April 7th, 2011
APRIL 7, 2011
DEAR FRIENDS:
PLEASE ACCESS MY NEWSLETTER AT www.thereeldrbob.com
The Westchester Jewish Film Festival is on and will continue until next Thursday at the Jacob Burns Film Center. This year the festival has been extraordinary. I’ve seen four so far and I expect to see a few more by the end of the festival.
QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-
1) ANITA- Theater (Film Festival)
2) NORA’S WILL- Theater (Film Festival)
3) MAHLER ON THE COUCH- Theater (Film Festival)
4) WIN WIN- Theater
5) LA RAFLE (THE ROUNDUP)- Theater (Film Festival)
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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER-
1) ANITA- 2009. Directed by Marcos Carnevale and starring Norma Aleandro as the mother and Alejandra Manzo as the young woman with Down’s Syndrome. About a handicapped young lady who is wandering the streets of Buenos Aires after a tragic event.
4/11- Very good. Seen at the Westchester Jewish Film Festival. TRDB.
2) NORA’S WILL- 2010. Premise by Rotten Tomatoes. “Before dying, Nora hatches a plan to make her ex-husband José take care of her corpse, but she is missing something. The only flaw in the plan–a mysterious photograph forgotten under the bed–will lead to an unexpected outcome.”
I’ve seen only 2 reviews but both were positive.4/11-
I liked this movie very much. Seen at the Westchester Jewish Film Festival. TRDB.
3) MAHLER ON THE COUCH- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “When famed composer Gustav Mahler (Johannes Silberschneider) uncovers his wife Alma’s (Barbara Romaner) sexual infidelities with up-and-coming architect Walter Gropius (Friedrich Mücke), he settles into Sigmund Freud’s (Karl Markovics) couch and pours his heart out on a variety of topics. Percy Adlon and his son, Felix, wrote and direct this quirky take on music, madness and art, propelled by the compositions of Mahler himself.”
4/11- The movie was well acted with an excellent screenplay and of course Mahler’s wonderful music. Very good. Seen at the Westchester Jewish Film Festival. TRDB.
4) WIN WIN- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Paul Giamatti stars as bush-league lawyer Mike Flaherty, who agrees to become an aging client’s legal guardian as a way to pay the bills. But his visions of an easy stipend begin to fade when the man’s teenage grandson suddenly appears on the scene. Just when the attorney thinks he’s found a way to make this new development work for him, the boy’s mother shows up and puts Flaherty’s dreams of a big score in jeopardy.” Very good reviews. Good review in NY Times on 3/18/11. TRDB.
4/11- Well acted, very funny at times and very poignant at times as well. I liked it a lot. TRDB.
5) THE ROUNDUP (LA RAFLE)- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “This gripping drama based on a true story follows the fate of three carefree Parisian boys and their families as Nazi officials and corrupt French collaborators arrest them — along with thousands of other French Jews — in 1942. Shipped to a holding facility until they can be sent to concentration camps, the lads encounter a weary Jewish doctor (Jean Reno) and a kindly Christian nurse (Mélanie Laurent). Roselyne Bosch directs.” Good audience reviews.
4/11- A true and difficult film to watch, this well done docudrama portrays a piece of history that is unfortunately not well known. Recommended with a warning that this film will evoke a powerful emotional response. TRDB. At the Westchester Jewish Film Festival.
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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-
1) MADE IN DAGENHAM- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Sally Hawkins stars in this cheeky dramatization of the landmark 1968 labor strike initiated by hundreds of women who rebelled against discrimination and demanded the same pay as men for their work in a London automobile manufacturing plant. During one march, a banner that reads “We Want Sexual Equality” inadvertently becomes shortened to “We Want Sex.” Nigel Cole directs this film that co-stars Miranda Richardson and Richard Schiff.” Very good professional reviews but not from audiences so far.
4/11- Very simplistic docudrama with a predictable story line. I don’t know why this was so popular. TRDB. Neflix.
2) LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Pharmaceutical representative Jamie Reidy (Jake Gyllenhaal) becomes a player in the big game of male-performance-enhancement-drug sales and, along the way, finds unexpected romance with a woman (Anne Hathaway) suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Based on the real-life Jamie Reidy’s memoir, Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman, this satirical look inside the culture of Big Pharm is directed by Edward Zwick.” Fair reviews at best.
4/11- A fair movie with occasional bright spots including one GREAT scene at a Parkinson’s conference in Chicago. TRDB. Netflix.
3) I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG- 2008. Synopsis by Netflix. “After more than a decade apart, estranged sisters Juliette (Kristin Scott Thomas) and Lea (Elsa Zylberstein) try to rebuild their fractured relationship. But the task is hardly easy, considering Juliette’s past: She’s been in jail for 15 years — for killing someone. As she settles into small-town life with Lea’s family, the locals can’t help but talk. Writer-director Philippe Claudel’s feature film debut garnered him a Golden Globe nomination.”
11/08 and 4/11- I’ve seen this movie twice and loved it both times. I recommend it highly. TRDB. Netflix and at the Heritage Hills Film Club.
4) 127 HOURS- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) re-teams with writer Simon Beaufoy and producer Christian Colson to tell the harrowing story of real-life mountain climber Aron Ralston (James Franco), who literally cut himself loose from danger — and lived to tell about it. When sliding rock pinned his right forearm under a boulder during a climb in the Utah mountains, Ralston resorted to his basest survival instincts to stay alive.” Very good reviews. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. TRDB.
4/11- What was so great about this movie? Redundant, I found it boring and I never reached the amputation scene. TRDB. Netflix.
5) BURLESQUE- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “After club owner Tess (Cher) hires her to wait tables in an old-school Los Angeles burlesque joint, starry-eyed Ali (Christina Aguilera) sets her sights on taking the stage and blowing patrons away with her soaring voice. But she faces a lot of resistance. Ali’s hot performances have other performers seething with jealousy. Steve Antin directs this drama that co-stars Stanley Tucci, Alan Cumming, Peter Gallagher and Kristen Bell.” Fair reviews by professionals but good audience reaction. TRDB.
4/11- I really tried to watch this film but finally gave up after 40min., much longer than I generally watch a bad movie. TRDB. Netflix.
6) COOL IT- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “A provocative voice vilified by pundits on both ends of the political spectrum, Bjørn Lomborg (author of The Skeptical Environmentalist) challenges prevailing ideas on climate change and explores scientific and technological advances that may help avert a global warming crisis. Directed by Ondi Timoner, the film gives Lomborg a platform to scrutinize a number of claims made by Al Gore in An Inconvenient Truth.” OK review in NY Times on 11/12/10.
4/11- Really an indictment not of the prospect of global warming with which he agrees but the manner in which we use scare tactics and deceptions in an attempt to get the job done. I enjoyed the movie for about 45min. and then it deteriorated and I lost interest. TRDB. Netflix.
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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, APRIL 12-
1) A SUMMER IN GENOA (GENOVA)- 2008. Premise by Netflix. “After his wife’s tragic death, Joe (Colin Firth) moves his two daughters to Genova for a fresh start. The romantic Italian town has its effects on the girls, as teenager Kelly (Willa Holland) begins to test her sexuality and young Mary (Perla Haney-Jardine) believes she’s seen her mother’s ghost. Director Michael Winterbottom’s poignant tale of love, family and forgiveness co-stars Hope Davis and Catherine Keener.” Good reviews. TRDB.
2) BEHIND THE BURLY Q- Premise by Netflix. “Dive into more than a century of decadence with this tantalizing look at the evolution of burlesque. Cabaret star
Leslie Zemeckis traces the art form from vaudeville-style variety show through its extinction and contemporary rebirth. Vintage photos, film clips and ads illustrate burlesque’s resilient history, and how the public’s sexual appetites kept it alive amid moral and legal ado. Zemeckis’s husband, Oscar winner Robert, executive produced.”
Good professional reviews but poor audience ones. TRDB.
3) HEREAFTER- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Clint Eastwood directs this supernatural thriller about three very different people and their responses to death, including a hesitant American psychic named George (Matt Damon) who may be able to help the others find answers and peace. Marie (Cécile De France) is a French journalist caught up in the aftereffects of the devastating 2004 tsunami, while in London, young Marcus (Frankie McLaren) seeks to contact his deceased twin brother.” Generally poor reviews. TRDB.
4) MARWENCOL- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “After a terrible beating left Mark Hogancamp brain damaged, he began creating models of a fictional town, Marwencol, to process the trauma. Jeff Malmberg’s documentary explains how Hogancamp uses the elaborate dioramas as stand-ins for real life. When Hogancamp’s work attracts the attention of a prestigious New York art gallery, however, he’s forced to leave the safety of his make-believe world and reconnect with the real one.” Great reviews.
5) WHITE MATERIAL- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “Writer-director Claire Denis returns to her childhood home of Cameroon — and the site of her 1988 film, Chocolate — to spin this tale of a country torn apart by civil war, as African soldiers force French nationals to abandon their land. At the center of the story is Maria (Isabelle Huppert), a white woman who ignores her family’s fears and steadfastly refuses to leave her coffee plantation. Isaach De Bankolé and Christopher Lambert also star.” Great reviews, especially NY Times 11/19/10.11/10- Despite all of the great reviews I found this movie disjointed with lots of individual scenes and no glue between them. Isabel Huppert is great as usual. TRDB.
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OPENING THIS WEEK REGIONALLY, NATIONALLY OR LOCALLY-
1) BLANK CITY- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Filmmaker Celine Danhier directs this lively documentary that retraces the birth of the underground film movement in New York in the early 1980s, spurred by the work of artists like Richard Kern, Casandra Stark and John Waters. As part of what author and filmmaker Nick Zedd coined the Cinema of Transgression, these low-budget films were noted for being chock-full of explicit sex, gratuitous violence and dark humor.” No reviews as yet. TRDB.
2) FOO FIGHTERS: BACK AND FORTH (2011)- Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “James Moll’s documentary chronicles the 16-year history of the Foo Fighters: from the band’s very first songs created as cassette demos Grohl recorded during his tenure as Nirvana’s drummer through its ascent to their Grammy-winning, multi-platinum, arena and stadium headlining status as one of the biggest rock bands on the planet.” No reviews as yet. TRDB.
3) ARTHUR- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Recasting the 1981 comedy classic starring Dudley Moore, this romantic chuckler chronicles the dilemma faced by philanderer Arthur Bach (Russell Brand) — whether to give up a respectable life and an inheritance of millions for the sake of romance. Jennifer Garner co-stars as Susan Johnson, the gorgeous socialite that Arthur‘s family has chosen for him. Greta Gerwig plays Naomi, the girl who steals Arthur‘s heart in the meantime.” Good audience reviews so far. TRDB.
4) CEREMONY- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Michael Angarano stars in this indie comedy as Sam, a naïve twentysomething who falls head over heels in love with Zoe (Uma Thurman), a beautiful older woman who’s about to marry a pretentious documentary filmmaker (Lee Pace). Refusing to give up hope, Sam drags his best friend (Reece Thompson) to the seaside town where the wedding is set to take place in a last-ditch attempt to head off the nuptials.” Two reviews so far– one good and one bad. TRDB.
5) BORN TO BE WILD- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Filmed in IMAX 3D, this documentary captures the unique and intimate connections that developed between two scientists and two species — orangutans and elephants — as the men worked to save the orphaned beasts and return them to the wild. Primatologist Birute Galdikas and renowned elephant authority Daphne Sheldrick pursue their pioneering efforts on the plains of Kenya and in the jungles of Borneo, respectively.” Very good audience reviews so far. TRDB.
6) EXODUS FALL- 2011. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. ” Set in 1974 Texas, Exodus Fall tells the story of three teen siblings struggle with the death of their father and try to live with their abusive mother. When one of the teens is sent away because the mother can’t cope with his autism, the oldest of… Set in 1974 Texas, Exodus Fall tells the story of three teen siblings struggle with the death of their father and try to live with their abusive mother. When one of the teens is sent away because the mother can’t cope with his autism, the oldest of the siblings devises a plan to get their brother back and embark on a life changing adventure across the Southwest in their deceased father’s station wagon. In their attempt to find their grandmother’s home thousands of miles away, they find themselves confronted with detours that ultimately slow them down, but thrust them into a coming of age journey to be remembered.” No reviews as yet. TRDB.
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FLORIDA- At the Lake Worth Playhouse Stonzek Theatre-
APRIL 8-10- THE PALM BEACH INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S FILM FESTIVAL
APRIL 11-14-
1) PUTTY HILL- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “In a vacant house in Baltimore’s skid row, a young man named Cory dies of a heroin overdose. As his friends and family unite for his funeral, their reflections reveal as much about the condition of the city as their tragic loss. Filmed over just a few days and largely improvised, this moving drama by director Matthew Porterfield was an official selection of the 2010 South By Southwest Film Festival.” Very good professional reviews and average audience reaction. TRDB.
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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-
NEW- NONE
REPEATS-
1) 127 HOURS- Very good reviews
2) BLACK SWAN- Very good
3) BURLESQUE- Fair reviews but some liked it a lot
4) CERTIFIED COPY- I liked it
5) CHARLIE ST. CLOUD- Poor reviews
6) COLD WEATHER- I liked it
7) CONVICTION- I love Hilary Swank and I liked the movie
8)CYRUS- Barely OK
9) FAIR GAME- I liked it very much
10) FOUR LIONS- OK reviews
11) GOING THE DISTANCE-Rubbish
12) ILLEGAL- Fair reviews
13) INCEPTION – Very good reviews but I couldn’t get into it at all
14) IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY- OK reviews
15) KABOOM- From Sundance– fair reviews
16) LEBANON- Very good
17) MIDDLE MEN- An odd documentary but I enjoyed it
18) MONOGAMY- OK reviews
19) PEEP WORLD- Haven’t seen it
20) RABBIT HOLE- I haven’t seen it yet but will
21) TAMARA DREWE- I enjoyed this one
22) THE FIGHTER- Great movie
23) THE HOUSEMAID- I saw this and found it interesting
24) THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT- Loved it
25) THE LITTLE TRAITOR- I enjoyed it
26) THE OTHER WOMAN- OK reviews– with Natalie Portman. My friends didn’t like it
27) THE SOCIAL NETWORK- Great movie
28) THE TILLMAN STORY- I liked it
29) THE TOWN- Interesting and I liked it
30) UNCLE KENT- OK reviews
30) WAITING FOR SUPERMAN- Good but not great as some have said
31) WELCOME TO THE RILEY’S- I liked it
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BOB’S PICKS IN THE SUBURBS- (Westchester and Fairfield Counties)
NEW-
1) HANNA- Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) is a teenager raised in Finland and trained by her father (Eric Bana), an ex-CIA operative, to become a highly skilled assassin. But when she’s sent on a deadly mission across Europe, Hanna takes to a French family and starts longing for a normal life. She must first solve the puzzle of her mysterious past, however. Joe Wright (Atonement) directs this tense actioneer; Cate Blanchett also stars.” Very good reviews. TRDB.
2) POTICHE- Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Director François Ozon spins a deft social comedy of the French bourgeoisie starring some of that country’s most celebrated actors, including Gérard Depardieu, Catherine Deneuve and Fabrice Luchini. After Suzanne Pujol’s (Deneuve) husband has a heart attack, she must take charge of the umbrella factory he manages. The resulting clashes between the genteel Suzanne and the Marxist union boss (Depardieu) generate plenty of riotous class conflict.” Winner at 2011 Palm Springs Film Festival this movie has received very good professional reviews and average audience reviews. TRDB.
REPEATS-
1) OF GODS AND MEN- Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Awarded Grand Prix honors at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, this compelling historical drama relates the ordeal
of seven French Trappist monks in the mountains
of Algeria who are taken captive by Islamic fundamentalists. Before the monks’ abduction, they have ample reason to believe they may be in danger, but their assumption that there can and must be common ground between Islam and Christianity leads them to remain at the monastery.”
Great reviews. Opens in NY on 2/25/11.
3/11- Very well done and very well acted but a bit too long and definitely not for a general audience. TRDB.
2) JANE EYRE- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Synopsis by Netflix. “Driven from her post at Thornfield House by her brooding employer Edward Rochester’s (Michael Fassbender) impenetrable personality, young governess Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) takes time to reflect on her childhood and the events that led her to the misty moors. Little does she know that Rochester’s mood is largely due to a dark secret. Judi Dench, Jamie Bell and Sally Hawkins co-star in this artful adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel.” Very good reviews. TRDB.
3) CERTIFIED COPY- Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Synopsis by Netflix. “Renowned Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami serves up an elegant rumination about art and love in this story about British writer James Miller (William Shimell), who meets an art dealer named Elle (Juliette Binoche) in Tuscany and begins — or possibly continues — a romance with her. As James and Elle wander through a small town, their playful conversations reveal an intimacy that leads locals to suspect that they are actually longtime spouses.”
Some good reviews and some bad ones as well. TRDB. Good review in NY Times on 3/11/11.
3/11- An interesting idea keeps this movie going as you wonder what will evolve. One reviewer said it was like a virtual date with Juliette Binoche. I did enjoy it. TRDB.
4) WIN WIN- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100, Danbury. 2010, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Premise by Netflix. “Paul Giamatti stars as bush-league lawyer Mike Flaherty, who agrees to become an aging client’s legal guardian as a way to pay the bills. But his visions of an easy stipend begin to fade when the man’s teenage grandson suddenly appears on the scene. Just when the attorney thinks he’s found a way to make this new development work for him, the boy’s mother shows up and puts Flaherty’s dreams of a big score in jeopardy.” Very good reviews. Good review in NY Times on 3/18/11. TRDB.
5) WINTER IN WARTIME- Clearview 100. 2008. Premise by Netflix. “This sumptuously photographed drama focuses on 14-year-old Michiel (Martijn Lakemeier) as he wrestles with family loyalties, painful choices between safety and courage, and the harsh realities of war during the last, desperate winter of World War II. Michiel is forced onto the path of adulthood as he attempts to aid a wounded British pilot (Jamie Campbell Bower) in German-occupied Netherlands, despite his father’s apparent cooperation with enemy soldiers.” Mixed reviews, more positive than negative. Good review in NY Times on 3/18/11.
6) THE LINCOLN LAWYER- Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Matthew McConaughey stars in
the big-screen adaptation of Michael Connelly’s best-selling novel about struggling
lawyer Mickey Haller, who conducts business from his
Lincoln Town Car. When Mickey finally lands a big case, it has deadly consequences. Tasked with defending rich lothario Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), who’s been charged with assault, Mickey finds himself and his family in danger when he deduces that
the sinister Louis may be guilty.”
Good review from NY Times on 3/18/11 and fairly good reviews in general. TRDB.3/11-
A fun movie and I enjoyed it. TRDB.
7) THE KING’S SPEECH- Danbury. 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.
8)ARTHUR- Saw Mill Hawthorne. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Recasting the 1981 comedy classic starring Dudley Moore, this romantic chuckler chronicles the dilemma faced by philanderer Arthur Bach (Russell Brand) — whether to give up a respectable life and an inheritance of millions for the sake of romance. Jennifer Garner co-stars as Susan Johnson, the gorgeous socialite that Arthur‘s family has chosen for him. Greta Gerwig plays Naomi, the girl who steals Arthur‘s heart in the meantime.” Good audience reviews so far. TRDB.
THAT’S IT FOR NOW-
THE REEL DR BOB
The Reel Dr. Bob
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