FILM REVIEWS #616
November 17th, 2016
7/8/16- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.
11/10/16- Way too “slow and steady” this movie is a slice of life during the Civil War. Unfortunately nothing much happens and you are left wondering why this film was made. The best part was the title. TRDB. Netflix Disc.
2) IMPERIUM- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this fact-based thriller, young and eager FBI Agent Nate Foster takes on an undercover role that involves penetrating a hard-core white supremacist organization rumored to be gathering the components for a dirty bomb.”
8/19/16- Good reviews by critics and audiences but more so by the critics TRDB.
11/13/16- An FBI thriller that wasn’t very thrilling. I’d say it was just OK. TRDB. Netflix Disc.
3) MIA MADRE– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Thrown off balance by her mother’s grave illness, film director Margherita must also struggle with the brash and uncooperative Hollywood actor who’s starring in the dramatic feature she’s trying to finish shooting.”
8/26/16- Very good reviews from the critics and just OK ones from audiences. TRDB.
11/16/11- I enjoyed this movie very much. Great acting and a great story. TRDB. Netflix Disc.
7/1/16-Fairly good reviews from critics and audiences. The trailer looks interesting to me and I like Vigo Mortensen and, of course, Frank Langella. TRDB.
8/17/16- Despite a few plot lapses this was a very good movie about family and parental choices. TRDB.
2) OUR LITTLE SISTER– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “When three sisters travel to their long-absent father’s rural home to attend his funeral, they meet their now-orphaned half-sister for the first time and offer to take her in, setting the stage for a confrontation with the family’s past.”
7/8/16- Excellent reviews for this Japanese film. TRDB.
3) THE CHILDHOOD OF A LEADER– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “After World War I, a U.S. diplomat moves his family to France, where he’s deeply involved in drafting the Treaty of Versailles. But while he’s preoccupied with his work, his neglected 7-year-old son begins to display ominous personality traits.”
7/22/16- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.
4) THE LAND– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Cleveland teens Cisco, Boobie, Junior and Patty Cake plan to use their skateboarding skills to catapult themselves out of the ‘hood, but a chance discovery of a cache of pills may provide an opportunity to escape much faster.”
7/29/16- Mixed reviews– more plus than minus. TRDB.
5) HELL OR HIGH WATER. 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Faced with losing the family farm to foreclosure, brothers Toby and Tanner decide that their best move is to rob some banks. Not surprisingly, their plans quickly go awry, and a grizzled but relentless lawman picks up their trail.
8/12/16- Very good reviews. TRDB.
6) LO AND BEHOLD– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Directed by prolific documentarian Werner Herzog, this meditative examination of the history and future of the Internet features interviews with many of the experts whose insights and technological breakthroughs helped fuel the network revolution.”
8/16/16- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB.
7) SILICON COWBOYS– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “This absorbing documentary traces the rise and fall of Compaq Computer, a company founded in 1982 by three friends who decided to design and manufacture a personal computer that could challenge IBM’s dominance of the rapidly expanding PC market.”
9/16/16- Great reviews for this documentary. TRDB.
8) CHICKEN PEOPLE– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “While many people view chickens as less-than majestic creatures, competitive poultry breeders — a large and eclectic flock — disagree. This lively documentary follows three breeders as they prepare for the all-important Ohio National Poultry Show.”
9/23/16- Very few reviews so far but all are good. One reviewer said that this documentary is much better than you’d expect. I hope so! TRDB.
9) HARRY AND SNOWMAN– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “After World War II, Dutchman Harry de Leyer immigrated to America and became a riding instructor — who paid $80 for a horse no one else wanted. Calling the horse Snowman, Harry began training him for show jumping: Two years later, he had a champion.”
9/30/16- Very good reviews for this documentary. TRDB.
4/29/16- Awful reviews by the critics and just OK ones by audiences. TRDB.
2) I.T.- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Apparently, businessman Mike Regan didn’t learn the workplace’s Golden Rule: Never mess with your tech expert! But he’s about to learn it as his disgruntled information technology consultant sets out to make Mike’s life a living hell.”
9/23/16- So far the few reviews I’ve seen are negative. TRDB.
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OPENED LAST WEEK-
Recommended-
1) NATIONAL BIRD– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “This pointed documentary’s title refers to the U.S. military’s use of drones to conduct targeted killing missions in foreign nations. Three anguished Air Force veterans provide unnerving accounts of civilian deaths kept from the American public.”
11/11/16– Great reviews by the critics and good ones by audiences. TRDB.
2) THE ANTHROPOLOGIST– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Unfolding through their daughters’ perspectives, this sober documentary juxtaposes the stories of anthropologists Susie Crate and Margaret Mead as Crate travels the world with her daughter to study the effects of climate change on indigenous peoples.”
11/11/16- I’ve seen just 3 reviews and they are all very good. TRDB.
3) ASPERGER’S ARE US– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 2010, four close friends on the autism spectrum formed a comedy troupe, boldly dubbing themselves Asperger’s Are Us. This uplifting documentary captures the quartet as they get ready for their farewell performance before going their separate ways.”
11/11/16- I’ve seen just 4 reviews and they are all very good. TRDB.
4) COME AND FIND ME– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “When David’s alluring but enigmatic girlfriend disappears without warning, he quickly sets about looking for her. But as he follows her traces, David realizes she’s not at all the person he thought she was.
11/11/16- Mixed reviews- some fairly good and some fairly poor. I’d take a chance with this one. TRDB.
5) DISTURBING THE PEACE– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “This inspiring documentary chronicles the true story of veteran Palestinian fighters who join together with former Israeli soldiers to establish Combatants for Peace, a group committed to practicing nonviolent activism.”
11/11/16-Just a few reviews so far but they are all very good. TRDB.
6) ELLE– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “After ruthless businesswoman Michèle becomes the victim of a brutal rape, she begins an obsessive hunt for her assailant. When she tracks him down, the two begin a macabre dialogue that Michèle can’t resist, despite the danger.”
11/11/16- Very good reviews by the critics and good ones by audiences. TRDB.
7) IRON MOON– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Amid the vast industrial engine of China, hundreds of millions of migrants lead grueling lives as factory and mine workers. To counter their numbing circumstances, many write and share poetry as a way of combating their anonymity.”
11/11/16- Very few reviews but they are good for this documentary from China. TRDB.
8) HUNTER GATHERER– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “After finishing his prison term, Ashley is ready to resume his former life — which no longer exists because his cohorts and girlfriend have moved on. But he soon makes a new friend in artless Jeremy, who helps Ashley with a loopy moneymaking scheme.”
11/16/16- Excellent reviews from critics and audiences. TRDB.
Not Recommended-
1) DREAMLAND– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Pianist Monty Fagan wants to open a piano bar but lacks the start-up cash until he meets a rich older woman. After the two establish a sex-for-pay arrangement, it unexpectedly evolves into a romance — but turns the rest of Monty’s life upside down.”
11/11/16– Reviews are 50/50 for this comedy/drama. TRDB.
2) LAZY EYE– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “When Dean, a graphic designer in Los Angeles, notices a sudden change in his vision, an ex-love from 15 years earlier contacts him unexpectedly in hopes of rekindling their relationship. When the two meet at a vacation house in the desert near Joshua Tree, secrets are revealed and passions rekindled that threaten to upend both of their lives. Forty-eight hours later, neither will ever be the same.’
11/11/16- Weak reviews. TRDB.
3) BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “After surviving a widely publicized firefight in Iraq, Pvt. Billy Lynn and his Bravo Company comrades are brought to the United States for a publicity tour. But as they receive a hero’s welcome, they face the dispiriting prospect of returning to war.”
11/11/16- Poor reviews by critics and by audiences but the premise sounds interesting. TRDB.
4) THE MONSTER– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Kathy and her daughter, Lizzy, are driving late at night on a deserted back road surrounded by dense forest when their car breaks down. As they search for assistance, the women realize that they’re being stalked by a malevolent presence.”
11/11/16-This horror movie received good reviews but I, for one, will NOT see it. TRDB.
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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-
NEW ON COMCAST-
1) COME AND FIND ME– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “When David’s alluring but enigmatic girlfriend disappears without warning, he quickly sets about looking for her. But as he follows her traces, David realizes she’s not at all the person he thought she was.
11/11/16- Mixed reviews- some fairly good and some fairly poor. I’d take a chance with this one. TRDB.
2) DREAMLAND– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Pianist Monty Fagan wants to open a piano bar but lacks the start-up cash until he meets a rich older woman. After the two establish a sex-for-pay arrangement, it unexpectedly evolves into a romance — but turns the rest of Monty’s life upside down.”
11/11/16– Reviews are 50/50 for this comedy/drama. TRDB.
REPEATS-
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BOB’S PICKS IN WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES-
NEW IN THE NORTHERN BURBS-
1) THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN– Danbury. 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Nadine and Krista are the closest of high school chums. But after Nadine finds out that Krista is secretly dating Nadine’s detested older brother, the two friends soon turn into the worst of enemies.”
11/14/16- Excellent reviews. TRDB.
2) DISTURBING THE PEACE– Jacob Burns. 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “This inspiring documentary chronicles the true story of veteran Palestinian fighters who join together with former Israeli soldiers to establish Combatants for Peace, a group committed to practicing nonviolent activism.”
11/11/16-Just a few reviews so far but they are all very good. TRDB.
3) FIRE AT SEA– Jacob Burns. 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “An island halfway between Sicily and Libya has become the vortex of Europe’s immigration struggles, as observed in this documentary on Lampedusa, where more than 150,000 Africans each year make their first contact with European soil.”
10/21/16- Excellent reviews from the critics and fairly good ones from audiences. TRDB.
REPEATS-
1) A MAN CALLED OVE– Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. I liked it very much
2) DENIAL– Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. I liked it but did not think it was great
3) MOONLIGHT– Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. OK but not nearly as good as the critics made it out to be
4) THE HANDMAIDEN-Clearview 100. I did not like this
5) AMERICAN PASTORAL– Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Weak reviews but friends have liked it
6) ARRIVAL– Bethel. Great reviews for this ridiculous sounding movie. TRDB.
7) THE EAGLE HUNTRESS– Jacob Burns. Very good reviews.
8) LOVING– Jacob Burns. Good reviews.
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BOB’S PICKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY-
A) MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH-
1) ARRIVAL– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Confronted by a mass landing of alien vessels around the globe, military leaders seek the help of brilliant linguist Louise Banks in an effort to communicate with the extraterrestrials and determine their intentions.”
11/8/16- Great reviews for this ridiculous sounding movie. TRDB.
2) MOONLIGHT– I enjoyed it but I could have used sub-titles for this movie in English
3) DENIAL– I liked it but I was somewhat disappointed
4) A MAN CALLED OVE- I liked it alot
5) LITTLE MEN– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “When 13-year-old Jake moves into his late grandfather’s home, he’s happy to find a built-in pal in Tony, the son of the seamstress who rents the downstairs shop. But while the boys hit it off, a rent dispute quickly puts their parents in conflict.”
8/5/16- Very good reviews from the critics and good ones from audiences as well. TRDB.
B) STONZEK THEATER AT LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE-
1) THE ENTERTAINER– This synopsis was taken from the Jacob Burns Film Center’s web page. “Set against the backdrop of post-war Britain, John Osborne?s modern classic conjures the seedy glamour of the old music halls for an explosive examination of public masks and private torment. Rob Ashford directs Kenneth Branagh as Archie Rice in the final production for the Plays at the Garrick season.”
No reviews as yet TRDB.
2) HARRY AND SNOWMAN– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “After World War II, Dutchman Harry de Leyer immigrated to America and became a riding instructor — who paid $80 for a horse no one else wanted. Calling the horse Snowman, Harry began training him for show jumping: Two years later, he had a champion.”
9/30/16- Very good reviews for this documentary. TRDB.
C) THE LIVING ROOM THEATERS AT FAU IN BOCA RATON
1) CHRISTINE– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this fact-based drama, TV reporter Christine Chubbuck struggles to deliver issues-based journalism in the face of her boss’s demands for ever-more salacious and exploitative stories — a conflict that takes its toll on her emotionally.”
10/14/16- Very good reviews from critics and audiences. TRDB.
2) A MAN CALLED OVE– I liked it very much
3) DENIAL– Good but not great
4) THE PICKLE RECIPE- Good reviews
5) AQUARIUS– I liked it a lot
6) CERTAIN WOMEN– I liked it
ENJOY!!
THE REEL DR. BOB
Entry Filed under: Old Newsletters
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