The Reel Dr. Bob

JUNE 21, 2012

DEAR FRIENDS:

 

YOU CAN ACCESS THIS NEWSLETTER AND OLD REVIEWS AT- www.thereeldrbob.com

 

THIS WAS A WEAK WEEK FOR ME- NO THEATER MOVIES AND ONLY 2 MOVIES THAT I LIKED.

I HOPE TO DO BETTER NEXT WEEK—

 

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF LAST WEEK-

 

1) KINYARWANDA– Netflix

2) THE WOMAN ON THE FIFTH– Comcast On-Demand

 

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MOVIES I SAW LAST WEEK IN THE THEATER- NONE

 

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MOVIES I SAW LAST WEEK AT HOME-

 

1) EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Believing that his father left him a message before dying in the September 11 attacks, young Oskar Schell embarks on an emotional odyssey through New York City to find the lock that matches a key he found among his father’s belongings.” Weak reviews in general although some of my friends liked it very much. TRDB.6/15/12- A bit too cute most of the time and not nearly as good as the book, it intermittently held my interest. TRDB. Netflix.

2) KINYARWANDA– 2011. Premise by Netflix. “In this first-ever dramatic feature produced by Rwandans, the events of the horrific 1994 genocide are personalized through six intertwined stories. As the violence rages, mosques become a haven for Rwandans of all affiliations seeking protection. Director and writer Alrick Brown seeks the gray areas in this dark period of history, finding all-too-human motivations and resilience in the face of unimaginable catastrophe.” At Sundance 2011. Excellent reviews. TRDB.

6/17/12- One more of the Rwanda genocide movies but this one presents a complex question when it examines forgiveness. TRDB. Netflix.

3) GOON– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “When he’s seen dispatching a rude opposing hockey player in the stands, Doug Glatt is hired by a rival team … for his fighting skills. It seems the new team’s star is gun-shy after being hit by a puck, and Glatt’s job is to be his on-ice bodyguard.”

3/31/12- Good review in today’s NY Times and elsewhere as well. TRDB.

6/18/12- Aside from a few funny scenes and a few interesting pieces of screenplay this movie was like all of the rest of the violent sports films where the hero defies all odds. TRDB. Netflix.

4) FOR LOVERS ONLY– 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Former lovers bump into each other in Paris, and sparks are reignited in this road drama that finds them traveling the length of France. The paramours experience both the joy of each other’s company and the angst of an unsettled relationship.” Just a few reviews and they are good. TRDB.

6/20/12- I truly disliked both the man and the woman in this film. I found them to be immature and the screenplay reflected this. I love France and road movies and I couldn’t warm up to this one. You can miss it. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.

5) CORIOLANUS– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Actor Ralph Fiennes makes his directorial debut with this modern update of Shakespeare’s tale about the arrogant general who is banished by the republic he has protected at all costs, provoking him to ally with former foes and wreck a bloody revenge.”

12/2/11- Very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

6/20/12- OK if you can get used to a Shakespeare play acted out in a modern movie with Ralph Fiennes spouting Shakespear while killing a host of enemy soldiers. I had some trouble. TRDB. Netflix.

6) THE WOMAN IN THE FIFTH– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “An American writer moves to Paris to be closer to his daughter and finds himself falling immediately on hard times. Befriended by a French Arab who offers him a job, Tom finds himself employed as a security agent as he struggles to write his second novel and see his daughter. Meanwhile, his personal life takes a turn as he becomes involved with a beguiling woman.” Good early professional reviews and just OK audience reaction. TRDB.

6/15/12- Very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

6/20/12- I liked the movie very much although I do have some questions about the ending as did many professional reviewers. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.

 

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, JUNE 26-

 

1) SOUND OF NOISE– 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “This intriguing comedy follows six renegade musicians trying to fill their Swedish hometown with sound, even if they have to wreak a little havoc to hit the right notes. But hot on their trail is tone-deaf, music-hating policeman Amadeus Warnebring (Bengt Nilsson). While the six percussionists appropriate public areas and items to make their music, Warnebring wrangles with his demanding family and a boss intent on arresting every local musician.” Just OK reviews. TRDB.

 

2) ORANGES AND SUNSHINE– 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Based on real events, this stirring drama follows British social worker Margaret Humphreys (Emily Watson) as she uncovers a shocking deportation scandal involving thousands of children and risks her personal life to draw global attention to this grave injustice. An adaptation of Humphreys’s book Empty Cradles, this inspiring story of courage and conviction also stars Hugo Weaving, David Wenham and Tara Morice.” Very good early reviews. TRDB.10/21/11- Excellent review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

3) ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA–  2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “A body has been buried in the grasslands of rural Turkey. Over the course of one night, a doctor and a detective from a nearby town join a search effort in which the desolate landscape comes to symbolize their own solemn, insular lives.” Very good professional reviews but so far audiences just so-so. TRDB.1/4/12- Very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

4) BULLHEAD– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Tortured by his past and despairing of his stultifying present life, Belgian cattle farmer Jacky becomes entangled in a violent web of deceit involving local mobsters and determined policemen after he uses illegal growth hormones on his herd.” Very well liked by audiences and I read only 1 professional review and it was terrific. TRDB.

2/17/12- Good review in today’s NY Times for this Oscar nominated (Best Foreign Film) movie. TRDB.

5) THE DECOY BRIDE– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “When a Hollywood actress travels to a tiny Scottish island to get married, the paparazzi follow her, prompting her to flee in frustration. Her handlers decide to stage fake nuptials to dupe the press and hire a local girl to play the bride.”3/9/12- Poor reviews in general but an OK review in today’s NY Times. TRDB. 

6) THE ARTIST– 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.

7) 21 JUMP STREET– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In the action-comedy 21 Jump Street, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are more than ready to leave their adolescent problems behind. Joining the police force and the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover in a local high school. As they trade in their guns and badges for backpacks, Schmidt and Jenko risk their lives to investigate a violent and dangerous drug ring. But they find that high school is nothing like they left it just a few years earlier – and neither expects that they will have to confront the terror and anxiety of being a teenager again and all the issues they thought they had left behind.”

3/16/12- This one sounds ridiculous but has actually received very good reviews including one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

8)SIDEWALLS (MEDIANERAS)- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Separated by the wall their apartments share, Mariana and Martin are the perfect couple. They have the same quirks, same tastes, same ideals, and even the same neuroses. They’re a match made in heaven. There’s just one problem: They’ve never met.”  Very good early reviews. TRDB.

1/16/11- Different to say the least and I can’t say I really enjoyed it but I did like the ending. TRDB.

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OPENING THIS WEEK-

 

1) STELLA DAYS– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A small town cinema in rural Ireland in the 1950s becomes the setting for a dramatic struggle between Rome and Hollywood, and a man and his conscience. Martin Sheen stars as Father Daniel Berry in a story about the excitement of the unknown versus the security of the familiar, as those in the town find themselves on the cusp of the modern but still clinging to the traditions of church and a cultural identity forged in very different times.”Poor early reviews but it does sound interesting and I like Martin Sheen. TRDB.

2) THE INVISIBLE WAR– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “This documentary calls attention to little-known facts about the high prevalence of rape within the ranks of America’s armed forces. Interviews with military personnel, elected officials and rape victims provide alarming evidence.”

Just a few reviews so far and they are excellent. TRDB.

 

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FLORIDA- At the Stonzek Theater Lake Worth Playhouse-

 

1) FIRST POSITION– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “This fascinating documentary follows dancers training for the Youth America Grand Prix, one of the world’s most prestigious ballet competitions. The stakes are high: Their performances will determine the success or failure of the young girls’ dreams.”Very few reviews and they are OK. TRDB.

5/4/12- A good review in today’s NY Times that brought up a bit of controversy in the making of this documentary. TRDB.

5/22/12- A well done and interesting documentary about what it takes to make it in this field and what it’s like to be a child competitor. The controversy with this movie was related to the fact that the competition organizers had a hand in the making of the movie. In particular they helped select the subjects to be followed and were involved in other aspects as well. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.

2) 5 BROKEN CAMERAS– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this moving documentary, a Palestinian farmer chronicles his village’s nonviolent resistance to the presence of encroaching Israeli settlers and military. As camera after camera gets shot or otherwise destroyed, the farmer continues filming.”A few excellent reviews and mostly good ones. TRDB.

 

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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-

 

NEW-

 

1) PEACE, LOVE & MISUNDERSTANDING–  2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Distraught over her impending divorce, conservative lawyer Diane seeks refuge with her mother, Grace, even though the two haven’t spoken in years. Diane’s children are thrilled with their free-spirited grandma, while Diane finds peace and romance.”Really bad reviews. TRDB.

2) STELLA DAYS–  2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A small town cinema in rural Ireland in the 1950s becomes the setting for a dramatic struggle between Rome and Hollywood, and a man and his conscience. Martin Sheen stars as Father Daniel Berry in a story about the excitement of the unknown versus the security of the familiar, as those in the town find themselves on the cusp of the modern but still clinging to the traditions of church and a cultural identity forged in very different times.”Poor early reviews but it does sound interesting and I like Martin Sheen. TRDB.

3) WOMAN IN THE FIFTH–  2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “An American writer moves to Paris to be closer to his daughter and finds himself falling immediately on hard times. Befriended by a French Arab who offers him a job, Tom finds himself employed as a security agent as he struggles to write his second novel and see his daughter. Meanwhile, his personal life takes a turn as he becomes involved with a beguiling woman.” Good early professional reviews and just OK audience reaction. TRDB.6/15/12- Very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

6/20/12- I liked the movie although I do have some questions. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.

 

REPEATS-

 

 

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 SUBURBS-

 

1) SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED -Bethel. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “A team of journalists is dispatched to find out who’s behind a classified advertisement seeking a companion for time travel, with payment on return. After tracking down their oddball prey, the team has to decide how best to approach their subject.”Very good early reviews. TRDB.

2) SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD– Bethel, Danbury, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100. Synopsis by Netflix. ” As an asteroid hurtles toward Earth, a man whose wife has abandoned him spends the planet’s final days on a road trip to reunite with his high school sweetheart. But a lovely neighbor who tags along for the ride complicates his plans.”

   

Really bad reviews. TRDB.3) YOUR SISTER’S SISTER– Jacob Burns, Clearview 100. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Jack, who is mourning the death of his brother, has a complicated relationship with his best friend, Iris, who used to date his brother. Their chaotic situation becomes even more tangled when Jack has a drunken tryst with Iris’s flighty sister.” Excellent reviews. TRDB.

An article about the director in the NY Times on 5/6/12. TRDB.

6/15/12- Mixed review in today’s NY Times. TRDB

 

REPEATS-

 

1) BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTLE– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “To make the most of their meager retirement savings, a group of British seniors relocates to India to live out their golden years at the Marigold Hotel. But upon arrival, they discover that the once-lavish resort has wilted considerably.”Rotten Tomatoes said– “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel follows a group of British retirees who decide to “outsource” their retirement to less expensive and seemingly exotic India. Enticed by advertisements for the newly restored Marigold Hotel and bolstered with visions of a life of leisure, they arrive to find the palace a shell of its former self. Though the new environment is less luxurious than imagined, they are forever transformed by their shared experiences, discovering that life and love can begin again when you let go of the past.

Very good early reviews called this film a bit schmaltzy but well done. TRDB.

5/4/12- Today’s NY Times gave this an OK review. TRDB.

5/11/12- I agree with the reviewers. A few good lines, a great travelogue and not a heck of a lot much more. TRDB.

2) MOONRISE KINGDOM– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Wes Anderson’s quirky drama follows the frantic search that ensues in a small New England town when two 12-year-olds fall in love and run away together. As the townsfolk hunt for the vanished kids, a storm causes even more profound communal upheaval.”Very good early reviews, especially from the professionals. TRDB.

6/11/12- A sweet, charming, quirky love story. See it!!! TRDB.

3)  BERNIE– Saw Mill Hawthorne. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this black comedy inspired by real-life events, affable Texas mortician Bernie befriends the small town’s wealthiest widow and then kills her. But despite the suspicious nature of her death, no one wants to think anything but the best of Bernie.”

4/27/12- Good reviews in general and a difficult to interpret review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

4)  PEACE, LOVE & MISUNDERSTANDING– Clearview 100.  2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Distraught over her impending divorce, conservative lawyer Diane seeks refuge with her mother, Grace, even though the two haven’t spoken in years. Diane’s children are thrilled with their free-spirited grandma, while Diane finds peace and romance.”

 

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

 

ENJOY!!

THE REEL DR. BOB