The Reel Dr. Bob

DECEMBER 3, 2015

DEAR FRIENDS:

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

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

1) TRUMBO- At the Theater

2) IN THE NAME OF MY DAUGHTER– Netflix

3) THE HEART MACHINE– Netflix Streaming

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER-

1) TRUMBO– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Bryan Cranston stars as famed 1940s screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, whose refusal to testify before the congressional House Un-American Activities Committee resulted in a prison sentence and being blacklisted as a communist.”

11/6/15- Not to be confused with the movie from 2007 with the same name, this drama got fair to good reviews. TRDB.

11/28/15– I enjoyed  this movie very much and would not be surprised at a nomination for best actor for Bryan Cranston. TRDB.

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-

1) IN THE NAME OF MY DAUGHTER– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Leaving a soured marriage behind, Agnès Le Roux returns home to live with her mother, who owns a casino. Before long, Agnes begins a fateful romance with her mother’s closest adviser, the conniving Maurice Agnelet — and then vanishes into thin air.”

5/15/15- Poor reviews for this drama with a cast that includes Catherine DeNeuve. TRDB. 

2) THE HEART MACHINE– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder for Cody and Virginia, who are pursuing a relationship online while living on different continents. Soon, however, New Yorker Cody begins to suspect that Virginia may be living much closer than she’s letting on.”

10/24/14- Excellent reviews from critics. Audiences have been luke warm. TRDB.

11/30/15- A very good mystery that calls into question the limits to the type of relationship that you can have on the Internet alone. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, DEC. 8-

1) BLIND- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “When she loses her sight, Ingrid retreats to her apartment and senses that her husband may not always leave when he says he’s going to work. As her loneliness and uncertainty grow, she also comes to worry about a neighbor’s motivations.”

9/4/15- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

2) TRAINWRECK– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Single and successful, Amy has no intention of settling down — or even going on a second date — until she meets the subject of her next magazine piece, a handsome doctor. Confronted with a real-life good guy, she begins to reconsider bachelorhood.”

7/14/15- Very good critical reviews. TRDB.

7/20/15- I really enjoyed this movie- funny and poignant. TRDB.

3) THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “When one of Nira’s kindergarten students reveals himself to be a gifted poet, she urges the 5-year-old to develop his talent. But as the young bard produces ever-more sublime verse, Nira’s relationship with him grows increasingly obsessive.”

7/29/15- Fairly good reviews from critics and audiences alike for this Israeli drama. TRDB.

4) PARATISAN– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Raised in an isolated communal family led by the enigmatic and dictatorial Gregori, 11-year-old Alexander begins to question his surrogate father’s teachings — which doesn’t sit well with Gregori and soon leads to a growing conflict between them.”

10/14/15- Weak professional reviews but audiences liked it more. TRDB.

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OPENED LAST FRIDAY, 11/27, IN ADDITION TO THE MOVIES I WROTE ABOUT LAST WEEK-

1) KARSKI & THE LORDS OF HUMANITY– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “On a mission to investigate Nazi atrocities against European Jews during World War II, Jan Karski risked his life by infiltrating the Warsaw ghetto to gather proof and inform Allied leaders, as chronicled in this compelling documentary.”

11/27/15- I’ve seen just 2 reviews and they are both good. TRDB.

2) KILLING THEM SAFELY (TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE)– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Created as a safer alternative to police deployment of firearms, Taser guns have provoked controversy and criticism in the wake of an increasing number of deaths resulting from their use. This documentary explores both sides of the issue.”

11/27/15- Very good reviews. TRDB.

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OPENING THIS FRIDAY, DEC. 4 (partial list)

1) THE LETTERS– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “This inspiring biographical drama portrays the remarkable life of Mother Teresa through the lens of a decades-long correspondence with her confidant and spiritual mentor, Father Celeste van Exem.”

11/29/15- Just saw 1 review and she called it necessary but punishingly dull. TRDB.

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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-

NEW-

1)  KILLING THEM SAFELY (TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Created as a safer alternative to police deployment of firearms, Taser guns have provoked controversy and criticism in the wake of an increasing number of deaths resulting from their use. This documentary explores both sides of the issue.”

11/27/15- Very good reviews. TRDB.

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BOB’S PICKS IN WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES-

NEW IN THE BURBS-

1) IN JACKSON HEIGHTS– Jacob Burns. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Famous for his profiles of institutions ranging from prisons to ballet companies, Frederick Wiseman turns his lens on something different: a community. The result is a riveting portrait of Jackson Heights, Queens, where 167 languages are spoken.”

12/1/15- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

REPEATS-

1) SPOTLIGHT- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, Clearview 100. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Revealing a string of cover-ups stretching back decades, a team of “Boston Globe” reporters exposes the Catholic Archdiocese’s history of keeping reports about child molestation and other priest-initiated abuse under wraps.”

10/28/15- Great reviews for this drama. TRDB.

11/13/15- The great reviews were well deserved. A very good drama and very realistic as well. TRDB.

2) TRUMBO- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Danbury, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Bryan Cranston stars as famed 1940s screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, whose refusal to testify before the congressional House Un-American Activities Committee resulted in a prison sentence and being blacklisted as a communist.”

11/6/15- Not to be confused by the movie from 2007 with the same name, this drama got fair to good reviews. TRDB.

11/28/15– I enjoyed this movie very much and would not be surprised at a nomination for best actor for Bryan Cranston. TRDB.

3) BROOKLYN– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Saw Mill Hawthorne, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “After emigrating from Ireland, Eilis Lacey readily adapts to the vastly different New York City, where she falls for a young Italian. But when tragedy pulls her back to her hometown, she finds her loyalties divided between two nations — and two men.”

10/28/15- Great reviews. TRDB.

11/14/15- I really liked this movie very much. Great acting and a very interesting story with some humor thrown in as well. TRDB. 

4) SUFFRAGETTE– Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Dreaming of the right to vote, working-class Maud eagerly joins the early feminist movement. But when the peaceful protests of the suffragettes accomplish nothing, they’re driven to more radical methods of effecting change.”

10/20/15- Fairly good reviews from most critics. TRDB.

5) ROOM– Bethel, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “After being abducted, raped and imprisoned in a small windowless room, a young woman gives birth and is forced to raise her son, Jack, in the same improvised space. But after five years, Jack’s mother begins planning their escape.”

10/11/15- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

10/26/15- A splendid movie with wonderful acting and a great screenplay. The movie is fiction but there is ample precedent for this scenario. TRDB. 

6) BRIDGE OF SPIES– Saw Mill Hawthorne. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “At the height of the Cold War in 1960, the downing of an American spy plane and the pilot’s subsequent capture by the Soviets draws Brooklyn attorney James Donovan Tom Hanks) into the middle of an intense effort to secure the aviator’s release.”

10/11/15- Excellent reviews for this drama/mystery. TRDB.

10/17/15- I enjoyed this cold war spy thriller, even with the few touches of Hollywood thrown in by Steven Spielberg. Also, I read that the Tom Hanks character, portrayed as a novice, actually had been involved in the Nuremberg trials. TRDB. 

7) SECRET IN THEIR EYES– Danbury. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Thirteen years after a colleague’s daughter is savagely murdered, former FBI investigator Ray remains haunted by the unsolved case. But as he gets close to nabbing the killer, Ray unearths a shocking truth that casts a different light on past events.”

11/18/15- Early reviews are not so good. TRDB.

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FLORIDA-

BOB’S PICKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY-

A) MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH AND DELRAY-

B) STONZEK THEATER AT LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE-

1) THE FORBIDDEN ROOM– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this wildly surreal comedic mystery tale, the crew of a submarine trapped in the ocean depths can’t imagine that things could get any worse. Then they discover that a dangerous band of forest thieves has joined them on board.”

12/1/15- Lots of positive reviews from the critics but they all called it an “unusual” movie. Audiences have liked it also. TRDB.

2) GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Based on the best-selling exposé by Lawrence Wright, this in-depth documentary about the Church of Scientology includes interviews with eight former members who recall the abuses they witnessed and suffered during their time as followers.”

3/13/15- Very good professional reviews and OK reviews by audiences. TRDB.

C) LIVING ROOM THEATER AT FAU IN BOCA-

1) FLOWERS– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Mired in a stale marriage, middle-aged Ane is pleased but mystified when she begins receiving flowers each week from an anonymous person. With her curiosity aroused, Ane attempts to discover her secret admirer’s identity.”

10/30/15- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.

2) TRUMBO– Excellent- See it!!

3) LABYRINTH OF LIES– I saw it and liked it very much4) THEEB– Very good reviews

4) RUN BOY RUN– I’ve seen no reviews but a few friends have liked it a lot

5) THEEB– Very good reviews

ENJOY!!

THE REEL DR. BOB