The Reel Dr. Bob

JANUARY 21, 2016

DEAR FRIENDS:

YOU CAN ACCESS THIS NEWSLETTER AND PAST REVIEWS AT MY WEBSITE- www.thereeldrbob.com

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

1) MUSTANG– At the Theater

2) THE MARTIAN– Hotwire On-Demand

3) CLOSED SEASON– At the Theater

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER-

1) MUSTANG- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Enraged by her granddaughters’ flirtations with some male classmates, a strict Turkish grandma refuses to let her young charges out of the house to keep them from ruining their marriage chances. But the girls find ways to circumvent the restraints.”

11/20/15- Excellent reviews. TRDB. 

1/15/16- A wonderful movie that is both moving and terribly sad at the same time. TRDB. 

2) CLOSED SEASON– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Childless Fritz sets off a devastating chain of events when he asks Albert, a Jewish refugee hiding out on his farm, to father a child with his wife. Despite their precautions, jealousy begins to endanger Fritz’s marriage … and Albert’s safety.”

1/18/16- An excellent movie with very good acting and an interesting premise. TRDB.

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-

1) 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.

1/18/16- Trite, boring and I turned it off. TRDB. Netflix.

2) THE MARTIAN– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Abandoned on the surface of Mars after his crew concludes that he perished in a dust storm, astronaut Mark Watney must find a way to survive the planet’s harsh environment — despite having only 28 days of supplies left.”

10/2/15- Very good reviews but it sounds like a crowd pleaser to me. I’ll probably give it a chance, however since most of my friends have liked it very much. TRDB.

1/21/16- This movie was 2 hours and 21 minutes long and until the last 20 minutes I was ready to turn it off at any time. Basically sci-fi with hero worship and the can-do philosophy that was much better in Apollo 13. The special effects of the actual rescue were very good. Despite this review I’d still recommend seeing it. TRDB. Hotwire On-Demand.

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, JAN. 26-

1) CHI-RAQ– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Based on the classical Greek play “Lysistrata,” this biting satire follows a group of fed-up women who organize a crusade against the daily violence that surrounds them in the gang-ridden South Side of Chicago.

12/4/15- Good reviews from critics and just fair ones from audiences. TRDB.

2) THE NEW GIRLFRIEND– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Dropping in unannounced to visit David, her best friend’s widower, Claire is stunned to discover his secret penchant for cross-dressing. Though she’s initially put off, Claire finds herself increasingly drawn to his feminine persona.”

9/18/15- Fairly good professional reviews for this movie- less so by audiences. TRDB.

3) A BRILLIANT YOUNG MIND– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Though Nathan Ellis possesses exceptional talent with numbers, he struggles with his social skills — until a caring new teacher helps him step outside of his shell and fully realize his potential as a mathematician.”

9/9/15- Very good reviews from most reviewers. TRDB.

4) THE ASSASSIN– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this action epic set in 9th-century China, Nie Yinniang is abducted at age 10 and trained to become an assassin who uses her skills to get rid of corrupt public officials — until she’s ordered to kill her beloved cousin.”

10/16/15- Generally good reviews but the reviewers stressed the beauty of the film rather than the plot. We’ll see what that means. TRDB.

5) IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “After rap artist Che “Rhymefest” Smith decides to raise his new family in his boyhood home on Chicago’s South Side, he learns that his estranged father is a homeless alcoholic living in the neighborhood and sets out to reestablish a connection.”

10/9/15- Very good reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

Not Recommended-

1) BURNT– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In his ambitious attempt to open a world-class restaurant, cutting-edge chef Adam Jones encounters a platterful of obstacles — which includes assembling a staff capable of helping him win a coveted third star in the Michelin guidebook.”

10/20/15- Mixed reviews– more negative than positive. TRDB.

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OPENED ON FRIDAY JAN. 15-

1) BAND OF ROBBERS– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Updating Mark Twain’s revered stories, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn are modern-day friends and grown men in this affable adventure. Fresh from prison, skeptical Huck joins Tom in searching for a buried treasure that Tom is convinced still exists.”

1/15/16- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.

2) IN THE SHADOW OF WOMEN– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Despite being happily married to his creative partner, filmmaker Pierre finds himself mired in a love triangle when he falls for a young intern. Unable to choose between the two women, Pierre tries to keep them both as his lovers.”

1/15/16- Very good reviews. TRDB.

3) A PERFECT DAY– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Sent to a deadly combat zone to recover a corpse from a well — where the body is contaminating a village’s crucial water supply — a motley group of aid workers finds the ostensibly simple job turning into a Sisyphean task.”

1/15/16– Good critical review and just fair audience ones. TRDB.

Not Recommended–

1) 13 HOURS: THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this gripping account of the chaotic and tragic events of Sept. 11, 2012, six members of an elite security team battle to save the lives of trapped U.S. consulate personnel under attack by armed terrorists in Benghazi, Libya.”

1/15/16- Weak reviews. TRDB.

2) THE BENEFACTOR– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Driven by a perceived need to make amends for the deaths of his two best friends in a tragic auto accident, an eccentric philanthropist inserts himself into the lives of the dead couple’s daughter and her new husband.”

1/15/16- I like Richard Gere so it’s too bad that this movie got awful reviews. I’ll skip it. TRDB.

TOO SOON TO TELL–

1) BLEAK STREET– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Re-creating a bizarre real-life tale, this black-and-white drama follows the fate of dwarf twins working as masked mascots for professional wrestlers. But during a post-victory celebration, the siblings fall victim to a pair of aging hookers.”

1/20/16- No reviews as yet. TRDB.

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HOT WIRE ON-DEMAND-

REPEATS-

1) AMY- I liked this documentary about Amy Winehouse

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BOB’S PICKS IN WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES-

REPEATS-

THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE WEB SITE OF THE SAW MILL HAWTHORNE THEATER SO THAT VENUE WILL NOT BE INCLUDED HERE!!

1) BROOKLYN- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Danbury, 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. 

2) ROOM– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Danbury, Clearview 100. 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.

3) SPOTLIGHT- Bethel, 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.

4) THE DANISH GIRL-Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1930, Danish painter Einar Wegener elects to have gender-reassignment surgery, with the blessing of his wife, Gerda. This true-life narrative of personal courage also sheds light on the medical origins of transsexual surgery.”

11/24/15- Very good reviews. TRDB.

12/29/15- This movie is more of a love story than about the transgender issue and is definitely worth seeing. TRDB.

5) THE BIG SHORT– Bethel, Danbury. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Before the housing and credit bubble of 2007 triggers an international economic meltdown, a handful of financial outsiders sees the crash coming and bets against the big banks in a daring play that could reap them huge profits.”

12/11/15- Very good reviews for this Wall Street drama. TRDB.

12/31/15- This movie was done in a very clever manner and managed to make the recent near collapse of the world economy understandable at the same time. Liked the movie a lot. TRDB. At the Theater.

6) THE REVENANT– Bethel, Danbury. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Set in the 1820s American frontier, this snowy thriller follows fur trapper Hugh Glass as he relentlessly seeks retribution against the companions who left him for dead in the Missouri River’s icy waters after he was mauled by a bear.”

1/12/16- This movie was never ending with each scene about the same as the one before. It reminded me of a magazine article made into a novel. Great photography saved it as far as I’m concerned. I can’t believe it has won so many awards so far. TRDB. 

7) CAROL- Jacob Burns, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk.  2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Living in a 1950s society that considers lesbian romance taboo, two women from disparate backgrounds — young store clerk Therese Belivet and wealthy socialite Carol Aird — develop an attachment to each other that ultimately turns passionate.”

10/18/15- Excellent reviews for this drama starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. TRDB.

1/4/16- Great reviews as noted and I liked the movie. I did feel that the love affair lacked the emotional intensity that I expected. I’ve also seen Cate Blanchett do much better. TRDB.

8) TRUMBO- Clearview 100. 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. 

9) ANOMALISA- Jacob Burns, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Director Charlie Kaufman uses stop-motion animation and felt puppets to tell the tale of motivational speaker Michael Stone, whose anxieties have robbed him of all joy. But on a speaking tour, he meets a woman who may just revive his soul.”

11/28/15- Terrific reviews. TRDB.

10) 45 YEARS– Jacob Burns, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Geoff and Kate Mercer’s plans for a 45th anniversary party are upset by some unexpected news: A body found in the Swiss Alps has been identified as Geoff’s long-ago love Katya, who perished in an accident 50 years earlier.”

12/23/15- Great reviews. TRDB.

11) JOY- Danbury. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “After 10 years of trying to mass-market the revolutionary floor mop she had invented, housewife Joy Mangano strikes gold with a personal pitch on QVC that turns her Miracle Mop into an overnight marketing miracle.”

12/22/15- Mixed reviews so far. TRDB.

1/6/16- Surprisingly enough I found myself enjoying this movie thanks mostly to the acting of Jennifer Lawrence, a character that we can all root for. TRDB.

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BOB’S PICKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY-

A) MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH AND DELRAY-

1) THE LADY IN THE VAN– Very good reviews although it looked stupid to me

2) THE REVERANT– I did NOT think that this movie was as good as others did

3) CLOSED SEASON– I liked this one very much. Highly recommended

4) YOUTH– OK reviews for this drama starring Michael Caine

5) CAROL– A good movie but I was a bit disappointed

6) MUSTANG– AT DELRAY ONLY!! I liked this very much

B) STONZEK THEATER AT THE LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE-

1) SYNCHRONICITY– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Time travel is neither easy nor inexpensive, and as physicist Jim Beale works to perfect a machine to make it possible, he must also raise funds to pay for the special fuel — leading him to greedy venture capitalist Klaus Meisner.”

1/19/16- No reviews as yet for this sci-fi movie. TRDB.

2) RECKLESS-

1/20/16- No reviews available. TRDB.

C) LIVING ROOM THEATER AT FAU IN BOCA RATON-

1) CLOSED SEASON– I liked it very much. Highly recommended.

2) CENSORED VOICES– I still want to see this one.

3) MUSTANG– Excellent.

4) TRUMBO– Limited showings but worth seeing.

5) LADY IN THE VAN– Looks stupid to me even with Maggie Smith.

6) LABYRINTH OF LIES– Limited showings- I’d see it before it leaves.

ENJOY!!!

THE REEL DR. BOB