The Reel Dr. Bob

JANUARY 28, 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) SAMBA– Netflix

2) ANOMALISA- At the Theater

3) THE LADY IN THE VAN- At the Theater

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MOVIES I SAW LAST WEEK AT THE THEATER-

1) ANOMALISA– 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.

1/23/16- I can assure you that this movie will be one of the top 5 strangest movies you’ll ever see. I’m not sure if I understood this animated feature or if it is understandable at all but it held my interest throughout and I definitely recommend it. TRDB.

2) THE LADY IN THE VAN– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this touching human drama adapted from writer Alan Bennett’s bestselling memoir, he befriends the elderly Miss Shepherd, who’s living in a van that’s been parked in his driveway for 15 years.”:

12/3/15- Very good reviews from audiences and critics. TRDB.

1/27/15– Maggie Smith is wonderful as usual and were it not for her I might not have enjoyed this movie. TRDB.

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MOVIES I SAW LAST WEEK AT HOME-

1) SAMBA- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Living in Paris illegally for nearly a decade, Senegalese refugee Samba suddenly finds himself in a detention center and on the verge of deportation. When immigration caseworker Alice steps in to help, the two are irresistibly drawn to each other.”

7/24/15- Fair reviews at best but I plan on seeing it as I like the actress Charlotte Gainsbourg very much. TRDB.

1/23/16- I enjoyed this drama very much especially Charlotte Gainsbourg. This is a serious drama but there was 1 scene that was beyond funny with 2 window washers- you’ll know it when you see it. TRDB. Netflix.

2) JIMMY’S HALL– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “After being deported from Ireland to the United States, political firebrand Jimmy Gralton returns to his hometown a decade later and reopens the dance hall he once ran as a gathering place for youngsters — much to the dismay of community leaders.”

7/3/15- Fairly good reviews by the professionals and just OK ones from audiences. TRDB.

1/28/16- I couldn’t get into this movie and finally turned it off. TRDB. Netflix.

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY FEB. 2-

1) THE KEEPING ROOM– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “With the men of their clan all fighting or lost on the battlefield, three Southern women face the sinister attentions of two Union Army deserters who are pillaging the landscape ahead of the main forces in this taut Civil War drama.”

9/22/15- Good professional reviews but none were great. I’d try it. TRDB.

2) A BALLERINA’S TALE– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Chronicling prima ballerina Misty Copeland’s long and dramatic ascent to stardom, this intimate documentary examines the African-American dancer’s unique impact on the rarified world of classical ballet.”

10/28/15- Mixed reviews– more positive than negative. TRDB.

12/7/15- Enjoyable, especially the dancing. Also done well was the description of her emotions as she wrestled with the idea of being different than her peers and predecessors. TRDB. 

3) MEADOWLAND– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Anguished by their son’s disappearance, Sarah and Phil struggle to keep their bearings. But as months pass without word of their child, Sarah’s desperate search for answers drives her to take increasingly greater risks.”

10/16/15- Very good reviews from critics and audiences. TRDB.

4) MAN UP– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In a romantic turn of fate, perennially single Nancy is standing under a train station clock when a stranger named Jack arrives and mistakes her for his blind date. Sensing an opportunity, Nancy decides to go with the flow to see where things lead.”

11/11/15- Very good reviews. TRDB.

1) FREEHELD– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this fact-based drama, same-sex partners Laurel Hester and Stacie Andree face tragedy and discrimination when Laurel is diagnosed with terminal cancer, and her request to pass on her pension benefits to Stacie is denied.”

10/2/15- Weak reviews, most calling it a worthy cause but just not interesting. TRDB.

2) HE NEVER DIED– Synopsis by Netflix. “Cursed with immortality and a hunger for human flesh, Jack lives a cloistered life, feeding his appetite by purchasing blood from a hospital intern. But Jack’s life is upended when some gangland thugs and his long-lost daughter enter the picture.”

12/6/15- Sounds awful but has received several good reviews. TRDB.

3) SHELTER- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Set on the mean streets of New York City, this moving drama follows two homeless souls — a heroin junkie and a Nigerian immigrant — who join forces for survival and soon fall in love. But secrets from the past threaten to derail the relationship.”

11/11/15- Weak reviews. TRDB.

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OPENED LAST FRIDAY, JAN. 22-

1) AFERIM!- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this passionate historical drama, 19th-century Romanian policeman Constadin is hired by a local nobleman, Boyar Iordache Cindescu, to track down the Gypsy slave Garfin. The constable soon learns Garfin has been intimate with Iordache’s wife.”

1/22/16- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

2) ALL MISTAKES BURIED– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Bent on recovering a stolen pendant he’d given to his estranged wife, struggling crack addict Sonny takes on a dangerous gang of crooks — certain that if he can retrieve the necklace, he can save his marriage.”

1/22/16- Weak reviews by the critics but excellent ones from audiences. I might just give this a try. TRDB.

3) NAZ & MAALIK– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Naz and Maalik — a pair of closeted Muslim teens in love — earn pocket money by peddling lottery tickets and trinkets on the streets of Brooklyn, N.Y. … until they have the bad luck of drawing the attention of the FBI.”

1/22/16- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.

4) PRESCRIPTION THUGS– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Surveying the alarming surge of prescription drug abuse in the United States, this thought-provoking documentary questions the motives and ethics of pharmaceutical manufacturers that earn huge profits from promoting dangerously addictive products.”

1/22/16- Fair reviews from the critics but audiences have liked it very much. TRDB.

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HOTWIRE ON-DEMAND-

NEW ON HOTWIRE- NONE

REPEATS-

1) ALL MISTAKES BURIED- Mixed reviews

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BOB’S PICKS IN WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES-

NEW IN THE BURBS-

1) SON OF SAUL– Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Amid the horrors of Auschwitz, prisoner Saul Ausländer has the grim duty of transporting corpses from the camp’s gas chambers to the crematoria. But when he thinks he recognizes his son’s body, Saul sets out to save the boy from incineration.”

12/18/15- Excellent reviews for this Holocaust movie. Sounds grueling, however. TRDB.

REPEATS-

1)  45 YEARS– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100, 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.

2) 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. 

3)  CAROL- Jacob Burns, Clearview 100.  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.

4) SPOTLIGHT- 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.

5)  ROOM– Jacob Burns, Bethel, 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.

6)  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.

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.

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

7)  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.

1/23/16- I can assure you that this movie will be one of the top 5 strangest movies you’ll ever see. I’m not sure if I understood this animated feature or if it is understandable at all but it held my interest throughout and I definitely recommend it. TRDB.

8) MUSTANG– Bethel. 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.

9) THE DANISH GIRL– Bethel. 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.

BOB’S PICKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY-

A) MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH AND DELRAY-

1) 45 YEARS– Great reviews and I hope to see it this week

2) SON OF SAUL– Excellent reviews for this movie about the Holocaust. I plan to see it.

3) THE LADY IN THE VAN– I saw it and liked it– not great however

4) THE FINEST HOURS– Weak reviews at best

B) STONZEK THEATER AT LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE-

1) OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT FILMS-

2) RECKLESS–

C) LIVING ROOM THEATER AT FAU IN BOCA RATON-

1) 45 YEARS– Great reviews

2) SON OF SAUL– Excellent reviews but it sounds grueling to watch

3) THE LADY IN THE VAN– Coming attractions looked stupid but a friend liked it very much– especially Maggie Smith. I did like it but didn’t think is was so special

4) CLOSED SEASON– I liked this movie very much. Showing limited times

5) MUSTANG- Excellent. Now showing limited times

6) TRUMBO– Liked this one also. Showing limited times