The Reel Dr. Bob

FILM REVIEWS #304

December 2nd, 2009

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2) LA FEMME NIKITA- 1990. By Luc Besson and starring Anne Parillaud. She plays a petty criminal who is convicted of murder. She is rehabilitated as an assassin in exchange for her prison sentence. I saw this years ago and loved it and I enjoyed it again but nowhere like the first time. Netflix. 11/09

 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.

11/28/09- I just saw this movie. As it says above, De Bankole has numerous encounters with odd people in Madrid, all of whom are apparently giving him information regarding his mission. Only problem is that nothing ever happens and I finally turned the movie off. Netflix. TRDB

4) MAN, WOMAN AND THE WALL- Premise by Netflix. “After moving into a new apartment, geeky reporter Ryo (Keita Ohno) quickly develops an obsession with his sexy next-door neighbor Satsuki (Aoi Sola). Ryo’s eavesdropping and explicit fantasies surprisingly lead to a potential relationship with his dream girl. Meanwhile, throughout the course of this highly provocative Japanese movie, Satsuki becomes increasingly panic-stricken over obscene phone calls she’s receiving from an unknown pervert.”

11/29/09- I saw this movie and felt that it was interesting despite the scary premise above. TRDB.

5) ANGRY HARVEST- Premise by Netflix. “Oscar nominated as Best Foreign Language Film, this unsettling character study set in World War II stars Armin Mueller-Stahl as Leon Wolny, a simple but thriving Polish farmer torn between his scruples and sexual desire. When Leon happens upon a Jewish woman (Elisabeth Trissenaar) who’s jumped from a train bound for a Nazi death camp, he takes her in and shelters her in his cellar. But everything changes once his long-suppressed libido surfaces.”

11/29/09- I saw this and liked it a lot. In particular the way their relationship changed as time went on from her being totally dependent on him to one of mutual dependency. TRDB.

6) I’LL COME RUNNING- 2008. Co-written and directed by Spencer Parsons. Starring Melonie Diaz as a young Texan woman who has a brief romantic fling with a young man from Denmark shortly before he is due to return home. Tragic circumstances compel her to visit Denmark shortly after. Very good acting and an interesting story and I liked it. Comcast On-Demand. 11/09

7) PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL- Premise by Netflix. “Director Gini Reticker and producer Abigail E. Disney’s documentary tells the story of the thousands of Liberian women, both Christian and Muslim, who helped end the bloody civil war in 2003 that killed over 200,000 people. Through nonviolent protests, these brave women forced a resolution in the peace talks, and their efforts led to the election of Africa’s first female head of state, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.”

11/30/09- I saw this and while the topic is certainly important I felt that the movie lacked interest. I can’t recommend it. TRDB.

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 COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, DEC. 8-

1) JULIE AND JULIA- Premise by Netflix. “Play Preview Amy Adams stars in this truth-inspired tale as Julie Powell, a disenchanted government secretary who decides to enliven her uneventful life by cooking all 524 recipes outlined in Julia Child’s culinary classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Based on Powell’s book Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, director Nora Ephron‘s heartwarming dramedy also stars Meryl Streep as legendary chef Child.” This film got mixed reviews- VERY mixed. I plan to see it.

2) LION’S DEN- Premise by Netflix. “After waking to find her apartment a bloody mess, with her ex-lover Nahuel dead and her ex-lover Ramiro (Rodrigo Santoro) wounded, Julia (Martina Gusman) finds herself pregnant and in prison. Incarcerated with other mothers, she gives birth and tries to raise her son behind bars. As she continues to push for a new trial, Julia also deals with her formerly estranged mother, Sofía (Elli Medeiros), who now wants to take her son from her.” Good reviews for this odd sounding movie.

3) PUBLIC ENEMIES- Premise by Netflix. “In the shadow of the Great Depression, criminal minds are thriving — notorious men like John Dillinger (Johnny Depp), “Baby Face” Nelson (Stephen Graham) and “Pretty Boy” Floyd (Channing Tatum) — and it’s up to J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) and the FBI to bring them down. Michael Mann directs this gritty crime drama based on the book by Bryan Burrough. Christian Bale, Giovanni Ribisi and Leelee Sobieski co-star.” I called this movie a mediocre story about Dillinger that was meant to be an epic film but failed. Also, the camera moved so much that you might need a scopolamine patch or some dramamine.

4) THE COVE- Premise by Netflix. “This riveting documentary (winner of the Audience Award at Sundance) follows a group of animal activists to a scenic cove in Taijii, Japan, where they use surveillance equipment to capture footage of a secretive and heavily guarded operation run by the world’s largest supplier of dolphins. As the daring group risks their lives to expose the horrifying truths behind the capture of dolphins for the lucrative tourist industry, they also uncover an environmental catastrophe.” I saw this and felt it was very well done and I enjoyed it a lot.

5) WORLD’S GREATEST DAD- Premise by Netflix. “Play Preview After his son (Daryl Sabara) dies in an awkward freak accident, high school poetry teacher Lance (Robin Williams) ghostwrites a suicide note to spare the family embarrassment. But when the note becomes an unexpected hit, Lance sees a chance to resurrect his writing career. In a bid for literary fame, Lance writes his son’s journal and passes it off as his own. Writer-director Bob Goldthwait‘s comedy debuted at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.” This film got fairly good reviews and I’ll see it.

6) The Baader-Meinhoff Complex- Premise by Netflix. “Uli Edel directs this Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nominee charting the birth of West Germany’s Red Army Faction, a radical left-wing terrorist group formed in the late 1960s amid a climate of revolution and a fallen generation. Staging a series of bombings, kidnappings and assassinations, the RAF waged a war against fascism with a direct assault against the powers of American imperialism and the fledgling German democracy.” This movie has received very good reviews and I plan to see it.

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 OPENING THIS WEEK-

1) THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN- Premise by Zap2it. “In the early 1900’s a Native American boy escapes from a training camp and a Cherokee bounty hunter, who has adopted the white man’s way of life, is sent to find him. A tragic incident spurs the bounty hunter’s nemesis, a famous Indian fighter, to search for him and the boy.” Very good early reviews.

 2) BROTHERS- Premise by Zap2it. “Siblings Sam and Tommy Cahill are as far apart as brothers can be; while Sam serves his country as a Marine, Tommy is a drifter who just got out of prison. When Sam is shot down and presumed dead in Afghanistan, Tommy vows to take care of Sam’s wife, Grace, and his children. Tommy and Grace become close, and when Sam unexpectedly returns home, the consequences of their actions threaten the foundation of the entire family.” Several great reviews.

 3) EVERYBODY’S FINE- Premise by Zap2it. “Eight months after the death of his wife, Frank Goode looks forward to a reunion with his four adult children. When all of them cancel their visits at the last minute, Frank, against the advice of his doctor, sets out on a road trip to reconnect with his offspring. As he visits each one in turn, Frank finds that his children’s lives are not quite as picture-perfect as they’ve made them out to be.” Mixed reviews, mostly good. I saw the trailer and it looked good.

 4) PAA- Premise by Zap2it. “A politician’s 13-year-old son has a rare disorder that makes him appear to be a grown man.” I haven’t seen any reviews as yet.

 5) THE STRIP- Premise by Zap2it. “The employees of an electronic store face the reality of growing up when one of them gets married.” No reviews as yet.

6) UP IN THE AIR- Premise by Zap2it. “When a new co-worker wants to put an end to corporate downsizing expert Ryan Bingham’s frequent travel, he offers to take her on a tour to demonstrate the importance of face-to-face meetings. As he mentors his colleague, he also arranges a series of hookups with a fellow frequent traveler, and unexpectedly finds he’s developing true feelings for her. Also unexpectedly, Ryan begins to see the people he routinely fires in a new light.” Very good early reviews.

Premise by Netflix. “It’s all coming together for corporate hatchet man Ryan Bingham (George Clooney): He’s about to reach his goal of earning 1 million frequent flyer miles just as he meets the frequent-flying businesswoman (Vera Farmiga) of his dreams. But Ryan’s plans hit some turbulence when his prized travel budget is downsized in writer-director Jason Reitman‘s high-flying comedy, which also stars Jason Bateman as Bingham’s boss, Craig.”

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FLORIDA- At the Emerging Cinemas of Lake Worth

1) KILLING KASZTNER- Premise by Netflix. “Gaylen Ross‘s compelling documentary explores the story of Dr. Israel Kasztner, a Hungarian Jew who saved more than 1,600 Jews during the Holocaust by buying their freedom from Nazi Adolf Eichmann. With important trial documents and witness interviews, Ross looks at Kasztner’s 1954 trial, which started as a libel case with him as a plaintiff, but ended as a war crime tribunal with him as a defendant.” Very good reviews.

2) COCO BEFORE CHANEL- Premise by Netflix. “Audrey Tautou stars as legendary French designer Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel in this lively biopic that explores the fashion icon’s storied ascension from orphan to seamstress and cabaret singer and ultimately, the queen of Parisian haute couture. Alessandro Nivola plays Arthur “Boy” Capel, Chanel’s lover and influential business investor who makes a lifelong impact on the young woman. Anne Fontaine directs.” I saw this and liked it a lot.

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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-

NEW-

1) A FRENCH GIGOLO- About a man who in trying to help support his wife’s business sells his services as a male prostitute for rich women. Fair reviews.

2) I’LL COME RUNNING- About a man who has a one night stand in Austin, Texas and is then visited by the woman after he has gone back to Europe. Very good reviews.

REPEATS-

1) LIMITS OF CONTROL- On Netflix. I did not like this.                                                                         

2) MAMMOTH- Just released. Good reviews.        

3) O’HORTEN- Interesting reviews but I don’t plan to see it. On Netflix also.

4) RED CLIFF- Just released. Does not sound interesting to me.

5) UNCERTAINTY- About responsibility and freedom with a New York couple. Good early reviews.

 Cablevision Link– http://www.optimum.net/VOD/movies?cat=Movies+On+Demand%2FIndependent+Films%2FIFC+In+Theaters
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BOB’S PICKS IN THE SUBURBS-

1) THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PIPPA LEE- Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. I liked this a lot. See “above.”

2) PRECIOUS- Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk, Saw Mill Hawthorne. About a black teenager who is abused in every which way. Very good reviews.

3) EVERYBODY’S FINE- Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. About a father (Robert DeNiro) whose adult children all call and say they can not come for the holidays. He packs up and plans to visit them instead. Mixed reviews but I saw the coming attractions and it seemed good.

4) AN EDUCATION- Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. I saw this and it felt that it was very good presentation of a real memoir. See “above.”

5) BROTHERS- Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. About two brothers, one in the military and the other a “no-good.” When the soldier goes missing his brother cares for the wife and children. Very mixed reviews but the premise is interesting and I’ll probably see it.

For independent movies near you go to-   http://www.emergingpictures.com/exhibition.htm

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