The Reel Dr. Bob

MAY 29, 2014

DEAR FRIENDS:

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

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

1) IDA– At the Theater

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER-

1) IDA- 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Raised in a Catholic orphanage during the Nazi occupation of Poland, Anna is poised to join the order when she learns she has a surviving aunt. But visiting the woman before taking her vows uncovers some inconvenient truths about her heritage.”5/2/14- Excellent reviews all around including the one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

5/23/14– Difficult to watch at times but a very interesting story. Definitely recommended. TRDB.

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-

1) ABOUT LAST NIGHT– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “After a couple’s flirtation quickly moves from the bar to the bedroom, they test if their physical chemistry is enough to carry a real relationship. The pair consult their skeptical best friends along the way in this remake of an ’80s rom-com.”2/1614- Good reviews in general and the NY Times liked it. TRDB.

5/24/14- This re-make is bad, bad, bad. TRDB.

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY-

1) THE TROUBLE WITH THE TRUTH– 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “When his daughter announces her engagement, musician Robert tries to talk her out of it — convinced it will end up like his marriage to her mother. But when the now-divorced parents meet again, Robert begins to reconsider his own choices.”9/14/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times but most critics and audiences have liked it. TRDB.

2) 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.

7/19/13- An excellent review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

3) THE MOTEL LIFE– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this affecting indie drama, two luckless brothers — inseparable because of a pledge they made to their dying mother — are forced to take it on the lam after one of them is involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident.”11/8/13- A very good review in today’s NY Times and from most other critics as well. TRDB.

11/14/13- I liked this movie very much. TRDB.

4) SMALL TIME– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “While enduring a devastating mid-life crisis, used car dealer Al is thrilled when his estranged son decides to skip college and join the business. But it doesn’t take long for Al to realize that both he and his son deserve more than this job.”4/14/14– I found just 1 review and it was good. TRDB.

4/18/14– The NY Times liked this film. TRDB.

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OPENED THIS WEEK-

RECOMMENDED-

1) THE DANCE OF REALITY– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Chilean filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky weaves the story of his early years with mythical themes, recounting his unhappy childhood and how he was molded by a tyrannical communist father and free-spirited mother amid a landscape of political turmoil.”5/23/14- Great professional reviews. The NY Times called it “something close to a masterpiece.” TRDB.

2) FREQUENCIES- 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “OXV: THE MANUAL is being billed as the world’s first Scientific-Philosophical romance. Boy meets girl in a not-quite-here, not-quite-now world where one simple discovery has forever changed all human interaction. The film could perhaps best be described as a combination of “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “(500) Days of Summer,” and “Primer.”

5/23/14- I’ve seen just a few professional reviews and they are all very good. Audiences have liked it very much as well. TRDB.

3) GORE VIDAL: THE UNITED STATES OF AMNESIA– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “With interviews and footage from his television appearances, this documentary chronicles the life and career of outspoken writer Gore Vidal, a liberal icon who never shied away from sharing his views on American politics and culture.”

5/23/14– Very good reviews from critics and audiences. TRDB.

4) STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING DOORS– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “After he’s chided for skipping class, autistic 13-year-old Ricky escapes his life for a journey on the subway, spending days underground. As his family carries out a desperate search for him on the surface, Hurricane Sandy approaches the city.”

5/23/14- Very good professional reviews and OK audience ones too. TRDB.

5) A WORLD NOT OURS– 2014- Synopsis by Netflix. “Palestinian refugee camp Ain al-Hilweh has housed more than 70,000 people for over 60 years. Filmmaker Mahdi Fleifel, who grew up in the camp, uses home video, family archives and historical footage to explore three generations of exiles.”

5/23/14- Very good reviews. TRDB.

6) WOLF- 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “After his release from prison, Dutch-Moroccan kickboxer Majid tries to turn his life around using his talent for fighting. But he soon finds himself sucked into a criminal world so violent and crushing that it may destroy him.”

5/23/14- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.

7) GEBO AND THE SHADOW– 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “Gebo is a poor but virtuous Lithuanian man who lives with his sullen wife and devoted daughter-in-law; his only son Joao vanished years earlier. When Joao shows up again, the blessing of his return is soon followed by brazen theft from his father.”

5/28/14- Very good reviews including the one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

8) THE LIFE & TIMES OF DORIS PAYNE– 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Find out how a poor, single, African-American mother from segregated 1930s America winds up as one of the world’s most notorious and successful jewel thieves. A glamorous 83-year-old, Doris Payne is as unapologetic today about the $2 million in jewels she’s stolen over a 60-year career as she was the day she stole her first carat.”

5/28/14- Mixed reviews from critics but audiences have liked this movie very much. TRDB.

NOT RECOMMENDED-

1) THE ANGRIEST MAN IN BROOKLYN– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Informed that he has a brain aneurysm and only 90 minutes left to live, bad-tempered Brooklynite Henry Altmann embarks on a frenzied excursion all over town to mend fences with everyone he’s alienated.”5/23/14- Awful reviews from nearly everybody. TRDB.

2) BLENDED– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “What’s worse than a dreadful blind date between two single parents? Crossing paths once again — but this time at a vacation resort with their kids in tow. This is the predicament in which Jim and Lauren find themselves in this romantic comedy.”

5/23/14- Awful reviews from critics but audiences have mostly liked it. TRDB.

3) GRAND DEPART– 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A tender coming of age story of two brothers thrown into turmoil by their father’s declining health, GRAND DÉPART reveals a young man looking to his future, while struggling with his past. Between his domineering brother Luc (Jérémie Elkaïm) and his incorrigible father (César winner Eddy Mitchell), Romain (Pio Marmaï) finds that he can’t go on being the boy who does what is expected of him.”

5/23/14- Weak reviews in general. The NY Times sort of liked it. TRDB.

4) LILA, LILA– 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Popular German actor Daniel Brühl plays David Kern, a socially awkward waiter who works a dead end job in a chic cafe. One day he stumbles upon the biggest break of his life, an unpublished manuscript which he finds in a jammed nightstand drawer.”

5/23/14- Weak reviews. TRDB.

5) THE LOVE PUNCH– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Richard and Kate might be divorced, but they still share a retirement nest egg. So when it goes missing, they go after the financier they hold responsible by staging a heist on the Côte d’Azur.”

5/23/14- Weak reviews. TRDB.

6) WORDS AND PICTURES– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “A picture is worth a thousand words — or is it? That’s the question prep school students must answer as their teachers egg them on in this diverting romantic comedy starring Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche as the instructors who spark the debate.”

5/23/14- Weak reviews. TRDB.

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FLORIDA- At the Stonzek Theater Lake Worth Playhouse-

1) THE RETRIEVAL– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1864, brutal bounty hunter Burrell uses violence and threats to force Marcus and his 13-year-old nephew, Will, to apprehend fellow slaves. Will’s loyalties are tested when he is sent north to retrieve Nate, a freed slave with a price on his head.”5/21/14- Excellent reviews from everybody. TRDB.

2) THE DOUBLE– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Jesse Eisenberg plays the dual roles of a timid office worker and his charismatic doppelganger in this cinematic adaptation of a Dostoevsky tale. First spotted on the bus, then at work, Simon’s double may share his looks, but he’s no carbon copy.”

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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-

NEW-

1) ABOUT LAST NIGHT– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “After a couple’s flirtation quickly moves from the bar to the bedroom, they test if their physical chemistry is enough to carry a real relationship. The pair consult their skeptical best friends along the way in this remake of an ’80s rom-com.”2/1614- Good reviews in general and the NY Times liked it. TRDB.

5/24/14- This re-make is bad, bad, bad. TRDB.

2) WOLF– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “After his release from prison, Dutch-Moroccan kickboxer Majid tries to turn his life around using his talent for fighting. But he soon finds himself sucked into a criminal world so violent and crushing that it may destroy him.”5/23/14- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.

3) FREQUENCIES- 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “OXV: THE MANUAL is being billed as the world’s first Scientific-Philosophical romance. Boy meets girl in a not-quite-here, not-quite-now world where one simple discovery has forever changed all human interaction. The film could perhaps best be described as a combination of “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “(500) Days of Summer,” and “Primer.”5/23/14- I’ve seen just a few professional reviews and they are all very good. Audiences have liked it very much as well. TRDB.

REPEATS-

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BOB’S PICKS IN THE SUBURBS-

NEW-

REPEATS-

1) CHEF– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “When chef Carl Casper’s plans for opening a restaurant in Los Angeles fail to pan out, he returns home to Miami and debuts a food truck instead. While trying to regain his zest for cookery, Carl also tries to mend his fractured family ties”5/9/14- Very good professional and audience reviews. TRDB.

2) BELLE– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “This period drama based on fact traces the life of Dido Elizabeth Belle, a biracial girl born in 1761 to a British admiral father and an African mother. Raised by her great-uncle, Dido finds her place in society despite her mixed ethnicity.”5/2/14- Fairly good reviews and the NY Times liked it. TRDB.

3) IDA– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100. 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Raised in a Catholic orphanage during the Nazi occupation of Poland, Anna is poised to join the order when she learns she has a surviving aunt. But visiting the woman before taking her vows uncovers some inconvenient truths about her heritage.”5/2/14- Excellent reviews all around including the one in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

5/23/14– Difficult to watch at times but a very interesting story. Definitely recommended. TRDB.

4) THE IMMIGRANT– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100. 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “After arriving in New York, Polish immigrant Ewa must provide for her ill sister — and soon falls under the thumb of charming thug Bruno, who forces her into a life of prostitution. But when she falls for a magician, her fortunes may turn.”5/16/14- Good critical review but audiences were just luke warm on this movie. TRDB.

5) PARTICLE FEVER- Jacob Burns. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “The creation of the Higgs boson particle, an elusive key to unlocking secrets of the universe, unfolds on camera in this landmark documentary. Scientists discuss the race to create the particle and its potential to explain the origin of all matter.”

3/26/14- Great reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

ENJOY!!

THE REEL DR. BOB