The Reel Dr. Bob

9/9/13- I saw this silent film at the Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival a few days ago and I thought it was great. TRDB.

4/21/13- Fairly good early reviews. TRDB.

5/3/13- A poor review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

9/9/13- I saw this movie a few days ago at the Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival and despite some schmaltz and Hollywood I enjoyed this film very much. TRDB.

4/5/13- A very good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

9/10/13- This story is remarkable but the movie itself became boring because the majority of the film was made up of “reenactments.” It felt more like a narrated drama. TRDB. Netflix.

2) PARADISE: LOVE– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Teresa, a 50-year-old Austrian, vacations on Kenya’s sun-kissed shores looking for love among the local beach boys who survive on European “sugar mamas.” She falls for Munga, but soon realizes that his false sincerity is part of the sex tourism game.”

7/15/13- Mixed reviews but all said it was a disturbing movie. TRDB.

9/10/13- This movie was very well done and indeed very disturbing. I felt like singing “looking for love in all the wrong places.” TRDB. Netflix.

3) UNA NOCHE– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “After Cuban teenager Raul is accused of assault, he and his best friend decide to flee the country and make the 90-mile journey to the United States. Elio’s twin sister — whom he is reluctant to leave behind — narrates their harrowing story.”

8/23/13- An excellent review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

9/11/13- I liked this movie that was about coming of age in the setting of Havana, Cuba but instead of rebelling against their parents they are rebelling against the state. Excellent acting made this movie excel. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.

8/26/13- Very poor reviews in general but a few critics liked it very much. There are several other movies with the same name, some of which have gotten much better reviews. TRDB.

2) GIMME THE LOOT– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Two talented graffiti artists from the Bronx are stung when a rival outfit covers their own illustration with a portrait of the Mets’ Home Run Apple. They turn their outrage into a daring plan to tag the real Home Run Apple at the Mets ballpark.”

3/22/13- Good review in today’s NY Times and everyone else liked it also. TRDB.

3) SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “This comic fable chronicles 35 years in the lives of good friends Sal and Max — including a love triangle with Lyla, the woman they both adore. As they make their way through major life events, a magic suitcase prevents Max from getting older.”

3/29/13- OK reviews in general and in today’s NY Times as well. TRDB.

4) GREETINGS FROM TIM BUCKLEY- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Young, troubled and unknown, singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley grapples with his own self-doubts in the days leading up to a tribute concert in honor of his famous father, Tim Buckley, who died tragically of a drug overdose.”

4/21/13- Mixed reviews in general and a weak on in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

5) 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.

6) SIMON KILLER– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Young and heartbroken, a New Yorker travels to Paris to escape his romantic woes but soon falls into another all-consuming attraction. Hopelessly smitten with a young prostitute, he finds himself drawn into her dark and alien world.”

4/5/13- A good review in today’s NY Times and from other critics as well. TRDB.

7) IN THE FOG– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “An innocent man accused of treason by Russian partisans fighting the German occupation is marked for death by two of his fellow countrymen. When the trio is ambushed, the man, eager to clear his name, faces a moral choice under immoral circumstances.”

6/14/13- A very good review in today’s NY Times as well as good reviews from most critics. TRDB.

8)THE BLING RING– 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.

2) AMERICAN MILKSHAKE– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “White boy Jolie longs to make his high school basketball team so that he can get in with the “in” crowd — the black kids from the projects. In the meantime, he’s sleeping with the black girl he’s “tutoring.”

9/6/13- Weak reviews all around and in today’s NY Times as well. TRDB.

3) BOUNTY KILLER– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “It’s been 20 years since corporations took over the world’s governments; in retaliation, a group issues death warrants for all white-collar criminals. From amateur savage to graceful assassin, the bounty killers now compete for body count and cash.”

9/9/13- Poor review in today’s NY Times and mixed reviews in general. TRDB.

4) FLU– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “When people in a South Korean suburb start dropping like flies from a deadly airborne respiratory disease, the area is quarantined and chaos reigns. Meanwhile, an infectious disease specialist and a rescue worker frantically try to find a cure.”

9/6/13- Weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

5) POPULAIRE– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this romantic comedy set in the 1950s, a smooth-talking insurance agent is so impressed with his secretary’s skills that he encourages her to enter speed-typing competitions. He also invites her to live in his mansion, and romance slowly blooms.”

9/6/13- Mixed reviews in general but most liked it. The NY Times liked it–just. TRDB.

6) TOUCHY FEELY– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Massage therapist Abby awakens one day to discover that she’s physically repulsed by human touch, a situation that will doom her career. Meanwhile, Abby’s brother Paul, a dentist with a foundering practice, experiences unexplained success.”

9/6/13- Weak reviews in general. The review in today’s NY Times was mixed– more negative than positive. TRDB.

7) IL FUTURO– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “While struggling to care for her younger brother, orphaned teen Bianca sets out to secure their future by seducing a blind neighbor who’s reputedly worth a fortune. But she’s ultimately unprepared for the effect he’ll have on her life.”

9/6/13- A good review in today’s NY Times and good reviews elsewhere as well. TRDB.

8) I AM BREATHING– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Neil Platt is in his early 30s when motor neuron disease leaves him paralyzed from the neck down, compelling him to look at life in a new way. Among Neil’s concerns is the letter he wants to leave for his infant son, Oscar, after his death.”

9/6/13- A good review for this documentary in today’s NY Times and elsewhere as well. TRDB.

9) MISSION PARK– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Four close friends grow up together, but their paths diverge over time: Two of them join the FBI, while the other two build up a major drug cartel. When the federal agents try to infiltrate the cartel, they run up against their old childhood friends.”

9/6/13- Poor review in today’s NY Times and from others as well. TRDB.

10) MY FATHER AND THE MAN IN BLACK– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “When Johnny Cash’s agent Saul Foliff died, he left a cache of letters and audio recordings. Their revelations form the basis of this film. Foliff’s son Jonathan uses the information to shine a light on the collaboration that shaped both men’s lives.”

9/6/13- Mixed reviews in general. In today’s review the NY Times said that nobody in this film was fully explained. TRDB.

11) 99%: THE OCCUPY WALL STREET COLLABORATIVE FILM– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Weaving together personal stories of protesters and analysis of the issues they support, this documentary examines the Occupy Wall Street movement and why it spread so quickly to cities around the country and the world.”

9/6/13- A good review in today’s NY Times but other reviews were mixed. TRDB.

12) WINNIE MANDELA– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “South Africa’s Winnie Mandela, one of the most galvanizing public figures in modern history, comes to life in this absorbing biopic. Though it traces Winnie’s whole story, the film hinges on the Apartheid-era imprisonment that would define her image.”

9/6/13- A poor review in today’s NY Times and from most others as well. TRDB.

13) WE THE PARENTS– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “This documentary follows a group of concerned parents who took advantage of a new California law to force their local school to go charter. Amid controversy over their action, they remain fiercely dedicated to improving education for their kids.”

9/6/13- A weak review in today’s NY Times but better reviews from others. TRDB.

13) THE ULTIMATE LIFE– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Blessed with the treasures that came to him in The Ultimate Gift, Jason Stevens inherits family conflicts and copes with his wife’s extended trip abroad. Once again Jason must rethink his life values, and his grandfather’s journals provide a path.”

9/6/13- Bad reviews all over. TRDB.

14) TIO PAPI– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Ray Ray Dominguez, who won’t commit to his longtime girlfriend, has responsibility forced on him when his sister dies and her six kids land on his doorstep. But while trying to find the tots new families, he unexpectedly comes to like domestic life.”

9/6/13- Today’s NY Times pointed out many flaws but seemed to like the movie. Nobody else did, however. TRDB.

2) HERB & DOROTHY 50X50- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “This follow-up to 2008’s Herb & Dorothy chronicles the Vogels’ mission to donate 2,500 works of art from their extensive collection. Bestowing 50 pieces to each state, the couple unwittingly opens a discussion on the role of art in the new century.”

8/26/13- Poor early reviews. TRDB.

3) MOTHER OF GEORGE– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Nigerian-Americans Ayodele and Adenike marry and perform a traditional ceremony in which Adenike confirms the name of the son she will one day bear. But the stress of adjusting to life in America and the pressure to conceive soon take their toll.”

8/26/13- No reviews as yet. TRDB.

4) WADJDA– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Persistent 10-year-old Wadjda would like nothing more than a new bicycle so she can beat her friend (a boy) in a race. But it’s going to take some ingenuity to get one — especially in her culture, which sees bikes as a threat to a girl’s virtue.”

8/26/13- Very good reviews. TRDB.

9/11/13- I liked this movie that was about coming of age in the setting of Havana, Cuba but instead of rebelling against their parents they are rebelling against the state. Excellent acting made this movie excel. TRDB.

7/19/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

9/6/13- Today’s NY Times called this movie absurd. TRDB.

8/16/13- A poor review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

2) SHORT TERM 12– Jacob Burns. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Grace, a compassionate young supervisor at a foster care facility, works with her boyfriend and colleague, Mason, to help at-risk teens. But when a new charge dredges up memories of her own troubled past, Grace’s tough exterior begins eroding.”

8/23/13- An excellent review from most critics and the NY Times liked it as well. TRDB.

8/7/13- Woody is as creative as ever as he constructs another story that most audiences can relate to. Cate Blanchett’s acting was great and I liked the movie. After the rave reviews I was a little disappointed. TRDB.

8/16/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

8/25/13- Although I did enjoy parts of this movie, I was disappointed with the film as a whole. I thought it was a lackluster story about the butler used as a vehicle for a very powerful piece of history and it just didn’t seem to fit for me. The acting carried the movie. TRDB.

9/2/13- The movie was fun but nothing great. There were some funny situations that reminded me of early Woody Allen and I did enjoy the various relationships. TRDB.

4) CLOSED CIRCUIT– Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Martin and Claudia, top-flight lawyers who happen to be former lovers, become targets when they’re teamed up to defend a notorious terrorist. As the trial unfolds, the danger causes the pair to reevaluate their allegiance to justice.”

8/27/13- Poor reviews. TRDB.

5) THE GRANDMASTER– Clearview 100. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “As the Japanese invasion looms, Chinese kung fu master Ip Man’s world changes when rival master Gong Er and her father arrive in his village. As her father ceremoniously retires, Gong Er finds love with Ip Man, who’s conflicted by his feelings.”

8/23/13- A good review in today’s NY Times for this martial arts film and positive reviews in general. The Wall St. Journal said that you had to be a martial arts fan to like this movie and sight unseen I would agree. TRDB.

6) THE SPECTACULAR NOW– Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “When high school loner Aimee Finicky finds her classmate Sutter Keely passed-out drunk on a lawn, it marks the start of an unlikely friendship. After deciding to help Aimee raise her social confidence, Sutter finds himself falling for his creation.”

7/15/13- Very good early reviews. TRDB.

8/2/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

8/23/13- Overall I enjoyed this movie but I felt that the first 45min. was too long and the second 45min. a bit too short. TRDB.