The Reel Dr. Bob

JULY 11, 2013

DEAR FRIENDS:

 

YOU CAN ACCESS THIS NEWSLETTER AND OLDER REVIEWS AT www.thereeldrbob.com

 

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

 

1) A HIJACKING– Theater

2) UNFINISHED SONG– Theater

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER-

 

1) A HIJACKING– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Tension mounts when a Danish cargo ship bound for harbor is hijacked by Somali pirates and held for a hefty ransom in the millions, prompting the shipping company’s CEO to hire a professional negotiator.”6/7/13- Uniformly good reviews. TRDB.

6/21/13- A very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

7/5/13- A well done suspenseful drama. I liked it very much. TRDB. A HIJACKING– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Tension mounts when a Danish cargo ship bound for harbor is hijacked by Somali pirates and held for a hefty ransom in the millions, prompting the shipping company’s CEO to hire a professional negotiator.”

6/7/13- Uniformly good reviews. TRDB.

6/21/13- A very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

7/5/13- A well done suspenseful drama. I liked it very much. TRDB.

2) UNFINISHED SONG– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “With his wife Marion terminally ill, 72-year-old Arthur sees a future that’s nothing but grim. But when he takes Marion’s place in their church’s very unconventional choir, he begins to find joy in life again.”

6/7/13- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.

6/21/13- An OK review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

7/7/13- A very enjoyable movie about an older couple and their adjustment to old age. A bit schmaltzy at times but definitely worth seeing. TRDB.

 

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME- NONE

 

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, JULY 16-

 

1) THE END OF LOVE– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “After the mother of his 2-year-old son dies, a struggling actor must grow up as he grapples with his new responsibilities — and meeting a young mother forces him to face up to the things he’s been avoiding.”3/1/13- Today’s NY Times gave this movie a weak review. TRDB.

6/27/13- Mostly good reviews but a few poor ones. TRDB.

2) HUNKY DORY– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Minnie Driver plays a drama teacher who challenges her listless students to put on a pop-musical version of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” Set in 1976, the film features plenty of teen angst as well as the teacher’s search for a substitute Prospero.”

3/14/13- Early reviews are mixed but more positive than negative. TRDB.

3/22/13- The NY Times gave this movie an OK review today. TRDB.

 

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OPENED LAST WEEK (JULY 5) IN ADDITION TO THE MOVIES I WROTE ABOUT ON JULY 4-

 

1) A GIRL AND A GUN– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “A symbol of power and danger, the gun has served as an American cultural icon since the nation’s founding — but nearly always in the hands of men. This documentary moves the focus to women and their changing attitudes about guns in society.”7/5/13- A weak review in today’s NY Times and elsewhere as well. TRDB.

2) THE LOOK OF LOVE– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “This bittersweet biopic chronicles the over-the-top life of Paul Raymond, England’s Hugh Hefner, from nightclub mind reader to burlesque impresario. When not putting nude women on stage, he indulges in every excess and nearly destroys his family.”

7/5/13- Very mixed reviews- more negative than positive. The NY Times liked it. TRDB.

3) OF BY FOR– 2013. Synopsis by IMDB. “A journey across America’s Route 66 finds a country united in disappointment with the status quo in Washington. Citizens from all walks of life discuss money in politics, divisive campaign tactics, broken promises and the helpless feeling that as the election nears they must choose between the lesser of two evils”

7/5/13- Reviewed in today’s NY Times with a weak review. I couldn’t find any others. TRDB.

 

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OPENING THIS WEEK (JULY 12)-

 

1) DEALIN’ WITH IDIOTS– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Comedian Max Morris decides to take on the challenge of managing his son’s youth baseball team, which also means taking on the kids’ parents. Jeff Garlin directs and stars in this semi-improvised comedy about youthful and grown-up ambition.”6/27/13- No reviews as yet. TRDB.

2) FRUITVALE STATION– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “This dramatic rendering of a real-life tragedy recounts the final hours of Oscar Grant, shot by San Francisco transit police on New Year’s Day, 2009. In portraying the energy Oscar brought to life, the film mourns the tragic loss of a unique soul.”

6/27/13- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

3) THE HUNT– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Lucas is rebuilding his life after a bitter divorce: He has a new job and a girlfriend, and is working on his relationship with his teenage son. But an unfounded accusation of pedophilia changes everything as his community turns against him.”

6/27/13- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

4) STILL MINE– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “His home in disrepair, elderly farmer Craig Morrison must build a better shelter for his wife, whose health is deteriorating rapidly. He faces the wrath of an overzealous government inspector but refuses to back down.”

6/27/13- Great reviews. TRDB.

5) TERMS AND CONDITIONS MAY APPLY– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “This cautionary documentary looks into the consumer implications of pushing the “I Agree” button on commercial and social websites. As more information about us is shared ever more widely, former notions of privacy are becoming obsolete.”

6/27/13- Just a few reviews at this time and they are all good. TRDB.

 

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FLORIDA- At the Stonzek Theater Lake Worth Playhouse-

 

1) PIETA- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Kang-do, an enforcer for a loan shark in a destitute area of Seoul, is unrelentingly brutal in his collection of debts. But when a mysterious woman appears and claims that she is his mother, Kang-do finds himself developing a hunger for human warmth.”5/4/13- Early reviews look pretty good. TRDB.

5/17/13- An excellent review in today’s NY Times although most people will shun the film because of its violence. TRDB.

5/20/13- Yes, it was at times violent and yes, it was strange as well but this Korean movie was also riveting and I couldn’t turn it off. Certainly not for everyone. TRDB.

2) AUGUSTINE-  2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “When teenager Augustine — diagnosed as a “hysteric” — is incarcerated in a hospital for the mentally ill in 1885, she becomes the pet patient of prominent neurologist Professor Charcot in this drama based on the real relationship between the two.”5/4/13- Just a few early reviews and they are all very good. TRDB.

5/17/13- A very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

 

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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-

 

NEW- NONE THAT I CAN RECOMMEND

 

REPEATS-

 

 

 

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BOB’S PICKS IN THE SUBURBS- (Westchester and Fairfield Counties)

 

THERE ARE NO MOVIES AT EITHER THE SAW MILL HAWTHORNE OR THE DANBURY MULTIPLEX TO RECOMMEND.

 

NEW IN THE BURBS-

 

1) THE WAY WAY BACK– Jacob Burns. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “A stifled teen finds his voice with encouragement from the manager of a local water park, where he takes a summer job to escape his unbearable home life with his mom and her overbearing boyfriend.”7/5/13- Uniformly good reviews but just an OK one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

 

REPEATS-

 

1)  UNFINISHED SONG– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “With his wife Marion terminally ill, 72-year-old Arthur sees a future that’s nothing but grim. But when he takes Marion’s place in their church’s very unconventional choir, he begins to find joy in life again.”6/7/13- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.

6/21/13- An OK review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

7/7/13- A very enjoyable movie about an older couple and their adjustment to old age. A bit schmaltzy at times but definitely worth seeing. TRDB.

2) THE ATTACK– Bethel, Clearview 100. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “An Arab Israeli physician offers assistance at the scene of a gruesome suicide bombing in Tel Aviv and then learns that the bomber was his own wife. Stunned and furious, he sets out to confront the people who encouraged her deadly decision.”

6/7/13- Only a few reviews so far but they are all excellent. TRDB.

6/21/13- A very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

6/30/13- A riveting thriller that according to one critic is about politics, love and betrayal. I can’t agree more. TRDB.

3) 20 FEET FROM STARDOM– Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Get a behind-the-scenes look at the world of backup vocalists in this documentary that weaves interviews with legendary singers like Bruce Springsteen and Bette Midler with the comments of those whose voices support them.”

6/5/13- A few early reviews for this documentary, some positive and some negative. TRDB.

6/14/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

4)  A HIJACKING– Bethel. 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Tension mounts when a Danish cargo ship bound for harbor is hijacked by Somali pirates and held for a hefty ransom in the millions, prompting the shipping company’s CEO to hire a professional negotiator.”

6/7/13- Uniformly good reviews. TRDB.

6/21/13- A very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

7/5/13- A well done suspenseful drama. I liked it very much. TRDB.

5) FILL THE VOID– Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Eighteen-year-old Shira (Hada Yaron) is the youngest daughter of the family and is about to be married off to a very promising young man of the same age. On Purim, her twenty-eight-year-old sister, Esther (Renana Raz), dies during childbirth, leaving her husband to care for the child and postponing Shira’s promised match. When the girls’ mother finds out that Yochay may leave the country with her only grandchild, she proposes a match between Shira and the widower, which leaves Shira to choose between her heart’s wish and her family’s wish to keep the child with them.

5/14/13- I saw this excellent movie as part of  a Jewish Film Festival this year. I definitely recommend it. TRDB.

6)  BEFORE MIDNIGHT– Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Before Midnight is an upcoming American romance drama film and the sequel to Before Sunrise (1995) and Before Sunset (2004). Like its predecessors, the film was directed by Richard Linklater. As with the previous film, Linklater shares screenplay credit with both actors from the movies, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy”

5/13/13- Uniformly excellent reviews. TRDB.

5/24/13- An excellent review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

6/11/13- An excellent movie that beautifully depicted the tensions that exist between spouses even when they deeply love each other. TRDB.

7) THE BLING RING– Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Based on fact, this comic thriller tracks the saga of the Hollywood Hills Burglar Bunch, who used the Web to time their robberies of stars’ homes. The teenage band stole millions in cash, jewelry and other items from victims including Paris Hilton.”

6/14/13- Mixed reviews in general and a weak one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.