The Reel Dr. Bob

APRIL 10, 2014

DEAR FRIENDS:

 

YOU CAN ACCESS THIS NEWSLETTER AND OLDER REVIEWS AS USUAL ON MY WEBSITE- www.thereeldrbob.com

 

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES SINCE THE LAST ISSUE 2 WEEKS AGO-

 

1) CHILD’S POSE– At the Theater

2) OUR CHILDREN– Netflix

3) THE ROCKET– At the Theater

4) TWO LIVES– Comcast On-Demand

5) LE WEEK-END– At the Theater

6) AT ANY PRICE– Netflix

 

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MOVIES I SAW AT THE THEATER DURING THE LAST 2 WEEKS-

 

1) CHILD’S POSE– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “When her son Barbu kills a child with his car, wealthy Romanian Cornelia hopes that spreading money around will make Barbu’s problem go away. But bribing the witnesses and even the dead boy’s parents won’t repair her fractured family.”

 

3/28/14- I saw this movie today and enjoyed it despite it being very sad. Great acting by the female lead. TRDB.

 

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MOVIES I SAW AT HOME DURING THE LAST 2 WEEKS-

 

1) OUR CHILDREN– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Based on a true story, this intense drama follows young Belgian Murielle, who marries Moroccan-born Mounier. As their four children arrive in rapid succession and Mounier’s intrusive guardian runs their lives, Murielle grows increasingly desperate.”

 

7/15/13- Early reviews are good for this movie. TRDB.

 

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, APRIL 15-

 

1) INTERIOR. LEATHER BAR– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Reimagining the 40 minutes of explicit gay S&M footage rumored to have been cut from the 1980 film Cruising, this fascinating film explores the normalization of gay culture and the boundaries of sexual and creative freedom.”3/5/14- Mixed reviews, with as many negative as positive. The NY Times liked it. TRDB.2) THE INVISIBLE WOMAN– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Ralph Fiennes directs and stars in this drama about the affair Charles Dickens began with a teen actress while at the height of his career. Felicity Jones plays the young thespian who catches Dickens’s eye, and Kristin Scott Thomas plays her mom.”

12/3/13- Mixed reviews but more good than bad. TRDB.

3) PHILOMENA– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Floundering BBC journalist Martin Sixsmith and aging Irishwoman Philomena Lee form an unlikely bond when they pair up to find the son Philomena was forced to give up for adoption 50 years ago.”

11/22/13- Excellent reviews all around including the NY Times. TRDB.

11/29/13- I liked this movie very much. Great and true story with great acting and very realistically done. Sad beyond sad at times. Everybody should see this. TRDB.

4) DATE AND SWITCH– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “High school seniors and lifelong friends Michael and Matty, still virgins, agree to help one another “score” before prom. But things take a surprising turn when Michael develops a crush on Matty’s ex, and Matty admits that he’s gay.”

2/14/14- Sounds awful but reviews were mixed. The NY Times liked it. TRDB.

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OPENED 2 WEEKS AGO-

1) NOAH– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “This ambitious adaptation of the story of Noah depicts the visions that led him to voice dire prophesies of apocalypse and to build an ark to survive. As he labors to save his family, Noah asks for help from a band of angels called the Watchers.”

3/28/14- Mixed reviews in general. The NY Times was “so-so” on it. TRDB.

2) BLUMENTHAL– 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Celebrated playwright, Harold Blumenthal, has passed away after succumbing to cardiac arrest while laughing at his own joke. Now, Harold’s estranged and jealous brother, Saul, must confront his personal hang-ups to deliver himself from an epic bout of constipation. Meanwhile, Saul’s wife Cheryl and son Ethan must grapple with their own personal obstacles through a set of circumstances so improbably ironic they might as well have been lifted from one of Harold’s plays.”

3/28/14- Mixed reviews by critics but audiences have liked it. The NY Times gave it a mixed review.  TRDB.

3) CESAR CHAVEZ– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “During the 1960s and ’70s, Cesar Chavez served as an inspirational leader to tens of thousands of migrant farm workers trying to improve their rights. This biopic recounts Chavez’s efforts as the head of the United Farm Workers labor union.”

3/28/14- Weak critical reviews but audiences so far have liked it. TRDB.

4) BREATHE IN– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Music teacher Keith has his mind focused on the past when he and his wife agree to welcome a foreign exchange student into their household. But the arrival of a British girl who’s the same age as their daughter has a way of shaking up the present.”

3/28/14- An OK review in today’s NY Times and mixed reviews from others and from audiences as well. TRDB.

5) CHEAP THRILLS– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Humiliation and pain are the name of the game in this offbeat drama whose hero, Craig, takes on a strange series of dares in exchange for cash. When the wealthy couple paying for the high jinks invites him home, Craig’s degradation only worsens.”

3/28/14- A fairly good review from the NY Times and from other critics as well. TRDB.

6) FINDING VIVIAN MAIER– 2014. Synopsis  by Netflix. “When longtime nanny Vivian Maier died in 2009, she left behind thousands of photo negatives that she’d produced over the years. But the now-famous shutterbug’s unique body of work lay in storage until an amateur historian uncovered the trove.”

3/28/14- Very good reviews all around. TRDB.

7) GO DOWN DEATH– 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Go Down Death is a wry, sinister realization of a strange new universe, a cross-episodic melange of macabre folktales supposedly penned by the fictitious writer Jonathan Mallory Sinus. An abandoned factory in Brooklyn stands in for a decrepit village haunted by ghosts, superstition and disease, while threatening to buckle under rumblings of the apocalypse.”

3/28/14- Just a few reviews and they are mixed. Audiences have not liked it. TRDB.

8) JEWS OF EGYPT– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix “This documentary examines the history of Jews in Egypt during the early 20th century, through their forced exile during the 1956 Suez Crisis. Witnesses and historical footage chronicle a period of coexistence that seems unthinkable today.”

3/28/14- Good early reviews but a weak one from the NY Times in today’s review. TRDB.

9) REFUGE– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “After Amy’s parents abandon her two younger siblings — one of them brain-damaged — she’s obliged to leave college to take care of them. While struggling to accept her dreary new existence, Amy meets a man who may change everything.”

3/28/14- Poor reviews all over. TRDB.

10) NOTHING WITHOUT YOU– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Despite the odds stacked against her, a mentally unstable woman is determined to prove that she’s innocent of a violent crime. With the help of her court-appointed therapist, she attempts to piece together why she’s being framed for murder.”

3/28/14- Poor reviews by all critics. Audiences have liked it. TRDB.

11) GREENCARD WARRIORS– 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Set against the backdrop of Bush’s War on Terror and Barack Obama’s rise to presidency, Crosstown follows the story of 14-year-old Angel, an undocumented Latino teen, who struggles to find his place in an increasingly violent world. With the promise of naturalization papers, the US Military presents Angel’s family with the opportunity for a brighter future if they send his older brother into the US Army.”

3/28/14- Just one review and it’s good. Audiences have not liked it. TRDB.

12) HIDE YOUR SMILING FACES– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Two young brothers, Eric and Tommy, are upended by a tragic incident that kills of one of their friends and leaves emotional chaos behind. The boys must answer not only to the adults and family around them, but to their own consciences as well.”

3/28/14- Fairly good reviews all around including the NY Times. TRDB.

OPENED THIS WEEK-

1) ALAN PARTRIDGE- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Legendary blowhard Alan Partridge, made famous by funnyman Steve Coogan, has become an obscure radio host in this new page from his demented life. When Alan finds out he may be laid off, his response is to try to get a colleague fired instead.”

4/4/14- Good reviews all around including the NY Times. TRDB.

2) BEING GINGER– 2013. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Being ginger” is a wonderful, illuminating look into the life of the film’s maker, Scott P. Harris. At first the film seems to be a comedy about a red haired man trying to find love. But through revealing moments, whimsical animation, and real interviews, a universal story arises.”

4/4/14- Great reviews from everybody. TRDB.

3) FLEX IS KINGS– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “This dance-fueled documentary immerses audiences in the art of “flexing,” a gritty style of movement born on the streets of East New York that mirrors the neighborhood’s violence — and ingenuity.”

4/4/14- Poor reviews from audiences but the few critics who have weighed in seemed to like it. TRDB.

4) FRANKIE & ALICE– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “It’s a crushing battle for conscious dominance inside a disturbed woman’s (Halle Berry) mind as a multiple personality disorder pits her organic self — an African American woman — against her Caucasian racist alter-ego. Berry, who won an Oscar for her performance in Monster’s Ball, produces this independent psychological thriller filmed in Vancouver and directed by Geoffrey Sax (Doctor Who and White Noise.)”

4/4/14- Poor reviews from nearly everybody. TRDB.

5) THE GALAPAGOS AFFAIR: SATAN CAME TO EDEN- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Reading from letters, journals and memoirs, Cate Blanchett, Diane Kruger and others help narrate this little-known tale of a handful of European dreamers whose relocation to the Galapagos Islands in the 1930s took a tragic turn.”

4/4/14- Reviews have been mixed but more positive than negative. TRDB.

6) UNDER THE SKIN– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Jonathan Glazer’s atmospheric, visually arresting abstraction stars Scarlett Johansson as a seductive alien who prowls the streets of Glasgow in search of prey: unsuspecting men who fall under her spell, only to be consumed by a strange liquid pool.”

4/4/14- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.

7) WATERMARK– 2013. “Exploring the life force that sustains us all, this documentary brings together diverse stories from around the globe about our relationship with water: how we are drawn to it, what we learn from it, how we use it and the consequences of that use.”

4/4/14– Good professional reviews– audiences have been luke warm to the movie. TRDB.

8) NYMPHOMANIAC: VOLUME 2– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “The second half of Lars von Trier’s epic follows self-diagnosed nymphomaniac Joe as she chronicles her adult years to the man who saved her from a beating. Her tales include new conquests, both male and female, in her search for fulfillment.”

4/4/14- Mixed reviews– more positive than negative. TRDB.

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FLORIDA- At the Stonzek Theater Lake Worth Playhouse

1) TWO LIVES– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “As the European communist bloc is collapsing, Katrine’s quiet life in Norway is interrupted by questions about her early years in East Germany. With the truth about her past catching up with her, Katrine must try to explain the facts to her family.”

2/28/14- Very good reviews. The NY Times liked it also. TRDB.

4/2/14- A well acted and fascinating story. I enjoyed it very much and definitely recommend it. TRDB.

2) EXPOSED- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “The stars of New York’s new underground cabaret scene take the stage in this over-the-top documentary by acclaimed filmmaker Beth B. The film captures outrageous performances at the Slipper Room, where gender bending is only the beginning.”

3/14/14- Fairly good reviews and the NY Times liked it. TRDB.

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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-

NEW-

1) HIDE YOUR SMILING FACES– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Two young brothers, Eric and Tommy, are upended by a tragic incident that kills of one of their friends and leaves emotional chaos behind. The boys must answer not only to the adults and family around them, but to their own consciences as well.”

3/28/14- Fairly good reviews all around including the NY Times. TRDB.

REPEATS-

1) 12 YEARS A SLAVE- I didn’t like this film as much as the critics

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BOB’S PICKS IN THE SUBURBS-

NEW IN THE BURBS-

1) DOM HEMINGWAY- Bethel, Clearview 100. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “After finishing a 12-year prison sentence, safecracker Dom Hemingway sets out to collect the money he’s owed by his former partners in crime. When that mission tanks, Dom returns to London to try and gain forgiveness from his estranged daughter.”

4/8/14- Very weak reviews from most critics. A few liked it. TRDB.

2) DRAFT DAY- Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “On the day of the NFL player draft, Cleveland general manager Sonny Weaver trades up to get the first pick in this breezy sports drama. And while his decision may save football in his city, it just might cost him his girlfriend … and his team.”

4/8/14- I’ve seen just 1 professional review and it was negative. TRDB.

3) JOE– Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “When ex-con Joe hires 15-year-old Gary to help clear trees for a lumber company, he doesn’t expect to become a father figure for the abused boy. When Gary runs away from home, Joe becomes his protector, a role overshadowed by his own troubled past.”

4/8/14- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.

REPEATS-

1) GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL- Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Between the world wars, Gustave H, the concierge at a prestigious European hotel, takes a bellboy named Zero as a trusted protégé. Meanwhile, the upscale guests are involved in an art theft and a dispute over a vast family fortune.”

3/7/14- Good reviews all around. TRDB.

2) THE LUNCHBOX- Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “When Mumbai’s eerily reliable lunchbox delivery service erroneously sends a meal prepared by a young housewife to a lonely widower on the brink of retirement, the mistake ignites an exchange of notes and mutual fantasy between them.”

2/28/14-Very good reviews in general. I’ll see it. TRDB.

3) LE WEEK-END- Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Returning to Paris long after their honeymoon there, a British couple hopes to rediscover the magical feelings of their early years together. There, they meet an old friend whose perspectives on love and marriage help them recover what was lost.”

3/14/14- Good reviews from critics– audiences so-so. TRDB.

4/7/14- I enjoyed this ultimately sad movie about people’s relationships with their spouses. TRDB.

 

For Independent Films in Your Neighborhood go to- www.emergingpictures.com

For Independent Films in Palm Beach County go to www.lakeworthplayhouse.org

For Films everywhere go to- www.fandango.com

ENJOY!!

THE REEL DR. BOB