pair of scheming nobles in Paris and in particular Close bets Malkovich that he can’t bed Pfeiffer and get written proof of the conquest. Considered somewhat of a classic, I did enjoy the film but not with rave reviews. Netflix Streaming. 11/09___________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, NOV. 10-

1) A WOMAN IN BERLIN- 2008. Premise by Netflix. “Play Preview Based on the best-selling diaries of an anonymous German woman who survived the Soviet invasion of Berlin at the end of World War II, this gripping drama tells the story of a photojournalist’s (Nina Hoss) forbidden relationship with a Soviet officer (Yevgeni Sidikhin). After being sexually assaulted by members of the invading Red Army, she turns to the officer for support, but soon finds herself falling for him.” This movie has received very good reviews and I look forward to seeing it.

 

2) BALLAST- Premise by Netflix. 2008. “In a small Mississippi Delta township, one of the poorest places in the rich nation of America, a single mother struggles to provide for herself and her son. Their fragile lives are tragically ripped apart when an extreme act of violence occurs. Michael J. Smith Sr., JimMyron Ross, Tarra Riggs and Johnny McPhail star in this lyrical drama (nominated for multiple Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature) that explores long-standing conflicts and the meaning of family.”

 

3) THE MERRY GENTLEMAN- 2008. Premise by Netflix. “Play Preview Kelly Macdonald stars as a young wife who escapes an abusive marriage to begin a new life on her own. But when she finds herself a witness to a murder, she develops an unusual bond with a glum hit man. Beloved actor Michael Keaton makes his directorial debut with this quirky drama from a script by Ron Lazzeretti. The film premiered at the famed Sundance Film Festival in 2008.” I saw this and liked it a lot.

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OPENING THIS WEEK-

1) ENDGAME- Premise by Zap2it. “During the late 1980s a British mining concern initiates covert peace talks among factions in South Africa’s struggle against apartheid.” Very good early reviews.

 

2) PRECIOUS- Premise by Zap2it. “Pregnant by her own father for the second time, 16-year-old Claireece “Precious” Jones can neither read nor write and suffers constant abuse at the hands of her vicious mother . Precious instinctively sees a chance to turn her life around when she is offered the opportunity to transfer to an alternative school. Under the patient, firm guidance of her new teacher, Ms. Rain, Precious begins the journey from oppression to self-determination.” This film has been discussed and hyped so much for so long that I hope it meets it’s expectations. Early reviews say that the performances made the film special instead of the story itself.

 

3) THAT EVENING SUN- Premise by Zap2it. “Vowing not to die in a nursing home, Abner Meecham leaves the facility and returns to his Tennessee farm. There, an unpleasant surprise awaits him: Abner’s son has leased the property to ne’er-do-well Lonzo Choat and his white-trash family. Abner suspects that the Choats will not be able to afford the farm, and moves into a shack to await their departure. Tensions escalate between Abner and Lonzo, who are each determined not to give in to the other.” Great early reviews.

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FLORIDA- At the Emerging Cinemas of Lake Worth

 

1) AMREEKA- The film is about a divorced Palestinian woman from Bethlehem who takes her teenage son and moves to a small town near Chicago and about their life there with all of the difficulties in adjusting. I felt that the acting was excellent and the story very realistic and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FEATURE.

 

2) STILL WALKING- Here’s the premise from the original website- “Fifteen years ago, Junpei, the youngest son of the Yokoyama family died while rescuing a boy from drowning. On the anniversary of his death, the remaining siblings visit the quaint home of their parents with their families in tow. Over the course of a beautiful day, new relatives become acquainted telling stories and squabbling over sizzling tempura. Recalling the delicate splendor of Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story, Koreeda shows complete mastery of his characters while revealing the complex dynamics of an ultimately loving family with humor and warmth.” This film has received excellent reviews and I’ll see it as soon as I can.