The Reel Dr. Bob

MARCH 21, 2012

DEAR FRIENDS:

 

I WILL BE AWAY FOR A WEEK AND SO WHENEVER POSSIBLE THIS NEWSLETTER WILL HAVE INFORMATION FOR THE NEXT 2 WEEKS.

THE NEXT ISSUE WILL BE ON APRIL 5.

 

 

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

 

1) STUCK BETWEEN STATIONS– Netflix

2) SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN- At the Theater

3) LIKE CRAZY- Netflix

4) MELANCHOLIA– Netflix

5) THE SKIN I LIVE IN- Netflix

 

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MOVIES I SAW LAST WEEK AT THE THEATER-

 

1) 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.3/9/12- Fairly good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

3/17/12- Take it for what it’s worth. Somewhat light and fluffy with each character basically a caricature but all in all a fun movie with some good comedy as well. TRDB.  

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MOVIES I SAW LAST WEEK AT HOME-

 

1) 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.

3/15/12- Good story, good acting and I liked it. TRDB. Netflix.

2) LIKE CRAZY– 2011. Premise by Netflix. “American Jacob (Anton Yelchin) and British Anna (Felicity Jones) meet and fall madly in love at college in Los Angeles, but must make their relationship work long distance when Anna returns to London. With an ocean between them, their trust is tested, forcing them to confront the idea that their love may be impermanent. Or can it survive against the odds? Charlie Bewley, Oliver Muirhead, Finola Hughes and Ben York Jones also star.” Mentioned in NY Times on 1/22/11 re Sundance. Excellent reviews in general. TRDB.

10/28/11- Poor review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

3/18/12- A cute story with good characters enduring the trials of love. TRDB. Netflix.

3) 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.

3/19/12- A very sad and very well done movie. I liked it. TRDB. Netflix.

4) THE SKIN I LIVE IN– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Robert Ledgard, a brilliant plastic surgeon, seeks to overcome the grief of his late wife’s disfigurement in a fiery car crash by inventing skin that is impervious to injury, but his experiments on a living woman hasten his descent into madness.”

10/14/11- By Almodovar, this film got a weird but great review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

3/21/12- I think that only Almodovar could pull this off. Very unusual to say the least but I really enjoyed it. TRDB. Netflix.

 

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, MARCH 27-

 

1) MISS BALA– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Determined to escape the poverty of her hometown, Laura enters a beauty pageant. But after she inadvertently witnesses a gangland massacre, she becomes a pawn in a violent game between the gang’s brutal leader, his rivals and American DEA agents.”1/15/12- An article about this film in today’s NY Times. Sounds interesting. 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. 

2) ROMANTICS ANONYMOUS– 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Love and chocolates may yet win the day in this delightful romantic comedy, which follows the slow-burn romance of talented chocolatier Angélique and chocolate-factory owner Jean-René, lonely souls who secretly share a debilitating anxiety disorder.”

11/26/11- An OK review in today’s NY Times and fairly good reviews in general. TRDB.

3) A DANGEROUS METHOD– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this David Cronenberg-helmed biopic, Viggo Mortensen stars as Sigmund Freud, whose relationship with fellow psychology luminary Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) is tested when Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley), one of the first female psychoanalysts, enters their lives. This World War I-set drama also stars Vincent Cassel as Otto Gross, a disciple of Freud, and Sarah Gadon, who plays Jung’s psychoanalyst wife.” Fairly good reviews. TRDB.

2/17/12- A mildly interesting account of the relationship of Freud, Jung and Sabina Spielrein. TRDB. 

4) IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Actress Angelina Jolie makes her directorial debut with a tale of marriage set against the violence of the Bosnian War. Ajla and her husband struggle with to keep their relationship alive, a battle that distracts them from the nation’s upheaval.”

12/23/11- OK review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

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COMING TO NETFLIX ON TUESDAY, APRIL 3-

 

1) CHASING MADOFF– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “This eye-opening documentary chronicles the decade-long and often frustrating campaign of reporter Harry Markopolos to bring regulators’ attention to the titanic and brazen investment scams engineered by now-convicted financial felon Bernie Madoff.” Poor reviews. TRDB.

 

2) ANGELS CREST– 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Through a careless indiscretion, a young father (Thomas Dekker) inadvertently allows his 3-year-old son to freeze to death. But as he tries to manage his grief, the man comes under harsh criticism from local townspeople, his ex-wife (Lynn Collins) and an angry prosecutor (Jeremy Piven). Mira Sorvino, Kate Walsh and Elizabeth McGovern co-star in this powerful drama, an adaptation of Leslie Schwartz’s novel Angels Crest.” Good reviews. TRDB.

12/6/11- A very well done tragic story with no winners and only losers. Don’t see it if you’re in a bad mood. I liked it. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.

12/30/11- Poor review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

 

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OPENING ON MARCH 23-

 

1) WOMB– 2009. Synopsis by Netflix. “Recently widowed Rebecca (Eva Green) attempts to surmount her unbearable heartache by having her deceased husband cloned. This morally controversial decision, however, ushers the unyielding woman down a difficult path she never expected. Hungarian filmmaker Benedek Fliegauf writes and directs this futuristic, intensely emotional love story that also stars Matt Smith, Lesley Manville and Peter Wight.” Surprisingly good early reviews for this sci-fi movie. TRDB.

 

2) 4:44 LAST DAY ON EARTH– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “After learning that the world will end the following day at 4:44 a.m., a New York City couple lives out their final hours with mixed emotions. They also try to say goodbye to loved ones, which results in some eleventh-hour issues.” Good audience reviews so far but no professional ones as yet. TRDB.

 

3) THE TROUBLE WITH BLISS– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “THE TROUBLE WITH BLISS tells the story of 35-year-old Morris Bliss (Michael C. Hall), who is clamped firmly in the jaws of New York City inertia. He wants to travel but has no money; he needs a job but has no prospects; and he still shares an apartment with his widowed father (Peter Fonda), who treats Morris with a mix of disdain and exasperation. When he finds himself juggling a bizarre relationship with the sexually precocious 18-year-old daughter (Brie Larson) of a former classmate and the advances of his very forward neighbor (Lucy Liu), Morris realizes that even though his life is unraveling, it’s also opening up in ways that are long overdue.” Fairly good early audience reviews. TRDB.

 

4) OCTOBER BABY– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “As the curtain rises, Hannah hesitantly steps onto the stage for her theatrical debut in college. Yet before her first lines, she collapses. Countless medical tests all point to one underlying factor: Hannah’s difficult birth. This revelation is nothing compared to discovering that she was actually adopted . . . after a failed abortion attempt. Bewildered, angered and confused, Hannah embarks on a journey with Jason, her oldest friend. In the midst of her incredible journey to discover her hidden past and find hope for her unknown future, Hannah sees that life can be so much more than what you have planned.” Fairly good early audience reviews. TRDB.

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OPENING ON MARCH 30-

 

1) BULLY– 2011. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Directed by Sundance and Emmy-award winning filmmaker, Lee Hirsch, The Bully Project is a beautifully cinematic, character-driven documentary. At its heart are those with huge stakes in this issue whose stories each represent a different facet of America’s bullying crisis. The Bully Project follows five kids and families over the course of a school year. Stories include two families who have lost children to suicide and a mother awaiting the fate of her 14-year-old daughter who has been incarcerated after bringing a gun on her school bus. With an intimate glimpse into homes, classrooms, cafeterias and principals’ offices, the film offers insight into the often cruel world of the lives of bullied children.” Very good early reviews. TRDB.

  

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FLORIDA- At the Stonzek Theater Lake Worth Playhouse-

 

MARCH 23–29

 

1) PINA- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Wim Wenders uses 3D technology to arresting effect in this performance documentary about Pina Baussch’s Tanztheater Wuppertal dance company. Performing in the streets and parks of Wuppertal, Germany, the troupe’s pieces include “The Rite of Spring.”12/23/11- Good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

2/15/12- An amazing experience!! The dancing– c’est magnifique!!! TRDB. At the Theater.

 

2) GERHARD RICHTER PAINTING– 2011. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “One of the world’s greatest living painters, the German artist Gerhard Richter has spent over half a century experimenting with a tremendous range of techniques and ideas, addressing historical crises and mass media representation alongside explorations of chance procedures. The first glimpse inside his studio in decades, Gerhard Richter Painting is exactly that: a thrilling document of the 79-year-old’s creative process, juxtaposed with rare archival footage and intimate conversations with his critics and collaborators.” Very good reviews. TRDB.

 

MARCH 30–APRIL 5

 

1) CHICO AND RITA– 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Director Fernando Trueba and artist Javier Mariscal collaborate on this animated celebration of Cuban music that features pianist Bebo Valdés and other jazz greats in an epic story of romance, ambition and glamour set in the 1940s. Chico (voiced by Eman Xor Oña) is a gifted pianist and composer who falls in love with Rita (Limara Meneses), an equally talented singer, but her rise to success in America tears their romance apart.” Great professional reviews but so-so audience reaction so far. TRDB.2/10/12- Good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

 

2) WINDFALL– 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Exposing the downside of wind turbines, director Laura Israel’s illuminating documentary underlines the harmful facets of harnessing wind power, including the constant noise and potential for financial opportunism. The film focuses on an impoverished rural community in upstate New York, where residents — enticed by economic incentives — leased their land for the erection of turbines but now wonder whether the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.” Mixed early reviews. TRDB.

 

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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-

 

NEW-

 

1) THE DISH & THE SPOON– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Reeling with rage after learning of her husband’s infidelity, Rose departs for Delaware to find the other woman. But once she arrives, she shifts her focus to an unexpected romance with a teenage boy.”2/10/12- Very good review in today’s NY Times but weaker ones in general. TRDB.

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) MY WEEK WITH MARILYN– 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, loved Michelle Williams as the breathless Monroe but the screenplay was just mediocre. TRDB.

4) 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.

5) WOMEN ON THE 6th. FLOOR– 2010. Synopsis by IMDB. “In 1960s Paris, a conservative couple’s lives are turned upside down by two Spanish maids.”10/7/11- Fairly good reviews in general but a poor one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

10/18/11- The synopsis doesn’t do the film justice. I loved the characters, the screenplay, the music and basically everything else. A must see!! TRDB.

REPEATS-

1) ANONYMOUS- Fair reviews at best and I didn’t like it

 

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) THE KID WITH A BIKE– Jacob Burns, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “After being abandoned by his father, preteen Cyril fills with rage, and when good-hearted hairdresser Samantha tries to help him, the disillusioned boy is torn between his need to lash out at the world and his desire for love and stability.” Great early reviews. TRDB.

 

2) FOOTNOTE– Jacob Burns. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Long-buried tensions erupt in this witty drama, which follows the strained relationship between a reserved Talmudic scholar and his ambitious son — both professors at the same university — when the father wins a prestigious award the son covets.”I saw this at the Palm Springs Film Festival 2012 and loved it. It was one of the 5 nominees for Best Foreign Film. TRDB.

3/9/12- Great review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

3) RAMPART– Bethel. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Dave Brown is a dirty cop with a mile-wide mean streak. As he roams the streets meting out “justice,” the LAPD sinks into a corruption scandal. The countdown to Brown’s judgment is on in this fact-based film co-written by crime novelist James Ellroy.” Fairly good reviews including a few very good ones. TRDB.

 

REPEATS-

 

1) WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN– Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “The strained relationship between a mother and her teenage son turns tragic when the boy engineers a massacre at his high school, and the mother is forced to ask how much blame she deserves for the heartbreaking event.” Great early reviews. TRDB.12/9/11- Excellent review in today’s NY Times and very good ones elsewhere. TRDB.

2/8/12- This movie was extremely difficult to watch and was very depressing at many levels but was very well done with great acting and really packed a punch. Call me before you see it!!! TRDB.

2) FRIENDS WITH KIDS– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne. 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.” Mixed reviews. TRDB.

3/9/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

3/13/12- An OK romantic comedy, definitely better than what else is out there now. TRDB. 

3) BEING FLYNN– Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “A young man employed at a Boston homeless shelter comes upon his long-lost, destitute and alcoholic father while at work one evening in this subtle, emotionally charged drama based on the acclaimed memoir by poet and playwright Nick Flynn.”

3/2/12- Good audience reaction but somewhat weak professional reviews. A fair review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

4) JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME– Clearview 100, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Siblings Jay and Mark Duplass direct this stoner comedy focusing on two brothers — one a moderate success, the other still living with Mom. A trip to the store for glue, however, turns into an encounter with destiny for the stay-at–home slacker.” Mostly very good reviews. TRDB.

5) SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN– Jacob Burns, Clearview 100. 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.

3/9/12- Fairly good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

3/17/12- Take it for what it’s worth. Somewhat light and fluffy with each character basically a caricature but all in all a fun movie with some good comedy as well. TRDB.  

6) A SEPARATION– 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.

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.

7) THE ARTIST– Saw Mill Hawthorne. 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.

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