{"id":3916,"date":"2011-05-11T17:10:20","date_gmt":"2011-05-11T17:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thereeldrbob.com\/?p=3916"},"modified":"2011-06-08T00:11:06","modified_gmt":"2011-06-08T00:11:06","slug":"film-reviews-367","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thereeldrbob.com\/?p=3916","title":{"rendered":"FILM REVIEWS #367"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div>MAY 11, 2011<\/div>\n<div>DEAR FRIENDS:<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>1) 1959: THE YEAR THAT CHANGED JAZZ- Theater<\/div>\n<div>2) THE BUTCHER&#8217;S SON (LA SOGA)- Netflix<\/div>\n<div>3) FLY AWAY- Netflix<\/div>\n<div>4) A SOMEWHAT GENTLE MAN- Netflix (available by streaming also)<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>_______________________________________________________________________________________<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER-<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>1) 1959: THE YEAR THAT CHANGED JAZZ- A documentary about some of the great jazz stars of that time including Dave Brubeck and Miles Davis.5\/6\/11-<strong> I liked this documentary for the film itself and for the music. TRDB.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>_______________________________________________________________________________________<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>1) GUY AND MADELINE ON A PARK BENCH- 2010.\u00a0Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;Black-and-white verit\u00e9 meets the charm of the classic Hollywood musical in writer-director Damien Chazelle&#8217;s romantic drama about a jazz trumpeter named Guy (Jason Palmer) who&#8217;s perennially falling in and out of love. After connecting with the shy Madeline (Desiree Garcia), Guy embarks on a quest for a more gregarious paramour, but through a series of twists and turns punctuated by an original score, the two lovers reunite in the end.&#8221; <strong>Mixed reviews but a few said it was very interesting and very different. TRDB.<\/strong>5\/5\/11- <strong>Unusual it was\u00a0and I didn&#8217;t like it except for the musical numbers. I turned it off. TRDB.<\/strong> Netflix.<\/p>\n<p>2) THE BUTCHER&#8217;S SON (LA SOGA)- 2009.\u00a0Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;Making his screenwriting debut, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.netflix.com\/RoleDisplay\/Manny_Perez\/20017126\">Manny Perez<\/a> stars in this tough chronicle of Luisito, a young man walking the line between honesty and the corruption he sees all around him in the Dominican Republic. As a child he was called &#8220;sensitive&#8221; by his butcher father, but as an adult, Luisito has been hardened by the brutal life on the streets &#8212; and by his obsessive thirst to avenge his father&#8217;s murder. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.netflix.com\/RoleDisplay\/Denise_Quinones\/30097546\">Denise Qui\u00f1ones<\/a> co-stars in this gritty actioner.&#8221; <strong>Good early reviews.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>5\/7\/11- <strong>An interesting movie\u00a0with very good acting and screenplay.\u00a0I enjoyed it\u00a0despite the contrived romance included.<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>TRDB.<\/strong> Netflix.<\/p>\n<p>3) FLY AWAY- 2011. Directed by Janet Grillo. Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;Single mother Jeanne (Beth Broderick) is dedicated to enriching the life of her teenage daughter, Mandy (Ashley Rickards), who has severe autism, although as Mandy matures, the challenges of her condition grow too extreme for Jeanne to be able to manage on her own. When Mandy&#8217;s dad suggests that she attend a residential school, Jeanne resists, even though her stressful home life impinges on work and a romance with a new neighbor (Greg Germann).&#8221; <strong>Good review in NY Times on 4\/15\/11. TRDB.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>5\/8\/11- <strong>An interesting drama covering a difficult situation with care and realism. I liked it. TRDB.<\/strong> Netflix.<\/p>\n<p>4) A SOMEWHAT GENTLE MAN- Premise by Netflix. &#8220;With revenge on his mind,<strong> a<\/strong> gangster (Stellan Skarsg\u00e5rd) who spent 12 years in prison for murder sets out to kill the<strong> man<\/strong> (Henrik Mestad) who put him there. But the promise of<strong> a<\/strong> normal life &#8212; and news that he&#8217;s on the brink of becoming<strong> a<\/strong> grandfather &#8212; proves<strong> a<\/strong> tempting distraction. Suddenly, seeking vengeance doesn&#8217;t seem nearly as important. Hans Petter Moland directs this Norwegian drama about sons and second chances.&#8221;<strong> Good review in NY Times on 1\/14\/11.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>5\/10\/11- <strong>An OK dark comedy with a wonderful Skarsgard. TRDB.<\/strong> Netflix.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>________________________________________________________________________________________<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, MAY 17-<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>1) DAYDREAM NATION- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;City girl Caroline Wexler (Kat Dennings) feels like she&#8217;s spinning her wheels when she moves to a small rural town, where she&#8217;s got nothing in common with anyone &#8212; except her disarmingly handsome teacher, Mr. Anderson (Josh Lucas). But when Wexler tires of their clandestine affair, Mr. Anderson isn&#8217;t ready to let her go. Andie MacDowell co-stars in this humorous dark romance from writer-director Michael Goldbach.&#8221; <strong>Good audience reviews and a few OK professional reviews as well. TRDB.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>2) THE OTHER WOMAN- 2010.\u00a0Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;Romance becomes reality for Emilia Greenleaf (Natalie Portman), who wins<strong> the<\/strong> heart of<strong> the<\/strong> handsome object of her affection (Scott Cohen), only to find that<strong> the<\/strong> relationship comes with some very real baggage &#8212; including her new beau&#8217;s troubled son (Charlie Tahan). Don Roos directs<strong> the<\/strong> film adaptation of Ayelet Waldman&#8217;s compelling novel, co-starring Lisa Kudrow, Lauren Ambrose and Elizabeth Marvel.&#8221;<strong> Only fair reviews for this movie although all said that Portman was very good.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>3) THAT&#8217;S WHAT I AM- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;A 12-year-old boy is convinced he&#8217;s been pushed toward social suicide when his teacher pairs him up for a project with the school&#8217;s biggest reject. But the boys form an unexpected bond when bullies turn their attention to an unlikely target.&#8221; <strong>No reviews as yet. TRDB.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>4) SOMEWHERE- 2010.\u00a0Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;Set amid the hallowed grounds of Hollywood&#8217;s legendary Chateau Marmont, this atmospheric dramedy centers on a hard-living actor (Stephen Dorff) whose life is thrown for a loop when his 11-year-old daughter (Elle Fanning) pays him a surprise visit. Written and directed by Academy Award-nominee Sofia Coppola (Lost In Translation, Marie Antoinette), this character-driven film also features Benicio Del Toro and Chris Pontius of MTV&#8217;s &#8220;Jackass.&#8221;<strong> Some very good reviews along with some really bad ones too. Very good review in NY Times on 12\/22\/10.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>5) EVEN THE RAIN- 2010.\u00a0Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;In this provocative film-within-a-film, director Sebasti\u00e1n (Gael Garc\u00eda Bernal) heads to Cochabamba, Bolivia, to shoot a film about Christopher Columbus&#8217;s trespasses in the New World, only to find the locals protesting present-day exploitation of the poor. Sebasti\u00e1n is sympathetic to the cause, but realities collide when lead actor Daniel (Carlos Aduviri), cast as a rebel against the Spanish, becomes a key figure in the current demonstrations.&#8221;<strong> Winner at 2011 Palm Springs Film Festival.<\/strong>3\/11- <strong>An excellent depiction of the moral conflicts involved in this type of situation. Well acted and I loved the movie. TRDB.<\/strong> Theater.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>________________________________________________________________________________________<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>OPENING THIS WEEK REGIONALLY, NATIONALLY OR LOCALLY-<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>1) BRIDESMAIDS- 2011. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. &#8220;Kristen Wiig leads the cast as Annie, a maid of honor whose life unravels as she leads her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), and a group of colorful bridesmaids (Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper) on a wild ride down the road to matrimony.&#8221;<strong> Fairly good reviews so far but a fair number of negative ones as well. TRDB.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>2) THE FIRST GRADER- 2010.\u00a0Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;Based on a true story, this inspirational drama profiles<strong> the<\/strong> amazing determination of 84-year-old Kenyan Kimani N&#8217;gan&#8217;ga Maruge (Oliver Litondo), a Mau Mau freedom fighter who wants to take advantage of a new universal education decree by learning how to read. Although he faces governmental bureaucracy and tribal racism, Maruge&#8217;s cause is eventually championed by teacher Jane Obinchu (Naomie Harris), who is set on erasing illiteracy in Kenya.&#8221; <strong>Winner at 2011 Palm Springs Film Festival. A few reviews and they are mainly negative saying that the movie did not do justice to the importance of the subject.<\/strong> <strong>TRDB.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>3) LULA, THE SON OF BRAZIL- 2009. Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;Adapted from a biography by journalist Denise Paran\u00e1, this big-budget epic chronicles the formative years of Luiz In\u00e1cio Lula da Silva &#8212; aka Lula &#8212; who overcame formidable obstacles to become the president of<strong> Brazil<\/strong> in 2003. Lula and his six young siblings live in poverty and are sent to work early; an accident on the job drives the adult Lula (Rui Ricardo Diaz) into union activism, planting the seeds for a future in politics.&#8221; <strong>Fair audience reviews but no professional reviews as yet. TRDB.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>4) SKATELAND- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;Director Anthony Burns and screenwriter brothers Heath and Brandon Freeman tell the story of 19-year-old Ritchie Wheeler (Shiloh Fernandez), who finds his life at a crossroads when the Texas roller rink where he works is forced to shut its doors. Set in the early 1980s, this is a coming-of-age tale in which the hapless but hopeful protagonist must contend with his parents&#8217; divorce, shifting friendships and making choices on the path to adulthood.&#8221; <strong>Fairly good audience reaction so far. TRDB. <\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>5) HESHER- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;Struggling to accept the death of his mother, T.J. (Devin Brochu) befriends<strong> Hesher<\/strong> (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a twentysomething misfit who becomes both a mentor and a bad influence on the lost and awkward teen.<strong> Hesher<\/strong> soon invites himself to live with T.J. and his self-medicating dad (Rainn Wilson). Their bizarre relationship is tested when T.J. develops a crush on a supermarket checkout girl (Natalie Portman) who rescues him from a gang of bullies.&#8221; <strong>Fairly good early reviews. TRDB.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>6) L&#8217;AMOUR FOU- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;Yves<strong> Saint<\/strong>-Laurent &#8212; synonymous with Le Smoking suit, the safari jacket and Studio 54 &#8212; met Pierre Berg\u00e9 in 1958, and this intimate documentary pays tribute to their extraordinary 50-year friendship. The pair were lovers, then partners in fashion and in art collecting, and when they weren&#8217;t rocking haute couture with pr\u00eat-\u00e0-porter or the first black runway models, they were acquiring the objets d&#8217;art from which the designer drew inspiration.&#8221; <strong>Poor early reviews. TRDB.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>_________________________________________________________________________________________<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>FLORIDA- At the Lake Worth Playhouse Stonzek Theater-<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>1) QUEEN TO PLAY- 2009. Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;Intrigued by a pair of vacationing lovers playing chess, hotel maid H\u00e9l\u00e8ne (Sandrine Bonnaire) sets her sights on mastering the game. With some coaching from a doctor (Kevin Kline) who employs her services, H\u00e9l\u00e8ne hones her chess skills and begins<strong> to<\/strong> notice big changes in her life. Written and directed by Caroline Bottaro, this charming French drama also stars Jennifer Beals and Francis Renaud.&#8221; <strong>Good review in NY Times on 4\/1\/11. TRDB.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>2) BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;Living simply and using a bicycle to get around<strong> New<\/strong><strong> York<\/strong>, 80-year-old photographer<strong> Bill<\/strong><strong> Cunningham<\/strong> tirelessly records what people are wearing in the city &#8212; both out on the sidewalk and in the salons of the wealthy. Through his &#8220;Evening Hours&#8221; and &#8220;On the Street&#8221; photo columns in the Sunday <em>New<strong> York<\/strong> Times<\/em>,<strong> Cunningham<\/strong> has faithfully chronicled the city&#8217;s fashions and sparkling nightlife while maintaining his own unassuming charm.&#8221; <strong>Very good reviews. TRDB.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>_________________________________________________________________________________________<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>COMCAST ON-DEMAND-<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>NEW-<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>1) MAO&#8217;S LAST DANCER- 2009.\u00a0Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;A delegation from Madame Mao&#8217;s Beijing Dance Academy selects 11-year-old peasant villager <a href=\"http:\/\/www.netflix.com\/RoleDisplay\/Li_Cunxin\/30116601\">Li Cunxin<\/a> to study ballet in far-off Beijing, where he trains for seven grueling years to become one of China&#8217;s greatest dancers. His efforts win him the opportunity to dance in America, opening his eyes to a new love and the possibility of a dramatic defection from China in this remarkable true story based on Cunxin&#8217;s autobiography.&#8221; <strong>Fairly good reviews but a few said the movie was too timid. TRDB.<\/strong>8\/10- <strong>Great dancing makes up for a somewhat\u00a0weak story. I enjoyed the movie despite all the schmaltz. TRDB.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>REPEATS-<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>1) 127 HOURS- Very good reviews<\/div>\n<div>2) BLACK SWAN- Very good<\/div>\n<div>3) BURLESQUE- Fair reviews but some liked it a lot<\/div>\n<div>4) CERTIFIED COPY- I liked it<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>5) CHARLIE ST. CLOUD- Poor reviews<\/div>\n<div>6) COUNTRY STRONG- I haven&#8217;t seen it yet but I will soon<\/div>\n<div>7) CONVICTION- I love Hilary Swank and I liked the movie<\/div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>8)CYRUS- Barely OK<\/div>\n<div>9) FAIR GAME- I liked it very much<\/div>\n<div>10) FOUR LIONS- OK reviews<\/div>\n<div>11) GET LOW- I liked it<\/div>\n<div>12) ILLEGAL- Fair reviews<\/div>\n<div>13) INCEPTION &#8211; Very good reviews but I couldn&#8217;t get into it at all<\/div>\n<div>14) INSIDE JOB- Just OK for me<\/div>\n<div>15) IT&#8217;S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY- OK reviews<\/div>\n<div>16) KINGS OF PASTRY- I didn&#8217;t care for this one<\/div>\n<div>17) MONOGAMY- OK reviews<\/div>\n<div>18) PEEP WORLD- Haven&#8217;t seen it<\/div>\n<div>19) RABBIT HOLE- I liked this one<\/div>\n<div>20) SOMEWHERE- Very mixed reviews&#8211;NY Times liked it<\/div>\n<div>21) TAMARA DREWE- I enjoyed this one<\/div>\n<div>22) THE FIGHTER- Great movie<\/div>\n<div>23) THE KING&#8217;S SPEECH- I liked it with a few compaints<\/div>\n<div>24) THE SOCIAL NETWORK- Great movie<\/div>\n<div>25) THE TOWN- Interesting and I liked it<\/div>\n<div>26) UNCLE KENT- OK reviews<\/div>\n<div>27) WAITING FOR SUPERMAN- Good but not great as some have said<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;\">Cablevision Link&#8211; <a title=\"http:\/\/www.optimum.net\/VOD\/movies?cat=Movies+On+Demand\/Independent+Films\/IFC+In+Theaters\" href=\"http:\/\/www.optimum.net\/VOD\/movies?cat=Movies+On+Demand%2FIndependent+Films%2FIFC+In+Theaters\"><span style=\"color: purple;\">http:\/\/www.optimum.net\/VOD\/movies?cat=Movies+On+Demand%2FIndependent+Films%2FIFC+In+Theaters<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;\">DirecTV- <a href=\"http:\/\/www.directv.com\/DTVAPP\/listing\/ppvMovies.jsp\">www.directv.com\/DTVAPP\/listing\/ppvMovies.jsp<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;\">Time Warner Link- <a href=\"http:\/\/www.twondemand.com\/\"><span style=\"color: purple;\">www.twondemand.com<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>________________________________________________________________________________________<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>BOB&#8217;S PICKS IN THE SUBURBS- ( Westchester and Fairfield Counties)-<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>NEW-<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>1)\u00a0\u00a0EVERYTHING MUST GO- Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100.\u00a02011. Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;Director-writer Dan Rush makes his film debut with this dramedy based on a Raymond Carver short story about Nick (Will Ferrell), a good-hearted but relapsed alcoholic who decides to live on his front lawn after losing his job and being thrown out by his wife. Needing money and wanting to shed the past, Nick holds a yard sale to get rid of his possessions, but after befriending some lonely neighbors and reevaluating his life, he tries AA again.&#8221; <strong>Very good reviews. TRDB.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>2) THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER SOLD- Bethel. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;Intrepid filmmaker Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) directs this entertaining, bitingly ironic documentary, which scrutinizes<strong> the<\/strong> pervasive marketing, advertising and product placement practices that have become de rigueur in<strong> the<\/strong> entertainment industry. Cheerfully using<strong> the<\/strong> proceeds gleaned from product placement within this film to finance it (and underscore his point), Spurlock reveals<strong> the<\/strong> corporate power that saturates both film and television.&#8221; <strong>Very good early reviews. TRDB.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>3) INCENDIES- 2010.\u00a0Jacob Burns. Premise by Netflix. &#8220;When their mother&#8217;s (Lubna Azabal) will implores them to deliver letters to the father they thought was dead and a brother they never knew about, twins Jeanne (M\u00e9lissa D\u00e9sormeaux-Poulin) and Simon (Maxim Gaudette) journey to the Middle East and attempt to reconstruct their family&#8217;s hidden history. Adapted from a Wajdi Mouawad play, director Denis Villeneuve&#8217;s drama flashes back to intense scenes set during the Lebanese Civil War in the 1970s.&#8221; Showed at HIFF 2010. <strong>Great professional reviews and very good audience response as well. TRDB.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>4) BRIDESMAIDS- Saw Mill Hawthorne. 2011. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. &#8220;Kristen Wiig leads the cast as Annie, a maid of honor whose life unravels as she leads her best friend, Lillian (Maya Rudolph), and a group of colorful bridesmaids (Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper) on a wild ride down the road to matrimony.&#8221;<strong> Fairly good reviews so far but a fair number of negative ones as well. TRDB.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>REPEATS-<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>1) THERE BE DRAGONS- Bethel.\u00a02011. Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;Roland Joff\u00e9 directs this epic tale of love and betrayal set during the Spanish Civil War. When a present-day journalist (Dougray Scott) investigates Opus Dei founder Josemar\u00eda Escriv\u00e1 (Charlie Cox), he uncovers a surprising link to his own father, Manolo (Wes Bentley). Manolo and Josemar\u00eda were childhood friends who followed different paths when the war broke out. Josemar\u00eda pursued his faith, while Manolo joined the rebels to fight Franco.&#8221;<strong> Poor reviews. TRDB.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>2) THE CONSPIRATOR- Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100.\u00a02011.\u00a0Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;<a title=\"http:\/\/www.netflix.com\/RoleDisplay\/Robert_Redford\/76851\" href=\"http:\/\/www.netflix.com\/RoleDisplay\/Robert_Redford\/76851\">Robert Redford<\/a> directs this gripping historical drama that follows the efforts of young lawyer Frederick Aiken (<a title=\"http:\/\/www.netflix.com\/RoleDisplay\/James_McAvoy\/20034644\" href=\"http:\/\/www.netflix.com\/RoleDisplay\/James_McAvoy\/20034644\">James McAvoy<\/a>) as he defends Mary Surratt (<a title=\"http:\/\/www.netflix.com\/RoleDisplay\/Robin_Wright_Penn\/20001294\" href=\"http:\/\/www.netflix.com\/RoleDisplay\/Robin_Wright_Penn\/20001294\">Robin Wright Penn<\/a>), a Confederate sympathizer accused of conspiring to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Realizing that Surratt may in fact be innocent, Aiken defies public opinion and risks everything to get her acquitted. The stellar cast also includes <a title=\"http:\/\/www.netflix.com\/RoleDisplay\/Tom_Wilkinson\/99430\" href=\"http:\/\/www.netflix.com\/RoleDisplay\/Tom_Wilkinson\/99430\">Tom Wilkinson<\/a>, <a title=\"http:\/\/www.netflix.com\/RoleDisplay\/Kevin_Kline\/50241\" href=\"http:\/\/www.netflix.com\/RoleDisplay\/Kevin_Kline\/50241\">Kevin Kline<\/a> and <a title=\"http:\/\/www.netflix.com\/RoleDisplay\/Alexis_Bledel\/20036354\" href=\"http:\/\/www.netflix.com\/RoleDisplay\/Alexis_Bledel\/20036354\">Alexis Bledel<\/a>.&#8221;<strong> Very good audience reviews. TRDB.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>3) WATER FOR ELEPHANTS- Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne. Danbury. 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;In this captivating Depression-era melodrama, impetuous veterinary student Jacob Jankowski (Robert Pattinson) joins a celebrated circus as an animal caretaker but faces a wrenching dilemma when he&#8217;s transfixed by angelic married performer Marlena (Reese Witherspoon). An affinity for<strong> elephants<\/strong> brings together the young pair, but the warmth between them sends Marlena&#8217;s cruel husband, animal trainer August (Christoph Waltz), into a frightening fury.&#8221;<strong> Mediocre professional reviews\u00a0 but good audience reactions. TRDB. <\/strong>4\/11- <strong>A soap opera type movie with a weak screenplay that was a disappointment for me. TRDB.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>4) WIN WIN-\u00a0Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100. 2010.\u00a0Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;Paul Giamatti stars as bush-league lawyer Mike Flaherty, who agrees to become an aging client&#8217;s legal guardian as a way to pay the bills. But his visions of an easy stipend begin to fade when the man&#8217;s teenage grandson suddenly appears on the scene. Just when the attorney thinks he&#8217;s found a way to make this new development work for him, the boy&#8217;s mother shows up and puts Flaherty&#8217;s dreams of a big score in jeopardy.&#8221; <strong>Very good reviews. Good review in NY Times on 3\/18\/11. TRDB.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>4\/11-<strong> Well acted, very funny at times and very poignant at times as well. I liked it a lot. TRDB.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>5) CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS- Jacob Burns. 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;Celebrated documentary filmmaker Werner Herzog offers this unprecedented examination of Chauvet<strong> Cave<\/strong>, a cavern in southern France that contains the oldest human-painted images yet to be found on Earth. Besides presenting stunning cinematography of the exquisite paintings themselves, Herzog interviews experts who describe the context and reflect on the existential meaning of this artwork, which is some 30,000 years old.&#8221; <strong>Very good professional reviews and poor audience ones. TRDB.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>6) THE DOUBLE HOUR- Jacob Burns, Clearview 100. 2009. Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;In this constantly twisting Italian thriller, Sonia (Kseniya Rappoport) is a newly arrived Slovenian immigrant who is in<strong> the<\/strong> wrong place at<strong> the<\/strong> wrong time during a violent art robbery. Surviving a bullet in<strong> the<\/strong> head, Sonia is haunted by visions after<strong> the<\/strong> crime. Her mysterious past, meanwhile, comes to light under<strong> the<\/strong> watchful eye of a suspicious policeman. Rappoport won<strong> the<\/strong> Best Actress award at<strong> the<\/strong> 2009 Venice Film Festival for her turn as Sonia.&#8221; <strong>Very good professional reviews but only average audience reaction. TRDB.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>7) POTICHE- 2010. Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk.\u00a0Synopsis by Netflix. &#8220;Director Fran\u00e7ois Ozon spins a deft social comedy of the French bourgeoisie starring some of that country&#8217;s most celebrated actors, including G\u00e9rard Depardieu, Catherine Deneuve and Fabrice Luchini. After Suzanne Pujol&#8217;s (Deneuve) husband has a heart attack, she must take charge of the umbrella factory he manages. The resulting clashes between the genteel Suzanne and the Marxist union boss (Depardieu) generate plenty of riotous class conflict.&#8221; <strong>Winner at 2011 Palm Springs Film Festival this movie has received very good professional reviews and average audience reviews. TRDB.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>4\/11- <strong>A delightful French farce and I recommend it. DeNeuve is magnifique.\u00a0TRDB.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;\">For Independent Films in\u00a0Your Neighborhood\u00a0go to- <a href=\"http:\/\/www.emergingpictures.com\/\"><span style=\"color: purple;\">www.emergingpictures.com<\/span><\/a><span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"font-family: Arial; color: black; font-size: 10pt;\">For all films go to- <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fandango.com\/\"><span style=\"color: purple;\">www.fandango.com<\/span><\/a> <\/span><span style=\"color: black;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div>\u00a0<\/div>\n<div><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;\">THAT&#8217;S IT FOR NOW-<br \/>\nTHE REEL DR BOB<\/span><span style=\"font-family: Script MT Bold; color: #000000; font-size: medium;\"><br \/>\nThe Reel Dr. Bob<\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u00a0 MAY 11, 2011 DEAR FRIENDS: \u00a0 QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK- \u00a0 1) 1959: THE YEAR THAT CHANGED JAZZ- Theater 2) THE BUTCHER&#8217;S SON (LA SOGA)- Netflix 3) FLY AWAY- Netflix 4) A SOMEWHAT GENTLE MAN- Netflix (available by streaming also) \u00a0 _______________________________________________________________________________________ \u00a0 MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3916","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-old-newsletters"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thereeldrbob.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3916","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thereeldrbob.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thereeldrbob.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thereeldrbob.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thereeldrbob.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3916"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/thereeldrbob.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3916\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4091,"href":"https:\/\/thereeldrbob.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3916\/revisions\/4091"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thereeldrbob.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3916"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thereeldrbob.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3916"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thereeldrbob.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3916"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}