The Reel Dr. Bob

JANUARY 15, 2015

DEAR FRIENDS:

YOU CAN ACCESS THIS NEWSLETTER AND OLDER REVIEWS AT MY WEBSITE-

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

1) KELLY & CAL– Netflix

2) BAD TURN WORSE– Netflix

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER- NONE

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-

1) KELLY & CAL– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Struggling with the challenges of parenthood, a dispirited young mother finds an unlikely friend and confidante in her paralyzed teenage neighbor. But when their relationship crosses the line, she starts to consider the consequences.”9/7/14- Mixed reviews from professional and from audiences as well. TRDB.

1/9/15- I enjoyed the movie even though, as one reviewer said, the end got a little soapy. The movie took a theme that has been worked on pretty well over time and managed to make it interesting. TRDB. Netflix.

2) BAD TURN WORSE– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “What starts as an unwise way to finance a weekend of pre-college partying ends up as something far worse for the teens in this noir-ish crime drama. After stealing from his boss, Billy Joe learns that the cash he lifted was earmarked for a gangster.”

11/14/14- Liked by many critics but not one gave it a very good review. Audiences were mixed.  I’ll recommend it but it’s up for grabs. TRDB.

1/14/15- Interesting and unpredictable– I liked this movie about a few people in a small town. TRDB.

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 COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, JAN. 21-

1) THE INTERNET’S OWN BOY- THE STORY OF AARON SWARTZ– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “After he helped design the original Internet protocol RSS, programming legend Aaron Swartz became an ardent information activist. This probing documentary details what became of his wide-open future after he was charged with computer fraud.”6/27/14- Excellent reviews from critics and audiences alike. TRDB.

2) WINTER IN THE BLOOD– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “American Indian Virgil First Raise wakes up to a vision of his dead father. Then, he discovers that his wife has left him — a fact he can’t accept. Virgil pursues her down a crooked path — one that finally leads to a new view of his own soul.’

8/20/14- Mixed critical reviews– about 50/50. The NY Times liked it. Available Streaming also. TRDB.

3) THE GREEN PRINCE– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of a top leader in Palestine’s militant Hamas movement, spends a decade working as a mole for Israeli intelligence. In this gripping true-life drama, Yousef lives each day in immediate danger of torture and execution.”

8/25/14- Very good reviews. TRDB.

10/22/14- I liked this documentary very much. TRDB.

4) THE GOOD LIE– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this fact-based drama, a young Sudanese War refugee wins a lottery that allows him to start life anew in the United States. But adapting to his new home presents challenges — both for the “lost boy” and for the American woman who’s helping him.”

10/3/14- Very good reviews. TRDB.

5) WHITE BIRD IN A BLIZZARD– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “When 17-year-old Kat Conners’s mom, Eve, vanishes, the teen relishes her newfound freedom — until the reality of her loss sets in. While on break from college, Kat returns home and learns the strange facts behind Eve’s disappearance.”

10/24/14- Reviews are evenly divided for this movie but it sounds interesting to me and I’ll try to see it. TRDB.

6) MAY IN THE SUMMER– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “May travels to Jordan for her wedding to Ziad, a fellow Arab American, but faces the disapproval of her mother, a converted evangelical Christian who doesn’t want her daughter marrying a Muslim man.”

8/22/14- Mixed reviews from critics and good ones from audiences. TRDB.

9/19/14- I enjoyed this movie very much, especially the relationship between the main character May and her sisters. TRDB.

7) LEVITATED MASS– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 2012, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art installed Michael Heizer’s sculpture Levitated Mass — a 340-ton boulder perched atop a trench. This film traces the piece’s journey — from conception to the monolith’s 11-day transport from Riverside.”

11/14/14- Excellent reviews from critics and OK ones from audiences. TRDB.

Not Recommended-

1) MY WINNIPEG– Guy Maddin‘s dreamlike biographical documentary is part psychoanalysis and part historical study of Winnipeg, Canada, Maddin’s hometown. Poetry serves as narration to explain how the city’s idiosyncratic culture has influenced the director. From lyrical ramblings about how the denizens of Winnipeg exist in perpetual “sleep mode” to fanciful reenactments of scenes from Maddin’s dysfunctional childhood, the film comprises a unique allegory of life.”7/10- Interesting for about 20min. and then just plain weird. TRDB.

2) LIFE’S A BREEZE– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “In the process of making over aging matriarch Nan’s ratty apartment, a cash-strapped Irish clan inadvertently discards her mattress that’s stuffed with nearly one million euros. The question now is: where do old mattresses go to die?”

9/19/14- Very poor reviews in general with a smattering of good ones. TRDB.

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OPENED JAN. 9, JAN. 14 and JAN. 15-

1) BELOVED SISTERS– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In the late 18th century, sisters Charlotte and Caroline begin an unconventional romance with poet Friedrich Schiller, who cares deeply for them both. As their situation evolves, each sister finds her life altered in ways she never imagined possible.”1/9/15- This film received very good reviews from the critics, the NY Times being an exception. Audiences did not care for it at all. I’d give it a try. TRDB.

2) BLACK NOVEMBER– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Outraged at the Nigerian government’s decision to let a giant energy corporation drill on their lands, a group of rebels abducts a U.S. oil executive — an act that leads to explosive consequences in this tense drama based on real events.”1/9/15– Poor professional reviews but very good audience ones. Probably worth a try. TRDB.

3) FAREWELL, HERR SCHWARZ– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Delving into her family’s enigmatic past, director Yael Reuveny traces the lives of her grandmother Michla Schwarz and great-uncle Feiv’ke, whose missed meeting in Poland in 1945 forever altered the family’s history.”

1/9/15- Excellent critical review. TRDB.

4) IT’S ALL SO QUIET– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Helmer, a middle-aged Dutch farmer, leads a sheltered existence that revolves around his elderly, emotionally distant father. As Helmer tries to live his own life, he tentatively reaches out to a shy truck driver and a sweet-natured young farmhand.”

1/9/15- Very good reviews and I plan to see it. TRDB. 

5) PREDESTINATION– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Dispatched on a mission intended to alter the fabric of history, a temporal agent from a remote reality travels through time to prevent a criminal madman from carrying out a devastating attack on New York City.”

1/9/15- Fairly good reviews from critics and audiences alike for this sci-fi movie. I’d recommend it even though it’s not my kind of movie. TRDB.

6) SOMETHING, ANYTHING– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “After a traumatic event upends her plans for the future, a young newlywed in crisis leaves behind her husband, a successful real-estate career and suburbia to seek a spiritual, purpose-driven life.”

1/9/15- Very good reviews. TRDB.

7) LA ULTIMA PELICULA– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “With the Mayan apocalypse of 2012 looming, an American director travels to the Yucatán to make his final film, scouting locations with help from a local guide and a reporter — who end up with roles in the movie.”

1/9/15- Good reviews by critics but audiences have not liked it at all. TRDB.

8) VALLEY OF SAINTS– 2015. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. ”  A likably low-key docudrama set in an attractive area of politically turbulent Kashmir.”

1/9/15- Very good reviews for this film. TRDB.

9) WHEN EVENING FALLS ON BUCHAREST OR METABOLISM– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Exploring the truths and fictions of cinema itself, this film-within-a-film portrays a director smitten by an actress in the movie he’s shooting. Their intense relationship prompts Paul, the director, to begin making radical changes to the script.”

1/9/15- Good reviews from both critics and audiences. TRDB.

10) THE WORLD MADE STRAIGHT– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In a rural Appalachian community haunted by the legacy of a Civil War massacre, young and rebellious Travis Shelton (Jeremy Irvine) finds himself ensnared in the violence of the past and the subtle evils of the present. Based on the novel by Ron Rash, THE WORLD MADE STRAIGHT also stars Noah Wyle, Minka Kelly and Haley Joel Osment.”

1/9/15- Fair critical review but audiences have liked this movie very much. TRDB.

11) HUMAN CAPITAL– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “After a tragic roadway accident, the fates of two families become intertwined as a result of the relationship between two of their children. Love, ambition and class all play a part in this piercing look at social climbers and the überwealthy.”

1/14/15- Very good reviews from critics and audiences. The NY Times did not like it. TRDB. 

12) MATCH– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Patrick Stewart stars as Tobi Powell, a former dancer and aging Julliard choreographer being interviewed by a Seattle couple for a dissertation. But when their questions get too personal, the couple’s hidden agenda becomes evident.”

1/14/15- Fairly good reviews. The NY Times did not like it. TRDB.

13) GIUSEPPE MAKES A MOVIE- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “A near-star as a child actor, Giuseppe Andrews eventually returned to his family’s trailer-park home and began directing no-budget films about the outer edges of society. This riotous documentary chronicles the making of his movie Garbanzo Gas.”

1/15/15- Excellent reviews from everybody. TRDB.

 

Not Recommended–

1) DARK SUMMER– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “When 17-year-old Daniel is put under house arrest for stalking a classmate online, his confinement goes from boring to terrifying as a string of ominous incidents leaves him wondering whether he’s the one being stalked.”1/9/15- Poor professional reviews and very good audience ones but this horror movie sounds really stupid and I’ll skip it. TRDB.

2) ODE TO MY FATHER– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Set in the heart of Korea’s densest international shopping district, this 60-year epic follows hard-working family man Deok-Soo and his descendents as they struggle with hardships in the big city, from post-war aftermath through to present day.”

1/9/15- Fair reviews at best. TRDB.

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FLORIDA- At the Stonzek Theater Lake Worth Playhouse-

1) NATIONAL GALLERY– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “With more than 2,000 paintings spanning seven centuries, London’s National Gallery is alive with art and humanity — all of which are illuminated by documentarian Frederick Wiseman’s far-ranging lens.”1/12/15- Excellent critical reviews and very good audience reviews.  TRDB.

2) LITTLE ACCIDENTS– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “When fate selects Amos Jenkins as the only survivor of a coal-mining disaster, it also makes him part of the turmoil that follows the tragedy. After a mine executive’s son is murdered, Amos and the boy’s mother join forces to find the killer.”

1/12/15- Very good reviews. TRDB.

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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-

NEW-

1) LOVE IS STRANGE– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “After 28 years together, Ben and George finally get hitched. But when the marriage raises controversy at the school where George works, he’s fired. Unable to afford their New York City apartment, the couple is forced to live apart.”8/12/14- Very good reviews. TRDB.

2)  MY OLD LADY– 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Mathias Gold (Kevin Kline) is a down-on-his-luck New Yorker who inherits a Parisian apartment from his estranged father. But when he arrives in France to sell the vast domicile, he’s shocked to discover a live-in tenant who is not prepared to budge. His apartment is a viager – an ancient French real estate system with complex rules pertaining to its resale – and the feisty Englishwoman Mathilde Girard (Maggie Smith), who has lived in the apartment with her daughter Chloe.”

9/16/14- Fair critical review but audiences have liked it more. TRDB.

3)  THE WORLD MADE STRAIGHT– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In a rural Appalachian community haunted by the legacy of a Civil War massacre, young and rebellious Travis Shelton (Jeremy Irvine) finds himself ensnared in the violence of the past and the subtle evils of the present. Based on the novel by Ron Rash, THE WORLD MADE STRAIGHT also stars Noah Wyle, Minka Kelly and Haley Joel Osment.”

1/9/15- Fair critical review but audiences have liked this movie very much. TRDB.

10/13/14- I liked it both because of the talent involved and the story. TRDB.

4) BAD TURN WORSE– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “What starts as an unwise way to finance a weekend of pre-college partying ends up as something far worse for the teens in this noir-ish crime drama. After stealing from his boss, Billy Joe learns that the cash he lifted was earmarked for a gangster.”

11/14/14- Liked by many critics but not one gave it a very good review. Audiences were mixed.  I’ll recommend it but it’s up for grabs. TRDB.

1/14/15- Interesting and unpredictable– I liked this movie about a few people in a small town. TRDB.

REPEATS-

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BOB’S PICKS IN THE SUBURBS-

NEW IN THE BURBS-

1) AMERICAN SNIPER– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Based on his memoir of the same name, this military biopic centers on legendary sniper Chris Kyle, who amassed a record number of kills on the battlefield during his 10-year career as a Navy SEAL.”12/25/14- Fairly good reviews from critics and audiences. TRDB.

2) A MOST VIOLENT YEAR– Jacob Burns, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Amid New York City’s crime-filled winter of 1981, immigrant Abel Morales and his wife try to operate a successful business, only to see their efforts threatened by the lawless atmosphere permeating the streets.

12/31/14- Excellent critical review. TRDB.

REPEATS-

1) THE IMITATION GAME– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Synopsis by Netflix. “Chronicling mathematical wizard Alan Turing’s key role in Britain’s successful effort to crack Germany’s Enigma code during World War II, this historical biopic also recounts how his groundbreaking work helped launch the computer age.”11/29/14- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

12/31/14- This movie was very well done with excellent acting and a basically true story. I enjoyed it very much but why did they need to sprinkle the schmaltz late in the movie- it was doing fine without? TRDB.

2) SELMA– Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1965 civil rights march from Selma, Ala., to Montgomery, this stirring historical drama highlights the courage of the marchers as they withstand racist and violent attacks by the police.”12/25/14- Excellent reviews from critics and very good ones from audiences.  TRDB.

3) INHERENT VICE – Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, Clearview 100. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “In the counterculture world of 1970s Los Angeles, gumshoe Doc Sportello finds himself pulled into bizarre circumstances by his ex-girlfriend, who suspects that her new lover’s wife is intent on having him committed to a mental asylum.”12/12/14- Sounds stupid but this film has some received some good reviews. TRDB.

4) FOXCATCHER–  Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Preparing for the 1988 Olympics, two sibling wrestlers cross paths with a paranoid schizophrenic millionaire in this drama based on a true story. The competitive Schultz brothers soon learn their new acquaintance is a dangerous distraction.”

11/14/14- Very good reviews. TRDB.

12/1/14- I liked this movie very much and highly recommend it. TRDB.

5) THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING– Saw Mill Hawthorne, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “With his body progressively ravaged by ALS, world-famous physicist Stephen Hawking must rely on his wife, Jane, to continue his life’s work as he faces various challenges. This affecting biographical drama centers on the couple’s fertile partnership.”

11/7/14- Good reviews from critics and audiences alike. TRDB.

6) WILD– Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2014. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “With the dissolution of her marriage and the death of her mother, Cheryl Strayed has lost all hope. After years of reckless, destructive behavior, she makes a rash decision. With absolutely no experience, driven only by sheer determination, Cheryl hikes more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, alone.”

12/3/14- Very good reviews. TRDB.

12/25/14- I enjoyed this movie very much. Reese Witherspoon was very believable in this part as a young woman determined to change her life around. TRDB.

7) BIRDMAN– Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Michael Keaton delivers a winking performance in this dark comedy about a cinematic superhero trying to forge a comeback with a Broadway play. With none of the super-powers of his former character, the actor struggles to rebuild his career and life.”

10/17/14- Excellent reviews from nearly all critics and audiences have liked it as well. The NY Times loved it. TRDB. 

10/31/14- Very original and interesting mixing fact and fantasy. Keaton was excellent and I enjoyed the movie. Labeled a comedy, it surely isn’t. TRDB.

8) WHIPLASH– Clearview 100. 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Driven by his demanding music teacher, drummer Andrew is determined to succeed as a jazz musician — even if it destroys his personality. Under the shadow of his father’s failed artistic attempts, Andrew practices until his hands bleed.”

10/10/14- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

11/7/14- Great acting, great music and a very good story. I liked the movie a lot despite a bit of Hollywood at the end. TRDB.

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

ENJOY!!

THE REEL DR. BOB