The Reel Dr. Bob

FILM REVIEWS #662

October 12th, 2017

OCTOBER 12, 2017

DEAR FRIENDS:

 

REMEMBER– I’M USING A DIFFERENT COMPUTER BEGINNING WITH THIS ISSUE

 

YOU CAN ACCESS THIS NEWSLETTER AND PAST REVIEWS AT MY WEBSITE- www.thereeldrbob.com

 

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

 

1) THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON– Netflix Streaming.

 

2) MUCH LOVED- Netflix Streaming

 

3) WALKING OUT– Comcast On-Demand

 

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER- NONE

 

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-

 

1) REALIVE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Marc is diagnosed with a disease and is given a short time to live. Unable to accept his own end, he decides to freeze his body. Sixty years later, in the year 2084, he becomes the first cryogenically frozen man to be revived in history. Marc discovers a startling future, but the biggest surprise is that his past has accompanied him in unexpected ways.”

9/29/17- Very good reviews by the critics and weak ones by audiences. TRDB.

10/5/17- I’ll go with the audiences this time. Boring while trying to be interesting. TRDB. Netflix Disc.

2) THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. ” When the beloved, self-described “street queen” of NY’s gay ghetto was found floating in the Hudson River in 1992, the NYPD chalked it up as a suicide and refused to investigate. However, as shown in Academy Award (R) nominated director and journalist David France’s (How to Survive A Plague) new film, it’s a decision many questioned.”

10/6/17- Uniformly excellent reviews. TRDB.

10/7/17- I agree with the critics– I enjoyed this documentary very much. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.

3) MUCH LOVED – 2015. Synopsis by Netflix. “A group of women in Morocco make a living as prostitutes in a culture that is very hostile toward women in that profession.”

10/8/17- A very poignant drama about women in the Muslim world. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.

4) WALKING OUT– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Texas teen David visits his father’s off-the-grid Montana home once a year, and this time Dad decides David is ready for his first big-game hunt. But when a run-in with a grizzly bear leaves Dad injured, David is forced to take charge.”

10/6/17- Very good reviews. TRDB.

10/8/17- A very good movie if perhaps a bit too long. Great photography and very good music score as well. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand

5) THE ORNITHOLOGIST– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Searching for an elusive stork species, ornithologist Fernando is swept away by rapids while hiking along a river. Though he survives, he faces a long and perilous trek through the forest — a journey that will steadily transform him as a man.”

6/23/17- Very good reviews by the critics who said that this movie was most unusual. Audiences were not as praising. TRDB.

10/9/17- A weird movie at best. Enjoyed the first half hour until the tone abruptly changed. Great photography of the wild. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, OCT.10-

 

1) LANDLINE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this nostalgic portrait of New York City family life in the 1990s, Dana Jacobs is exploring her wild side before her wedding, while younger sister Ali is taking drugs, having sex and making discoveries of her own — including her father’s affair.”

7/21/17- Mixed reviews for this drama/comedy– more positive than negative. TRDB.

2) SHOT CALLER– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Recently released from prison and back on the streets of Southern California, an ex-con receives orders from his gang leaders to put together plans for committing an audacious crime with a rival gang.”

8/18/17- Fairly good reviews– somewhat better from audiences than the critics. TRDB.

 

3) LADY MACBETH– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Stifled by her arranged marriage to a middle-aged husband, young Victorian wife Katherine begins an affair with a brash groom who works on the family estate. When scandal erupts, she’s prepared to take drastic steps to continue their illicit liaison.”

7/14/17- Excellent reviews from the critics and good ones from audiences. TRDB.

4) STEP– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Focusing on three seniors — and members of the Lethal Ladies dance team — at the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, this documentary tracks the teens as they strive to attend college while cultivating their creative game on the step team.”

8/4/17- Excellent reviews from all. TRDB.

5) THE MIDWIFE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “With the clinic where she works about to shut down, dedicated midwife Claire is undecided about her future when her purposeful life is upended by the sudden reappearance of her dead father’s former mistress, Béatrice — who’s seeking closure.”

7/21/17- Very good reviews from the critics and from audiences as well. TRDB.

7/29/17- I liked this French movie very much. Typical slow development of the plot with excellent acting by Catherine DeNeuve and Catherine Frot. TRDB.

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OPENED LAST FRIDAY-

 

Recommended-

 

1) THE FLORIDA PROJECT– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Living within sight of Disney World’s glittering attractions, the children of families residing in tacky motels near the megapark create their own magical world together, led by the spirited 6-year-old Moonee.

10/6/17- Excellent reviews by the critics and very good ones by audiences. TRDB.

2) UNA- 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. ‘At age 13, Una ran away with a man in his 30s, but their affair ended abruptly when he abandoned her and was subsequently jailed for abduction and having sex with a minor. Fifteen years later, Una — unable to move on — sets out to confront him.”

10/6/17-  Fair reviews by the critics and poor ones by audiences. TRDB.

3) THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. ” When the beloved, self-described “street queen” of NY’s gay ghetto was found floating in the Hudson River in 1992, the NYPD chalked it up as a suicide and refused to investigate. However, as shown in Academy Award (R) nominated director and journalist David France’s (How to Survive A Plague) new film, it’s a decision many questioned.”

10/6/17- Uniformly excellent reviews. TRDB. This movie is now being streamed by Netflix.

4) BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Unemployed and with his marriage failing, prizefighter Bradley Thomas’ boxing days are long behind him when he begins running drugs to make ends meet. But things go downhill fast after he lands in jail and must again resort to violence to survive.”

10/6/17- I don’t usually go for movie like this but reviews were excellent and I’ll give it a try. TRDB.

5) FACES PLACES– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “A key figure in the emergence of French New Wave cinema in the 1950s, director Agnès Varda’s career continues more than 60 years later as she joins photographer and muralist JR for a road trip through France, making art as they go.”

10/3/17- Uniformly excellent reviews. TRDB.

6) BENDING THE ARC- 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “When two doctors and an activist opened a clinic in rural Haiti in the 1980s, they soon realized that medicine alone wouldn’t heal their patients. This documentary tells the story of the organization the trio created in response: Partners in Health.”

10/6/17- Terrific reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

7) DINA– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Outspoken suburbanite Dina Buno and her fiancé, Scott Levin — a Walmart greeter — are crazy about each other. But their romance undergoes challenges as insecurities and anxieties begin bubbling to the surface after the two move in together.”

10/6/17- Uniformly excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

8) PARADISE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “In occupied France during World War II’s last days, Russian émigré Olga is arrested for concealing two Jewish children and sent to a concentration camp, where she encounters a German SS officer with whom she was once briefly involved.”

10/6/17- No reviews as yet but it does sound interesting. TRDB.

9) WALKING OUT– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Texas teen David visits his father’s off-the-grid Montana home once a year, and this time Dad decides David is ready for his first big-game hunt. But when a run-in with a grizzly bear leaves Dad injured, David is forced to take charge.”

10/6/17- Very good reviews. TRDB.

10) TAKE EVERY WAVE: THE LIFE OF LAIRD HAMILTON– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Turning to the mammoth waves of Oahu’s north shore to escape an abusive home, Laird Hamilton has made surfing innovation his life’s work. With a winter surf season on Kauai as the backdrop, this in-depth documentary charts his story.”

10/6/17- Great reviews. TRDB.

 

Not Recommended-

1) SO B. IT- 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “With her family’s past cloaked in mystery as a result of her mother’s autism, resolute 12-year-old Heidi DeMuth sets off on a road trip across America to find out the truth about herself and her mom.

10/6/17- Just 4 reviews for now. Three are awful and 1 is weak. TRDB.

2) THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “After bad weather halts their commercial flight, surgeon Ben Payne and writer Ashley Knox hop a charter plane. But it crashes, leaving the strangers injured and alone atop a snow-covered mountain — forcing them to embark on a long journey for help.”

10/3/17- Fair reviews at best. Even some of the positive reviews had several negative things to say. TRDB.

 

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COMCAST ON-DEMAND-

 

NEW ON COMCAST-

 

1) TAKE EVERY WAVE: THE LIFE OF LAIRD HAMILTON– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Turning to the mammoth waves of Oahu’s north shore to escape an abusive home, Laird Hamilton has made surfing innovation his life’s work. With a winter surf season on Kauai as the backdrop, this in-depth documentary charts his story.”

10/6/17- Great reviews. TRDB.

2) WALKING OUT– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Texas teen David visits his father’s off-the-grid Montana home once a year, and this time Dad decides David is ready for his first big-game hunt. But when a run-in with a grizzly bear leaves Dad injured, David is forced to take charge.”

10/6/17- Very good reviews. TRDB.

10/8/17- A very good movie if perhaps a bit too long. Great photography and very good music score as well. TRDB.

3) MAUDIE– I liked this movie very much.

4) LADY MACBETH– Very good reviews and I look forward to seeing this

 

REPEATS-

 

1) BEATRIZ AT DINNER- I enjoyed this movie very much

 

2) THE BIG SICK- A very good movie– liked it very much

 

3) CHUCK- Good reviews and I liked it

4) THE DINNER- I liked it

5) GET OUT- I liked it

6) GIFTED- Just ok reviews but friends have liked it very much and so did I

7) THE GOOD CATHOLIC- Weak reviews by critics but good ones from audiences

8)MANCHESTER BY THE SEA- I loved this movie

9) MEGAN LEAVY- I enjoyed this movie. A bit of a tearjerker

10) THE SALESMAN- An excellent movie from Iran

11) THE SENSE OF AN ENDING- I liked the movie and Jim Broadbent in particular

12) SHOT CALLER- Good reviews

13) SNOWDEN- I liked it– the topic is still in the news

14) THE TRIP TO SPAIN- Fair reviews at best for this 3rd. movie of its type. If you’re desperate!

15) THE UNKNOWN GIRL- I liked it

16) VICEROY’S HOUSE- Fairly good reviews

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BOB’S PICKS IN WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES-

 

NEW IN THE BURBS-

 

1) MARSHALL– Jacob Burns, Danbury. 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Recounting an early case of attorney Thurgood Marshall — who would later become the first African-American Supreme Court justice — this riveting drama depicts his defense of a black chauffeur accused of sexual assault.”

10/10/17- I’ve seen just 4 reviews– all definitely positive but none raving. TRDB.

 

2) THE FLORIDA PROJECT– Jacob Burns. 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Living within sight of Disney World’s glittering attractions, the children of families residing in tacky motels near the megapark create their own magical world together, led by the spirited 6-year-old Moonee.

10/6/17- Excellent reviews by the critics and very good ones by audiences. TRDB.

3) MARK FELT: THE MAN WHO BROUGHT DOWN THE WHITE HOUSE– Bethel, Danbury, Clearview 100. 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “This fact-based biopic charts the life of FBI informant Mark Felt, aka “Deep Throat” — the principal unnamed source for reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein as they begin writing exposés that will blow the lid off the Watergate scandal.”

9/29/17- Awful reviews but it might be at least somewhat  interesting to people who lived through this scandal. TRDB.

 

REPEATS-

 

1) THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US– Bethel, Danbury. 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “After bad weather halts their commercial flight, surgeon Ben Payne and writer Ashley Knox hop a charter plane. But it crashes, leaving the strangers injured and alone atop a snow-covered mountain — forcing them to embark on a long journey for help.”

10/3/17- Fair reviews at best. Even some of the positive reviews had several negative things to say. TRDB.

2) THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Danbury. I liked it very much. Good at many levels.

 

3) VICTORIA & ABDUL– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Danbury, Clearview 100, Garden Cinema Norwalk. I have no interest in seeing this

 

4) LOVING VINCENT- Jacob Burns. Good reviews

 

5) FACES PLACES– Garden Cinema Norwalk and limited screenings at Jacob Burns. Very good reviews

 

6) BRAD’S STATUS– Garden Cinema Norwalk. I liked this movie very much

 

7) VICEROY’S HOUSE– Garden Cinema Norwalk. Good reviews

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BOB’S PICKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY-

 

1. A) THE MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH- for some reason this theater has not posted their schedule for nest week. The movies are usually the same or similar to the Movies of Delray

 

1. B) THE MOVIES OF DELRAY-

 

1) MARK FELT: THE MAN WHO BROUGHT DOWN THE WHITE HOUSE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “This fact-based biopic charts the life of FBI informant Mark Felt, aka “Deep Throat” — the principal unnamed source for reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein as they begin writing exposés that will blow the lid off the Watergate scandal.”

9/29/17- Awful reviews but it might be at least somewhat  interesting to people who lived through this scandal. TRDB.

2)  VICEROY’S HOUSE – Good reviews

3) BATTLE OF THE SEXES– I liked this one very much on various levels

4) VICTORIA & ABDUL– I don’t care about seeing this one

5) THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US– Fair reviews at best. Even some of the positive reviews had several negative things to say. TRDB.

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

 

1) SUPER DARK TIMES– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “An innocent lark in the park turns tragic when teenagers Zach and Josh are party to an accident that kills their friend Daryl. In a panic, the two hide his body under some leaves, but their hastily made decision soon begins to haunt them.”

9/29/17- Very good reviews. TRDB.

 

2) THE UNKNOWN GIRL– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “After young physician Jenny closes her office for the day, she refuses to see an unfamiliar woman who’s looking for treatment. Upon learning that the woman died soon thereafter, Jenny becomes obsessed with finding out the stranger’s identity.”

9/7/17- OK reviews from the critics and weak ones from audiences. Sounds interesting to me and the NY Times liked it very much. TRDB.

9/11/17- Certainly not a great movie, this new film did hold my interest throughout. The lead actress was very good. TRDB.

 

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

 

1)  MARK FELT: THE MAN WHO BROUGHT DOWN THE WHITE HOUSE– Bethel, Clearview 100. 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “This fact-based biopic charts the life of FBI informant Mark Felt, aka “Deep Throat” — the principal unnamed source for reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein as they begin writing exposés that will blow the lid off the Watergate scandal.”

9/29/17- Awful reviews but it might be at least somewhat  interesting to people who lived through this scandal. TRDB.

2) REBEL IN THE RYE– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “This engaging biopic profiles the brilliant but reclusive novelist J.D. Salinger, from his early years as he resolves to become a writer through the scarring World War II experiences that led him to pen his masterpiece, “The Catcher in the Rye.”

9/8/17- Awful reviews by the critics and OK ones from audiences. I’ll recommend it solely for historical value. TRDB.

3) TAKE EVERY WAVE-: THE LIFE OF LAIRD HAMILTON– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “Turning to the mammoth waves of Oahu’s north shore to escape an abusive home, Laird Hamilton has made surfing innovation his life’s work. With a winter surf season on Kauai as the backdrop, this in-depth documentary charts his story.”

10/6/17- Great reviews. TRDB.

4) THE UNKNOWN GIRL– 2017. Synopsis by Netflix. “After young physician Jenny closes her office for the day, she refuses to see an unfamiliar woman who’s looking for treatment. Upon learning that the woman died soon thereafter, Jenny becomes obsessed with finding out the stranger’s identity.”

9/7/17- OK reviews from the critics and weak ones from audiences. Sounds interesting to me and the NY Times liked it very much. TRDB.

9/11/17- Certainly not a great movie, this new film did hold my interest throughout. The lead actress was very good. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.

5) VICEROY’S HOUSE– Good reviews

6) STRONGER– Very good reviews

ENJOY!!

THE REEL DR. BOB

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