The Reel Dr. Bob

MAY 5, 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) CENSORED VOICES– Netflix

2) THE SUMMIT– Netflix Streaming

3) ECHO PARK– Netflix Streaming

4) ELVIS & NIXON– At the Theater

5) FLOWERS– Netflix.

6) THE NIGHTINGALE– Netflix Streaming

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER-

1) ELVIS & NIXON– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Among the many strange episodes that took place in Richard Nixon’s presidential administration, one of the most bizarre was Elvis Presley’s surprise visit to the White House, followed by a secret meeting with the nation’s commander-in-chief.”4/19/16- Fairly good reviews for this comedy. TRDB.

5/1/16- A light fluff comedy with some poignant moments as well and I enjoyed it. TRDB.

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-

1) CENSORED VOICES– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1967, author Amos Oz and editor Avraham Shapira tape-recorded the sentiments of Israeli soldiers returning from the Six-Day War. This riveting documentary combines that long-censored audio with archival clips to provide a personal picture of war.”

11/16/15- Excellent reviews by the critics and very good ones by audiences. TRDB.

4/28/16- An excellent documentary made possible by the release of these previously censored tapes. TRDB. Netflix.

2) THE SUMMIT– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Combining interviews, archival footage and recreations, filmmaker Nick Ryan sets out to uncover what went wrong when 11 people died on their way up the infamous K2 — the deadliest day in modern mountaineering history.”

10/4/13- Fairly good reviews and the NY Times liked it very much. TRDB.

4/30/16- I liked this movie although it was told in a somewhat confusing manner. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.

3) ECHO PARK– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “After suddenly leaving behind her fiancé and their sumptuous Beverly Hills life, discontented Sophie relocates to the bohemian neighborhood of Echo Park, where she strikes up a relationship with her British neighbor, Alex.”

4/15/16- Just 6 reviews so far and all are good– including the review from the NY Times. TRDB.

5/1/16- I enjoyed this movie, especially when it managed to end without a Hollywood ending. TRDB. Netflix.

4) 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.

5/2/16- An unusual premise and just as unusual a movie but I did like it enough to watch it through. TRDB. Netflix.

5) THE NIGHTINGALE– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Fulfilling a pledge he made to his late wife, an ex-farmer and his pampered granddaughter embark on a long trek through the mountains of China. Along the way, the pair unexpectedly forms a bond that profoundly affects the entire family.”

5/4/16- A delightful fable-like story with wonderful characters. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.

COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, MAY 10-

1) WILDLIKE- 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “With her mother in rehab, 14-year-old Mackenzie is sent to live with her uncle in Juneau, Alaska. But when he turns into a sexual predator, Mackenzie flees into the unfamiliar wilderness, where a widowed backpacker reluctantly becomes her lifeline.”4/29/16- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

2) 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. 

3) WHERE TO INVADE NEXT– 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.

Not Recommended–

1) EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Famed Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein traveled to Mexico in 1931 to make a film about that nation and its history. His experiences while working on Que Viva Mexico would forever alter his life and his art, as chronicled in this provocative biopic.”2/5/16- Weak reviews. TRDB.

2) CREATIVE CONTROL– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Blurring the line between reality and fantasy, a young ad executive begins to lose touch when he uses a client’s new Augmenta eyeglasses to create — and have a virtual affair with — a sexy avatar who looks like his best buddy’s girlfriend.”

3/11/16- Fair reviews by the critics although audiences have liked it more. I think I will skip it. TRDB.

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OPENED LAST FRIDAY, APRIL 29-

1) A BEAUTIFUL PLANET– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Presenting an extraordinary portrait of Earth as photographed from space, this captivating documentary produced in collaboration with NASA features arresting images, along with a unique perspective on humankind’s future.”

4/29/16- Uniformly great reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

2) DOUGH– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “With his business faltering badly, Jewish baker Nat is under pressure from his son to close his shop down. The arrival of a young Muslim apprentice, however, soon puts an unexpected charge in Nat’s sales.”

2/10/16- Reviews are positive for this comedy and many of my friends in Florida have seen this as it opened in south Florida last month. TRDB.

3) THE FAMILY FANG– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Raised in a household dominated by their performance-artist parents, Annie and Buster have stayed far away as adults. But after an accident lands Buster back home and Annie joins him, things take an unexpected turn when Mom and Dad vanish.”

4/29/16- Fair reviews from both audiences and critics. TRDB.

4) FASSBINDER: TO LOVE WITHOUT DEMANDS– 2016. Synopsis by IMDB. “Thomsen presents previously unseen interview footage recorded with Fassbinder throughout their fifteen-year friendship, which spans exactly the length of his career – their first encounter was at the Berlinale in 1969 where Fassbinder’s debut was famously booed (you can hear the cries of “Awful!” and “Shame!” on the archive footage), and their last was just three weeks before his untimely death.”

4/29/16- I’ll probably see this movie eventually. Reviews are quite good from audiences and, so far, mixed from the critics. TRDB.

5) THE WAIT (L’ATTESA)- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “As single mother Anna mourns her son’s death, Jeanne, a stranger claiming to be his lover arrives for a visit — unaware of his demise. Withholding the unspeakable truth for as long as possible, Anna begins to grow close to Jeanne.”

4/29/16- Weak professional reviews and somewhat better audience ones. TRDB.

6) THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY-2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “This absorbing biopic recounts the life of self-taught Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, who made his way to Cambridge University in 1914 and rose to prominence under the tutelage of renowned math professor G.H. Hardy.”

4/29/16- Fair professional reviews and fairly good ones from audiences. TRDB.

7) OLDER THAN IRELAND– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “By turns funny and touching, this absorbing documentary features candid interviews with 30 Irish centenarians who offer insightful perspectives about life as they share their memories of pivotal personal and historic events.”

4/29/16- Great reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

8) PALI ROAD– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “After an auto accident, medical resident Lily Zhang wakes up into an utterly unfamiliar life: married to a spouse she never married, mother to a 5-year-old son she never gave birth to, and with no sign that her fiancé ever existed.”

4/29/16- Fair critical review but audiences have liked it very much. TRDB.

9) TRANFIXED– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Modern love is a sticky proposition, but it’s especially challenging for straight male John Gelmone and transsexual Martine Stonehouse, both living with Asperger’s. They want to wed, but Maxine’s obesity jeopardizes her gender-reassignment surgery.”

4/29/16- Very good reviews from critics and audiences. TRDB.

10) VIKTORIA– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Thanks to a fluke of nature, Viktoria is dubbed Bulgaria’s “Child of the Decade” and grows up at odds with her mother, who wanted to flee to the West. Over the years, their relationship parallels the struggles of the post-Communist era.”

4/29/16- Very good reviews from critics and audiences. TRDB.

11) VIVA- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “After Jesus’ dream of performing in a drag club finally becomes a reality, his disapproving macho dad arrives on the scene threatening to spoil everything — and a clash of wills soon ensues between father and son.”

4/29/16- Very good reviews all around. TRDB.

12) A BIGGER SPLASH– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “As wealthy Americans Paul and Marianne are enjoying a serene vacation on a remote Italian island, two surprise guests arrive: Marianne’s former lover and his teenage daughter — who quickly change the social and sexual dynamics.”

5/4/16- Very good professional reviews and fair audience reaction. TRDB. (5/4/16)

13) SIN ALAS– 2015- Synopsis by Netflix. “While reading the paper, retired Cuban journalist Luis Vargas sees an obituary for the married ballerina he fell in love with almost 50 years earlier, kindling reflections of their affair and the life he abandoned to follow political revolution.”

5/4/16- Just 4 professional reviews– 3 up including the NY Times and 1 down. Sounds good to me. TRDB. (5/4/16)

1) THE AMERICAN SIDE– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Private eye Charlie Paczynski gets more than he bargained for when a failed blackmail scheme takes him to Niagara Falls and lands him in the middle of a conspiracy involving the lost design for a revolutionary invention by Nikola Tesla.”4/29/16- Just 3 reviews so far– 2 up and 1 down but even the positive reviews did not sound great. TRDB.

2) BOUREK– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this wacky doomsday comedy set against the collapse of civilization, an eclectic collection of strangers from around the globe plays out their intertwined fates on the Greek island of Khronos.”

4/29/16- Just a few reviews and they are poor. Audiences have rated it much better. TRDB.

3) MOTHER’S DAY– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Offering an ensemble tribute to mothers everywhere, this star-studded comedy focuses on an assortment of moms and their intertwining lives as their annual day of recognition approaches.”

4/29/16- Bad, bad reviews. TRDB.

4) PAPA: HEMINGWAY IN CUBA– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Set in the late 1950s amid the turmoil of the Cuban revolution, this fact-based drama follows young journalist Ed Myers during a pilgrimage to Havana to meet his hero, iconic writer Ernest Hemingway, who’s descending into depression and alcoholism.”

4/29/16- Awful reviews by the critics and just OK ones by audiences. If I see this it will be because I’ve been to Cuba and it would be nice to revisit the scenes. TRDB.

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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-

NEW ON COMCAST-ON DEMAND- NONE RECOMMENDED

REPEATS-

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BOB’S PICKS IN WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES-

NEW IN THE BURBS-

1) THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY– Jacob Burns, Clearview 100. 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “This absorbing biopic recounts the life of self-taught Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, who made his way to Cambridge University in 1914 and rose to prominence under the tutelage of renowned math professor G.H. Hardy.”

4/29/16- Fair professional reviews and fairly good ones from audiences. TRDB.

REPEATS-

1) EYE IN THE SKY- Bethel. I did not care for this one but others did

2) HELLO, MY NAME IS DORIS– Bethel. Good reviews

3) SING STREET– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Good reviews

4) PAPA: HEMINGWAY IN CUBA– Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Fair reviews at best

5) A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING– Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. OK reviews

6) ELVIS & NIXON– Garden Cinema Norwalk. I liked it

7) MILES AHEAD– Jacob Burns, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Good reviews for this drama

8) THE MEDDLER– Jacob Burns. Very good reviews

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BOB’S PICKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY-

A) MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH AND DELRAY-

1) RABIN IN HIS OWN WORDS– Good reviews for this documentary

2) A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING- OK reviews

3) PAPA HEMINGWAY IN CUBA– Weak reviews

4) EYE IN THE SKY- I didn’t care for this one but many did

5) REMEMBER– A prize wining performance by Christopher Plummer along with some plot twists make this movie memorable. Worth seeing!

B) STONZEK THEATER AT LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE-

1) RIVER OF GRASS– 1995. Synopsis by Netflix. “Cozy and Lee (Lisa Bowman and Larry Fessenden), lovers who are as criminally inclined as they come, plan a road spree of robbery and mayhem. But after bungling a series of heists and having to outrun the police for a crime they didn’t commit, they decide that doin’ what comes naturally requires more effort than they can exert. Talk about laid-back gangsters!”5/4/16- Very good reviews. TRDB.

2) THE FIRST MONDAY IN MAY– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Art and fashion collide — and the debate over whether fashion is art reignites — when New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art holds its annual Met Gala and accompanying exhibition. This film offers a look at 2014’s “China: Through the Looking Glass.”4/15/16- Fairly good reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

C) LIVING ROOM THEATER AT FAU IN BOCA RATON

1) BORN TO BE BLUE– I liked this movie

2) A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING- OK reviews

3) EYE IN THE SKY- I didn’t care for this one but many did

4) DOUGH– Fair reviews. Limited showings

5) MILES AHEAD– Very good reviews

6) RABIN IN HIS OWN WORDS– Good reviews for this documentary

7) REMEMBER– Good reviews but some said that it needed Plummer to keep it anchored

ENJOY!!

THE REEL DR. BOB