The Reel Dr. Bob

FILM REVIEWS #581

February 18th, 2016

FEBRUARY 18, 2016

DEAR FRIENDS:

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

MY FAMILY IS VISITING THIS WEEK SO ONLY 1 MOVIE– LUCKY I LIKED IT

 

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER- NONE

 

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-

 

1) 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.

2/12/16- A wonderful family story with elements of humor by Lily Tomlin. Well written and acted and I enjoyed it. TRDB. Netflix.

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, FEB. 23-

 

Recommended-

 

1) YOSEMITE- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Set in 1985 California, this engaging drama follows three suburban fifth-graders as they navigate shifting friendships, grapple with death for the first time in their young lives and encounter danger after a mountain lion is spotted in town.”

1/1/16- Fairly good reviews from the critics and audiences have liked it a lot. TRDB.

2) ENTERTAINMENT- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “While on his way to a birthday-party gig in Los Angeles — where he hopes to reconcile with his estranged daughter — an abysmal middle-aged comedian plays a succession of shows at dead-end dives across the Mojave Desert.”

11/11/15- Very good reviews. TRDB.

3)  RACING EXTINCTION– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In the face of accelerating species extinctions worldwide, a diverse team of activists, scientists and inventors works together to come up with technologies and regulations that could forestall this seemingly unstoppable global tragedy.”

9/18/15- Very good reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

Not Recommended–

1) I SMILE BACK– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “On the surface, Laney Brooks has the life that many covet: two adorable kids, a beautiful home and a successful husband. But behind the façade, she’s headed for crisis, tortured by self-doubt and medicating herself heavily with drugs and alcohol.”

10/23/15- Generally poor reviews, one critic saying that the movie was just one more about suburban ennui. TRDB.

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OPENED LAST FRIDAY, FEB. 12-

 

1) ALREADY TOMORROW IN HONG KONG– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “After a chance urban encounter, U.S. expatriate Josh and Chinese-American Ruby, on her first visit to Hong Kong, soon find their way into each other’s hearts as they wander together through the city’s exotic and mysterious neighborhoods.”

2/12/16- Very good reviews. TRDB.

2) BAD HURT– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “With one son battling post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his combat experiences and a special-needs adult daughter to care for, beleaguered parents Elaine and Ed Kendall find themselves stretched to their emotional limits.”

2/12/16- Good reviews. TRDB.

3) GLASSLAND– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Desperate to earn more money to save his alcoholic mother and mend his fractured family, a young taxi driver reluctantly takes a job that draws him into the ugly world of human trafficking.”

2/12/16- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.

4) MOUNTAINS MAY DEPART– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Offering a glimpse of China’s past, present and potential future, this epic drama unwinds in three parts, beginning with a Chinese beauty choosing between two suitors and ending in Australia with her 18-year-old son detached from his roots.”

2/13/16- Good reviews. TRDB.

5) TOUCHED WITH FIRE– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Committed to a mental hospital after going off their medications, bipolar patients Carla and Marco — who share a passion for poetry — soon fall in love. But the feelings that connect them fuel their volatility, and starts to spin out of control.”

2/13/16- Mixed reviews by the critics but audiences have liked it very much. TRDB.

6) A WAR– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “With his family back at home in Denmark, Claus Pedersen has another family to look after: the soldiers under his command in the Afghan province of Helmand. When his troops get caught in crossfire, he makes a decision with far-reaching consequences.”

2/13/16- Very good reviews. TRDB.

Not Recommended–

1) HOW TO BE SINGLE– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Young and footloose, New Yorkers Alice, Robin, Lucy, Meg, Tom and David are living the dream. With the city as their playground, their adventures of love and lust play out over a 10-year period, providing a fresh perspective on being single.”

2/12/16- Weak reviews. TRDB.

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HOTWIRE ON-DEMAND-

 

1) 4^th. MAN OUT- Good reviews

2) ALL MISTAKES BURIED- Mixed reviews

3) AMY- I liked this documentary about Amy Winehouse

4) BRIDGE OF SPIES- I liked this movie very much (new last week)

5) DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL- Very good reviews and I liked it a lot

6) THE END OF THE TOUR- Great movie!!

7) INFINITELY POLAR BEAR- I enjoyed this movie

8)LABYRINTH OF LIES- A very good movie

9) LAMB- Good reviews and I plan on seeing it

10) LOVE & MERCY- I liked it

11) MAN-UP- Good reviews and I enjoyed it as well

12) THE MARTIAN- Excellent reviews and many awards- I didn’t care for it

13) MISSISSIPPI GRIND- I liked this movie

14) MISTRESS AMERICA- I enjoyed this movie

15) MR. HOLMES- I enjoyed it but was a bit disappointed

16) THE NEW GIRLFRIEND- I liked this movie

17) PAWN SACRIFICE- Just a so-so movie about the chess player Bobby Fisher

18)PRESCRIPTION THUGS- Good reviews for this documentary

19) SOUTHPAW- I enjoyed this movie despite its predictable plot

20) TRAINWRECK- I liked the movie

21) TRUMBO- Excellent movie- don’t miss it

 

 

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

DirecTV- www.directv.com/DTVAPP/listing/ppvMovies.jsp

Time Warner Link- www.twondemand.com

 

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BOB’S PICKS IN WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES-

 

NEW IN THE BURBS-

 

1) TOUCHED WITH FIRE– Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Committed to a mental hospital after going off their medications, bipolar patients Carla and Marco — who share a passion for poetry — soon fall in love. But the feelings that connect them fuel their volatility, and starts to spin out of control.”

2/13/16- Mixed reviews by the critics but audiences have liked it very much. TRDB.

 

REPEATS-

 

1) 45 YEARS– Bethel, 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) 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.

3) WHERE TO INVADE NEXT?– Jacob Burns, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “With an eye toward finding solutions to the social problems plaguing America, provocative documentarian Michael Moore embarks on a European expedition to interview ordinary citizens about their nations’ effective policies and practices.”

12/23/15- Fairly good reviews from some critics and pretty bad ones from others. Audiences have seemed to like it.  TRDB.

4) THE LADY IN THE VAN– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100, 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. 

5) BROOKLYN– Bethel, 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.

6) OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS– Bethel. These are always good. 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) ROOM– 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.

9) SON OF SAUL– Jacob Burns. 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.

2/10/16– Grueling was not quite descriptive enough. The movie describes a class of concentration inmates very well and tells a story at the same time. I don’t think that I liked this film as much as the critics did. TRDB.

10) MUSTANG– Jacob Burns. 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. 

11) 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.

 

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BOB’S PICKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY-

 

1. A) MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH AND DELRAY-

 

1) RACE– I’ve seen only 1 review and it’s just fair

2) DOUGH- Reviews have been good. Coming attractions looked silly

3) 45 YEARS– I liked this film very much and it produced lots of discussion

4) ROOM- I liked this very much

5) THE LADY IN THE VAN– I didn’t care for it

6) THE PRIME MINISTERS- SOLDIERS AND PEACEMAKERS– Good reviews and I  want to see this one

 

1. B) STONZEK THEATER AT LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE-

 

1) INGRID BERGMAN IN HER OWN WORDS– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Although she was one of cinema’s most legendary stars, Ingrid Bergman managed to keep her private life invisible to the public. This intimate documentary explores the actress’s revealing and eloquent diaries, as well as her personal film collection.”

11/11/15- Just 2 reviews and they are both good. TRDB.

 

2) THE TREASURE– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Family man Costi finds his life turned upside down after a neighbor convinces him that there’s treasure buried in his dead grandfather’s garden. But when Costi agrees to help dig up the cache, bureaucratic entanglements and other complications ensue.”

1/8/16- Very good reviews from critics but not so good from audiences. TRDB.

 

1. C) LIVING ROOM THEATER AT FAU IN BOCA RATON-

 

1) 45 YEARS– I liked this film very much and it produced lots of discussion

2) DOUGH– Reviews have been good. Coming attractions looked silly

3) SON OF SAUL– Good movie but difficult to watch

4) THE CLUB- Very good reviews.

5) THE LADY IN THE VAN– I didn’t care for it

6) MUSTANG– I liked it. Limited Screening

 

For Independent Films in Your Neighborhood go to- www.emergingpictures.com

For Independent Films in Palm Beach County go to www.lakeworthplayhouse.org

For Films everywhere go to- www.fandango.com

ENJOY!!

THE REEL DR. BOB

Entry Filed under: Old Newsletters