The Reel Dr. Bob

APRIL 14, 2011

DEAR FRIENDS:

 

 A GREAT MOVIE WEEK FOR ME!!! LOTS OF GOOD MOVIES, ESPECIALLY AT THE JACOB BURNS FILM CENTER WHERE I ATTENDED THE WESTCHESTER JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL.

 

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

 

1) JEWS AND BASEBALL: AN AMERICAN LOVE STORY- Theater. Westchester Jewish FF

2) WINTER IN WARTIME- Theater

3) NAOMI- Theater. Westchester Jewish FF

4) DHOBI GHAT (MUMBAI DIARIES)- Netflix

5) STRANGERS NO MORE- At Temple Shaaray Tefila

6) A SUMMER IN GENOA- Netflix

7) I MISS YOU- Westchester Jewish FF

 

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER-

 

1) JEWS AND BASEBALL: AN AMERICAN LOVE STORY- 2010. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “The movie explores the connection between Jewish Americans and baseball, our nation’s most iconic institution. More than a film about sports, it is a story of immigration, assimilation, bigotry, heroism, the passing on of traditions, and the shattering of stereotypes.” Very good reviews. TRDB.4/11- Directed by Peter Miller this movie was great and personified America as well as the importance that a few very good Jewish baseball players had for Jewish Americans. TRDB. Seen at the Westchester Jewish Film Festival.

 

2) WINTER IN WARTIME- 2008. Synopsis 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 3/18/11.4/11- I enjoyed this movie despite some obvious contrivances such as one or two chase scenes which were totally unnecessary. TRDB. At the theater.

3) NAOMI- 2010. An Israeli movie featuring veteran actors Yassi Pollak and Orna Porat. About a beautiful 28yr. old woman (Naomi) married to a much older man who is consumed with obsessive desire for her.

4/11- A very interesting character study with building suspense and I enjoyed the movie very much. TRDB. Seen at the Westchester Jewish Film Festival.

4) STRANGERS NO MORE- 2010. Synopsis by IMDB. “In the heart of Tel Aviv, there is an exceptional school where children from forty-eight different countries and diverse backgrounds come together to learn. Many of the students arrive at Bialik-Rogozin School fleeing poverty, political adversity and even genocide. Here, no child is a stranger. The film follows several students’ struggle to acclimate to life in a new land while slowly opening up to share their stories of hardship and tragedy: Mohammed, a sixteen-year-old refugee from Darfur, witnessed the killing of his grandmother and father before escaping alone through Egypt to Israel. Having never been in a school before, his sharp mind and tremendous determination enable him to make up the years of study he never had. Johannes arrived at Bialik-Rogozin after spending most of his life in refugee camps across the Middle East. His father struggles to obtain a work visa while twelve-year-old Johannes struggles to adjust to attending school for the first time.” This movie won the 2011 Academy Award for Best Documentary- Short Subject. TRDB.

4/11- The concept of this school is very interesting and appears to be working. The film was well done and we learned a lot about the students and the system in this 40min. documentary. Definitely recommended. TRDB. Seen at Temple Shaaray Tefila.

5) I MISS YOU- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “After 15-year-old Javier (Fermín Volcoff) is sent to Mexico from his native Argentina — which is slipping into a brutal military dictatorship — his revered older brother, Adrián (Martin Slipak), vanishes from Buenos Aires, never to be seen again. As years pass and Javier comes of age, he’s wracked with guilt over Adrián’s fate — and the fact that he’ll never live up to his brother’s example.”

4/11- An interesting drama about a family attempting to deal with the disappearance of one son and trying to protect the other. I liked it. TRDB. At the Westchester Jewish Film Festival.

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-

 

1) DHOBI GHAT (MUMBAI DIARIES) 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Taking its name from the Mumbai neighborhood where much of the city’s washing is done — traditionally by members of the Dhobi caste — this ensemble film represents the directorial debut of Kiran Rao, wife of Bollywood star Aamir Khan. The intimate social drama focuses on a quartet of individuals from different castes — a situation that would normally preclude them from forming friendships. Unique circumstances, however, draw them together.” Good early reviews but just a fair one in the NY Times on 1/21/11.4/11- Bollywood without music and not bad at all. The first one I’ve watched through for a long time. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.

2) I LOVE YOU PHILLIP MORRIS- 2009. Synopsis by Netflix. “When upstanding Texas cop Steven Russell (Jim Carrey) realizes he’s gay, he changes his entire life and pulls a series of bold con jobs that lands him jail — where he meets his one true love, cellmate Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor). When Morris is transferred to another prison, lovesick Russell mounts a series of jailbreaks just to be with his beloved soul mate. Glenn Ficarra directs this comedy based on a true story.” Reviews just more positive than negative. TRDB.

4/11- A weak story of no interest to me so when the DVD became unplayable I considered that a sign. TRDB. Netflix.

3) SUMMER IN GENOA (GENOVA)- 2008. Synopsis 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.

4/11- A very good movie with good acting and a fine screenplay without everything neatly wrapped. See it. TRDB. Netflix.

4) BEHIND THE BURLY Q- 2010. 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.

4/11- This was of interest for about 45min. and then became redundant. TRDB. Netflix.

 

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, APRIL 19-

 

1) THE TOURIST- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Watery, enchanted Venice provides the setting for this thriller starring Johnny Depp as an American tourist seeking solace there for his shattered heart — only to find it in danger once again after encountering a beautiful Interpol agent (Angelina Jolie). Little does the poor Yank know that the artful agent has gone to great lengths to arrange their “chance” meeting and is using him to trap a criminal who also happens to be her ex-lover.” Poor reviews but I love Venice so I’ll see it. TRDB.

 

2) THE KING’S SPEECH- 2010. Synopsis 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) RABBIT HOLE- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this raw drama based on David Lindsay-Abaire’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart) grapple with the realities of life eight months after the death of their 4-year-old son, Danny. Even with Becca’s well-meaning mother (Dianne Wiest) offering comfort and weekly group therapy always available, the couple go about their own secret ways of coping. John Cameron Mitchell directs.” OK review in NY Times 12/17/10.

4) VISION- 2009. Synopsis by Netflix. “Directed by longtime star of independent German cinemaMargarethe von Trotta, this reverent biopic chronicles the fascinating story of 12th-century Christian mystic and scientist Hildegard von Bingen (Barbara Sukowa). Despite living in an era when women are proscribed from preaching and interpreting scripture, Hildegard believes that the visions she experiences are a gift from God that she must reveal — even at the risk of condemnation.” Very good reviews.

1/11- I liked this movie although I thought it could have been 15 to 20 minutes shorter. TRDB.

 

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OPENING THIS WEEK  REGIONALLY, NATIONALLY OR LOCALLY-

 

1) A SCREAMING MAN- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Adam (Youssouf Djaoro) was a security guard at a posh Chad hotel until its new owners replaced him with his son (Dioucounda Koma). In this nation torn apart by civil war, citizens are called upon to help. But Adam only has one thing to give, forcing him to make a devastating choice. Emile Abossolo M’bo and Djénéba Koné co-star in this powerful drama, winner of the Jury Prize at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.” Great professional reviews and average audience reviews. TRDB.

 

2) THE CONSPIRATOR- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Robert Redford directs this gripping historical drama that follows the efforts of young lawyer Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy) as he defends Mary Surratt (Robin Wright Penn), a Confederate sympathizer accused of conspiring to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Realizing that Surratt may in fact be innocent, Aiken defies public opinion and risks everything to get her acquitted. The stellar cast also includes Tom Wilkinson, Kevin Kline and Alexis Bledel.” Very good audience reviews. TRDB.

 

3) FOOTPRINTS- 2010. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. ” Sybil Temtchine (Ten Benny, Passion of Ayn Rand) stars as a young woman who wakes up at dawn on the handprints and footprints of the famed Chinese Theatre in Hollywood with no idea who she or how she got there. Upon awakening, she wonders if she… Sybil Temtchine (Ten Benny, Passion of Ayn Rand) stars as a young woman who wakes up at dawn on the handprints and footprints of the famed Chinese Theatre in Hollywood with no idea who she or how she got there. Upon awakening, she wonders if she isn’t, in fact, lost in a dream.” Very good audience reaction so far but no professional reviews available. TRDB.

 

4) THE PRINCESS OF MONTPENSIER- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Aristocrat Marie de Mézières (Mélanie Thierry) loves the dashing Duke Henri de Guise (Gaspard Ulliel), but her father (Philippe Magnan) forces her to marry a prince she doesn’t know (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet). With her new husband at war, Marie’s passion for Henri grows stronger than ever. Bertrand Tavernier directs this historical drama set against a backdrop of religious conflict in 16th-century France.” Very good audience reviews. TRDB.

 

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FLORIDA- At the Lake Worth Playhouse Stonzek Theatre-

 

1) POETRY- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “A poetry-writing class inspires serenely self-possessed grandmother Mija (Jeong-hie Yun) to open her senses to her suburban surroundings, but in rushes an array of unsettling discoveries in this lyrical South Korean melodrama. Along with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease comes information that Mija’s teenage grandson was party to a horrific incident, and it is left to Mija to compose order from the untidy emotional consequences.” Great reviews in general– also in NY Times on 2/11/11.3/11- This movie was like a poem itself. Well acted and an interesting story. Slow at times but I enjoyed it. TRDB. At the theater.

 

2) 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-

 

 

http://www.optimum.net/VOD/movies?cat=Movies+On+Demand%2FIndependent+Films%2FIFC+In+Theaters

 

DirecTV- www.directv.com/DTVAPP/listing/ppvMovies.jsp

 

Time Warner Link- www.twondemand.com

 

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BOB’S PICKS IN THE SUBURBS-

 

NEW-

 

1) THE CONSPIRATOR- Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Robert Redford directs this gripping historical drama that follows the efforts of young lawyer Frederick Aiken (James McAvoy) as he defends Mary Surratt (Robin Wright Penn), a Confederate sympathizer accused of conspiring to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Realizing that Surratt may in fact be innocent, Aiken defies public opinion and risks everything to get her acquitted. The stellar cast also includes Tom Wilkinson, Kevin Kline and Alexis Bledel.” Very good audience reviews. TRDB.

 

2) MIRAL- Clearview 100. 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “After she rescues dozens children who survived a massacre in Jerusalem in 1948, Palestinian Hind Husseini (Hiam Abbass) establishes an orphanage that helps thousands of other children left homeless by violence. But the success of her peace-through-education institution is tested when pupil Miral (Freida Pinto) gets a taste of radical politics in the region’s refugee camps. Julian Schnabel directs this film that co-stars Willem Dafoe.” Uniformly poor reviews but the film does sound interesting. It has certainly been controversial. TRDB.

 

REPEATS-

 

1) 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.

  

2)  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.

 

3) POTICHE- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2010. Synopsis 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.

 

4) WIN WIN- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Danbury, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2010. Synopsis 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 LINCOLN LAWYER- Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2010. Synopsis 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.

6) OF GODS AND MEN- 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.  

 

For Independent Films in Your Neighborhood go to- www.emergingpictures.com 

 

For all films go to- www.fandango.com