The Reel Dr. Bob

FILM REVIEWS #636

April 6th, 2017

APRIL 6, 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) LO AND BEHOLD– Netflix Disc.

2) THE CONFIRMATION– Netflix Streaming

 

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MOVIES I SAW AT THE THEATER- NONE

 

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MOVIES I SAW AT HOME-

 

1) 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.

3/31/17- Clearly one of the best and most interesting documentaries I have seen in a very long time. Don’t miss it!!! TRDB. Netflix Disc.

2) THE CONFIRMATION– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “When boozy carpenter Walt is offered a job, he thinks his bad luck may be changing — only to find that someone has pilfered his toolbox. As Walt sets out with his estranged young son to hunt down the culprit, the pair unexpectedly form a bond.”

3/18/16- Very good reviews for this comedy. TRDB.

4/4/17- An enjoyable comedy/drama with a few lessons included. TRDB.

 

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, APRIL 11-

 

1) KAILI BLUES– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “Embarking on a train trip in search of his nephew, physician Chen Sheng stops off at the town of Dang Mai — where the rules of time don’t seem to apply. As Chen experiences his past and his future, he starts to meditate on his life.

5/20/16- Excellent reviews for this foreign drama. TRDB.

 

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OPENED LAST WEEK-

 

Recommended–

 

1) FIVE CAME BACK– 2017.

3/31/17- No reviews yet for this TV documentary where 5 famous directors and actors discuss the effect of cinema on World War 2. TRDB.

2) GOD KNOWS WHERE I AM– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “With no outpatient care plan and no safety net, 52-year-old Linda Bishop emerged from a three-year stint in a mental hospital only to die of starvation a few months later. This compelling documentary recounts her heartbreaking story.”

3/31/17- Mostly positive reviews but they were not wonderful. TRDB.

3) THE DEATH OF LOUIS IV- 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “This compelling period drama recounts the slow and painful demise of King Louis XIV as the bedbound French monarch — surrounded by doctors and family — tries to maintain control of his empire for as long as he can.”

3/31/17- Fairly good reviews by the critics and weak ones by audiences. TRDB.

4) ALL THIS PANIC– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “This candid documentary follows seven adolescent girls growing up in New York, each ready to share their innermost thoughts with the camera. Shot over a three-year period, the film captures the teens’ attitudes and aspirations as they come of age.”

3/31/17- Very good reviews from the critics and audiences as well. TRDB.

5) CARRIE PILBY– 2017. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Pilby (Powley) is a genius who graduated Harvard at 18. Convinced that the world is populated by oversexed hypocrites, she has a hard time making sense of life as it relates to morality, relationships, sex and leaving her apartment. In an effort to coax Carrie out of her shell, her psychiatrist (Nathan Lane), makes a deceptively simple checklist of goals for her to achieve between Thanksgiving and the year’s end. Each goal brings Carrie closer to the understanding that humans, like books, can’t be judged by their covers.”

3/31/17- Fair reviews from the critics but audiences have liked this movie very much. TRDB.

6) LIVE CARGO– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “After the numbing loss of their baby, Nadine and Lewis hope to recover their spirits on a small island in the Bahamas, where Nadine’s family owns a home. What they don’t know is that the island has become home to a human trafficking operation.”

3/31/17– Poor reviews by the critics but much better ones by audiences. I’m not sure about this one but I’ll go with it for now. TRDB.

7) DAVID LYNCH: THE ART LIFE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this candid look at the life of David Lynch, the eccentric film and TV auteur recounts — from his home and painting studio in the Hollywood Hills — the formative experiences that fueled and shaped his enigmatic imagination.”

3/31/17- Excellent reviews from everybody. TRDB.

8) TONY CONRAD: COMPLETELY IN THE PRESENT– 2017, Synopsis by Netflix. “Jack of all trades and creative figure in New York City since the 1960s, Tony Conrad spent five decades bringing his avant-garde spirit to experimental films, musical projects and even public-access television, as recounted in this documentary.”

3/31/17– I’ve seen just 3 reviews and they are all excellent. TRDB.

 

Not Recommended-

1) THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “After the Nazis invade Poland, Warsaw Zoo caretakers Antonina and Jan Zabinski place themselves in grave danger when they begin collaborating with the Resistance in an effort to save Jews from the horrors of the Warsaw Ghetto.”

3/29/17- Really poor reviews for this movie. TRDB.

2) THE DISCOVERY– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “After a physicist invents a device that seems to prove the existence of an afterlife, he retreats into isolation from the media when a rash of suicides ensues. But rather than denounce his work to prevent more suicides, he takes his research further.”

3/31/17- Poor reviews from most of the critics. TRDB.

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HOTWIRE ON-DEMAND-

 

NEW ON HOTWIRE-

 

1) 20th. CENTURY WOMEN– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1979 Southern California, bohemian single mom Dorothea Fields looks to a pair of women from different generations to help teach her teenage son lessons about love and life. But he gets another perspective after Dorothea takes in a male boarder.”

1/11/17-  Very good reviews for the movie and for Annette Bening. Definitely on my short list. TRDB.

1/25/17– I just saw this movie and liked it very much. Also liked Annette Bening. TRDB.

2) MANCHESTER BY THE SEA– 2016. Synopsis by Netflix. “While working as a handyman in Boston, taciturn loner Lee Chandler gets word that his brother Joe has died of a coronary. After returning to the siblings’ hometown, Lee receives another shock: He’s been named legal guardian of Joe’s 16-year-old son.”

11/18/16- Great reviews from everybody. TRDB.

12/21/16– A sad but excellent movie. Great acting and great story. TRDB.

3) STRAY BULLETS– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “For teenagers Ash and Connor, the dreary task of clearing out their dad’s old mobile home takes an unexpected turn when they discover that a trio of crooks is using the place to hide out from a hit man.”

2/10/17- Very good reviews by the critics and awful ones by audiences. TRDB. 

3/19/17– I really enjoyed this strange movie directed by a 16 year old boy. TRDB.

4) ACTOR MARTINEZ– 2017. “The difference between ambition and talent is on full display in this film-within-a-film-within-a-film. When computer repairman Arthur Martinez hires two indie directors to make a film starring him, the focus devolves into a study of his boring life.”

3/17/17- Very good reviews. TRDB.

REPEATS-

 

1) BURN COUNTRY- Good reviews

2) CAFE SOCIETY- I enjoyed it and I never miss a Woody

3) CHRONIC- I liked it

4) CLAIRE IN MOTION- Back on the list– good reviews

5) DENIAL- A good movie

6) DYING LAUGHING- Fairly good reviews for this comedy

7) THE EAGLE HUNTRESS- Excellent

8)THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN- I liked this movie

9) FENCES- An excellent movie

10) FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS- Good reviews but I resisted seeing this one

11) THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS- Predictable but fun

12) HELL OR HIGHWATER- I enjoyed this movie quite a bit

13) JULIETA- I liked it very much. Sad though!

14) LOVING- An excellent drama and great acting

15) MOONLIGHT- A good movie but not as good as the critics said

16) MY SCIENTOLOGY MOVIE- Good reviews

17) PUNCHING HENRY- Very good reviews

18)SNOWDEN- OK but not nearly as good as the documentary “Citizenfour”

19) SULLY- I liked it very much

20) A TALE OF LOVE AND DARKNESS- I liked it

21) TANNA- A wonderful movie

 

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BOB’S PICKS IN WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES-

 

NEW IN THE BURBS-

 

1) CEZANNE ET MOI– Jacob Burns, Clearview 100. 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this dramatization of the relationship between painter Paul Cézanne and writer Émile Zola, their friendship sputters along the way but ultimately lasts a lifetime, deepened (and sometimes undermined) by a shared love of women and art.”

3/31/17- Mediocre reviews at best. TRDB.

2) GIFTED– Jacob Burns. 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “When his sister dies, 30-something bachelor Frank Adler assumes the care of her 7-year-old daughter. But his plans to raise her are threatened when the child reveals herself to be a math prodigy, and his mom suddenly gets involved.”

4/5/17- Awful reviews. TRDB.

 

REPEATS-

 

1) FRANTZ– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. I liked this movie very much

2) THE LAST WORD– Bethel. Mixed reviews

3) THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Danbury, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. Poor reviews

4) THE SENSE OF AN ENDING– Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. OK reviews

5) PERSONAL SHOPPER– Garden Cinema Norwalk. Good reviews

 

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BOB’S PICKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY-

 

1. A) THE MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH-

 

1) GOING IN STYLE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Cheated out of their pensions, three elderly friends decide to extract justice from the system by robbing a bank and then heading for Las Vegas. But their grand plan starts to fall apart when a dogged FBI agent picks up their trail.

4/4/17- No reviews as yet. TRDB.

2) THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE– Weak reviews

3) FRANTZ– I really enjoyed this movie

4) THE WOMEN’S BALCONY– I liked this very much

 

 

1. B) THE MOVIES OF DELRAY- see “above”

 

1) GOING IN STYLE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Cheated out of their pensions, three elderly friends decide to extract justice from the system by robbing a bank and then heading for Las Vegas. But their grand plan starts to fall apart when a dogged FBI agent picks up their trail.

4/4/17- No reviews as yet. TRDB.

2) AFTER THE STORM– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Once a prize-winning novelist, Ryota now works as a private eye — whose wages go toward gambling rather than child support. But after learning that his ex-wife is moving on with another man, Ryota makes a last-ditch effort to reclaim his family.”

3/17/17- Excellent reviews by critics and audiences alike. TRDB.

3) THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE– Weak reviews

4) FRANTZ– I really enjoyed this

5) THE WOMEN’S BALCONY– I liked this movie very much

 

 

1. C) THE STONZEK THEATER AT THE LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE-

 

1) AFTER THE STORM– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Once a prize-winning novelist, Ryota now works as a private eye — whose wages go toward gambling rather than child support. But after learning that his ex-wife is moving on with another man, Ryota makes a last-ditch effort to reclaim his family.”

3/17/17- Excellent reviews by critics and audiences alike. TRDB.

2) I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “When author James Baldwin died in 1987, he left behind an unfinished book about the lives and assassinations of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. This documentary uses that unfinished text to create a visual essay on race in America.”

2/3/17- Excellent reviews by the critics and fair to good ones from audiences. TRDB.

 

1. D) THE LIVING ROOM THEATERS AT FAU IN BOCA RATON-

 

1) FANNY’S JOURNEY– A good story but too much “Hollywood” for me

2) FRANTZ– I liked this movie very much

3) PERSONAL SHOPPER– Good reviews

4) THE SALESMAN– I liked this Iranian movie very much

5) THE WOMEN’S BALCONY– I liked this Israeli movie very much

6) YEAR BY THE SEA– I didn’t care for this movie

 

ENJOY!!

THE REEL DR. BOB

 

 

 

 

Entry Filed under: Old Newsletters