The Reel Dr. Bob

JULY 6, 2012

DEAR FRIENDS:

 

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

 

THINGS ARE DEFINITELY IMPROVING- I SAW 4 MOVIES THAT I LIKED THIS WEEK- 

 

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

 

1) SING YOUR SONG– Netflix

2) TO ROME WITH LOVE– Theater

3) TAKE THIS WALTZ– Comcast On-Demand

4) BORN TO BE WILD–  Netflix

 

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MOVIES I SAW LAST WEEK AT THE THEATER-

 

1) THE INTOUCHABLES– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this compelling story based on true events, affluent quadriplegic Phillipe hires Driss — a young Parisian petty criminal — to be his caregiver, and the two form an unexpected bond that changes both their lives.” Fairly good reviews. TRDB.5/6/12- An article in today’s NY Times talks about the movie and the lead actor. Apparently this has become a “hot” topic in France. TRDB.

5/25/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times, but good reviews in general.  TRDB.

6/28/12- Despite a few good scenes I was very disappointed by this movie. It proves that Hollywood can slide effortlessly into Paris. TRDB. 

2) TO ROME WITH LOVE– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Woody Allen plays a father meeting his daughter’s Italian in-laws to-be in this ensemble comedy that interweaves four tales set in Rome. Other cast members include Roberto Benigni as a man mistaken for a film star.”

6/22/12- Good review in today’s NY Times but only fair critical reviews in general. TRDB.

7/2/12- While there was no magical excitement in this movie I found it funny, clever and a great travelogue of the Eternal City. TRDB.  

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MOVIES I SAW LAST WEEK AT HOME-

 

1) SING YOUR SONG– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix.”Hoping to inspire a new generation of activists, entertainer Harry Belafonte allows director Susanne Rostock intimate access to his life to document his many decades as a performer and as a tireless advocate for human rights around the world. As a supporter of Martin Luther King Jr. and the victim of racism during his tours of the South, Belafonte was deeply committed to social change in the U.S. and later worked to end apartheid in South Africa.” Great audience reaction. TRDB.1/13/12- Good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

6/3012- A very well done film about a very interesting man and I highly recommend it. TRDB. Netflix.

2) TAKE THIS WALTZ– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Filmed in Toronto, this intimate, unflashy romantic drama portrays a happily married woman who experiences a sudden and strong desire for another man. Further complicating the situation, the object of her desire resides just across the street.”

Very good early reviews. TRDB.

6/29/12- Great review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

7/2/12- Great acting by Michelle Williams and if you can suspend a bit of reality I think you can enjoy this film. I did. Comcast On-Demand.

3) BORN TO BE WILD– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Filmed in IMAX 3D, this documentary captures the unique and intimate connections that developed between two scientists and two species — orangutans and elephants — as the men worked to save the orphaned beasts and return them to the wild. Primatologist Birute Galdikas and renowned elephant authority Daphne Sheldrick pursue their pioneering efforts on the plains of Kenya and in the jungles of Borneo, respectively.” Very good reviews. TRDB.

7/5/12- A short 40min. documentary that was well done and held my interest throughout. TRDB. Netflix.

4) THE GREY- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “After narrowly surviving a deadly plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness, a band of oil riggers must fend for their lives in the ice and snow. But thanks to wolves that view their presence as a threat, they aren’t alone.”

1/27/12- A fairly good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

7/3/12- I can’t believe the good reviews. I found this movie intolerable and turned it off. TRDB. Netflix.

5) URBANIZED– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “The third part of Gary Hustwit’s design film trilogy, Urbanized looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design and features some of the world’s foremost architects, planners, policymakers, builders and thinkers. By exploring a diverse range of urban design projects around the world, Urbanized frames a global discussion on the future of cities.”

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

7/3/12- 88% of viewers liked this movie but I’m in the 12% who found this statistic filled documentary boring. TRDB. Netflix.

 

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, JULY 10-

 

1) THE FLOWERS OF WAR– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1937, as the Japanese army brutally invades the Chinese city of Nanking, an American mortician is trapped inside a western cathedral and vows to protect a group of young schoolgirls and 13 courtesans who are seeking refuge from the soldiers.” Awful professional reviews but audiences appear to like it. TRDB.

 

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OPENING THIS WEEK-

 

1) THE DO-DECA PANTATHLON– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “From Jay and Mark Duplass, the writer/directors of the Sundance hits The Puffy Chair, Cyrus and the upcoming Jeff Who Lives at Home comes The Do-Deca-Pentathlon, the story of two grown brothers who secretly compete in a homemade Olympics during a family reunion. When their fierce and disruptive competition is uncovered, the brothers must choose between their passion for beating the hell out of each other and the greater good of the family.”

  

 

2) KATY PERRY: PART OF ME– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Pop star Katy Perry is captured on- and offstage in this revealing diary of her California Dreams Tour, featuring her Los Angeles performances in 3-D. The film shares the air of glamour and fun that radiate from this talented and unique artist.”Very good audience reaction but no professional reviews as yet. TRDB.

3) THE MAGIC OF BELLE ISLE– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “After alcoholism depletes his enthusiasm for writing, celebrated author Monte Wildhorn finds his creative passion renewed when he moves to quaint Belle Isle and gets to know his next door neighbors — a single mother and her three daughters.”

Fair early reviews. TRDB.

 

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FLORIDA- At the Stonzek Theater Lake Worth Playhouse-

 

1) KUMARE–  2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A provocative social experiment-turned-documentary, Kumare follows American filmmaker Vikram Gandhi as he transforms himself into a wise Indian guru, hoping to prove the absurdity of blind faith. Instead, he finds himself forging profound connections with people from all walks of life — and wondering if and when to reveal his true self. Will his followers accept his final teaching? Can this illusion reveal a greater spiritual truth? Winner of South by Southwest’s Audience Award, Kumare is an insightful look at faith and belief.”Fairly good reviews. TRDB.

2) POLISSE– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “This French drama presents a fictionalized but well-researched portrait of the juvenile protection division of the Paris court system, following a documentarian as she films the employees in the department and the children under its authority.” Good early reviews. TRDB.5/18/12- Good review in today’s NY Times and very good reviews by almost all critics. Audiences have liked it too. TRDB.

 

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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-

 

NEW-

 

1) TAKE THIS WALTZ– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Filmed in Toronto, this intimate, unflashy romantic drama portrays a happily married woman who experiences a sudden and strong desire for another man. Further complicating the situation, the object of her desire resides just across the street.”Very good early reviews. TRDB.

6/29/12- Great review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

7/2/12- Great acting by Michelle Williams and if you can suspend a bit of reality I think you can enjoy this film. I did.

2) 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.

3) A BURNING HOT SUMMER– 2011. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Loosely evoking Godard’s Contempt, A Burning Hot Summer examines the once-happy marriage between brooding painter Frédéric (Louis Garrel) and his movie-star wife Angèle (Bellucci) as it hits the rocks. When another young couple-actors Paul (Jérôme Robart) and Elisabeth (Céline Sallette)-joins them on a Roman holiday, tensions and passions flare. The film features a score by the Velvet Underground’s John Cale, with the legendary Maurice Garrel (the director’s father) in his final role.”

6/29/12- Poor reviews in general but a good one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

4) THE LAST RIDE– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “A young college student agrees to drive volatile country music star Hank Williams to a concert, never guessing he’ll be the last one to see him alive. Along the way, he gets a glimpse into the mind of a troubled legend.”

OK reviews so far from audiences but nothing yet from professionals. TRDB.

6/22/12- Poor review in today’s NY Times- they said that you need to be a Hank Williams fanatic to enjoy this one. TRDB.

REPEATS-

1) 50/50- A fun movie despite the heavy premise

 

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) TAKE THIS WALTZ– Jacob Burns. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Filmed in Toronto, this intimate, unflashy romantic drama portrays a happily married woman who experiences a sudden and strong desire for another man. Further complicating the situation, the object of her desire resides just across the street.”Very good early reviews. TRDB.

6/29/12- Great review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

7/2/12- Great acting by Michelle Williams and if you can suspend a bit of reality I think you can enjoy this film. I did. 

REPEATS-

 

1) YOUR SISTER’S SISTER– Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 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.

6/26/12- I liked this movie, especially the relationship between the sisters. TRDB. 

2) TO ROME WITH LOVE– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Woody Allen plays a father meeting his daughter’s Italian in-laws to-be in this ensemble comedy that interweaves four tales set in Rome. Other cast members include Roberto Benigni as a man mistaken for a film star.”

6/22/12- Good review in today’s NY Times but only fair critical reviews in general. TRDB.

7/2/12- While there was no magical excitement in this movie I found it funny, clever and a great travelogue of the Eternal City. TRDB.  

3) MOONRISE KINGDOM– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, 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.

4) BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL– 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)  THE INTOUCHABLES– Jacob Burns. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this compelling story based on true events, affluent quadriplegic Phillipe hires Driss — a young Parisian petty criminal — to be his caregiver, and the two form an unexpected bond that changes both their lives.” Fairly good reviews. TRDB.

5/6/12- An article in today’s NY Times talks about the movie and the lead actor. Apparently this has become a “hot” topic in France. TRDB.

5/25/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times, but good reviews in general.  TRDB.

6) SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED -Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 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 reviews. 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

 

ENJOY!!

THE REEL DR. BOB