FILM REVIEWS #302
November 11th, 2009
NOV.11, 2009
DEAR FRIENDS-
I WILL BE AWAY NEXT WEEK SO I WILL INCLUDE MOVIES FOR THE WEEK OF NOV. 20–26 ALSO, WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
NEW WEB SITE– thereeldrbob.com
VIEWED AT HOME-
1) HIDING AND SEEKING- 2004. Directed by Menachem Daum, this documentary is about an American Jew who is concerned that his adult sons who live with their families in Orthodox communities in Israel may be learning to hate those who are not Jewish, just like fanatics in other religions. He takes his sons to Poland to meet the non-Jewish family that his wife’s father and her two uncles thereby planting a seed of doubt in his sons as to their thinking. Very well done and I liked the movie. Netflix. 11/09
2) WHERE GOD LEFT HIS SHOES- 2007. Written and directed by Salvatore Stabile and starring John Leguizamo. About a family that has been evicted and is living in a shelter. The husband spends a day searching for a job so that they can qualify for an apartment in the projects. The film was very well done, very realistic and had a very honest screenplay. I liked it a lot. Netflix. 11/09
See other posts about this movie also.
3) THE ENGLISH SURGEON- Premise by Netflix. “Get acquainted with the work of British brain surgeon Henry Marsh, who, since his haunting first visit to a Russian hospital in the early 1990s, has been devoted to founding a quality brain surgery clinic in the former Soviet Union. Marsh cobbles together secondhand tools and used equipment from hospitals in the U.K. to treat patients in need, such as Marian, a Ukrainian man for whom Marsh is his greatest hope.” Excellent reviews for this documentary.11/9/09–Just saw this and here’s what I said- ” Directed by Geoffrey Smith and about Henry Marsh, a British neurosurgeon who does volunteer work in the Ukraine. The film is about the frustration of practicing in an undeveloped area, particularly when there are political problems in play. A few patients are explored in detail, including close-ups of surgery and the film is not for the squeamish. It’s really about a day in the life of a neurosurgeon and I liked it. Netflix. 11/09
4) 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. ________________________________________________________________________________________
11/10/09- I just saw this movie and agree that it was very good. Written and directed by Max Farberbock and starring Nina Hoss, it’s really about one woman’s manner of survival from the rapes the Berlin women suffered at the hands of the Russian soldiers. Netflix Streaming. 11/09
COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, NOV. 17-
1) EXPIRED- Premise by Netflix. “Claire (Samantha Morton) lives a sheltered life, taking care of her invalid mother and working as a traffic enforcement officer. When she meets the equally shy Jay (Jason Patric), the pair falls in love. This is the first intimate relationship for both of them, opening the door for awkwardness and fear, tenderness and hilarity. Documentarian and award-winning filmmaker Cecilia Miniucchi makes her feature debut with this achingly honest romance.” I liked the movie and recommend it.
2) IS ANYBODY THERE?- Premise by Netflix. “Growing up in a seaside nursing home run by his parents takes its toll on 10-year-old Edward (Bill Milner), but things begin to look up for the lonely boy when a retired magician (Michael Caine) with a zest for life moves in. Set in the 1980s, this poignant tale follows the developing friendship between Clarence — a spirited old troublemaker hiding from his past — and death-obsessed Edward, a youngster unable to live life in the moment.” This film got OK reviews and I plan to see it.
3) THE LIMITS OF CONTROL- Premise by Netflix. “An enigmatic stranger (Isaach De Bankolé), with no friends to speak of and no one to trust, is on a shadowy criminal mission. His moves are always marked with the knowledge that the law is never far behind. Acclaimed indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch (Broken Flowers, Coffee and Cigarettes) writes and directs this tale, which is set against the backdrop of contemporary Spain. Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt and Gael García Bernal co-star.” Mostly poor reviews but a few very good ones so I’ll give it a try.
4) FOOD BEWARE: THE FRENCH ORGANIC REVOLUTION-
Jean-Paul Jaud‘s documentary visits the Barjac village in France, where the mayor has mandated an all-organic menu for the lunch program in the local school. Farmers, parents, kids and health care advocates discuss the impact of the decision. School and government officials also weigh in on why people are dying of cancer in ever-increasing numbers, the food industry’s role, the use of pesticides, nutrition and local sustainability.” Good idea but weak reviews.
COMING TO NETFLIX ON TUESDAY, NOV. 24-
1) THREE MONKEYS- Premise by Netflix. “When a politician accidentally runs down a pedestrian, he pays his driver to take the rap and serve the jail term. But as the driver’s family grows restless, seeing, hearing and speaking the truth cannot be ignored. Who will ultimately pay the price? Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, this provocative Turkish drama stars Hatice Aslan and Yavuz Bingol and won the Best Director Award at Cannes Film Festival.” Some called it plodding but others said it was very good. I’ll get it.
2) LOREN CASS- Premise by Netflix. “Set in the wake of the 1996 race riots in St. Petersburg, Fla. — which erupted when a white cop killed a black motorist during a traffic stop — this episodic drama follows three rudderless adolescents trying to make sense of their world. Amid a landscape churning with intolerance and violence, punk rocker Jason (Travis Maynard), auto mechanic Cale (Lewis Brogan) and promiscuous waitress Nicole (Kayla Tabish) connect — and disconnect.” Mostly very good reviews.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
OPENING THIS WEEK- NOV. 13
1) FOUR SEASONS LODGE- Premise by Zap2it. “Some survivors of the Holocaust spend their summers in the Catskill Mountains of New York.” Documentary. I found one review and it was good.
2) THE GOOD SOLDIER- Premise by Zap2it. “Five combat veterans discuss conflicting feelings over what they did in the name of duty.” Documentary. Read one review about this documentary and it was unflattering.
3) DARE- Premise by Zap2it. “Sexual experimentation links the lives of three high-school drama students.” Very few reviews and they are mixed.
4) THE MESSENGER- Premise by Zap2it. “After he’s injured in Iraq, soldier Will Montgomery returns home to finish the rest of his tour of duty in the Army’s Casualty Notification service. Teamed with veteran officer Tony Stone, Will tries to come to terms with his own pain while dealing with the cold realities of his new mission. Will finds himself in the grip of an ethical dilemma when he becomes involved with Olivia, the widow of a fallen soldier.” Excellent early reviews.
5) UNCERTAINTY- Premise by Zap2it. “A coin flip decides whether a young couple attends a Fourth of July bash or has a wild adventure in the city.” I saw only one early review and he called it bizarre and compelling.
OPENING NEXT WEEK- NOV. 20
1) MAMMOTH- Premise by Zap2it. “The actions of a wealthy game designer changes the lives of his wife, their live-in nanny and a working mother.” Fair early reviews.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
FLORIDA- At the Emerging Cinemas of Lake Worth
Nov. 13–19
1) TRUCKER- About a woman who is a truck driver and gets her 11yr. old son that she hasn’t seen for a long time delivered to her when the father can no longer take care of him. I saw this and liked it a lot.
2) THE BEACHES OF AGNES- Excellent reviews for this self-documentary about Agnes Varda, the filmmaker. Good reviews.
Nov. 20–26
1) EARTH DAYS
2) STORM
____________________________________________________________________________________
COMCAST ON-DEMAND
NEW-
1) CHERI- About turn of the century France and the relationship between a retired courtesan and a younger man. OK reviews. Available on Netflix.
2) FOOD, INC.- All about food. Fairly good reviews. Available on Netflix.
REPEATS-
1) FIVE MINUTES OF HEAVEN- OK reviews.
2) AMERICAN VIOLET- Very good movie. On Netflix.
3) AWAY WE GO- Interesting premise and OK film. On Netflix.
4) LYMELIFE- About a dysfunctional family and I liked the film. On Netflix.
5) PARIS- About a love affair with the city of Paris.
6) JULIA- Good film with Tilda Swinton playing an alcoholic. On Netflix.
7) RUDO Y CURI- I enjoyed this one. On Netflix also.
8)SUNSHINE CLEANING- I liked the movie. On Netflix also.
9) THE 25TH HOUR- Great movie and Edward Norton is spectacular.
10) TYSON- I liked this film a lot. On Netflix also.
Cablevision Link– http://www.optimum.net/VOD/movies?cat=Movies+On+Demand%2FIndependent+Films%2FIFC+In+Theaters
________________________________________________________________________________________
BOB’S PICKS IN THE SUBURBS- TOO EARLY FOR A COMPLETE LIST.
1) AN EDUCATION- Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Good reviews.
2) PRECIOUS- Garden Cinema Norwalk, Jacob Burns. With all of the hype this movie better be good. Very good review in the NY Times.
3) COCO BEFORE CHANEL- Clearview 100. Good reviews.
4) THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE- Clearview 100. Documentary about the all important September issue of Vogue magazine. Just OK.
USE THIS LINK TO SEE WHICH INDEPENDENT FILMS ARE PLAYING IN YOU NEIGHBORHOOD-
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