FILM REVIEWS #318
April 1st, 2010
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2) RED CLIFF- Premise by Netflix. “When a warmongering prime minister (Fengyi Zhang) advances his armies against two rival kingdoms, he unwittingly prompts his adversaries (Chen Chang and Yong You) to work together in this martial arts action-adventure. The ensuing conflict culminates in the epic battle of Red Cliff, a struggle by the sea involving more than one million soldiers. Director John Woo’s big-budget spectacle is based on the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms.” OK reviews.
3/10- I generally will not watch a martial arts movie but I decided to give this one a chance and promptly turned it off. TRDB. Netflix.
3) LA CAPTIVE- Premise by Netflix. “Simon (Stansilas Merhar) is a wealthy man living a sheltered life in an affluent Paris neighborhood. He’s smitten with his companion Ariane (Sylvie Testud) and spends all his time by her side. His obsession deepens when he sets out to discover everything about Ariane, including her past, her secrets and even her most private thoughts. He even begins to follow her, stopping at nothing to allow his complete vision of her to take shape.”
3/10- Boring as hell and I turned it off. Netflix.
4) WARM WATER UNDER A RED BRIDGE- Premise by Netflix. “Inspired by a homeless man’s story, Yosuke (Koji Yakusho), an unemployed businessman, travels to a remote seaside village where a golden Buddha stolen from a Kyoto temple is supposedly hidden. Instead, Yosuke finds Saeko (Misa Shimizu), a woman with an odd affliction: She fills up with water, and when she’s full, she leaks … and the only way to express the fluid is to make love.”
3/10- A little different to say the least but I enjoyed it. TRDB. Netflix.
5) ALI ZAOUA- 2000. Premise by Netflix. “Ali, Kwita, Omar and Boukber are a group of urchins living on the hard streets of Casablanca, their everyday lives filled with violence, begging and indifference. To survive, the four youths create a bond of friendship and family among them, but that bond is soon cut short by a senseless tragedy. This highly acclaimed drama from Moroccan director Nabil Ayouch reminds us of the power of hope and dreams even in the harshest of circumstances.”
3/10– Boring and I turned it off after 20 minutes. TRDB.
6) EVERYBODY’S FINE- Premise by Netflix. “Frank (Robert De Niro) just lost his wife, and without their mother by his side, Frank’s grown children aren’t compelled to visit for the holidays. So he hits the road to visit them — collecting various revelations and learning about himself along the way. Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, Sam Rockwell and Melissa Leo co-star in writer-director Kirk Jones’s family tale, an update of Giuseppe Tornatore’s 1990 Italian film.”
3/10- Cheesy at times but I did like the movie, especially the scenes where De Niro looks at his adult children and sees them as young kids. How many times have I done that? TRDB. Netflix.
7) ALEXANDRA’S PROJECT- Premise by Netflix. “Steve (Gary Sweet) arrives home from work anxious to celebrate his birthday with his wife, Alexandra (Helen Buday), and their children. But nobody’s home, and it isn’t a surprise party, or is it? Steve inserts a videotape titled “Play Me” into the VCR and is greeted by birthday wishes from Alexandra and the kids, and then treated to a striptease by his wife. But as the camera pulls back, Steve sees a gun pointed at Alexandra’s head.”
3/10- Very interesting and different enough that I liked it. A story of revenge more than anything else. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
8) AGATA AND THE STORM- Premise by Netflix. “The pleasant life of middle-aged Agata (Licia Maglietta) — owner of the most popular bookstore in town — is turned topsy-turvy when she begins an uncertain affair with a man 13 years her junior (Claudio Santamaria). Meanwhile, life is equally turbulent for her brother, Gustavo (Emilio Solfrizzi), who discovers he was adopted and sets off to find his biological brother (Giuseppe Battiston) — a married traveling salesman with a roving eye.”
3/10- Just OK. TRDB. Netflix.
2) THE ART OF THE STEAL- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “A gripping tale of intrigue and mystery in the art world, this film traces the history of the Barnes collection of Post-Impressionist paintings, which was worth billions and became the subject of a power struggle after the 1951 death of the owner. Dr. Albert Barnes collected 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes, 59 Matisses, 46 Picassos and many other valuable paintings. But the political wrangling over the collection eventually led to its division.” Good early reviews.
3/10- I just saw this on Comcast On-Demand and liked it. Very good and persuasive documentary about how monied interests can effect this aspect of life. A bit too one-sided, one reviewer calling it similar to a lawyer’s brief. TRDB.
3) BIG FAN- About a guy who has nothing else in his life besides rooting for a NY football team. I saw this and liked it. Netflix also.4) FISH TANK- About a 15yr. old girl who lives with her single mother and her younger sister. When the movie brings home a new boyfriend it alters things. I enjoyed the movie.
8)PIRATE RADIO- Premise by Netflix. “In 1966, hard-partying British DJs have the time of their lives running a radio station on a ship in the North Sea, broadcasting generation-defining (but banned) music to millions.” I haven’t seen this yet but I will. Coming to Netflix on 4/13.9) PRECIOUS- About an obese, abused teenage girl and the changes she makes to improve herself. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture and for numerous other awards. I liked it. Available on Netflix but with a very long wait.
10) THE ART OF THE STEAL- About the breakup of the Barnes collection in Philadelphia and the politics involved in the process. Very good documentary.
11) THE BOYS ARE BACK- About a recently widowed father trying to be both a father and mother to his young son. Sappy and formulaic. Netflix as well.
13) THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PIPPA LEE- About a woman who marries a much older man, moves to the Burbs and whose begins to deteriorate. Very good and highly recommended. On Netflix too.
14) THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE- A documentary about Vogue magazine. Very good. Available on Netflix also.
15) TRUCKER- About an independent young woman who drives a long haul truck. She has her 11yr. old son deposited on her doorstep. I liked this film a lot. Great acting and very good story. Netflix also.
DirecTV- www.directv.com/DTVAPP/listing/ppvMovies.jsp
Time Warner Link- www.twondemand.com
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BOB’S PICKS IN THE SUBURBS ( Westchester and Fairfield Counties)
For independent movies near you go to- http://www.emergingpictures.com/exhibition.htm
For all movies go to- www.fandango.com
1) CHLOE- Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk, Saw Mill Hawthorne. Netflix had this to say–“Suspecting her husband, David (Liam Neeson), of infidelity, doctor Catherine (Julianne Moore) hires sexy escort Chloe (Amanda Seyfried) to seduce him and test his faithfulness. But as Catherine checks in on Chloe’s encounters with David, Chloe’s reports become increasingly lurid. Soon, the relationships between all three intensify in unexpected ways. Renowned filmmaker Atom Egoyan directs this psychological drama.” Only fair reviews for this film, called by one reviewer a B- List film with an A- List cast.
2) UN PROPHET- Bethel. Premise by Netflix. “After refusing to snitch, 18-year-old Arab Malik (Tahar Rahim) is thrown into a French prison, where the Corsican mafia rules with a firm fist. The obedient newcomer slowly rises through the organization’s ranks but soon begins to double-cross his superiors. A follow-up to his 2005 gem The Beat My Heart Skipped, French director Jacques Audiard’s A Prophet was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.”
3) GREENBERG- Bethel. Mixed reviews. I haven’t seen it yet but expect to.
4) THE GHOST WRITER- Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100. Premise by Netflix. “A writer (Ewan McGregor) stumbles upon a long-hidden secret when he agrees to help former British Prime Minister Adam Lang (Pierce Brosnan) complete his memoirs on a remote island after the politician’s assistant drowns in a mysterious accident. In director Roman Polanski‘s tense drama, the author realizes that his discovery threatens some very powerful people who will do anything to ensure that certain episodes from Lang’s past remain buried.”
3/10- A thriller and fairly good at that. TRDB.
5) THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO- Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk, Clearview 100. See New Movies above.
6) THE HURT LOCKER- Garden Cinema Norwalk. About the guys who disarm active bombs in Iraq. Won the Academy Award and I liked it a lot.
7) CRAZY HEART- Garden Cinema Norwalk. About a washed up Country and Western singer (Jeff Bridges). Good movie but it reminded me of “The Wrestler.”
8)VINCERE- Garden Cinema Norwalk. I liked it. See New Movie section #1
9) CITY ISLAND- Clearview 100. About people and the secrets they keep from friends and family. Generally good reviews.
10) THE LAST STATION- Clearview 100. About Leo Tolstoy’s last year of life. Just so-so for me.
11) GREEN ZONE- Danbury. Good war movie that packed an important message.
THE REEL DR BOB
The Reel Dr. Bob
3/10- Very well done with very good acting, Too many names, way too long- I don’t see this as an Academy Award nomination. TRDB.
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