This Is Not a Robbery

Movies to See Right Now

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BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

The brilliantly made Louisiana swamp fable Beasts of the Southern Wild enters the life and imagination of a child and celebrates her indomitability.  It’s on my list of Best Movies of 2012 – So Far.

The wistfully sweet and visually singular Moonrise Kingdom is another must see. Adults will enjoy Brave, Pixar’s much anticipated fable of a Scottish princess, and it’s a must see for kids.   If you can still find it, I recommend the romantic character study Take This Waltz, starring the great Michele Williams in an exploration of attraction and fulfillment from a woman’s perspective.

Continuing a very long run, the story of aged Brits seeking a low-budget retirement in India, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, is a proven crowd pleaser. Men In Black 3 is delightfully entertaining, as Will Smith time travels back to 1969 and meets the young Tommy Lee Jones (nailed by Josh Brolin).

To Rome with Love is an amusing Woody Allen comedy, but not one of Woody’s masterpieces. Prometheus is a striking and well-acted sci fi adventure with a horror film tinge; I recommend it for sci fi fans.  If you really like Neil Young, then see Neil Young Journeys.

Magic Mike has male stripping, but no magic. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter has blood-sucking, irony and not enough of either to justify watching it.   Your Sister’s Sister wastes a promising premise and a superb performance.

I haven’t yet seen Dark Horse, The Dark Knight Rises or Farewell, My Queen, which open this weekend.  You can read descriptions and view trailers of upcoming films at Movies I’m Looking Forward To.

My DVD pick this week is the documentary This Is Not a Robbery, the true story of a nonagenarian serial bank robber.

DVD/Stream of the Week: This Is Not a Robbery

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After 87 years of abiding the law, J.L. “Red” Rountree robbed a bank in 1998.  In fact, he became a serial bank robber, robbing banks until his final incarceration at age 92.  The documentary This Is Not a Robbery explores how this could have happened.  Spoiler: nonagenarians do not excel at the art of the getaway.

Cleverly structured, This Is Not a Robbery intersperses the modern robberies with biographical segments that finally reveal the arc of Rountree’s singular journey.  We get to see Rountree explaining himself. He’s a kick, but the most revealing comments are from his friends, who relate the pivotal points in his business career and family life.

At only 70 minutes long, it’s a good watch.  This Is Not a Robbery is available on DVD, on Netflix streaming and sometimes plays on the Sundance Channel.