The Reel Dr. Bob

JUNE 16, 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) A WAR– Netflix

2) UNCLE JOHN– Netflix Streaming

3) 4th. MAN OUT– Netflix Streaming

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER-

NONE, AS THERE HAS BEEN VERY LITTLE TURNOVER LATELY

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-

1) UNCLE JOHN– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Taking a spur-of-the-moment trip to his small hometown with his pretty new boss, graphic designer Ben arrives to learn that the recent disappearance of a local man has created a cloud of suspicion around Ben’s beloved Uncle John.”9/18/15- Good critical review and excellent audience reaction. TRDB.

6/15/16- I liked this movie very much, especially the lead actor who said everything with his acting and spoke minimally. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.

2) 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.

6/10/16- Very well done movie with great acting. This film examines the complexity of war and personal morality in an unusual and penetrating way. Excellent and highly recommended. TRDB. Netflix.

3) 4TH MAN OUT– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “When small-town auto mechanic Adam announces to his best buddies that he’s gay, they’re stunned and bewildered at first. But after the shock wears off, they learn everything they can about being gay and set out to help Adam find a beau.”

2/4/16- Early reviews only and they are just OK. TRDB.

6/15/16- Cute movie about friends and how they deal with a good friend “coming out.” A bit too “frat-boy” acting for me but fun never-the-less. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, JUNE 21-

1) GOING AWAY– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “When young Mathias’s father fails to pick him up from school, substitute teacher Baptiste takes the boy on a weekend motorcycle journey. While teacher and pupil quickly form a bond, things grow more complicated when they happen upon Mathias’s mother.”10/2/15- I’ve seen just 2 reviews. The NY Times liked it and the other did not but I generally will see almost any road trip movie and that includes motorcycles. TRDB.

2) EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Through parallel story threads set 40 years apart, this absorbing odyssey follows two Western scientists who travel deep into the Amazon jungle looking for a rare plant that possesses healing powers, with enigmatic shaman Karamakate as their guide.”2/23/16- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

3) KING GEORGES– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “This engaging documentary focuses on Georges Perrier, owner of Philadelphia’s Le Bec-Fin, one of the nation’s best French restaurants. As he ponders retiring from the frenetic world of the kitchen, Perrier frets over the eatery’s future.”2/26/16- Critics said that this film is great but audiences have not liked it. I’ll try to see it. TRDB.

Not Recommended-

1) ANESTHESIA– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “After opening with the savage mugging of a Columbia University philosophy professor, this nonlinear drama flashes back to events leading up to the incident, following the lives of numerous people connected to the assault.”1/8/16- Poor professional reviews especially related to the nonlinear nature of the film. Audiences have liked it more. I think I’ll skip it for now. TRDB.

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OPENED LAST FRIDAY-

1) CALL HER APPLEBROOG– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “This intimate documentary profile of celebrated New York City painter Ida Applebroog fully captures her uncompromising style as she looks back at her life as a pioneering and controversial feminist artist.”6/10/16- I’ve seen just 2 professional reviews for this documentary and they are both good. TRDB.

2) DE PALMA- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this absorbing look at Hollywood director Brian De Palma’s adventurous and turbulent career, the iconoclastic auteur discusses each of his films, the creative ambition behind them and his spotty reputation in the movie industry.”

6/10/16- Great reviews for this documentary! TRDB.

3) GERMANS & JEWS– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “This engrossing documentary looks at Berlin’s rapidly growing Jewish population and the expanding dialogue between Jews and Germans, which is helping to heal the lasting emotional scars of the Holocaust on both sides.”

6/10/16- Just 4 professional reviews but they are all very good. TRDB.

4) KING JACK– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Saddled with looking after his young cousin Ben for the weekend, scrappy 15-year-old Jack is amazed to find that the two get along famously — until his mettle and priorities are tested when they run afoul of a merciless bully and his cohorts.”

6/10/16- Excellent reviews from the critics and very good ones from audiences. TRDB.

5) LAST CAB TO DARWIN– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Seventy-year-old taxi driver Rex has been content to live his entire life in his dusty hometown. But when he’s diagnosed with terminal cancer, the news prompts Rex hit the road on an epic journey, determined to end his days on his terms.”

6/10/16- Very good reviews from critics and audiences alike. TRDB.

6) LEN AND COMPANY– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Burned out by the industry that’s made him a millionaire, successful music producer Len Black chucks it all to lead a life of rustic exile in upstate New York — until his estranged son arrives, followed by a badgered pop star. So much for exile.”

6/10/16- Fair to good reviews by the critics but less so by audiences. TRDB.

7) THE MUSIC OF STRANGERS– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Founded by famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, the Silk Road Ensemble includes more than 50 musicians, composers and other artists. Touring the globe, the group collaborates with local performers in a quest to broaden the world’s musical horizons.”

6/10/16- Very good reviews from critics and fair ones from audiences for this documentary. TRDB.

8) TIKKUN– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “An ultra-Orthodox Jew, Haim-Aaron adheres so rigidly to his faith that when impure thoughts beset him, he collapses and suffers a seemingly fatal head injury. After being revived, he finds his mind full of spiritual doubts — and his hormones raging.”

6/10/16- Great reviews. TRDB.

1) BE SOMEBODY– 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “Weary of stardom, pop icon Jordan Jaye leaves his tour and looks for anonymity in a small town, where he meets young artist Emily Lowe. Though she wants little to do with Jordan, the two soon find that they have more in common than they imagined.”6/10/16- Described by the NY Times as innocuous and with poor audience reviews I’ll definitely skip this movie. TRDB.

2) DIARY OF A CHAMBERMAID– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “In the early years of the 20th century, ambitious young Célestine works as a chambermaid in the Lanlaire household, where she’s subjected to the dictatorial Madame Lanlaire’s capricious demands and the amorous advances of her spineless spouse.”

6/10/16– Mixed reviews by critics and awful ones from audiences. Even the positive reviews had reservations. TRDB.

3) GENIUS– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Featuring a stellar cast, this absorbing biopic focuses on the long and complicated relationship between Max Perkins, famed literary editor at Scribner’s publishing house, and acclaimed writer Thomas Wolfe.”

6/10/16- Very poor reviews from critics and audiences alike. TRDB.

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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-

NEW ON-DEMAND-

1) EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Through parallel story threads set 40 years apart, this absorbing odyssey follows two Western scientists who travel deep into the Amazon jungle looking for a rare plant that possesses healing powers, with enigmatic shaman Karamakate as their guide.”2/23/16- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

REPEATS–

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BOB’S PICKS IN WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES-

NEW IN THE BURBS-

1) GENIUS– Jacob Burns, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Featuring a stellar cast, this absorbing biopic focuses on the long and complicated relationship between Max Perkins, famed literary editor at Scribner’s publishing house, and acclaimed writer Thomas Wolfe.”6/10/16- Very poor reviews from critics and audiences alike. TRDB.

2) DE PALMA– Jacob Burns. 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this absorbing look at Hollywood director Brian De Palma’s adventurous and turbulent career, the iconoclastic auteur discusses each of his films, the creative ambition behind them and his spotty reputation in the movie industry.”

6/10/16- Great reviews for this documentary! TRDB.

REPEATS-

1) MAGGIE’S PLAN– Jacob Burns, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. I liked it a lot

2) LOVE & FRIENDSHIP– Jacob Burns, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Great reviews but I’ll skip it

3) WEINER– Jacob Burns, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Painful to watch but it is an excellent documentary with great access to the subject

4) THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY– Jacob Burns. Fair to good reviews

5) THE LOBSTER– Jacob Burns, Garden Cinema Norwalk. I did not like this at all

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BOB’S PICKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY-

A) MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH AND DELRAY-

1) WEDDING DOLL– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Mildly mentally challenged, Hagit works at a toilet-paper factory by day and crafts wedding dolls with the leftover materials by night. Longing for romance, she finds it with the plant owner’s son — to the dismay of her fiercely protective mother.”4/15/16- Very good reviews from the critics and excellent ones from audiences for this Israeli film. TRDB.

2) AUF DAS LEBEN (TO LIFE!)- 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “After getting evicted from her home, an aging cabaret singer is ready to take her life when she meets a young man who reminds her of a former lover. The odd pair forms a deep connection when he reveals that he’s suffering from a severe illness.”

6/16/16- Very good reviews by audiences but I could not find any professional reviews. TRDB.

3) MAGGIE’S PLAN– I liked this very much

4) LOVE & FRIENDSHIP– I’ll skip this one

B) STONZEK THEATER AT LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE-

1) WEINER- An excellent documentary with unusual access to the subject

2) THE LOBSTER– I did not like this at all

C) LIVING ROOM THEATERS AT FAU IN BOCA RAATON

1) WEDDING DOLL– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Mildly mentally challenged, Hagit works at a toilet-paper factory by day and crafts wedding dolls with the leftover materials by night. Longing for romance, she finds it with the plant owner’s son — to the dismay of her fiercely protective mother.”4/15/16- Very good reviews from the critics and excellent ones from audiences for this Israeli film. TRDB.

2) MAGGIE’S PLAN– I liked this movie very much

3) THE MAN WHO KNEW INFINITY– Fair to good reviews

4) WEINER– An excellent documentary

5) LOVE & FRIENDSHIP– Good reviews but I’ll skip this one (limited screenings)

6) DHEEPAN– Very good reviews (limited screenings)

ENJOY!!

THE REEL DR. BOB

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