LET YOURSELF GO- 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “As psychoanalyst Elia Venezia is leading a dreary existence in an apartment on the same floor as his ex-wife, a doctor counsels him to get some exercise. Grudgingly, Elia hires a personal coach — who inspires him to pursue his life with vigor.”
2/28/18- Just a few reviews so far and they are all poor. TRDB.
Add comment February 28th, 2018
RED SPARROW- 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Sidelined by a leg injury, ballerina Dominika Egorova becomes a Russian spy tasked with seducing a CIA operative working in Moscow. As their liaison begins to blur her loyalties, Dominika considers becoming a double agent.”
2/27/18- Fair reviews with more positive than negative. TRDB.
Add comment February 27th, 2018
A PERFECT DAY– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Sent to a deadly combat zone to recover a corpse from a well — where the body is contaminating a village’s crucial water supply — a motley group of aid workers finds the ostensibly simple job turning into a Sisyphean task.”
2/26/18- I enjoyed this movie with an all star cast. TRDB. Netflix Streaming
Add comment February 27th, 2018
THE PARTY- 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “After being appointed as Health Minister, career politician Janet invites a handful of friends over to join her and her husband, Bill, for a celebration. But the evening turns explosive when Bill chooses the moment to make two shocking revelations.”
2/15/17- Fairly good reviews for this comedy. TRDB.
2/24/18- A comedy of the absurd. Entertaining most of the time with very well known actors. It’s worth seeing but don’t rush out. TRDB. At the Theater.
Add comment February 15th, 2018
THE FEMALE BRAIN- 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Based on a nonfiction book of the same name about the effect of male vs. female brain chemistry on relationships, this ensemble comedy follows several couples struggling to navigate the treacherous path of romantic partnerships.”
2/9/18- Poor reviews for this comedy/drama but it might be of interest to some. TRDB.
Add comment February 9th, 2018
1) THE SHAPE OF WATER– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “During the Cold War era, lonely Elisa works as a cleaning lady in a top-secret U.S. government laboratory. But her life is altered forever after she and a co-worker stumble upon a hush-hush experiment.”
11/30/17– Excellent reviews. TRDB.
1/22/18- Great love story and I enjoyed every minute. TRDB.
1) LOLO- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Ultra-chic Parisian Violette is on holiday with her best friend when she falls for geeky Jean-René, who’s unlike any man she’s met before. When the pair return to Paris together, however, Violette’s 20-year-old son plots to undermine their romance.”
3/11/16- Really poor reviews which is a shame as I love Julie Delpy who both directs and acts in this movie. TRDB.
1/19/18- Poor reviews but I liked it. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
2) MARK FELT: THE MAN WHO BROUGHT DOWN THE WHITE HOUSE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “This fact-based biopic charts the life of FBI informant Mark Felt, aka “Deep Throat” — the principal unnamed source for reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein as they begin writing exposés that will blow the lid off the Watergate scandal.”
9/29/17- Awful reviews but it might be at least somewhat interesting to people who lived through this scandal. TRDB.
1/21/18- A movie that should be of interest turns out to be really boring. TRDB Netflix Disc.
3) CALIFORNIA TYPEWRITER– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Once a key technology in business and literature, manual typewriters are viewed by most people as quaint 20th-century artifacts. But as this engaging documentary reveals, hard-core typewriter fans are ensuring that these predigital marvels live on.
8/18/17- Great reviews. TRDB.
1/21/18- Incredibly boring and I had to turn it off. TRDB. Netflix Disc.
1) GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Goodbye Christopher Robin (The world of Winnie the Pooh creator A.A. Milne comes to life in this illuminating biopic that focuses on his relationship with his son (and inspiration), Christopher Robin, and how the books’ phenomenal success affected the family.”
10/13/17- Good reviews by the critics but just fair ones from audiences. TRDB.
2) THE SQUARE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Testing the thin line between art and reality, a famed museum’s new creative director mounts an installation — “The Square” — intended to foster altruism. But he sets off a hue and cry after enlisting a public relations firm to tout the exhibition.”
10/27/17- Fairly good reviews for this odd sounding drama/comedy. I’ll see it. TRDB.
3) LAST FLAG FLYING– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Three grizzled Vietnam-era veterans — Doc, Sal and Mueller — travel together up the East Coast on a mournful personal mission: to hold an appropriate burial for Doc’s only child, who perished in the opening stages of the Iraq invasion.”
11/3/17- Fairly good reviews with some poor ones mixed in. I saw the trailer and it looked stupid to me. TRDB.
4) GOD’S OWN COUNTRY– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “With his father paralyzed, 24-year-old Johnny Saxby has to tend the family’s sheep farm, but he doesn’t have to like it. His attitude changes, however, when he finds a friend and lover in the Romanian worker hired to help during the lambing season.”
11/15/17- Excellent reviews. TRDB.
5) PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “This biopic centers on Harvard psychologist William Marston, the man who created Wonder Woman, and imbued the iconic character with the feminist ideals of his wife, Elizabeth, and the other woman in their polyamorous relationship, Olive Byrne.”
10/16/17- Very good reviews for this drama. TRDB.
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OPENED LAST FRIDAY-
1) 12 STRONG– 2018. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Chris Hemsworth (“Thor,” “The Avengers” films) and Oscar nominee Michael Shannon (“Revolutionary Road,” “Nocturnal Animals”) star in “12 Strong,” a powerful new war drama. Based on the book best-selling book Horse Soldiers, it is story of heroism based on true events that unfolded a world away in the aftermath of 9/11.”
1/18/18- Mostly poor reviews with several good ones as well. TRDB.
2) A CIAMBRA- Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In a small Romani community in Calabria, Pio Amato is desperate to grow up fast. At 14, he drinks, smokes and is one of the few to easily slide between the region’s factions – the local Italians, the African refugees and his fellow Romani. Pio follows his older brother Cosimo everywhere, learning the necessary skills for life on the streets of their hometown. When Cosimo disappears and things start to go wrong, Pio sets out to prove he’s ready to step into his big brother’s shoes but soon finds himself faced with an impossible decision that will show if he is truly ready to become a man.”
1/18/18- Very good reviews. TRDB.
3) MARY AND THE WITCH’S FLOWER– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this animated fantasy, young Mary is just getting used to her new rural surroundings when a strange cat leads her to an amazing find: a magical glowing flower and a broomstick that will transport her to a school for witchs.”
1/18/18- Very good reviews for this animated film. TRDB.
4) THE FINAL YEAR– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Enjoying rare access to Barack Obama and some of his top aides during the last year of his presidency, filmmaker Greg Barker captures the urgency of White House foreign policy experts as they hasten to cement Obama’s global legacy.”
1/19/17- Very good reviews from the critics and poor ones from audiences. TRDB.
5) MAMA AFRICA– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “This documentary follows the wide-ranging career of singer Miriam Makeba, from her remarkable performances and activism to her controversy-inspiring marriage to Black Panther Stokely Carmichael and her ambassadorship to the United Nations.”
1/19/18- Fair reviews by the critics and good ones by audiences. TRDB.
6) THE ROAD MOVIE– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “In Russia, dashboard cameras are ubiquitous, and they capture everything. In this fascinating documentary composed entirely of footage shot from dash cams, the spectacles range from raging motorists to wild natural phenomena.”
1/19/18- Very good reviews for this documentary. TRDB.
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HOTWIRE ON-DEMAND
1) AIDA’S SECRETS
2) BEATRIZ AT DINNER– Excellent
3) THE BIG SICK– Excellent
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BOB’S PICKS IN WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES-
NEW IN THE BURBS- NONE
REPEATS-
1) CALL ME BY YOUR NAME- Jacob Burns, Danbury, Clearview 100. I liked this movie.
2) PHANTOM THREAD– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Danbury, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Good reviews and interesting trailers.
3) I, TONYA– Jacob Burns, Danbury, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Good reviews and I plan to see this one.
4) DARKEST HOUR– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Danbury, Clearview 100. Garden Cinema Norwalk. Great acting- movie was good but not great.
5) THREE BILLBOARDS-Bethel, Clearview 100. I liked this movie but not as much as others.
6) THE SHAPE OF WATER– Jacob Burns, Danbury, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Much to my surprise I really liked this film.
7) THE POST– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Danbury. I liked it but it was not a great movie
8) LADY BIRD– Danbury, Garden Cinema Norwalk. I liked this movie very much
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BOB’S PICKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY-
A) THE MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH-
B) THE MOVIES OF DELRAY-
1) HUMOR ME– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Dumped by his wife and forgotten by audiences, playwright Nate Kroll has nobody to turn to except Dad, which is how Nate ends up sleeping on his father’s sofa and helping some women from his retirement community mount a production of “The Mikado.”
1/12/18- Fair reviews at best. TRDB.
2) THE POST– I liked it but not nearly as much as others
3) MOLLY’S GAME– Good reviews
4) PHANTOM THREAD– Good reviews and I’ll see it
5) THE SHAPE OF WATER– I liked this movie very much
6) DARKEST HOUR– Great acting– the movie was good but not great
C) THE STONZEK THEATER AT THE LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE-
1) IN THE FADE-2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “With her life upended by the death of her husband and son in a bomb attack, Katja Sekerci can only nurse her pain at first. But she soon becomes obsessed with the hunt for the perpetrators and the ensuing trial of the neo-Nazis accused of the crime.
12/27/17- Fair reviews by both critics and audiences. TRDB.
2) THE DISASTER ARTIST– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Opening to blistering reviews in 2003, “The Room” has since become a so-bad-it’s-good cult classic. This showbiz spoof provides a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film and the friendship between the director and star who propelled it.”
11/30/17- Excellent reviews for this comedy. TRDB.
D) THE LIVING ROOM THEATER AT FAU IN BOCA RATON-
1) CALL ME BY YOUR NAME– I liked it
2) I, TONYA– Good reviews and I plan to see it
3) THE POST– I liked it but not nearly as much as others
4) LADY BIRD– I liked this one very much
ENJOY!!
THE REEL DR. BOB
Add comment February 8th, 2018
24 FRAMES- 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Dispensing with a narrative structure, this carefully crafted last work of Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami consists of 24 four-and-a-half-minute segments, each inspired by one of many still photos he shot over the years.”
2/2/18- Excellent views for this drama that sounds more like a documentary to me. TRDB.
4/14/18- Extremely creative and definitely worth seeing. I could have done with 16 frames. TRDB.
Add comment February 2nd, 2018
BACK TO SCHOOL- Starring Rodney Dangerfield, a successful businessman who goes back to college to be with his son.
1/29/18- A classic. I hadn’t seen it in a few years and loved it all over again. TRDB.
Add comment January 30th, 2018
MARY AND THE WITCH’S FLOWER- 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this animated fantasy, young Mary is just getting used to her new rural surroundings when a strange cat leads her to an amazing find: a magical glowing flower and a broomstick that will transport her to a school for witchs.”
1/18/18- Very good reviews for this animated film. TRDB.
Add comment January 19th, 2018
ABE AND PHIL’S LAST POKER GAME- 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “After moving into a nursing home with his invalid wife, Abe Mandelbaum forms a bond with womanizing gambler Phil Nicoletti. But their friendship is put to the test when they both claim to be the father of a young nurse looking for her biological dad.”
1/12/18- Fair reviews at best. TRDB.
2/7/18- I enjoyed the movie especially the relationship between the two men. Martin Landau excellent as usual. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.
Add comment January 12th, 2018