The Reel Dr. Bob

FILM REVIEWS #352

January 2nd, 2011

2) THE KING’S SPEECH- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Tom Hooper directs this drama based on the true story of Britain’s King George VI (Colin Firth), a man who for years struggled with a nervous disposition and an embarrassing stutter — until he seeks help from unorthodox Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). Logue’s pioneering treatment and unlikely friendship give the royal leader a sense of confidence that serves him and his country well during the dark days of World War II. Very good reviews.

12/10- While I enjoyed this film I felt the “Hollywood Effect” throughout most of the nearly 2 hours. TRDB.

3) THE FIGHTER- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Mark Wahlberg stars as boxer “Irish” Mickey Ward and Christian Bale as half brother and trainer Dicky Eklund in this inspiring drama based on the fighter’s rise from working-class Lowell, Mass., to world-class welterweight champion. After a string of defeats, Mickey rediscovers his fighting will with support from Dicky, himself a once talented fighter now battling drug addiction. Together, they aim to clinch boxing glory.” Very good reviews. Good review in NY Times on 12/9/10.

12/10- Very realistic portrayal of the family relationships and the conflicts involved. I liked it. TRDB.  

2) THE WIND JOURNEYS- 2009. “In the wake of his wife’s death, Ignacio leaves his small Colombian town and journeys to the country’s remote northern region, resolving to return his devil-cursed accordion to the teacher who once gave it to him. His traveling companion is teenager Fermín, who aspires to emulate Ignacio’s past life as an accordion-playing troubadour who roamed the countryside. Marciano Martínez and Yull Núñez star in filmmaker Ciro Guerra’s enthralling odyssey.”

12/10- A bit long but an interesting journey and definitely worth seeing. Great photography. TRDB. Netflix.

3) JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Documentarians Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg provide an uncompromising glimpse into the personal and professional life of comedian and red-carpet mainstay Joan Rivers, a woman clinging stubbornly and steadfastly to the pop-culture bandwagon. Stern and Sundberg — whose previous film, The Devil Came on Horseback, covered the Darfur genocide — take a no-less-intensive approach to their subject here, taking a hard look at fame’s bitter toll.” Fair reviews and good reviews in equal number.

12/10– Very good documentary about the diva, the ups and downs of her career and her need to continue and all costs. Definitely recommended. TRDB. Netflix.

4) EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Filmmaker Thierry Guetta had been casually documenting the underground world of street art for years, but when he encounters Banksy, an elusive British stencil artist, his project takes a fascinating twist. Unimpressed with Guetta’s footage, Banksy takes over filmmaking duties and Guetta reinvents himself as a street artist named Mr. Brainwash — and, much to Banksy‘s surprise, immediately becomes a darling of the Los Angeles art scene.” Great reviews.

12/10- To be honest, I just don’t know what the hoopla is with this movie. I can take it or leave it with the comment “who cares?” TRDB. Netflix.

5) MICMACS- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet takes a satirical look at the global arms trade with this foreign-language comedy starring Dany Boon as Bazil, who rallies his friends to take down weapons manufacturers responsible for his father’s death. Bazil also transforms a dump into an underground haven for cool tools and sculptures crafted from discarded junk. Dominique Pinon, André Dussollier and Jean-Pierre Marielle co-star.” Good review in NY Times.

12/10- A farce and an awful one at that. I turned it off. TRDB. Netflix.

6) OWL AND THE SPARROW- 2007. Premise by Netflix. “After angering her stern uncle (Trong Hai), 10-year-old Thuy (Han Thi Pham) runs away and lands on the tough streets of Saigon. There, she befriends shy zookeeper Hai (The Lu Le) and flight attendant Lan (Cat Ly). Dreaming of a new family, Thuy plays matchmaker to bring the two together. Meanwhile, Thuy’s furious uncle tracks her through the city. Stephane Gauger wrote and directed this Los Angeles Film Festival Audience Award winner.” Good reviews.

12/10- Great, touching film!!! TRDB. Netflix.

7) EASY A- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “High school is the setting for this freewheeling comedic twist on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 19th-century novel The Scarlet Letter. Ambitious student Olive (Emma Stone) decides to boost her popularity by pretending to be the school slut. As the school’s swirling rumor mill increases both her notoriety and her finances, Olive enjoys her newfound status but eventually must decide which is more important: popularity or self-esteem.” Fairly good reviews.

12/10- Sounds stupid but actually was fun. Only problem for me was that all of the “high school” students looked like they were in their late 20’s. TRDB. Netflix.

8)FLIPPED- 2010. 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.

1/11- I loved this thoughtful movie, both substance and technique. TRDB. Netflix.

2) THE TOWN- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “As tenacious FBI agent Adam (Jon Hamm) hunts him down, ingenious bank robber Doug (Ben Affleck) pursues a risky relationship with Claire (Rebecca Hall), one of his former hostages. But while Doug and his cohorts plan their next hit, Adam hones in on Claire and falls for her in the process. Directed by Affleck and based on Chuck Hogan’s novel Prince of Thieves, this intricate thriller also stars Chris Cooper, Blake Lively and Jeremy Renner.” Fairly good reviews.

3) HEARTBREAKER- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Hardworking brother-and-sister team Alex (Romain Duris) and Mélanie (Julie Ferrier) don’t run a matchmaking business; rather, they get paid to break matches by splitting up unhealthy couples. But their 100 percent success rate is in serious jeopardy when their own hearts get involved. Now, falling in love could be an occupational hazard. Pascal Chaumeil directs this French-language romantic comedy.” Fair review in NY Times 9/10/10.

9/10- Incredibly ridiculous comedy but I enjoyed it very much. TRDB.

4) SAMSON & DELILAH- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “In the desert of Central Australia, aimless Samson (Rowan McNamara) takes a fancy to Delilah (Marissa Gibson), a fellow teen who takes care of her grandmother. Branded as outcasts by the rest of the community, Samson and Delilah set out for Alice Springs on a grueling road trip. The epic journey subjects the aboriginal duo to poverty, addiction and hunger in writer-director Warwick Thornton’s sparse and grittily beautiful feature debut.” Good review in NY Times on 10/15/10.

10/10- I saw this about 6 months ago and it’s one of the few that I hated. TRDB.

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2) SALT- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “After she’s accused of being a Russian sleeper spy, rogue CIA agent Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) goes on the run, using every tactic, accent and disguise she knows to elude her pursuers, clear her name and protect her husband. Her supervisor, Winter (Live Schreiber), buys her story, while counterintelligence officer Peabody (Chiwetel Ejiofor) decidedly does not and will do anything to stop her in this fast-paced, intrigue-filled spy adventure.” More positive reviews than negative but even the good ones weren’t very good. I’ll wait for the DVD. TRDB.

3) 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.

4) ARMY OF CRIME- Premise by Netflix. “This gripping historical drama recounts the story of Armenian-born Missak Manouchian (Simon Abkarian), a woodworker and political activist who led an immigrant laborer division of the Parisian Resistance on 30 operations against the Nazis in 1943. The Nazis branded the group an Army of Crime, an anti-immigrant propaganda stunt that backfired as the team’s members became martyrs for the Resistance. Virginie Ledoyen co-stars as Manouchian’s wife.” Very good review in NY Times on 8/20/10.

5) BURIED- Premise by Netflix. “While on a job in Iraq, civilian contractor Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) is attacked and kidnapped, then awakens to find himself buried alive in the middle of the desert with nothing but a lighter, a candle, a cell phone and a knife. Does Paul have the instincts he’ll need to save himself? Director Rodrigo Cortés crafts a tense psychological thriller with sociopolitical undertones that doubles as an exercise in claustrophobic terror.” Good reviews.

6) STONE- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Edward Norton plays a convicted arsonist who hopes to get out of prison early by putting to work the seductive talents of his beautiful wife, Lucetta (Milla Jovovich). Robert DeNiro plays the parole officer who is the target of the couple’s cat-and-mouse scheming. John Curran (The Painted Veil) directs this subtle psychological thriller based on the play by screenwriter Angus MacLachlan (Junebug).” Great audience reviews. Poor review in NY Times on 10/8/10.

7) JACK GOES BOATING- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Philip Seymour Hoffman directs and stars in this romantic comedy about Jack, a marijuana-smoking Manhattan limo driver who begins an unlikely regimen of self-improvement to win the heart of a fellow misfit named Connie (Amy Ryan). But as Jack learns to cook and swim for the benefit of his girl, he also witnesses the breakup of his best friends’ marriage. John Ortiz and Daphne Rubin-Vega co-star in this adaptation of Bob Glaudini’s play.” Only a few reviews available and they are mixed.

4) NOWHERE BOY- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Raised by his aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas) since he was a young boy, charismatic 15-year-old John Lennon (Aaron Johnson) is suddenly reunited with his mother, Julia (Anne-Marie Duff), which ignites a bitter battle between the two sisters for John’s affections. Along the way, John inherits his mother’s love of music and befriends fellow Liverpool lad Paul McCartney (Thomas Sangster) in this biopic of the music icon’s formative years.” Very good early reviews. Fair review in NY Times 10/8/10.

5) SECRETARIAT- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “When Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) agrees to take over her ailing father’s thoroughbred stable, she transforms from housewife to horse breeder — and owner of the colt that will take the 1973 Triple Crown — in this dramatic biopic. The film explores Chenery’s bond with “Big Red” and depicts her rise to greatness as the “first lady of racing.” John Malkovich plays trainer Lucien Laurin, and Fred Dalton Thompson co-stars as big-shot breeder Bull Hancock.” Fair review in NY Times 10/8/10.

6) INHALE- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “In a desperate move to save his daughter’s life, a New Mexico district attorney (Dermot Mulroney) crosses the border to look into an illegal lung transplant. But upon arrival, he learns the truth about where these “donated” organs really come from. Diane Kruger, Sam Shepard and Rosanna Arquette co-star in this gritty examination of ethics, immigration and innocent lives from director Baltasar Kormákur.” OK review in NY Times 11/11/10.

7) INSPECTOR BELLAMY- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “From renowned French director Claude Chabrol comes this intriguingly low-key police thriller in which vacationing detective Paul Bellamy (Gérard Depardieu) can’t keep himself from getting involved when a mystery rears its head on holiday. Of course, his wife (Marie Bunel) is less than thrilled to share her vacation with criminals, and when Bellamy’s brother pays an unexpected visit, the family tensions ratchet up as high as the professional ones.” Good reviews.

11/10- Classic Claude Chabrol who died shortly after making this movie. I liked it. TRDB.

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