FILM REVIEWS #439
December 5th, 2012
11/16/12- Very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
12/4/12- A very enjoyable piece of fluff that had a few lessons about life as well. TRDB.
2) 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.”
Mediocre professional reviews. Audiences have not liked this movie very much. TRDB.
12/3/12– I just could not get used to the hyperactive state of the character running for City Council and turned the movie off. TRDB. Netflix.
3) SHUT UP LITTLE MAN– 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1987, Eddie Lee Sausage and Mitch Deprey recorded the nightly squabbles of their over-the-top neighbors, homophobic Raymond Huffman and proudly gay Peter Haskett, and the chronicle of the pair’s bizarre existence soon took on a life of its own. This darkly funny documentary checks in with former punks Eddie and Mitch, who detail their late-’80s Lower Haight surroundings, and surveys the tapes’ influence on an array of underground artists.”
9/16/11- Very good reviews in general and in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
12/3/12- I found this movie boring with little redeeming social value and turned it off quickly. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
4) ALPS– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “With Alps, director Yorgos Lanthimos brings to the screen the story of a group of people who specialize in playing the role of deceased people to anyone (usually relatives, friends or colleagues of the deceased) willing to pay for their services. Their company, called Alps, is managed by Mont Blanc (Aris Servetalis), a strict boss who keeps his employees under a close watch. But when the company’s nurse (Aggeliki Papoulia) decides to get off her scripted routine, this eccentric group starts falling to pieces.”
Fair professional reviews and fair audience reaction as well. TRDB.
12/4/12- I can’t decide if this movie was more weird than boring or the other way around. Skip it!! TRDB. Netflix.
2) SAVAGES– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Laguna Beach entrepreneurs Ben (Johnson), a peaceful and charitable Buddhist, and his closest friend Chon (Kitsch), a former Navy SEAL and ex-mercenary, run a lucrative, homegrown industry-raising some of the best marijuana ever developed. They also share a one-of-a-kind love with the extraordinary beauty Ophelia (Lively). Life is idyllic in their Southern California town…until the Mexican Baja Cartel decides to move in and demands that the trio partners with them. When the merciless head of the BC, Elena (Hayek), and her brutal enforcer, Lado (Del Toro), underestimate the unbreakable bond among these three friends, Ben and Chon-with the reluctant, slippery assistance of a dirty DEA agent (Travolta)-wage a seemingly unwinnable war against the cartel.”
7/6/12- Good review in today’s NY Times but only average reviews in general. Audiences have liked it. TRDB.
7/9/12- Generally this is not my kind of movie as the film was way over the top in violence, blood and gore but I actually was surprised at how I got sucked into the different personalities involved. A qualified recommendation.
3) 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.
8/17/12- Good review in today’s NY Times but only mixed reviews by other critics and by audiences as well. TRDB.
4) GAYBY– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “When yoga teacher Jenn and her gay friend Matt find themselves thirtysomething, single and childless, they decide to parent a baby together. But trouble arises when they discover they have differing ideas about the method of the child’s conception.”
10/12/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times but critics and audiences alike have enjoyed it. TRDB.
5) 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.”
8/17/12- Poor reviews by critics and by audiences make you want to miss this one. TRDB.
6) TRADE OF INNOCENTS– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix . “In present day South East Asia, down dark alleys, in secret rooms, children are for sale. Parallel story lines intertwine and twists unfold against the backdrop of the dangerous human trafficking world, in a story of struggle, life, hope and redemption.”
10/5/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times. Other critics have disliked it also but audiences have liked it. TRDB.
7) BACKWARDS– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “When she doesn’t make the Olympic cut for a second time, über-competitive 30-year-old rower Abi Brooks becomes a coach at a school working for her ex-boyfriend — and as she adjusts to her new life, she makes some important discoveries about herself.”
A few early reviews are mixed. TRDB.
9/21/12- Awful review in today’s NY Times. 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.
2) 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.
9/14/12- Good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
9/26/12- A fun romantic film that I’d recommend. TRDB.
3) THE GOOD DOCTOR– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Martin Blake, a young doctor setting out to establish his reputation, falls into an illicit romance with teenage patient Diane. When a colleague learns of the forbidden relationship, he uses the information to blackmail Dr. Blake for drugs.”
8/31/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times and elsewhere as well. TRDB.
4) HERMANO– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Brothers Daniel and Julio love soccer, but while Julio focuses on providing for their family, Daniel dreams about playing professionally. When a pro scout comes to watch them play, they face an agonizing choice between family and their sport.”
8/24/12- Very good review in today’s NY Times. Mixed professional reviews in general but audiences have liked it a lot. TRDB.
5) 10 YEARS– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “When a group of friends reunites during their 10th high school reunion, they ponder old dreams and forge new connections. At the center of the crowd is Jake. Planning to propose to his girlfriend, he’s thrown for a loop when his old flame appears.”
I found only 3 reviews, one positive, one very negative and one so-so. TRDB.
9/14/12- Fair review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
2) LOVE, MARILYN– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “A diverse group of actresses read from Marilyn Monroe’s recently discovered diaries and personal papers in this intimate portrait that examines the luminous star’s life and legend through her own words.”
11/30/12- An OK review in today’s NY Times but weak critical review so far. TRDB.
3) NEW JERUSALEM– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Sean is a young Irish immigrant struggling with life’s uncertainties. Just home from service in Afghanistan, he meets Ike, who believes that Christianity can solve Sean’s troubles. But Ike doesn’t understand that his friendship alone may be enough.”
11/30/12- Mixed review in today’s NY Times but weak reviews in general. Audiences have not liked it either. TRDB.
4) ELZA- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Bernadette, a single mother in Paris, tries to provide her daughters with everything. She is thrilled when her eldest daughter, Elza, is the first in the family to graduate from college earning a master’s degree summa cum laude. But Elza breaks her mother’s heart by running away to their native Guadeloupe in search of a distant childhood memory: the father she barely remembers.”
11/30/12- A good review in today’s NY Times but a few other reviews that I read were negative. TRDB.
5) DRIVERS WANTED– 2012. Synopsis by IMDB. “An impossibly eclectic community behind the doors of a taxi garage in Queens.”
11/30/12- An OK review for this documentary in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
6) CERTAINTY– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Dom McGuire had it all figured out until his sister dropped 200 pounds, his best friend sobered up and his fiancee rediscovered religion.”
11/30/12- A weak review in today’s NY Times and a few others as well. TRDB.
7) SILENT NIGHT– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A loose remake of the horror classic Silent Night, Deadly Night, Malcolm McDowell and Jaime King star as a small-town sheriff and deputy on the hunt for a murderous Santa Claus terrorizing their community on Christmas Eve. But with the streets full of Santas for the annual Christmas parade, the killer is hiding in plain sight. He’s made his list, checked it twice, and the naughty are going to pay with their lives.”
11/30/12- An OK review in today’s NY Times. Others were not so generous. TRDB.
8)BACK TO 1942. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A North Henan landlord embarks on a pilgrimage to Shaanxi province during the 1942 famine, struggling to survive as war with Japan looms on the horizon. His house beset by starving villagers, Landlord Fan (Zhang Guoli) endeavors to calm the crowd by preparing a feast. But his house is burned down in the chaos, prompting Fan, his teenage daughter Xing Xing (Fiona Wang), his servant Shuang Zhu (Zhang Mo), and his tenant Hua Zhi (Xu Fan) on a treacherous journey south. Along the way, encounters with an American journalist (Adrian Brody), a judge (Dan Wei), and a priest (Zhang Hanyu) who has lost his faith reveal the true depth of the despair that grips the country. But the hardships along the way prompt Fan to make some devastating sacrifices that leave him a broken man. Meanwhile, the Japanese government attempts to turn the Chinese people away from their government by offering them sustenance, and the Chinese government finds themselves forced to choose between feeding their troops or the masses.”
11/30/12- A fair at best review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
9) WALK AWAY RENEE– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In WALK AWAY RENEE, Caouette embarks on a road trip to move his mentally ill mother Renee across the country. As they encounter roadblocks in the present, we begin to flash back to moments from the past, giving us insight into this anything-but-ordinary mother/son relationship. Through musical montage, psychedelic sequences and real and imagined circumstance, the film raises questions about love, sacrifice, and the reality in which we live.”
11/30/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times and in general. TRDB.
10) SHADY LADY– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1943 the B-24 bomber “Shady Lady” attempted the longest bombing mission in history, from Darwin, Australia, to Borneo and back again. Decades after it crashed in the desert during its return, local Aborigines restore the plane to flying shape.”
11/30/12- Poor reviews all around. TRDB.
11) YOUNG AND WILD– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Seventeen-year-old Daniela is obsessed with sex. But her self-proclaimed “pussy in flames” is in direct conflict with her well-to-do, strict evangelical family in Santiago, Chile. She finds an outlet by detailing her naughty ruminations and exploits on her blog “Young & Wild” to her eager online followers. She dates handsome and pious Tomas, but maybe Antonia, the really cute girl at work, is more her speed. As she struggles to balance both relationships, Daniela learns that having it all – sex, love and eternal salvation – is more complicated than she ever imagined.”
11/30/12- A weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
2) THE FITZGERALD FAMILY CHRISTMAS– 2012. “With THE FITZGERALD FAMILY CHRISTMAS, Burns returns to the working-class, Irish-American roots of THE BROTHERS MCMULLEN. Reuniting with McMullen co-stars Connie Britton (“Friday Night Lights”, “Nashville”), and Michael McGlone, along with Noah Emmerich (LITTLE CHILDREN, BEAUTIFUL GIRLS), Kerry Bishé (ARGO, RED STATE) and Caitlin FitzGerald (DAMSELS IN DISTRESS, NEWLYWEDS) Burns seamlessly weaves an ensemble story of adult siblings dealing with the desire of their estranged father (Ed Lauter, THE ARTIST, THE LONGEST YARD) to return home for Christmas for the first time since he walked out on his family 20 years ago. Family rifts emerge, and like with any family, Christmas brings a mixed bag of complicated emotions and dynamics. Alliances form, old wounds are reopened or glossed over, and the possibility for a new hope and forgiveness emerges.”
So-So early reviews. TRDB.
3) HAPPY NEW YEAR– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Returning from duty in Iraq, Sgt. Cole Lewis ends up in the psychiatric wing of a Veterans Administration hospital where, in the face of medical and bureaucratic apathy, he and other vets help one another cope with their shattered minds and bodies.”
No reviews as yet. TRDB.
4) HELENO– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A biography of the tragic life of one of Brazil’s greatest soccer players, Heleno de Freitas.”
Weak reviews. TRDB.
5) HYDE PARK ON THE HUDSON– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In June 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Bill Murray) and his wife Eleanor (Olivia Williams) host the King and Queen of England (Samuel West and Olivia Colman) for a weekend at the Roosevelt home at Hyde Park on Hudson, in upstate New York – the first-ever visit of a reigning English monarch to America. With Britain facing imminent war with Germany, the Royals are desperately looking to FDR for support. But international affairs must be juggled with the complexities of FDR’s domestic establishment, as wife, mother, and mistresses all conspire to make the royal weekend an unforgettable one.”
Mediocre early reviews. TRDB.
6) RADIOMAN– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “This offbeat documentary pays homage to the affable eccentric known as Radioman, a bit-part actor with legendary status on New York movie sets. Nicknamed for the boom box he hangs around his neck, Radioman has appeared in more than 100 films”
OK early reviews. TRDB.
7) WAGNER AND ME– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Stephen Fry’s quest begins in southern Germany where he is granted unique access to Bayreuth’s legendary annual Wagner festival. In Switzerland he discovers the origins of Wagner’s masterpiece The Ring. In Bavaria he marvels at the fairytale castle inspired by Wagner’s music, and in St Petersburg learns why Wagner fascinated Russian audiences. But Fry also confronts the composer’s dark side. In Nuremberg he investigates how Hitler appropriated Wagner’s music, and in London meets a cellist who played in the prisoners’ orchestra at Auschwitz – where some of Fry’s relatives died. Animated by Fry’s trademark wit and intelligence and featuring a soundtrack of Wagner’s extraordinary music, “Wagner & Me” is a provocative yet enjoyable exploration of the life and legacy of one of history’s great geniuses.”
No reviews as yet. TRDB.
8)PLAYING FOR KEEPS– Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Dennis Quaid star in Playing for Keeps, a romantic comedy about a charming, down-on-his luck former soccer star (Butler) who returns home to put his life back together. Looking for a way to rebuild his relationship with his son, he gets roped into coaching the boy’s soccer team. But his attempts to finally become an “adult” are met with hilarious challenges from the attractive “soccer moms” who pursue him at every turn.”
Poor early reviews. TRDB.
2) SAVE THE DATE– 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “After an ill-timed and very public marriage proposal, fiercely independent Sarah breaks up with her overeager boyfriend Kevin. Sarah turns to her sister Beth for support, but Beth is too busy obsessing over the details of her own wedding to Kevin’s band mate, Andrew. When Sarah suddenly finds herself caught up in an intense rebound romance with the adorable Jonathan, she is forced to examine her own fears of commitment and vulnerability. With honesty, heart, and humor, all five struggle with the trials, happiness, and pain of modern love. In the end Sarah must decide – is it better to stay safely single or to risk it all on love?”
Netflix had this to say— “Sisters Beth and Sarah are a study in contrasts, but both are also involved with men who are best friends and members of the same rock band. When Sarah leaves her lover, Kevin, and starts another intense affair, Beth grows furious with her sibling.”
Mixed early reviews. TRDB.
3) AMOUR– 2012. Synopsis by IMDB. “Georges and Anne are in their eighties. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, who is also a musician, lives abroad with her family. One day, Anne has an attack. The couple’s bond of love is severely tested.”
5/28/12- This movie won Best Picture in Cannes this year. TRDB.
9/7/12- I read today’s NY Times review and have NO idea if it was a good one or a bad one. Others have liked it a lot. TRDB.
I saw 10min. of this movie for free On-Demand and it was borrrring! 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
10/25/12- A fascinating and apparently true story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. TRDB.
11/16/12- Basically a good review in today’s NY Times. I think the Times was disappointed. Others gave it mixed reviews, more good than bad. TRDB.
5) A LATE QUARTET– Garden Cinema Norwalk. 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.
11/11/12- I enjoyed this movie very much. Great acting and a good story with a touching screenplay. A bit of schmaltz at the end was unnecessary. TRDB.
6) THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER- 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.
7) THE SESSIONS– 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.
8)LIFE OF PI– Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel, this coming-of-age tale recounts the adventures of Pi, an Indian boy who is the sole survivor of a shipwreck. Pi finds himself on a lifeboat with only some zoo animals for company.”
Excellent reviews. TRDB.
9) SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK– Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “After a four-year stay in a psychiatric institution, former teacher Pat Peoples has no choice but to move back in with his mother. While he’s trying in vain to reunite with his wife, Pat meets another woman fated to change his life.”
Very good reviews. TRDB.
11/16/12- Very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
12/4/12- A very enjoyable piece of fluff that had a few lessons about life as well. TRDB.
10) THE OTHER SON– 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.
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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