FILM REVIEWS #428
September 14th, 2012
7/20/12- A “just OK” review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
9/7/12- An interesting French comedic drama with wonderful acting, especially a great Auteuil. You should see it. TRDB. At the Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival.
2) GIVE UP TOMORROW– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “With the case continuing to polarize the Philippines, this riveting documentary looks at the trial of Paco Larrañaga, who — despite demonstrable proof of his innocence — was sentenced to death for the 1997 kidnapping, rape and murders of two women.”
No professional reviews but good audience reaction. TRDB.
9/8/12- A well constructed and convincing documentary that I viewed at the Martha’s Vineyard Int. Film Festival. I also had the opportunity to hear a Q and A with the director that was fascinating. TRDB.
3) WORDS OF WITNESS– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Witness Hosni Mubarak’s ouster through the eyes of reporter Heba Afify, who engaged in the protests while writing for an Egyptian newspaper. Amid the fervor and danger of the Arab Spring, Afify also copes with her mother’s growing disapproval.”
Excellent audience reviews but I’ve not found a single professional review as yet. TRDB.
9/7/12- I saw this today at the Martha’s Vineyard Int. Film Festival and liked it very much. TRDB.
9/10/12- A well done documentary about the legend. Should have had more music as that was the best part for me. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
3) DETACHMENT- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “An emotionally detached substitute teacher floats from class to class without forming any bonds. But when he takes a new assignment at an inner city school, he unexpectedly finds himself becoming involved in the lives of his colleagues and students.” Very good early reviews. TRDB.
3/8/12- A truly great movie. Very difficult to watch at times– a tribute to great acting and a terrific screenplay. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.
3/16/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
4) THE SALT OF LIFE– 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.
3/11/12- A delightful comedy with a cute story. TRDB.
5) HYSTERIA– 2011. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Hysteria is a romantic comedy with an accomplished cast led by Maggie Gyllenhaal, Hugh Dancy, Jonathan Pryce, Felicity Jones and Rupert Everett, that tells an untold tale of discovery – the surprising story of the birth of the electro-mechanical vibrator at the very peak of Victorian prudishness.”
5/18/12- Poor review in today’s NY Times and weak reviews in general. TRDB.
6) OSLO, AUGUST 31st– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “This psychological drama follows a day in the life of Anders, a recovering drug addict who travels to his old stomping grounds of Oslo for a job interview. While there, he must confront his past as well as his plans for a new life.”
Very good professional reviews and average audience ones. TRDB.
5/6/12- An article in today’s NY Times about the movie and lead actor. TRDB.
7) 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 and good professional reviews as well. TRDB.
8) 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.
7/6/12- Good review in today’s NY Times. I’ll try to see it. TRDB.
9) THE BABYMAKERS– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Devoted married man Tommy grows increasingly distressed by his failure to impregnate his wife, Audrey. In a desperate bid to have a child of their own, Tommy assembles an oddball group of thieves to steal his long-ago sperm bank donations.”
8/3/12- Sounds stupid and vulgar but the NY Times liked it in today’s review. Most critics did not!! TRDB.
10) 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 but fairly good reviews by critics elsewhere. TRDB.
9/7/12- Mixed reviews for this comedy, more bad than good. The NY Times was noncommittal in today’s review other than to say the movie was viciously funny at times. TRDB.
2) THE WORDS- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “After finding a brilliant unpublished book in an old briefcase, wannabe writer Rory Jansen decides to claim it’s his work — but his choice sets events in motion that have him facing an ethical quandary he could never have expected.”
9/7/12- Weak reviews in general and in today’s NY Times as well. TRDB.
3) THE EYE OF THE STORM– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “A woman recently divorced from a French prince and her washed-up actor brother return home to Australia, hoping to reconcile with their dying mother. But neither is prepared for the ensuing drama that brings the dread of their childhood back to life.”
Rotten Tomatoes had this to say– “In the Sydney suburb of Centennial Park, two nurses, a housekeeper and a solicitor attend to Elizabeth Hunter as her expatriate son and daughter convene at her deathbed. But in dying, as in living, Mrs Hunter remains a powerful force on those who surround her. Based on the novel by Nobel Prize winner Patrick White, The Eye of the Storm is a savage exploration of family relationships – and the sharp undercurrents of love and hate, comedy and tragedy, which define them.”
9/7/12- Mixed reviews for this movie but it sounds interesting and I’ll probably see it eventually. TRDB.
4) THE INBETWEENERS– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Four geeky high school friends set out on a wild sun and booze-filled vacation in The Inbetweeners Movie, the hilarious British breakout hit finally reaching American shores. Packed with outrageous sexual shenanigans, out-of-control party antics and cheekily rude humor in the tradition of American Pie, the film follows a quartet of sex-obsessed nerds to a notorious Mediterranean hotspot as they try to break their lifelong losing streak with the ladies.”
9/7/12- Weak professional reviews in general and from today’s NY Times. Audiences likes it a bit more. TRDB.
5) BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Get to know Wayne White, one of America’s most unusual and arresting artists, with this snappy documentary that traces the ups and downs of his career. The jovial White discusses his art, strums the banjo, plays with puppets and simply enjoys life.”
9/7/12- Very good professional reviews and mediocre audience reaction. TRDB.
6) LAS ACACIAS– 2011. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Rubén is a lonely truck driver who has been covering for years the motorway from Asunción del Paraguay to Buenos Aires, carrying wood. However, today’s journey will be different. This morning, in a motorway stop near Asunción, Jacinta shows up an hour later to begin a journey by track which is going to take her to Buenos Aires. Wath’s more, Rubén finds out at that very moment that little Anahí, who’s 8 months old, will travel with them- It is not the best beginning. As kilometres go by, th relationship between Rubén and Jacinta will grow. they will slowly meet and sip into each other’s soul. None of them talks much about their lives. None asks much either. It’s a few word journey but it is not a silent one.”
Very good professional but weak audience reviews. TRDB.
9/7/12- A very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
7) DESPERATE ENDEAVORS– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “This drama inspired by a true story follows Indian immigrant Ram Patel as he tries to make it big in New York in 1973. Ram’s desperation to provide for his growing family leaves him deeply in debt until he undergoes a spiritual awakening.”
9/7/12- Poor review in today’s NY Times but audiences have liked this so far. TRDB.
8)GIRL MODEL– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Documentarians Ashley Sabin and David Redmon take an unflinching look at the modeling industry, focusing on a conflicted American scout — herself a former model — who recruits poverty-stricken adolescent girls from Russia to work in Japan.”
9/7/12- Good early reviews in general but a review in today’s NY Times is weak. TRDB.
2) ARBITRAGE– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “It’s financial whiz Robert Miller’s day of reckoning. As he struggles to divest his empire before his fraud is brought to light, fate takes a nasty turn. Now desperate and running out of options, Miller turns to an unlikely source for help.”
Great early reviews. I saw the coming attractions for this and it looked very good. TRDB.
3) LIBERAL ARTS– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “A speaking engagement brings 35-year-old Jesse back to his college alma mater, where he’s blindsided by nostalgia and a plucky sophomore named Zibby. Newly single and unfulfilled by his job, Jesse finds Zibby pulling him out of his disillusionment.”
Fairly good early professional reviews. TRDB.
4) THE MASTER– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “A heavy-drinking loaner named Freddie finds some semblance of a family when he stumbles onto the ship of Lancaster Dodd, the charismatic leader of a new “religion” — some say cult — he forms after World War II.”
A few early reviewers said this was a great piece of work. TRDB.
5) STEP UP TO THE PLATE– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Acclaimed French chef Michel Bras passes the torch (in this case his namesake restaurant) to his son Sébastien in this intimate documentary. The eatery, its mouth-watering cuisine and Michel’s mammoth reputation are all virtual co-stars.”
Very early reviews are a bit weak. TRDB.
Great reviews!! TRDB.
8/24/12- The NY Times called this movie “likable” but as noted others felt it was much better than that. TRDB.
9/4/12- Despite the good reviews I found this movie just mildly entertaining and not so funny. 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
2) ARBITRAGE- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “It’s financial whiz Robert Miller’s day of reckoning. As he struggles to divest his empire before his fraud is brought to light, fate takes a nasty turn. Now desperate and running out of options, Miller turns to an unlikely source for help.”
Great early reviews. I saw the coming attractions for this and it looked very good. TRDB.
3) CHICKEN WITH PLUMS– Garden Cinema Norwalk. 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.”
8/17/12- A good review in today’s NY Times and very good professional reviews in general. Fairly good audience reaction as well. TRDB.
4) FAREWELL, MY QUEEN– Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “As revolution threatens Louis XVI’s reign, Marie Antoinette asks a lady in waiting to act as her decoy in the event of a sudden escape. At first, the trusted servant is honored by the arrangement, until she comes to realize what it really means.”
Good review in the NY Times on 7/14/12 and also good reviews from other critics. Weaker reviews from audiences, however. 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) ROBOT AND FRANK– Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Retired cat burglar Frank worries his adult children, who present him with a robot caretaker to look after his house and keep him company. Realizing that his new companion would make the perfect accomplice, Frank plans a return to his old profession.”
Very good early reviews. TRDB.
8/17/12- An OK review in today’s NY Times and most critics have liked it. TRDB.
8/24/12- Frank Langella is great as usual in this funny, poignant and ultimately sad drama. TRDB.
3) THE WORDS– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “After finding a brilliant unpublished book in an old briefcase, wannabe writer Rory Jansen decides to claim it’s his work — but his choice sets events in motion that have him facing an ethical quandary he could never have expected.”
Weak reviews in general. TRDB.
4) SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN– Jacob Burns. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Decades after Detroit singer-songwriter Rodriguez disappeared following the failure of his two critically praised records in the 1970s, two fans from South Africa, where Rodriguez was a huge hit, try to track down their idol, with intriguing results.”
Fairly good reviews. TRDB.
7/27/12- A confusing but good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
9/3/12- A well structured suspenseful documentary about a legend coupled with great music, great interviews, a likable subject and a thought provoking screenplay make this a GREAT DOCUMENTARY. TRDB.
5) )THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES– Clearview 100. 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 applied the psycho-social history of the characters to better understand their reaction to adversity. TRDB.
6) 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.
7) HOPE SPRINGS- 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.
8/19/12- I liked this movie very much. I found it realistic, honest and very well acted. The comedy involved was a case of “the laughs” when we were uncomfortable with the honesty of the material. Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones were great and great together. 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
Entry Filed under: Old Newsletters
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