The Reel Dr. Bob

JANUARY 5, 2017

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) THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS- Netflix Disc.

2) THE FACE OF LOVE– Netflix Streaming

3) JACKI– At the Theater

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER-

1) JACKI- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Still reeling from her husband’s shocking assassination in Dallas, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy battles through exhaustion, overwhelming heartache and anger to preserve his legacy — and to define her own.”

12/1/16- Very good reviews from both critics and audiences but several of the positive reviews were less than glowing. I’ll try to see it. TRDB. 

1/4/17- I thought that this movie was just OK and mostly provided footnotes to history. Also, I like Natalie Portman. TRDB. 

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-

1) THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Spirited and rebellious, 12-year-old Gilly Hopkins has been in and out of a long string of foster homes. When she’s sent to live with the unorthodox Maime Trotter, Gilly doesn’t intend to stay long, but Maime isn’t about to quit on her young charge.”

10/7/16- Very good reviews. TRDB.

12/30/16- Kind of predictable but also kind of fun. TRDB.

2) THE HATEFUL EIGHT– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “In Quentin Tarantino’s stylish Western set in post-Civil War Wyoming, eight travelers stranded at a stagecoach way station — including bounty hunters, outlaws and former soldiers — become enmeshed in a duplicitous plot as a savage blizzard rages outside.”

12/29/15- Fairly good reviews and some weak ones too. TRDB.

1/3/17– I’m with the weak reviewers on this one. Incredibly boring and I turned it off after nearly half the movie. I know that it turned violent but that wasn’t enough to keep me there. TRDB. Netflix Disc.

3) THE FACE OF LOVE– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Years after the death of her husband, Garrett, Nikki begins a romance with Tom, a great guy who looks almost exactly like Garrett. As their relationship unfolds, fate seems to be delivering Nikki both a new start and a second chance.”

3/7/14- Weak reviews all around. The NY Times said that the actors held whatever there was together. TRDB.

1/4/17- Despite the hard-to-believe premise I did enjoy this movie. I love Ed Harris and Annette Bening.- that helps. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.

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COMING TO NETFLIX ON TUES. JAN. 10-

Recommended–

1) THE PEOPLE VS. FRITZ BAUER- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “While serving as a state attorney general in postwar Germany, Fritz Bauer receives word that fugitive Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann is living in Argentina. To bring him to justice, Bauer secretly enlists help from the Israeli Mossad.”

8/19/16- Good reviews by the critics and excellent reviews by audiences. TRDB.

2) CLOSET MONSTER– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Part coming-of-age tale, part horror saga, this is the story of teen Oscar Madly, who’s scared to reveal his sexuality because of a hate crime he witnessed as a child. Now ready to make his way in the world, Oscar must first find himself.”

9/23/16- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

Not Recommended–

1) DEEPWATER HORIZON– I heard that this one is terrible– skip it!

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COMING TO NETFLIX ON WED., JAN. 18-

1) THE HANDMAIDEN– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Hired by a suave con man, young street-thief Sook-hee secures employment haven’t hated a movie this much since I saw The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. Artful and well-acted but tedious and vulgar. Sorry folks. Call me a prude if you like but that’s what I think. as a handmaiden for wealthy but reclusive heiress Lady Hideko. But the pair’s plan to steal her fortune becomes complicated when Lady Hideko falls in love with Sook-hee.

10/21/16- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

11/9/16- Great reviews as noted above but I did not like this movie at all. The one reviewer who dissented said this- “I haven’t hated a movie this much since I saw The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. Artful and well-acted but tedious and vulgar. Sorry folks. Call me a prude if you like but that’s what I think.” That’s my sentiment as well. TRDB. 

2) ZERO DAYS– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “When the United States and Israel developed malware to sabotage a key part of Iran’s nuclear program, the worm was supposed to vanish after doing its job. Though the first phase was a success, the second wasn’t, as detailed in this chilling documentary.”

7/8/16- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.

8/7/16- A scary documentary about cyber warfare and its possible effects on our society. Definitely worth seeing. TRDB. 

3) DANCER– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Though blessed with ballet skills that brought him global fame, Sergei Polunin had misgivings about the meaning and worth of stardom. At the age of 25, he abandoned the dance world — a decision he candidly reflects on in this immersive documentary.”

9/16/16- Fair to good reviews from the critics and much better ones from audiences. I’ll see it. TRDB.

10/4/16- I enjoyed this movie very much. There was just enough dance in this documentary and I was able to understand what it meant for him to be a prodigy and also for him to leave it all behind. TRDB. 

Not Recommended-

1) THE FREE WORLD- 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Two decades after being wrongly imprisoned, Mo Lundy struggles to adjust to life in the outside world but finds purpose in his job at an animal shelter. Soon, however, his growing involvement with a battered woman puts his freedom in jeopardy.”

9/23/16- Poor reviews in general with the few positives not convincing. TRDB.

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OPENED THIS WEEK-

1) DR. FEELGOOD: DEALER OR HEALER– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Examining the issue of rising opioid abuse in America, this eye-opening documentary looks at the case of William Hurwitz, a Virginia doctor who overprescribed painkillers and ultimately netted a 25-year prison sentence for drug trafficking.”

12/30/16- Good reviews for this documentary that describes well a conflict in our society at present. TRDB.

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HOTWIRE ON-DEMAND-

NEW ON HOTWIRE-

1) AMERICAN HONEY– Good reviews

2) A MAN CALLED OVE– I liked it very much

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BOB’S PICKS IN WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES-

NEW IN THE BURBS-

1) HIDDEN FIGURES– Bethel, Danbury. 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “In the race to space between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, three black female mathematicians play a key role in launching astronaut John Glenn into outer space, making him the first American to orbit Earth.”

12/23/16- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

REPEATS-

1) FENCES– Bethel, Danbury. An Excellent movie

2) LION- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Danbury, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Enjoyed it very much

3) MANCHESTER BY THE SEA– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Danbury, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. I liked it very much

4) JACKI– Jacob Burns, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. I liked it but not a great movie

5) ELLE– Jacob Burns, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Violent but with a great Isabel Huppert

6) THE EAGLE HUNTRESS– Garden Cinema Norwalk. Very good reviews.

7) MOONLIGHT– Clearview 100. I saw it and liked it but not as much as the critics

8) LA LA LAND– Jacob Burns, Danbury. Good reviews.

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BOB’S PICKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY-

A) MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH-

1) HIDDEN FIGURES– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “In the race to space between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, three black female mathematicians play a key role in launching astronaut John Glenn into outer space, making him the first American to orbit Earth.”

12/23/16- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

2)  FENCES- I liked it very much.

3) LA LA LAND– Good reviews and I intend to see this one

4) JACKI– I liked this film but not great

5) LION– I enjoyed this very much

6) MANCHESTER BY THE SEA– Excellent movie. I liked it alot

B) MOVIES OF DELRAY- Same as above but no Lion and no Manchester

C) STONZEK THEATER AT LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE-

1) MOONLIGHT– I liked it but not as much as the critics did

2) A MAN CALLED OVE– A very good movie that I enjoyed as much as the book

D) LIVING ROOM THEATERS-

1) A MAN CALLED OVE– I liked it very much. True to the novel.

2) ELLE- Violent but with a great Isabel Huppert.

3) MANCHESTER BY THE SEA– An excellent movie.

“THE EAGLE HUNTRESS” AND “THINGS TO COME” ARE BOTH PLAYING WITH LIMITED SCREENINGS-

ENJOY!!!

THE REEL DR. BOB