FILM REVIEWS #404
March 8th, 2012
3/3/12- I thought this movie was great! TRDB.
1/20/12- Very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
3/2/12- Good acting and some tension make this easier to watch but it was too long and not very involving for me. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.
2) PROJECT NIM– 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Oscar-winning filmmaker James Marsh (Man on Wire) peers inside the landmark 1970s experiment for an unflinching look at Nim, the chimp whom scientists raised as human and taught sign language to prove that apes can communicate like humans. Firsthand accounts, previously unseen archival footage and powerful images tell of Nim‘s life in a human bubble. The result is a fascinating exposé on Nim‘s true nature — and a glimpse into our own.” Great reviews. TRDB.
3/4/12- A remarkable documentary that said as much about the humans involved as it did about the chimp. TRDB. Netflix.
3) SALLAH– 1964. Synopsis by Netflix. “After immigrating to the promised land — the new state of Israel — Sallah clashes with government officials and his kibbutz community in this 1964 comedy directed by Ephraim Kishon and starring Topol. Disgusted by overbearing bureaucracy and what he feels are unrealistic communal expectations, Sallah (Topol) butts heads with leaders and neighbors as he tries to acquire housing for his family. Gila Almagor and Arik Einstein also star.”
3/5/12- A funny satire of early life in the new State of Israel. TRDB. I borrowed it from a friend but it’s also available from Netflix.
4) THE RUM DIARY– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Eager to flee his humdrum life in 1950s New York, booze-loving journalist Paul (Johnny Depp) moves to Puerto Rico and begins writing for a local rag, but his life becomes unhinged when he falls for a gorgeous woman (Amber Heard) and clashes with her shifty fiancé (Aaron Eckhart). Written and directed by Bruce Robinson, this adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s early novel also stars Richard Jenkins as Paul’s editor.”
10/28/11- Barely OK review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
3/5/12- Most reviews were bad but not as bad as the movie. I turned it off. What was Johnny Depp thinking? TRDB. Netflix.
5) A WEEK ALONE– 2007. Synopsis by Netflix. “An affluent Buenos Aires couple goes on vacation, leaving their children at home with only the family maid to keep an eye on them. But the peaceful dynamic the parents expect is upended when the maid’s teenage brother shows up unexpectedly.”
3/6/12- So this is what happens when you have an idle, unsupervised group of kids? Miserable movie. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
2) MY JOY– 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “When a wrong turn takes truck driver Georgy (Viktor Nemets) into unfamiliar Russian countryside, he’s drawn into the mix of strange locals, including corrupt cops, a war veteran, a prostitute and a mysterious Gypsy woman — all of whom may lead him to a dead end. Russian documentary filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa directs this drama, a Cannes festival entry that co-stars Olga Shuvalova and Vlad Ivanov.”
9/30/11- Good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
3) YOUNG ADULT– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Taken aback when she receives a letter from an old boyfriend announcing that he’s just had a baby with his wife, divorced fiction writer Mavis Gary decides to return to her small hometown and reconnect with her former lover.” Great audience reviews but no professional ones as yet. TRDB.
12/9/11- Great review in today’s NY Times and very good ones elsewhere– both professional and audience. TRDB.
12/16/11- Great, no. But an OK comedic drama that almost makes us like an unlikable character. TRDB.
4) HOUSE OF TOLERANCE– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Director Bertrand Bonello makes life in an upscale Parisian bordello at the beginning of the 20th century the focus of this drama, which revolves around the working girls who ply their trade there — including one who’s been disfigured by a client.” Mixed reviews. TRDB.
5) LOOSIES– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “A New York City pickpocket is forced to reexamine his choices when he crosses paths with a one-night stand who informs him she’s having his baby. At the same time, he’s trying to stay one step ahead of the detective whose badge he stole.” Weak professional reviews and some weak audience reviews also. TRDB.
6) STUCK BETWEEN STATIONS– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this romantic tale of second glances, war-weary soldier Casper is on a brief leave when he bumps into childhood friend Rebecca at a packed party, and the pair set off on a Minneapolis night crawl that sends them through their own bittersweet past.”
11/4/11- Very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
7) MELANCHOLIA– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “This inventive drama charts the disintegrating relationship between newly married twentysomething Justine and her melancholy sister, Claire, just as Earth hurtles toward certain collision with a newly discovered planet.”
9/18/11- An article (not a review) about this in today’s NY Times. Starring Kirsten Dunst. TRDB.
10/11- Great reviews but my friends hated it and called it pretentious. TRDB.
8)THE SWELL SEASON– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “To cope with his father’s terminal cancer, a troubled high schooler begins telling everyone — including his new girlfriend — that he has the same disease. But keeping up the ruse proves just as difficult as dealing with real life.”
10/21/11- Fairly good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
2) FRIENDS WITH KIDS– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Best friends Jason and Julie decide that the way to have kids without sacrificing their social lives or careers is to raise a child together platonically. But romance and other complications interfere with their perfect plan.” Very good reviews. TRDB.
3) GOOD FOR NOTHING– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “After kidnapping a spirited English woman with plans to have his way with her, a Wild West outlaw with performance issues seeks remedies for his impotence from Chinese and Indian healers while the two run from a posse on their tail.” Good audience reviews but I haven’t seen any professional ones as yet. Sounds interesting. TRDB.
4) JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “This delectable documentary profiles sushi chef Jiro Ono, an 85-year-old master whose 10-seat, $300-a-plate restaurant is legendary among Tokyo foodies. Ono is also a father, whose sons struggle to live up to his legacy and make their own marks.” Good early reviews. TRDB.
5) SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “A sheik with a love for the sport hopes to introduce fly-fishing to the Middle East and turns to uptight fisheries expert Fred Jones for help. Buoyed by the sheik’s enthusiasm (and his comely English aide), Fred sets out to achieve the impossible.” Very good early reviews. TRDB.
2/13/12- Perhaps I’m a sucker for movies with intense family issues but I enjoyed this fairly well panned drama. TRDB. Netflix.
3/3/12- I thought this movie was great! TRDB.
7) RETURN- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “After a tour of duty in the Middle East, Kelli expects her life to return to normal when she rejoins her husband and two children at home. But she finds herself unable to fit in as she realizes her family and friends have changed during her absence.”
2/10/12- OK reviews in general and in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Cablevision Link– 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- (Westchester and Fairfield Counties)
NEW IN THE BURBS-
1) FRIENDS WITH KIDS– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Danbury. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Best friends Jason and Julie decide that the way to have kids without sacrificing their social lives or careers is to raise a child together platonically. But romance and other complications interfere with their perfect plan.” Very good reviews. TRDB.
2) IN DARKNESS– Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2011. Synopsis by RottenTomatoes. “From acclaimed director Agnieszka Holland, In Darkness is based on a true story. Leopold Socha, a sewer worker and petty thief in Lvov, a Nazi occupied city in Poland, one day encounters a group of Jews trying to escape the liquidation of the ghetto. He hides them for money in the labyrinth of the town’s sewers beneath the bustling activity of the city above. What starts out as a straightforward and cynical business arrangement turns into something very unexpected, the unlikely alliance between Socha and the Jews as the enterprise seeps deeper into Socha’s conscience. The film is also an extraordinary story of survival as these men, women and children all try to outwit certain death during 14 months of ever increasing and intense danger.”
REPEATS-
1) A SEPARATION– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “An Iranian husband and wife split up over his decision to stay and care for his aging father instead of leaving the country with his family. But his fateful choice to hire a stranger to do most of the caretaking breeds unexpected consequences.” Very good reviews and indeed on the top ten list of at least one reviewer I’ve read. TRDB.
For Independent Films in Your Neighborhood go to- www.emergingpictures.com
For Independent Films in Palm Beach County go to www.lakeworthplayhouse.org
For Films everywhere go to- www.fandango.com
12/30/11- A very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
1/13/12- I saw this at the Palm Springs Film Festival 2012 and liked it but not as much as most of my friends. TRDB.
2/26/12- Just won Best Foreign Film Oscar. TRDB.
2) THE DESCENDANTS– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne. 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “When his wife is killed in a Waikiki boating accident, distant father Matt King (George Clooney) begins an iffy journey to repair his fractured relationship with his two daughters. But he’s also trying to decide whether to let go of some valuable family real estate. Judy Greer, Beau Bridges and Matthew Lillard co-star in this tragic-comic tale of legacy and unexpected loss based on the novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings.” Very good early reviews. TRDB.
11/26/11- A very thoughtful and well acted family drama. Humor interspersed with all of the serious material lightened up an otherwise overwhelming drama. Recommended highly. TRDB.
3) THE ARTIST– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “This modern-day silent film artfully recounts the poignant end of the silent-movie era in the late 1920s. The story contrasts the declining fortunes of a silent-screen superstar with his lover’s rise to popularity as a darling of the “talkies.”
11/26/11- Great reviews including one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
12/24/11- I liked this movie very much. Very creative, well acted and an interesting story as well. TRDB.
2/26/12- Just won Best Picture Oscar. TRDB.
4) THE IRON LADY– Bethel, Danbury, Clearview 100. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Meryl Streep provides a subtle and nuanced portrait of Margaret Thatcher, the first female prime minister of Britain, whose political career and determination changed the rules that had limited women’s opportunities for leadership.” Very good early reviews. TRDB.
5) MY WEEK WITH MARILYN– Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “While filming a movie in England, Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe slips away with a young Brit for a week of self-discovery and frivolity. The story that ensues is based on the real-life memoirs of Colin Clark, once assistant to Sir Laurence Olivier.” Good audience reaction and mixed professional reviews. TRDB.
11/28/11- I liked the movie but loved Michelle Williams as the breathless Monroe. The screenplay was just mediocre. TRDB.
12/30/11- A weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
6) HUGO 3D– Danbury. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “When his father dies, 12-year-old orphan Hugo takes up residence behind the walls of a Parisian train station. There, he meets Isabelle, the daughter of filmmaker Georges Méliès, who holds the key to Hugo‘s destiny.” Great reviews. TRDB.
2/18/12- A delightful story and wonderful in 3D as well. TRDB. For ALL ages. Go see it or rent it at home!! TRDB.
12/4/11- An article (not a review) about this movie in the NY Times today. TRDB.
12/9/11- Fair review in today’s NY Times but excellent ones from others. TRDB.
3) THE SALT OF LIFE– Jacob Burns. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Rather than living the good life he’d imagined, newly retired Gianni spends his days running errands for those around him. Bemoaning his fate, he decides to take a mistress — a task that proves easier said than done in this wistful comedy.” Very good reviews including the NY Times. TRDB.
THE REEL DR. BOB
The Reel Dr. Bob
Entry Filed under: Old Newsletters
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