The Reel Dr. Bob

AUGUST 16, 2012

DEAR FRIENDS:

 

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

 

I have family visiting this week so I’ve seen only a few movies. With a few exceptions I’ve seen everything that’s around worth seeing. A few new ones this week.

 

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

 

1) MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITE- Netflix

2) HERE– Netflix

 

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER- NONE

 

 

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-

 

1) MY AFTERNOONS WITH MARGUERITE– 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “An illiterate handyman named Germain (Gérard Depardieu) befriends Margueritte (Gisèle Casadesus), a highly educated 95-year-old woman. The two couldn’t be more different, with the oafish Germain bewildered by the literature that gives Margueritte such pleasure. Slowly the two form an unusual and intense bond, leading them to a greater understanding of their place in the world, and in each other’s lives.” Early professional reviews are positive but weak for audiences. TRDB.9/16/11- Weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

8/9/12- A thoroughly delightful movie with a wonderful Depardieu as usual. TRDB. Netflix.

2) HERE– 2011. Premise by Netflix. “When he travels to Armenia to make a set of hyperaccurate, satellite-based maps of the country, professional cartographer Will Shepard (Ben Foster) falls in with Gadarine Najarian (Lubna Azabal), a disaffected photographer trying to reconnect with her roots. Deciding to travel the country together, the pair embark on an unsettling journey of discovery into the Armenian landscape and into their solitary lives. Braden King directs this drama.” Mentioned in NY Times on 1/22/11 re Sundance.

4/13/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times. OK reviews by other critics and only fair audience response. TRDB.

8/10/12- I found this movie interesting if a little pretentious with some of the extra voice-overs by Peter Coyote. Good acting and a good story however. TRDB. Netflix.

3) KEYHOLE– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “From surrealist master Guy Maddin comes this tale of a gangster trying desperately to reach his wife. Ulysses Pick arrives home with a body in tow and must hunt from room to room to find Hyacinth in a dreamlike odyssey taking place indoors.”

4/6/12- Good review in today’s NY Times and some others as well. TRDB.

8/14/12- I had absolutely no interest in this “avant-garde” movie and found it ridiculous and pretentious. I turned it off. TRDB. Netflix.

4) THE DEEP BLUE SEA–  2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “This remake of the original 1955 film, adapted from a Terence Rattigan play, stars Rachel Weisz as a wedded woman who falls hard for a younger man. Her determination and emotional obsession lead her into tragic conflict with the morals of the day.”

3/23/12- Very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

8/14/12- This movie was very, very boring and I turned it off fairly quickly. TRDB. Netflix.

 

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, AUG. 21-

 

1) POST MORTEM– 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “The bloody 1973 military coup in Chile is the center of this gripping drama about Mario (Alfredo Castro), a lonely morgue worker caught up in the chaos tearing apart his country. When the woman he loves, Nancy (Antonia Zegers), goes missing, Mario’s political awakening begins. Mario’s search for Nancy is interrupted when soldiers kidnap him and his boss (Jaime Vadell) and force them to conduct an autopsy on a secret and highly important corpse.” Very good professional reviews but just so-so audience responses. TRDB.

 

2) BONSAI– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this poignant drama, a forlorn bookstore employee haunted by his unrealized literary ambitions — as well as an intense but failed college romance — begins to write a novel based on the relationship. In the process, he reshapes his own life.”5/11/12- Good reviews in general and in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

3) A SEPARATION– 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.

4) BERNIE- 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.

5) CHIMPANZEE– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Spinning documentary footage into family-friendly fare, this Disneynature film follows an orphaned chimp named Oscar on his quest to find a home. In the end, he finds a new family in the unlikeliest of places.” Good early reviews. TRDB.

4/20/12- Miserable review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

6) WEEKEND– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Russell visits a local gay bar on a Friday night, hoping to meet Mr. Right Now. Instead, he finds Glen, and they spend an intimate weekend learning each other’s innermost secrets. Though neither expected to, both men may have found a soul mate.” I read one review and it’s good. TRDB.

9/23/11- Great review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

10/12/11- I could have liked this movie a lot more than I did but with the thick accent and both main actors high on booze or drugs continuously I found it very difficult. Where are the sub-titles when you need them? TRDB.

7) CELLMATES– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “After being sentenced to a Texas prison for fraud, Leroy Lowe, a Grand Dragon in the Ku Klux Klan, is paired with an Hispanic cellmate, Emilio, whose kind and bubbly nature penetrates Leroy’s ignorance and makes him question his racist beliefs.”

An OK review from the NY Times on 6/1/12 and excellent audience reaction as well. TRDB.

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OPENED LAST WEEK IN ADDITION TO THOSE I WROTE ABOUT ON 8/9-

 

1) THE CAMPAIGN– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Plenty of mud gets slung when an inexperienced contender backed by two plotting benefactors goes up against a longtime North Carolina congressman in a ruthless battle to win a House of Representatives seat.”8/10/12- Normally I don’t review this type of movie but with elections coming this November it might be of particular interest. The film has received just OK reviews including the one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

2) GOATS– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “When 15-year-old Ellis departs from his home in Tucson for an elite East Coast prep school, he must leave behind his New Age mother and his goat herder mentor, Goat Man, to forge a new life with his estranged father and new stepmother.”

8/10/12- Awful reviews in general and in today’s NY Times as well. TRDB.

3) RED HOOK SUMMER– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Flik’s summer vacation is upended when he’s sent from suburban Atlanta to stay with his preacher grandfather in the projects of Brooklyn. As the old man tries to get religion into his grandson, Flik befriends a mischievous girl from the congregation.”

Fairly good reviews so far for this movie. TRDB.

8/10/12- Good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

4) THE LION OF JUDAH– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Recounting painful memories from his past, Holocaust survivor Leo Zisman leads a group of young people through Poland — and the remains of Auschwitz. Along the way, they learn that anti-Semitism still lingers in the region.”

8/10/12- A so-so review in today’s NY Times and from others as well. TRDB.

5) ALMAYER’S FOLLY– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “This affecting adaptation of a Joseph Conrad novel follows the efforts of a Western trader in 1950s Malaysia to ensure a lush life for his daughter. Instead, he finds that his plans may lead to her ruin by the young man hired to work for him.”

8/10/12- Excellent professional reviews in general as well as in today’s NY Times. Audiences have not like the movie. TRDB.

 

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OPENING THIS WEEK-

 

1) BELOVED– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In the freewheeling Paris of the ’60s, young Madeleine (Ludivine Sagnier)-who has gone from selling shoes to sleeping with men for money-falls for a handsome Czech doctor, Jaromil (Rasha Bukvic), who she soon marries and joins in Prague. A baby daughter is born, but Jaromil’s infidelities and the arrival of Russian tanks in Prague lead Madeleine back to France-though the love between them still burns. Thirty years later in London, we follow Madeleine’s daughter, Vera (Chiara Mastroianni), who has fallen in love with a musician (American actor Paul Schneider) who is incapable of devoting himself to her, while her ex (Honoré regular Louis Garrel) still pines for her. Meanwhile in Paris, a re-married Madeleine (Catherine Deneuve) has rekindled her love affair with Jaromil (director Milos Forman, in a rare acting role). Frequent Honoré collaborator Alex Beaupain (LOVE SONGS, DANS PARIS) composed the emotional, César-nominated score for this light-hearted but ultimately moving exploration of the changing nature of relationships.”OK professional reviews but weak audience reaction. TRDB.

2) CHICKEN WITH PLUMS– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1950s Tehran, a musician’s life comes undone: an old flame doesn’t recognize him, his violin is broken and he becomes bedridden with worry. As he spirals into despair without the ability to play music, he teeters on the edge of oblivion.”

Very good professional reviews and fairly good audience reaction. TRDB.

3) COSMOPOLIS– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Wall Street whiz Eric Packer is caught in Manhattan’s gridlock as he helplessly watches his empire fall with the rise of the Chinese yuan. Activity erupts in the streets, and paranoia sets in as Packer links the clues to his imminent assassination.”

Just mixed early reviews for this one. TRDB.

4) SLEEPWALK WITH ME– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this autobiographical tale based on director Mike Birbiglia’s successful one-man show, an up-and-coming stand-up comedian deals with career and relationship issues while trying to ignore his outrageous sleepwalking habit.”

Rotten Tomatoes had this to say– “I’m going to tell you a story, and it’s true….I always have to tell people that.” So asserts comedian-turned-playwright-turned-filmmaker Mike Birbiglia directly to the viewer at the outset of his autobiographically inspired, fictional feature debut. Birbiglia wears his incisive wit on his sleeve while portraying a cinematic surrogate. We are thrust into the tale of a burgeoning stand-up comedian struggling with the stress of a stalled career, a stale relationship threatening to race out of his control, and the wild spurts of severe sleepwalking he is desperate to ignore. Based on the successful one-man show, Sleepwalk With Me engages in the kind of passionate and personal storytelling that transfigures intimate anguish into comic art. Produced and co-written by Ira Glass (NPR’s This American Life), Sleepwalk With Mefeatures a stellar supporting cast that includes Lauren Ambrose (Six Feet Under), Carol Kane (Taxi), James Rebhorn (Meet the Parents), Cristin Milioti (30 Rock), and a sampling from the who’s who of today’s stand-up scene.”

Great reviews!! TRDB.

5) SPARKLE– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “When three Detroit sisters rise to fame as a Motown girl group in the 1960s, their sudden success creates conflict that rips their lives apart. While she deals with her family’s issues, the youngest sister, Sparkle, starts to chase her own dreams.”

No professional reviews as yet. TRDB.

6) WHY STOP NOW– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “On the day piano prodigy Eli is to audition for a famous conservatory, he gets sidetracked by an attempt to stash his cocaine-addled mother, Penny, in rehab. When Penny is denied admittance, Eli enters into a bizarre partnership with her dealers.”

No professional reviews as yet. TRDB.

 

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FLORIDA- At the Stonzek Theater Lake Worth Playhouse-

 

1) HEADHUNTERS–  2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Living way beyond his means, corporate recruiter Roger Brown steals rare artworks to maintain his lavish lifestyle. But when he plans to boost an especially valuable painting, he targets a man who has headhunting skills of a different variety.”4/27/12- Good reviews in general but a weak one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

2) PLANET OF SNAIL– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “A deaf, blind recluse with few ties to the outside world finds an ideal mate in a disabled woman, who expands his universe and inspires his passions. Their life together might not be grand, but it’s beautiful in its simplicity.”Excellent reviews. TRDB.

 

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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-

 

NEW-

 

1) 2 DAYS IN NEW YORK– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Marion and Mingus live cozily-perhaps too cozily-with their cat and two young children from previous relationships. However, when Marion’s jolly father (played by director Delpy’s real-life dad), her oversexed sister, and her sister’s outrageous boyfriend unceremoniously descend upon them for a visit, it initiates two unforgettable days that will test Marion and Mingus’s relationship. With their unwitting racism and sexual frankness, the French triumvirate hilariously has no boundaries or filters…and no person is left unscathed in its wake.”Mixed reviews, both audience and professional. TRDB.

8/10/12- The NY Times called this movie “a likable mess” in today’s review.

 

2) GOATS- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “When 15-year-old Ellis departs from his home in Tucson for an elite East Coast prep school, he must leave behind his New Age mother and his goat herder mentor, Goat Man, to forge a new life with his estranged father and new stepmother.”8/10/12- Awful reviews in general and in today’s NY Times as well. TRDB.

 

REPEATS-

 

 

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) CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Celeste (Rashida Jones) and Jesse (Andy Samberg) met in high school, married young and are growing apart. Now thirty, Celeste is the driven owner of her own media consulting firm, Jesse is once again unemployed and in no particular rush to do anything with his life. Celeste is convinced that divorcing Jesse is the right thing to do — she is on her way up, he is on his way nowhere, and if they do it now instead of later, they can remain supportive friends. Jesse passively accepts this transition into friendship, even though he is still in love with her. As the reality of their separation sets in, Celeste slowly and painfully realizes she has been cavalier about their relationship, and her decision, which once seemed mature and progressive, now seems impulsive and selfish. But her timing with Jesse is less than fortuitous…”Fairly good reviews. TRDB.

8/3/12- Good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

REPEATS-

 

1) HOPE SPRINGS– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Feeling disconnected in her decades-old marriage, Maeve convinces her skeptical husband to attend a marriage therapy week with a celebrated relationship expert — but now they must shed their inhibitions and learn some new sexual and emotional moves.”Very good  professional and audience reviews . TRDB.

8/8/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

2) THE INTOUCHABLES– Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 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. 

3) BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100. 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In a forgotten but defiant bayou community cut off from the rest of the world by a sprawling levee, a six-year-old girl exists on the brink of orphanhood. Buoyed by her childish optimism and extraordinary imagination, she believes that the natural world is in balance with the universe until a fierce storm changes her reality. Desperate to repair the structure of her world in order to save her ailing father and sinking home, this tiny hero must learn to survive unstoppable catastrophes of epic proportions.”

6/11/12- Great review in the NY Times last week. TRDB.

7/30/12- I’ll start off by saying that I enjoyed the film except for the dialogue which was realistic but difficult to understand on many occasions. The acting and the individual scenes of this movie were unforgettable but I felt that the sum total of these scenes far outweighed the movie itself. Still, I’d recommend seeing it. TRDB.

4)  RUBY SPARKS– Clearview 100. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In an effort to conquer his writer’s block, a young novelist — who’s having trouble duplicating the success of his earlier work — jots down all the attributes of his dream girl. But things get weird when she suddenly comes to life.”

Mixed early reviews but more good than poor. Audiences have liked it. TRDB.

An article about the movie in the NY Times on 7/22/12. TRDB.

5) TO ROME WITH LOVE– Clearview 100. 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.  

6) THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES– Jacob Burns, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Directed by lauded filmmaker and photographer Lauren Greenfield, who won the U.S. Directing Award for Documentary Film at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival for this film, The Queen of Versailles is a character-driven documentary about a billionaire family and their financial challenges in the wake of the economic crisis. With epic proportions of Shakespearean tragedy, the film follows two unique characters, whose rags-to-riches success stories reveal the innate virtues and flaws of the American Dream. The film begins with the family triumphantly constructing the biggest house in America, a 90,000 sq. ft. palace. Over the next two years, their sprawling empire, fueled by the real estate bubble and cheap money, falters due to the economic crisis. Major changes in lifestyle and character ensue within the cross-cultural household of family members and domestic staff.”

Very good reviews in general and in the NY Times on 7/20/12. TRDB.

8/8/12- A very good and insightful documentary that also revealed the psycho-social history of the characters to better understand their reaction to adversity. TRDB.  

7) KILLER JOE– Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Dimwitted drug dealer Chris hires Killer Joe to ice his mother for her insurance. But Chris is broke, so Joe demands his sister Dottie as collateral. Dottie’s not about to be treated as chattel, and Killer Joe soon wishes he’d never taken the job.”

7/27/12- Good reviews in general but a bad, bad one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

8)2 DAYS IN NEW YORK– Jacob Burns. 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Marion and Mingus live cozily-perhaps too cozily-with their cat and two young children from previous relationships. However, when Marion’s jolly father (played by director Delpy’s real-life dad), her oversexed sister, and her sister’s outrageous boyfriend unceremoniously descend upon them for a visit, it initiates two unforgettable days that will test Marion and Mingus’s relationship. With their unwitting racism and sexual frankness, the French triumvirate hilariously has no boundaries or filters…and no person is left unscathed in its wake.”

Mixed reviews, both audience and professional. TRDB.

8/10/12- The NY Times called this movie “a likable mess” in today’s review.

9) MOONRISE KINGDOM– Saw Mill Hawthorne. 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.

 

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