The Reel Dr. Bob

FEBRUARY 4, 2016

DEAR FRIENDS:

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

A VERY SLOW MOVIE-WEEK FOR ME BUT I’VE SEEN ALMOST ALL OF WHAT’S AROUND RIGHT NOW–

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

1) THE NEW GIRLFRIEND– Netflix

2) 45 YEARS– At the Theater

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER-

1) 45 YEARS– 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.

1/30/16- I enjoyed this movie very much and also found it terribly sad. One reviewer said that the story proved that good marriages need patience and GUTS. Another said “45 Years exposes the paradoxical balance of the successful marriage, one that requires a sentimental suspension of disbelief on the one hand and a hard-headed ability to deal with the everyday on the other.” I think that the handling of secrets within relationships is yet another aspect. TRDB.

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-

1) 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.

1/29/16- An interesting story about sexuality and it’s many combinations and permutations. TRDB. 

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, FEB. 9-

ALL RECOMMENDED–

1) 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 well received movie was 2 hours and 21 minutes 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 and despite this review I’d still recommend seeing it. TRDB. 

2) WELCOME TO LEITH– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Planning to take over the city government, white supremacist Craig Cobb moved to tiny Leith, N.D., and began terrifying residents with armed patrols and a neo-Nazi rally. This unsettling documentary charts the community’s fight to reclaim the town.”

9/8/15- Great reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

3) 99 HOMES–  2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “After being evicted from his home by a flinty real-estate dealer, jobless Dennis Nash unexpectedly ends up working for the man. But to Nash’s dismay, his new boss soon begins ordering him to turn other families out of their houses.”

9/22/15- Very good reviews. TRDB.

10/8/15- A realistic look at the issue of foreclosure of homes and what people will do to prevent that from happening to them. Also a good look at the people who take over these homes. Very well done and I liked it. TRDB. 

4) GRANDMA– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Urgently in need of $600 to pay for an abortion, 18-year-old Sage seeks help from her acerbic grandmother, Elle Reid — who has no extra money. Setting off to raise the cash from Elle’s erstwhile friends and exes, the two instead dredge up the past.”

8/18/15– Excellent reviews for this comedy. TRDB.

5) MARSHLAND– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Ordered to work as a team despite their incompatible personalities, two Madrid homicide detectives journey to the countryside to track down a serial killer before he takes more victims in this gripping thriller set in 1980.”

8/27/15- Excellent reviews for this foreign thriller. TRDB.

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OPENED LAST FRIDAY, JAN. 29-

1) RABIN, THE LAST DAY– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Twenty years after the killing of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, filmmaker Amos Gitai revisits the incident with this riveting docudrama that examines not only the shooting but the cultural conditions that allowed the tragedy to take place.”

1/29/16- Poor reviews for this movie buy I’ll still see it if I can. TRDB.

2) REQUIEM FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this timely documentary, Noam Chomsky, one of America’s most respected and influential social theorists, offers sobering insights on the nation’s extreme economic inequalities and the true cost of projecting U.S. power worldwide.”

1/29/16- Good reviews by critics and poor ones by audiences. TRDB.

3) JANE GOT A GUN– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “When her husband barely survives a murder attempt by an outlaw gang he once belonged to, steely Jane Hammond takes the law into her own hands to defend her homestead and protect injured spouse — with help from a former lover.”

1/29/16– Poor reviews but I like Natalie Portman so I’ll probably see this movie. TRDB.

Not Recommended–

1) FIFTY SHADES OF BLACK– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Putting a comical spin on the popular erotic novel “50 Shades of Grey,” this wild spoof turns the original steamy narrative into a farcical sex romp featuring the eccentric and horny Mr. Black.”

1/29/16- Awful reviews. TRDB.

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HOTWIRE ON-DEMAND-

NEW-

1) BRIDGE OF SPIES– Very good movie

2) PRESCRIPTION THUGS- Very good reviews for this documentary

REPEATS-

Cablevision Link– http://www.optimum.net/VOD/movies?cat=Movies+On+Demand%2FIndependent+Films%2FIFC+In+Theaters

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BOB’S PICKS IN WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES-

NEW IN THE BURBS-

1) HAIL, CAESAR! – Bethel, Danbury. 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1950s Hollywood, Eddie Mannix labors behind the scenes to “fix” the indiscretions committed by a major film studio’s marquee stars. But Eddie has his work cut out when some angry scriptwriters abduct a screen idol from a movie set.”

2/2/16- I’ve seen just 1 reviews and it is bad. Also, the coming attractions looked stupid. TRDB.

REPEATS-

1) 45 YEARS– 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.

1/30/16- I enjoyed this movie very much and also found it terribly sad. One reviewer said that the story proved that good marriages need patience and GUTS. Another said “45 Years exposes the paradoxical balance of the successful marriage, one that requires a sentimental suspension of disbelief on the one hand and a hard-headed ability to deal with the everyday on the other.” TRDB.

2) MUSTANG– Jacob Burns, 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. 

3) 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. 

4) BROOKLYN- 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.

5) CAROL– 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. 

6) 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.

7) SPOTLIGHT– 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.

8) 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.

9) SON OF SAUL– Jacob Burns, 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.

10) THE LADY IN THE VAN– Jacob Burns, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 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. 

11) THEEB– Jacob Burns. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this adventure tale set in the far corners of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, a Bedouin boy who comes from a family of pilgrim guides must use all of his acquired skills to survive a desert journey gone seriously awry.”

11/2/15- Terrific reviews. TRDB.

12) ANOMALISA– 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 seen as 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.

13) THE BIG SHORT– 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. 

14) THE REVENANT– 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.

BOB’S PICKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY-

A) MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH AND DELRAY-

1) 45 YEARS– Loved it

2) THE LADY IN THE VAN– Don’t bother

3) SON OF SAUL– Great reviews but will be difficult to watch. I’ll try it

4) ROOM– I liked it very much

B) STONZEK THEATER IN LAKE WORTH-

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS–

C) LIVING ROOM THEATER AT FAU IN BOCA RATON-

1) 45 YEARS– I loved this movie

2) MUSTANG– I liked this movie very much

3) SON OF SAUL– Great reviews but it will be difficult to watch. I’ll try it.

4) THE LADY IN THE VAN– Nothing special except for Maggie Smith

5) THEEB– Great reviews

6) TRUMBO– Excellent movie- don’t miss it

ENJOY!!

THE REEL DR. BOB