The Reel Dr. Bob

6/19/15- This documentary proves once again that the truth is stranger than fiction. Nobody could make this up. The film was very different, creative and disturbing but definitely worth seeing. TRDB.

2) TESTAMENT OF YOUTH– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this adaptation of her World War I memoir, smart and ambitious Vera Brittain breaks free of her conservative home life to attend Oxford University, but news of war soon brings her studies and a blossoming romance to a halt.”

6/5/15- Very good reviews by audiences and by professionals. TRDB.

6/24/15- About young love and the realities of war. Very well acted and I liked it very much. TRDB.

6/18/15- An excellent documentary that placed hockey into the turmoil taking place in the Soviet Union at the time. TRDB. Netflix.

2) 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.

6/19/15- I liked this movie very much. Do NOT confuse it with the American movie “The Future.” TRDB. Netflix Streaming.

3) KILL THE MESSENGER-2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “This disturbing, fact-based thriller is based on Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gary Webb’s involvement in revealing the CIA’s secret funding and assistance for Nicaraguan Contra rebels during the 1980s.”

10/6/14- Fairly good reviews from audiences and critics. TRDB.

6/23/15- I liked this docudrama although it lacked suspense. Also, I found it a bit confusing in the beginning. TRDB. Netflix.

4) LITTLE WHITE LIE– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this intimate documentary, Lacey Schwartz reflects on her experiences growing up in a typical Jewish household, remaining unaware of her true parentage until her mother shares the long-held secret of her affair with a black man.”

11/24/14- Great early reviews. TRDB.

6/23/15- An excellent documentary just as much about family dynamics as about the topic itself. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.

4/12/15- Overall I’ll give this movie a passing grade but I was not overly impressed. Come in mid-way and see the better second half. TRDB.

2) THE OVERNIGHT– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Transplants from Seattle, Alex and Emily feel like fish out of water in Los Angeles until a meeting at a park leads to a play date for their son and a dinner date for them. But they soon discover that their hosts have more in mind than friendship.”

6/15/15- Fairly good reviews for this comedy. TRDB.

3) DOPE– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In the tough neighborhood of the Bottoms, high school senior Malcolm sports his own funky style while working hard to gain admission to a top college. But his clean-cut perspective take an unexpected turn when a local drug dealer befriends him.”

6/19/15- Very good reviews from critics and audiences with only a few who didn’t like it and/or think it was very creative. TRDB.

4) INFINITELY POLAR BEAR– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “When his wife heads to New York for an 18-month job, bipolar Harvard dropout Cameron is left to care for their two daughters. Struggling with his illness, Cameron brings his innate creativity — and love of his children — to the challenge.”

6/19/15- Very good reviews from audiences and critics alike. TRDB.

5) BALLS OUT– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “College student Caleb Fuller faces a challenge when his former flag-football squad reunites for a last chance at intramural glory. Up against their longtime rivals, Caleb’s team brings in an ex-teammate — who’s now paralyzed — as the coach.”

6/19/15- Good reviews from critics and audiences. TRDB.

6) RUBBLE KINGS- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “During the 1970s, New York City’s neighborhoods were overrun by gang violence. This in-depth documentary looks at an unlikely band of young residents who helped bring peace to the streets by ushering in hip-hop culture.”

6/19/15- Good reviews by critics and excellent ones by audiences. TRDB.

7) 3 1/2 MINUTES, 10 BULLETS– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In November 2012, loud music led to a lethal altercation in Florida between four black teens and a white man, leaving one youth dead in a hail of gunfire and leading to the controversial trial played out in this engrossing documentary.”

6/19/15- Excellent reviews from critics but audiences were mixed, more negative than positive. TRDB.

8) HIPPOCRATES: DIARY OF A FRENCH DOCTOR– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In his pursuit of a medical degree, Benjamin Barois begins an internship in the hospital ward that his doctor father oversees. But the would-be physician soon finds his future endangered when a patient dies because of his negligence.”

6/19/15- Very good critical review and just OK reviews by audiences. TRDB.

9) GABRIEL– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “As he wages a battle against mental illness, a troubled teen looking for stability seeks to reunite with his former girlfriend. But his compulsive quest soon tests the boundaries of his family’s compassion.”

6/19/15- Very good reviews from critics and audiences although most of the critics felt the need to give some negative aspects of the movie. TRDB.

10) EVAPORATING BORDERS– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “This pensive documentary focuses on desperate asylum-seekers who’ve reached the island of Cyprus, only to face a new set of trials. Divided into five chapters, the film underscores the challenges faced by these strangers in a strange land.

6/19/15- Just 2 reviews so far– one up and one down (the NY Times). It sounds interesting to me and I’ll go for it. TRDB.

11) THE WANTED 18– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “This true tale from the Palestinian intifada of the late 1980s uses animation, re-enactments and interviews to narrate the effort by Palestinian residents to maintain and protect their own herd of milk cows, in defiance of Israeli occupation laws.”

6/19/15- Fair reviews from critics and very good ones from audiences. TRDB.

12) THE TRIBE– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this dark-edged drama conveyed completely in sign language, teenager Sergey arrives at a boarding school for deaf-mute students and quickly discovers that there’s far more going on among the students than meets the eye.”

6/19/15- Fairly good reviews– some very good. TRDB.

2) MANGLEHORN– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Living only with his cat, brooding locksmith A.J. Manglehorn remains in a rut, penning endless letters to his idealized lost love. Given a chance for new relationship with a cheerful bank teller, A.J. faces a choice between the past and the present.”

6/19/15- Poor reviews in general for this movie starring Al Pacino. TRDB.

3) TENTACLE 8– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “When a computer virus erases top-secret files at the National Security Agency, codebreaker Ray Berry becomes the target of an internal probe. Suddenly in the crosshairs, Ray must rely on his cunning to elude pursuers while trying to reveal the truth.”

6/19/15- Poor early reviews from critics but audiences have liked it uniformly. TRDB.

2) A LITTLE CHAOS– Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “When headstrong landscape designer Sabine De Barra is chosen to work on the gardens of King Louis XIV’s opulent new palace at Versailles, she finds herself at odds with the project’s famed chief architect — and thrust into a web of court intrigue.”

6/23/15- Weak reviews. TRDB.

3) MANGLEHORN- Jacob Burns. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Living only with his cat, brooding locksmith A.J. Manglehorn remains in a rut, penning endless letters to his idealized lost love. Given a chance for new relationship with a cheerful bank teller, A.J. faces a choice between the past and the present.”

6/19/15- Poor reviews in general for this movie starring Al Pacino. TRDB.

5/30/15- A delightful comedy/romance movie with a very good and accurate script. Blythe Danner was wonderful. TRDB.

6/9/15- I liked this movie very much. The acting and the music were great. TRDB.

5) THE WOLFPACK– Jacob Burns, Clearview 100. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In the heart of Manhattan, Baghavan and Susanne have raised their seven kids with virtually no exposure to the outside world. This startling documentary captures their offspring’s unique views of society — molded largely by films they’ve watched.”

6/12/15- Very good reviews. TRDB.

6/19/15- This documentary proves once again that the truth is stranger than fiction. Nobody could make this up. The film was very different, creative and disturbing but definitely worth seeing. TRDB.

6) WOMAN IN GOLD– Saw Mill Hawthorne. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Six decades after World War II, Jewish octogenarian Maria Altmann begins a quest to reclaim the artwork confiscated from her family by the Nazis — including a famed Gustav Klimt masterpiece.”

4/1/15- Poor reviews!! Everyone I know who has seen this has loved it!! TRDB.

6/6/15- I enjoyed this drama/comedy, especially the interaction between the main characters. TRDB.