FILM REVIEWS #432
October 10th, 2012
10/6/12- A few good laughs and little more. I turned it off. TRDB. Netflix.
2) THIN ICE- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Midwest insurance salesman Mickey Prohaska (Greg Kinnear) hatches a get-rich-quick scheme that depends on him gaining possession of a rare and precious violin, but his planned score results in wild and unexpected consequences. Alan Arkin, Billy Crudup and Lea Thompson co-star in this meditation on lying and its consequences, written by sisters Jill and Karen Sprecher (Thirteen Conversations About One Thing).” Only fair review so far. TRDB.
10/7/12- Just a bit far-fetched and convoluted. You can safely skip it. TRDB. Netflix.
3) DARLING COMPANION– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Dealing with an empty nest and self-absorbed husband Joseph, Beth develops a deep bond with a dog she rescues — and when Joseph loses the dog after a wedding, Beth joins forces with wedding guests in a search that takes some unexpected turns.” Good early reviews. TRDB.
4/20/12- A good cast but weak review in today’s NY Times and by most other critics as well. Audiences haven’t cared for it either so I would skip it. TRDB.
10/8/12- I love the cast so I decided to see this despite the weak reviews. A bit ridiculous but it was funny at times and I kind of liked it, especially Keaton and Kline. I could have done without the psychic, however. TRDB. Netflix
4) CHICO & RITA– 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “Director Fernando Trueba and artist Javier Mariscal collaborate on this animated celebration of Cuban music that features pianist Bebo Valdés and other jazz greats in an epic story of romance, ambition and glamour set in the 1940s. Chico (voiced by Eman Xor Oña) is a gifted pianist and composer who falls in love with Rita (Limara Meneses), an equally talented singer, but her rise to success in America tears their romance apart.” Great professional reviews but so-so audience reaction so far. TRDB.
2/10/12- Good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
10/9/12- Great music along with a good old fashioned story and I liked it. TRDB. Netflix
3/3/12- I thought this movie was great! TRDB. Netflix.
2) TURN ME ON, DAMMIT– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Alma is a sexually curious teenager living in a small town. To cope with her boring existence, she indulges in an active fantasy life with the help of a phone sex chat line. Soon her peers learn of Alma’s ways, forcing her to stand up for who she is.” I’ve seen some very good reviews of this film. TRDB.
3) THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL– 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 pictoral travelogue and not a heck of a lot more. TRDB.
4) CHELY WRIGHT: WISH ME AWAY– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “This poignant documentary, filmed over three years, profiles country music star Chely Wright, a devout Christian whose struggle to succeed in the music biz while hiding her homosexuality from her conservative family and fans caused her much anguish.”
A very good review in the NY Times on 6/1/12 and elsewhere as well. TRDB.
5) 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.”
OK early reviews. TRDB.
6) NOBODY ELSE BUT YOU– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “A local beauty’s death is ruled suicide by sleeping pills, but crime novelist Rousseau doesn’t buy it. Reality turns out to be stranger than fiction — and a source of inspiration — as he uncovers the truth about the woman’s past.”
Fairly good reviews especially from the critics. TRDB.
7) LAST RIDE– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In Last Ride, a desperate father takes his ten year old son, Chook, on the run after committing a violent crime. As the two journey into the desert and an unknown future, their troubled relationship and the need to survive sees them battling the elements and each other. Chook eventually takes control and the choice he is forced to make has a devastating effect on both their lives.”
7/6/12– Good review in today’s NY Times and by the critics in general. Audiences have liked it as well. TRDB.
7/31/12- An interesting Australian drama with beautiful scenery and I’d recommend it. TRDB.
8) GRASSROOTS– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Based on a true story, this inspiring comedy tells the tale of unemployed writer Phil Campbell, who’s roped into helping his quirky friend Grant run for Seattle city council. Surprisingly, Grant’s passion for mass transit may win him the election.”
Fair professional reviews but audiences have liked this movie very much. 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) WILD HORSE, WILD RIDE– Synopsis by Netflix. “An annual contest challenges 100 people across the United States to tame a wild mustang in 100 days. Following this dangerous and harrowing feat is a public showcase that determines whether these horses can be saved from a life in captivity.”
8/24/12- Excellent review in today’s NY Times and audiences have loved this movie as well. TRDB.
3) 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.
6/22/12- Very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
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2) FAT KID RULES THE WORLD– 2001. Synopsis by Netflix. “Depressed, obese teen Troy is about to step in front of a bus and end it all when fate enters in the form of Marcus, a free-spirited street musician. Under his samaritan’s nonjudgmental wing, talentless Troy finds acceptance in Marcus’s punk band.”
10/5/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times and fair reviews from other critics. Audiences have liked it very much. TRDB.
3) IT’S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY– 2012. Synopsis by IMDB. “Bill struggles to put together his shattered psyche, in this new feature film version of Don Hertzfeldt’s animated short film trilogy.”
10/5/12- Excellent early reviews including a very good one in today’s NY Times- calling it unsettling as well as liking it. TRDB.
4) THE HOUSE I LIVE IN– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Why We Fight director Eugene Jarecki shifts his focus from the military industrial complex to the War on Drugs in this documentary exploring the risks that prohibition poses to freedom, and the tragedy of addicts being treated as criminals. In the four decades since the War on Drugs commenced, over 45 millions of addicts have been arrested – and for each one jailed, another family is destroyed. Meanwhile, the prisons in America are growing overcrowded with non-violent criminals, and illegal drugs are still being sold in schoolyards. By examining just where it all went wrong, Jarecki reveals that a solution is possible if we can just find it in ourselves to be compassionate, and see past the decades of paranoia and propaganda.”
10/5/12- Excellent review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
5) WUTHERING HEIGHTS– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In director Andrea Arnold’s updated take on Emily Brontë’s classic tale, the youthful love between English adolescents Cathy and Heathcliff becomes a twisted passion that wreaks havoc as they navigate adult responsibilities and prejudices.”
10/5/12- A mixed review in today’s NY Times but fairly good ones from critics in general. TRDB.
6) SISTER– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Every day, impoverished 12-year-old Simon sneaks into a posh Swiss ski resort, where he helps himself to the gear of wealthy tourists. Benefitting from his thievery is his lazy older sister, Louise, who refuses to live up to her responsibilities.”
Rotten Tomatoes said- “Simon (Kacey Mottet Klein) lives with his older sister (Léa Seydoux) in a housing complex below a luxury Swiss ski resort. With his sister drifting in and out of jobs and relationships, twelve-year-old Simon takes on the responsibility of providing for the two of them. Every day, he takes the lift up to the opulent ski world above, stealing equipment from rich tourists to resell to the local kids down in the valley. He is able to keep their little family afloat with his small-time hustles and his sister is thankful for the money he brings in. But, when Simon partners with a crooked British seasonal worker, he begins to lose his boundaries, affecting his relationship with his sister and plummeting him into dangerous territory.
10/5/12- Very good reviews from the NY Times and from most other critics as well. TRDB.
7) IN MY MOTHER’S ARMS– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A desperate phone call requesting donations for a makeshift Iraqi orphanage first brought filmmaking brothers Atia and Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji to a two-bedroom house in the notoriously dangerous Baghdad neighborhood of in Al-Sadr. Husham, an unlikely hero working tirelessly without state support to shelter and protect more than thirty children, had been given two weeks to vacate the premises and had neither money nor resources at his disposal. The children in his care are in dire straits: Saif can’t remember anything about his dead mother but her name; Mohammed struggles to balance school life with his search for self-identity; and Salah, who is too traumatized to speak, fears he may never be able to go to school. In My Mother’s Arms is a powerful reminder that the battlefield is only one of many places one can find the victims of war.”
Great reviews! TRDB.
2) EXCUSE ME FOR LIVING– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “EXCUSE ME FOR LIVING is the story of Dan Topler (TOM PELPHREY), a rich, smart, suicidal twenty-something who dropped out of medical school to pursue his own drug habit. Well provided for and a bit coddled, he refuses to grow up or get happy. After a suicide attempt on the George Washington Bridge lands him in an upscale rehabilitation clinic, Dr. Jacob Bernstein (ROBERT VAUGHN) takes him under his wing. The doctor issues these commands: obey the no-drugs rules, and join the geriatric temple men’s group he leads-or face incarceration. Despite Dan’s negative attitude attending the seniors’ club, he finds he’s among accomplished men and becomes engrossed with their lives. Meanwhile, Dan’s prep school friends continue to lure Dan to bacchanals. Dan’s addiction and tired mind can’t resist the drugs, booze, and women, until he becomes smitten with Laura (MELISSA ARCHER), Dr. Bernstein’s daughter. Resolving to turn his life around, he confronts his friends and begins to listen at his group sessions, eventually realizing he has more to offer and to learn than he ever knew.”
No reviews as yet. TRDB.
3) MIDDLE OF NOWHERE– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “After her husband is sent to prison for eight years, medical student Ruby shelves her studies to focus on her partner’s welfare as he serves his time. The couple soon learns the new pressures they need to bear if their relationship is to survive.”
No reviews as yet. TRDB.
4) NOBODY WALKS– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “The arrival of aspiring filmmaker Martine into a laid-back Southern California household brings about dramatic changes in the lives of her hosts. The bond between Martine and Peter, who is helping her with a project, soon becomes more complex.”
Early reviews are weak. TRDB.
5) SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Marty, a struggling writer, needs inspiration to finish his screenplay Seven Psychopaths. He gets plenty of it when his oddball friends nab a crazed gangster’s beloved pooch and he inadvertently gets caught up in all the action.”
Very good reviews. TRDB.
6) HERE COMES THE BOOM– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “When cutbacks threaten his high school’s music program, physics teacher Scott Voss decides to moonlight as a mixed martial arts fighter in order to raise the money that would save the program.”
No reviews as yet. TRDB.
7) SMASHED– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Married couple Kate and Charlie love to party and drink together. But when Kate’s drinking gets out of hand, threatening her teaching job, she decides to get sober. Now Kate and Charlie struggle as they learn a new way of being together.”
Great early reviews. TRDB.
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2) THE FLAT- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “When Arnon Goldfinger’s grandmother died at 98, he was charged with cleaning out her Tel Aviv apartment, where he made a shocking discovery. The filmmaker plays detective as he sorts through decades of the Holocaust survivor’s letters and photos.”
No reviews as yet. TRDB.
3) THE SESSIONS– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “After spending years in an iron lung, a man decides he wants to explore his sexuality for the first time, and hires a surrogate to aid the goal. Through their intensifying relationship, this indie drama illustrates the many forms love can take.”
Very good early reviews. TRDB.
10/5/12- Good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
6/29/12- Only a fair review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
10/5/12- Good review in today’s NY Times. 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) THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER– Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this engaging coming-of-age tale based on the best-selling novel by Stephen Chbosky, a shy freshman struggling with depression deals with his best friend’s suicide and his first love — and finds help from two seniors who take an interest in him.”
Mixed reviews, mostly good. TRDB.
9/21/12- Good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
3) SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS– Jacob Burns, Danbury. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Marty, a struggling writer, needs inspiration to finish his screenplay Seven Psychopaths. He gets plenty of it when his oddball friends nab a crazed gangster’s beloved pooch and he inadvertently gets caught up in all the action.”
Very good reviews. TRDB.
4) THE PAPERBOY– Saw Mill Hawthorne. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Convinced by a death row inmate’s female pen pal that the convict is innocent, a reporter and his brother investigate and discover a case marred by deceit, seduction and betrayal. Meanwhile, one brother falls for the convict’s mysterious confidant.”
Fair early reviews. TRDB.
10/5/12- A very interesting review in today’s NY Times and it’s both + and-. TRDB.
REPEATS-
9/14/12- Fair review at best in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
9/19/12- A suspenseful and well acted financial thriller. I recommend it. TRDB.
2) TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE– Bethel. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Slowed by age and failing eyesight, crack baseball scout Gus Lobel takes his grown daughter along as he checks out the final prospect of his career. Along the way, the two renew their bond, and she catches the eye of a young player-turned-scout.”
Fair reviews for this movie starring Clint Eastwood. TRDB.
9/21/12- The NY Times today called this movie “safe” and reserved praise for Amy Adams, Eastwood’s daughter in the film. TRDB.
3) SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk.. 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.
4) THE MASTER– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100, Danbury, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “A heavy-drinking loner 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. Friends have hated it and 2 asked for their money back. TRDB.
5) THE ORANGES– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “When newly unattached Nina Ostroff (Leighton Meester) comes home for Thanksgiving dinner, her parents make plans to pair her up with their neighbors’ successful son, Toby (Adam Brody). But then Nina locks eyes with Toby’s father, wrecking everyone’s expectations. Catherine Keener, Allison Janney, Oliver Platt and Alia Shawkat co-star in this comic tale of redefining happiness when it comes to relationships.”
Just a few reviews at this time and they are all POOR. TRDB.
6) SAMSARA– Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Filmed over five years in more than 25 different countries, this dialogue-free documentary shares snippets of life from all around the world, revealing ties between the dueling rhythms of nature and humanity.”
Early reviews are very good. I’ve seen the coming attractions and it looks interesting. 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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