FILM REVIEWS #435
November 8th, 2012
10/19/12- Excellent review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
11/3/12- I found this movie alternately touching, sad, funny and very moving. TRDB.
11/6/12- Although this movie was difficult to watch at times it was very realistic and portrayed well the stress that the policemen and policewomen are under while trying to protect children from predators. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
2) PEOPLE LIKE US– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “When Sam flies home for his estranged father’s funeral, the reading of the will reveals a sister he never knew he had — and an order that Sam must bring his alcoholic sibling and her young son their inheritance.”
Very good early reviews. TRDB.
6/29/12- Only a fair review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
11/7/12- An interesting drama that was a bit soap-opera-ish but there was some very good writing embedded in this story about family. TRDB. Netflix
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.
2) 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.
3) NATURAL SELECTION– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Asked by her dying husband to locate a boy he fathered through a sperm donation decades ago, repressed housewife Linda White sets out on a wild road trip, shedding her strict morals and making an unlikely connection with her husband’s troubled son.” Very good early reviews. TRDB.
3/16/12- So-so review in today’s NY Times but it does sound interesting. TRDB.
4) LAST CALL AT THE OASIS– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “This compelling documentary explores the global water crisis, examining deficiencies in the supply system and communities affected by water shortages. Scientists, activists and social entrepreneurs shed light on this shocking and pervasive problem.”
Poor early reviews. TRDB.
5/4/12- An OK review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
5) DARK HORSE– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Now in his 30s but emotionally stuck in his early teens, a vintage-toy enthusiast strikes up an unlikely but successful relationship with a woman who has some adjustment troubles of her own — until a secret threatens to undermine the whole affair.” Fairly good reviews. TRDB.
6/11/12- Good review in NY Times last week. TRDB.
6) 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.
7) MAKE BELIEVE– 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “This illuminating look at the lives of young magicians follows six hopefuls from the United States, Japan and South Africa as they vie for the title of Teen World Champion at the World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas. On one hand, their adolescence is extraordinary, but they also share the same problems as many ordinary teens, from poverty to overbearing parents to struggling to fit in. J. Clay Tweel directs this Best Documentary Feature at the L.A. Film Festival.” Good review in NY Times on 5/13/11. TRDB.
8/7/12- Very good documentary!! Really got to know the kids and what “magic” means to them. TRDB.
8)MOONRISE KINGDOM– 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.
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2) A LATE QUARTET– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Tempers flare, old jealousies reignite and new passions are sparked when the members of a world-renowned string quartet are preparing to celebrate their 25th anniversary and learn that their leader must step down due to a grim medical diagnosis.”
11/2/12- A fairly good review in today’s NY Times, especially for the actors. Other critics have liked it as well and so have audiences. TRDB.
3) GIRL WALK/ ALL DAY– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Girl Walk / All Day is a feature-length dance music video and tale of urban exploration that follows three dancers across New York City. They turn the city’s sidewalks, parks and architecture into an evolving stage as they spread their joy of movement.”
11/2/12- A good review in today’s NY Times and excellent audience reviews as well. TRDB.
4) JACK AND DIANE– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Jack and Diane, two teenage girls, meet in New York City and spend the night kissing ferociously. Diane’s charming innocence quickly begins to open Jack’s tough skinned heart. But when Jack discovers that Diane is moving she pushes her away. Unable to grasp her new feelings, Diane’s emotions begin to cause unexplainable violent changes to her body. Through these awkward and insecure feelings, the two girls must struggle to turn their first love into an enduring one.”
11/2/12- Very weak reviews in the NY Times and elsewhere as well. TRDB.
5) NORTH SEA TEXAS– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. Pim, an introverted child, occupies his time drawing and fantasizing while keeping his emerging desires a secret. As a teenager, he grows infatuated with Gino, the handsome boy next door. When a hunky young man from the local fair starts living with Pim and his mother, he seizes the opportunity to leave home and move in with Gino’s family. His plan backfires as Gino departs, romancing and living with a girl from across the border. It seems like Pim’s dreams will never come true, but then one rainy day Gino returns home.”
11/2/12- A good review in today’s NY Times. Other critics and audiences have liked it also. TRDB.
6) THE UNDERSTUDY– 2008. Synopsis by Netflix. “Perennially unemployed actress Rebecca thinks that her luck is finally changing when she’s hired to understudy for a movie star making her theatrical debut — but it’s only when a mysterious “accident” sidelines the lead that Rebecca takes the stage.”
11/2/12- A “just OK” review in today’s NY Times. This movie was made 4 years ago but is just now being released. TRDB.
7) HIGH GROUND– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Eleven wounded warriors returning from Iraq and Afghanistan join an expedition to climb the 20,000-foot Mount Lobuche. Led by blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer and a team of Everest summiters, they set out on an emotional climb to reach the top.”
11/2/12-Great reviews including the one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
8)A MAN’S STORY– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Celebrated menswear designer Ozwald Boateng is also a man of strong passions, as recorded in this revealing documentary filmed over 10 years. Boateng’s personal challenges are contrasted with the elation his designs inspire at London Fashion Week.”
11/2/12- A weak review in today’s NY Times but audiences seem to have liked this documentary. TRDB.
9) BONES BRIGADE– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Today skateboarding is omnipresent. Take a walk down any street in any town, and you are destined to see someone riding a skateboard. Well, it wasn’t always like that. In the early ’80s, skateboarding was fading away until Stacy Peralta brought a profoundly talented group of outsiders together and dubbed them the Bones Brigade. This documentary chronicles their epic rise, using awesome archival footage and moving first-person accounts from Brigade members Steve Caballero, Tommy Guerrero, Tony Hawk, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain, and Rodney Mullen, among others. Through passion, drive, creativity, and a surprising sense of teamwork, they revitalized the sport and influenced generations to come. BONES BRIGADE will blow the minds of anyone who grew up emulating these guys, but it also resonates for anyone who ever found a family or a purpose in an unexpected place.”
11/2/12- A weak review in today’s NY Times but other critics have liked it and so have audiences so far. TRDB.
10) THE BAY– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Two million fish washed ashore. One thousand blackbirds dropped from the sky. On July 4, 2009 a deadly menace swept through the quaint seaside town of Claridge, Maryland, but the harrowing story of what happened that Independence Day has never been told – until now. The authorities believed they had buried the truth about the tragedy that claimed over 700 human lives. Now, three years later, a reporter has emerged with footage revealing the cover-up and an unimaginable killer: a mysterious parasitic outbreak. Told from the perspective of those who were there and saw what happened, The Bay unfolds over 24 hours though people’s iPhones, Androids, 911 calls, web cams, and whatever else could be used to document the nightmare in Claridge”
11/2/12- OK reviews in general and in today’s NY Times but this movie is definitely not for me. TRDB.
4) IN ANOTHER COUNTRY– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Isabelle Huppert plays three women, each named Anne, in this contemplative drama set at a small hotel in the beachside town of Mohang, South Korea. All three characters subtly affect their hosts and other townspeople, including the local lifeguard.”
Very good early reviews. TRDB.
5) LINCOLN- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Director Steven Spielberg takes on the towering legacy of Abraham Lincoln, focusing on his stewardship of the Union during the Civil War years. The biographical saga also reveals the conflicts within Lincoln’s cabinet regarding the war and abolition.”
Just a few professional reviews and they are mixed, one calling it a mess. TRDB.
6) STARLET– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Jane, a 21-year-old slacker, finds $10,000 stashed in a thermos she buys at a garage sale. Unsure what to do with the money, she begins spending time with Sadie, the elderly widow who held the garage sale, and an unlikely friendship develops.”
Fairly good reviews so far. TRDB.
7) A ROYAL AFFAIR– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 18th-century Denmark, the unstable King Christian IV neglects his young queen, Mathilde, who falls in love with his German physician, Struensee, an intellectual whose advocation of reform transforms the country but brings about his own downfall.”
Great early reviews!! 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) SKYFALL– Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “When a serious menace threatens MI6, James Bond is on the case — putting aside his own life and personal issues to hunt and obliterate the perpetrators. Meanwhile, secrets arise from M’s past that strain Bond’s loyalty to his longtime boss.”
Great reviews!! TRDB.
10/25/12- A fascinating and apparently true story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. TRDB.
2) THE OTHER SON– Bethel, Clearview 100. – 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “”The Other Son” is the moving and provocative tale of two young men — one Israeli, the other Palestinian — who discover they were accidentally switched at birth, and the complex repercussions facing them and their respective families. Joseph (Jules Sitruk), an 18-year-old musician preparing to join the Israeli army for his mandatory military service, lives at home in a comfortable suburb of Tel Aviv with his parents, France-born physician Orith (Emmanuelle Devos) and Israel-born army commander Alon Silbers (Pascal Elbé). A blood test for Joseph’s military service reveals that he is not their biological son. During the Gulf War Joseph was evacuated from a clinic along with another baby, and the pair were given back to the wrong families. While Palestinian Joseph went to Tel Aviv with the Silbers, their actual Jewish son, Yacine (Medhi Dehbi), was brought to the West Bank by an Arab couple, Said (Khalifa Natour) and Leila (Areen Omari). The revelation turns the lives of the two families upside-down, forcing them to reassess their respective identities, values, and beliefs.”
10/26/12– A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
10/28/12- I liked this movie very much. Great acting and a different slant on a premise that has been done before. The film was very well done especially and dealing with the sensitivities regarding this region of the world. Highly recommended. TRDB.
3) THE SESSIONS– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 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.
10/19/12- Excellent review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
11/3/12- I found this movie alternately touching, sad, funny and very moving. TRDB.
4) THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER- Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 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.
5) SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN– 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.
6) CLOUD ATLAS– Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this star-studded drama, six seemingly disparate stories take viewers from a South Pacific Island in the 19th century to 1980s America to a dystopian future, exploring the complicated links that humans share through the generations.”
Reviews are all over the place. 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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