June 9th, 2010
JUNE 9, 2010
DEAR FRIENDS:
QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK- See “below” for details.
1) WOMEN WITHOUT MEN
2) MADEMOISELLE CHAMBON
3) THE SUN
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MOVIES I’VE SEEN THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER-
1) WOMEN WITHOUT MEN– Directed by Shirin Neshat.
6/10- A beautifully done movie about 4 women living in 1953 Tehran during the coup that brought the Shah back to power and the plight they endure just by being women. The story is about how their lives intersect. Marvelous photography and it’s just the director’s first feature film. TRDB.
2) MADEMOISELLE CHAMBON– From France, this film is about a seemingly happy family. When the father picks his son up from school one day he develops a relationship with his son’s schoolteacher. Directed by Stephane Brize and starring Sandrine Kiberlan, Vincent Lindon and Aure Atika. Good review in NY Times 5/28/10
6/10- A wonderful drama about a working class man who develops an unlikely and unexpected romance with his son’s school teacher. I loved it. TRDB.
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MOVIES I’VE SEEN THIS WEEK AT HOME-
1) THE SUN– Premise by Netflix. “From renowned director Aleksandr Sokurov comes a piercing historical drama about Japan’s emperor Hirohito at the end of World War II. Faced with his country’s defeat and the renunciation of his divine status, Hirohito must establish his own identity. Sokurov’s exquisite cinematography accentuates this examination of diplomacy and personal responsibility as Hirohito agrees to meet with American Gen. MacArthur in an attempt to move Japan forward.” Very good reviews.6/10- Very slow but wonderful depiction of Hirohito and his emotional conflict regarding Japan’s surrender. Highly recommended but not if you’re tired. TRDB. Netflix.
2) ONDINE– Premise by Netflix. “An Irish fisherman (Colin Farrell) hauls in an unexpected catch when a mysterious girl (Alicja Bachleda-Curus) gets tangled in his nets and soon affects the lives of everyone around her in this fantastical seaside tale from director Neil Jordan (Interview with the Vampire). Is it possible this beautiful stranger is a mythical sea nymph who’s been summoned from the ocean’s depths … or is she something far more common?”
6/10- A waste of time but at least now I know what a Selkie is. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.
3) TOE TO TOE– Premise by Netflix. “Out on the lacrosse pitch, wealthy but troubled Jesse (Louisa Krause) and poor but driven Tosha (Sonequa Martin) form an easy and deep bond, but their relationship is threatened once they enter the hallways of an elite prep school they attend in Washington, D.C. There, they must work to overcome racial and other tensions in their classmates, and in themselves, if they hope to keep their friendship alive. Emily Abt directs.” Very good reviews.
6/10- Despite the good reviews I felt that the script was trite. Very good acting saved it. TRDB.
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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, JUNE 15-
1) INVICTUS– Premise by Netflix. “In this drama based on real-life events, director Clint Eastwood tells the story of what happened after the end of apartheid when newly elected president Nelson Mandela used the 1995 World Cup rugby matches to unite his people in South Africa. Based on John Carlin’s book, the film stars Morgan Freeman as Mandela and Matt Damon (both Oscar nominated) as Francois Pienaar, the captain of the scrappy South African team that makes a run for the championship.”
When I saw this I was the only one of our group who did not like it. I felt that it was way too Hollywood and therefore trivialized the great deeds that this man has accomplished. TRDB.
2) MARY AND MAX– Premise by Netflix. “Mary Dinkle, a chubby 8-year-old Australian girl, and Max Horovitz, an obese, middle-aged New Yorker with Asperger’s syndrome, are a pair of unlikely pen pals in this quirky clay animation feature from writer-director Adam Elliot. Corresponding for two decades, the friends delve into a variety of topics, including sex, kleptomania, psychiatry, taxidermy and more. Toni Collette and Philip Seymour Hoffman provide the voices of Mary and Max.”
I saw this movie and once again was surprised that I could really like an animated feature film. I definitely recommend it. TRDB.
3) HAPPY TEARS– Premise by Netflix. “Jayne (Parker Posey) and Laura (Demi Moore) return to their childhood home in Pittsburgh to look after their father, Joe (Rip Torn), a lively widower who may be slipping into dementia. The sisters are soon at odds over their father’s care — and over old family dramas. As Joe’s condition deteriorates, they are forced to confront myriad unpleasant memories. Ellen Barkin and Christian Camargo co-star.” Generally negative reviews.
4) COLLAPSE– Premise by Netflix. “In an avant-garde soliloquy, investigative journalist Michael Ruppert details his unnerving theories about the inexorable link between energy depletion and the collapse of the economic system that supports the entire industrial world. Helmed by filmmaker Chris Smith (American Movie), Ruppert’s monologue explains how the lies and political propaganda fed to Americans by big business will eventually lead to human extinction.” Very good reviews.
5) BURMA VJ– Premise by Netflix. “Filmmaker Anders Østergaard’s Oscar-nominated documentary profiles the courageous efforts of a renegade band of Burmese reporters who — in the face of a repressive regime and media censorship — refuse to be silenced. Calling themselves the Democratic Voice of Burma (aka the Burma VJs), these fierce “video warriors” place themselves in peril as they smuggle footage documenting their government’s abuses across the border — and to the world at large. Great reviews.
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OPENING REGIONALLY OR NATIONALLY THIS WEEK–
1)
COCO CHANEL AND IGOR STRVINSKY- Premise by Netflix. “Seven years after she was inspired by the bold debut of Igor Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring,” famed fashion designer Coco Chanel (
Anna Mouglalis) — reeling from the death of her beau, Boy Capel (
Anatole Taubmann) — meets and falls for the Russian composer (
Mads Mikkelsen) in 1920s Paris. A forbidden romance ensues in
Jan Kounen‘s sumptuous period drama, the closing film of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.”
Fair reviews, some calling it wonderful and others calling it boring.
2)
KINGS OF THE EVENING– Premise by Netflix. “Homer Hobbs (
Tyson Beckford) returns from prison to a town gripped by the Depression. Stuck in a boardinghouse with four strangers and no resources, Homer figures he may be down and out, but he can still dress for success at the local weekly “swanking” contest. Every Sunday evening at a nearby hall, the men about town pull on their best threads and strut their stuff. All may compete, but at night’s end, only one will be king.”
I saw only 1 review and it was luke warm. TRDB.
3)
WINTER’S BONE– Premise by Netflix. “In this noir drama set deep in Ozark territory, resilient teenager Ree Dolly (
Jennifer Lawrence) goes on the trail of her missing drug-dealing father when his absence jeopardizes the safety of their family. The deadbeat dad has a critical court date pending, and Ree is determined that he make it — despite the objections of the insular Dolly clan. Director
Debra Granik‘s unflinching drama won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.”
Great reviews.
4)
JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK– Premise by Netflix. “Documentarians
Ricki Stern and
Annie Sundberg provide an uncompromising glimpse into the personal and professional life of comedian and red-carpet mainstay
Joan Rivers, a woman clinging stubbornly and steadfastly to the pop-culture bandwagon. Stern and Sundberg — whose previous film, The Devil Came on Horseback, covered the Darfur genocide — take a no-less-intensive approach to their subject here, taking a hard look at fame’s bitter toll.”
Fair reviews.
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FLORIDA- At the Emerging Cinemas of Lake Worth-
1)
JOHN RABE– Premise by Netflix. “
Florian Gallenberger directs this gripping drama about John Rabe (
Ulrich Tukur), a German businessman living in Nanking, China, who in 1937 used his Nazi party affiliation to save some 200,000 Chinese civilians from slaughter at the hands of the Japanese army. As Rabe labors to establish an official safety zone to shelter the innocent, he forms an unlikely friendship with an American doctor (
Steve Buscemi).
Anne Consigny and
Daniel Brühl co-star.”
Very mixed reviews with some great and some poor.
2)
EVERYONE ELSE– Premise by Netflix. “In director
Maren Ade‘s complex drama about gender roles, power and desire, Chris (
Lars Eidinger) and Gitti (
Birgit Minichmayr) find their relationship tested when a brief encounter with a seemingly perfect couple prompts Chris to emulate the other man’s dominance. Gitti is game for the role-playing experiment, until submission gives way to suffocation. Will both partners feel their true selves slip away?”
Excellent reviews.
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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-
NEW-
1)
THE YOUNG VICTORIA– Premise by Netflix. “Eighteen-year-old British royal Victoria (
Emily Blunt) ascends to the throne and is romanced by future husband Prince Albert (
Rupert Friend) in this lush period film that chronicles the early years of the British monarch’s larger-than-life reign. Produced by
Martin Scorsese and
Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, the Oscar-nominated film also stars
Miranda Richardson as the Duchess of Kent,
Jim Broadbent as King William, and
Paul Bettany as Lord Melbourne.”
12/09- I saw this and liked it very much. TRDB.
REPEATS-
1) (500) DAYS OF SUMMER- A romance about a woman not interested in a permanent relationship and the guy who falls for her. Cute story with very creative writing and I enjoyed it. Available on Netflix.
2) AN EDUCATION- About a young British woman (16yrs. old) who falls for a much older man. I liked the movie. Also on Netflix.
3) AVATAR- The one and only. I haven’t seen it yet but I eventually will. It’s on Netflix also.
4) BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS- Great Cage. Just OK movie. On Netflix.
5) BEESWAX- Premise by Netflix. “Director Andrew Bujalski uses nonprofessional actors and a small crew to bring a sense of intimacy to this film about twins being nudged out of their “safe space” by an impending legal battle and major life changes. Real-life twins Maggie and Tilly Hatcher play sisters Lauren and Jeannie, who find their shared lives shaken up when Lauren considers a job overseas, and conflicts with Jeannie’s business partner raise the possibility of a lawsuit.” Most reviewers liked this film but none called it very good.4/10- A bit slow, nothing in particular happens but a slice of life and very real. I liked it. 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
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BOB’S PICKS IN THE SUBURBS (FAIRFIELD AND WESTCHESTER COUNTIES)
THAT’S IT FOR NOW-
THE REEL DR BOB
The Reel Dr. Bob
For Independent Films in Your Neighborhood go to- www.emergingpictures.com
For all films go to- www.fandango.com
1) SOLITARY MAN- Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk, Clearview 100, Saw Mill Hawthorne. Premise by Netflix. “Michael Douglas stars as a former car dealership owner who sees his personal and professional lives take a nosedive when the repercussions of years of shady business dealings and chronic womanizing finally catch up with him. Susan Sarandon, Mary-Louise Parker, Danny DeVito and Jenna Fischer co-star in this comedic drama written and co-directed by Brian Koppelman.” Good reviews and finally in the suburbs. I’ll see it.
2) CITY ISLAND- Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk, Clearview 100, Saw Mill Hawthorne. About people in families and the secrets they keep. I liked it.
3) PLEASE GIVE- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Premise by Netflix. “Life gets knotty when successful Manhattan couple Alex (Oliver Platt) and Kate (Catherine Keener) develop a relationship with the granddaughters of Andra (Ann Morgan Guilbert), the cantankerous elderly woman who owns the apartment next to theirs — and who must die so they can expand their home. The all-star cast includes Amanda Peet, Rebecca Hall and Lois Smith in this indie feature from writer-director Nicole Holofcener (Friends with Money).” I was luke warm on this one. TRDB.
4) THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES- Jacob Burns, Garden Cinema Norwalk. I saw this and it’s a good mystery with several gaping holes in the story line. TRDB.
5) HOLY ROLLERS- Clearview 100. Premise by Netflix. “Inspired by a true story, director Kevin Asch‘s film tells the story of Sam Gold (Jesse Eisenberg), a young Hasidic Jew from Brooklyn who breaks with Orthodox tradition when he becomes an intercontinental Ecstasy smuggler for an Israeli drug cartel. A blend of neurotic coming-of-age dramedy and tense crime thriller, the film features Justin Bartha (“National Treasure”) as Sam’s pal Yosef and hip-hop recording artist Q-Tip in a supporting role.” Mixed reviews.
6) BABIES- Clearview 100. A documentary about 4 babies of diverse culture and situation in the first year of life. Good reviews.
7) MADEMOISELLE CHAMBON- Clearview 100. A wonderful drama about a working class man who develops an unlikely and unexpected romance with his son’s school teacher. I LOVED IT!!! TRDB.
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