The Reel Dr. Bob

1) AVA-  2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Tehran teen Ava Vali is a good student, a gifted violinist and a dutiful daughter. So, when her overprotective mother demands that a gynecologist confirm Ava’s virginity, she’s outraged — leading her to rebel against far more than just her family.”

4/27/18- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.

12/14/18- A bit slow at first but developed into an interesting study of the Iranian society both in the home and out in the world. A scene of an argument between the husband and wife is memorable. TRDB.

2) THE MULE– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “In his 80s, Earl Stone is facing business foreclosure when he’s offered a job that merely involves driving a truck. But what he doesn’t know is that he’ll be smuggling huge loads of cocaine for Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.”

12/15/18- A very enjoyable crime caper with a weather beaten but wonderful Clint Eastwood. TRDB.

1) ROMA– 2018. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. ” ROMA follows Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), a young domestic worker for a family in the middle-class neighborhood of Roma in Mexico City.”

11/22/18- Great reviews. TRDB.

12/15/18- Sorry to say but I was disappointed in this well hyped foreign drama. I found it much too slow and most of the themes presented I have seen before and done better. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.

2) THE ARMSTRONG LIE– 2013. Synopsis by Netflix. “Filming cyclist Lance Armstrong as he trained for the 2009 Tour de France, director Alex Gibney had intimate access to the racer’s team. Gibney’s cameras were also rolling for Armstrong’s startling 2012 confession of performance-enhancing drug use.”

10/16/13- Very good reviews. TRDB.

11/8/13- A good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.

12/18/18- An excellent expose of Lance Armstrong and the sport of cycling  as well. TRDB. Netflix disc.

1) BAYOU CAVIAR– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Once a boxing champion, Rodney Jones is now a nightclub bouncer — who resorts to partnering with a photographer and an ambitious starlet to make a compromising sex tape of a married real-estate magnate.”

10/4/18- Just 2 reviews so far and neither is particularly favorable. The premise sounds interesting. TRDB.

12/18/18- Terrible reviews from the critics and very good ones from audiences. TRDB.

2) WHITE BOY RICK– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this taut drama, Richard Wershe Jr. is only 14 when he becomes an undercover informant for the FBI in Detroit. While his perilous work helps cripple the city’s largest drug ring, he ends up with a life sentence three years later for dealing drugs.”

9/14/18- Fair reviews at best but there were several very good ones too. TRDB.

1) THE WORLD IS YOURS– 2018. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “To escape his life of crime, a small-time mobster in Paris accepts one last job involving Spain, drugs, the Illuminati and his overbearing mother.”

12/14/18- Excellent reviews by the critics and fair ones by audiences. On Netflix as well. TRDB.

2) IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Based on the novel penned by James Baldwin, this urban drama centers on pregnant Harlem resident Tish as she attempts to clear the name of her fiancé, who’s awaiting trial on a false rape accusation.”

12/14/18- Excellent reviews from the critics and good ones from audiences. TRDB.

3) GHOSTBOX COWBOY– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Looking for a new frontier in which to pitch his wares, failed entrepreneur Jimmy Van Horn trades Texas for China, where he turns to an established expatriate friend to help sell investors on an electronic device that will communicate with the dead.”

12/14/18- Very good reviews. TRDB.

4) LOTS OF KIDS, A MONKEY AND A CASTLE– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “In his first foray behind the lens, actor Gustavo Salmerón paints a poignant portrait of his spirited mom, Julita, who got everything she wished for: scads of kids, a monkey and a castle. But changing economic fortunes are forcing her to downsize.”

12/14/18- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

5) THAT WAY MADNESS LIES– 2018. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “What do you do when your brother descends into a black hole of mental instability – starting with falling for a Nigerian email scam but eventually winding up involuntary committed into the hospital made famous by One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?”

12/14/18- Just 3 reviews and they are all very good. TRDB. 

6) CAPERNAUM– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this dark fable set in a Middle East country undergoing political and social upheaval, a 12-year-old boy sees nothing but suffering and pain in his future, prompting him to sue his parents for bringing him into the world.”

12/14/18- Just so-so reviews. TRDB.

7) DEAD SOULS– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Representing the many thousands of Chinese citizens victimized by Mao Zedong’s Anti-Rightist campaign and exiled to “re-education” camps, the survivors interviewed in this eight-hour documentary paint a picture of horrific suffering and starvation.”

12/14/18- Excellent reviews for this foreign documentary. TRDB.

8) MARTYR- 2018. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “For Hassane, a young man from an impoverished neighborhood, life has stopped making sense. All he has left is a close group of friends, brought together by a shared sense of marginalization and hopelessness. Hassane’s strange sudden drowning at Beirut’s rocky shore sparks a mob procession.”

12/14/18- I’ve read just 2 reviews and they are both excellent. TRDB.

9) THE MULE– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “In his 80s, Earl Stone is facing business foreclosure when he’s offered a job that merely involves driving a truck. But what he doesn’t know is that he’ll be smuggling huge loads of cocaine for Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel.”

12/15/18- A very enjoyable crime caper with a weather beaten but wonderful Clint Eastwood. TRDB.

10) THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “For 12 years, smart serial killer Jack has committed his crimes as a form of art, expressing his dark perspectives. With the law closing in on him, his exploits become increasingly brazen as he seeks to pull off the perfect murder.”

12/14/18- Weak reviews by the critics but good ones from audiences. TRDB.

Not Recommended–

1) BIRD BOX– 2018. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “When a mysterious force decimates the world’s population, only one thing is certain: if you see it, you take your life.”

12/14/18- Bad, bad reviews and included here solely because of Sandra Bullock who I like. TRDB.

1) BEN IS BACK– Bethel, Clearview 100. 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “As troubled as he is charming, 19-year-old Ben Burns surprises everyone when he returns home for Christmas. Although his mother cautiously welcomes Ben’s arrival, he soon begins to disrupt the family.”

12/8/18- Excellent reviews for this movie starring Julia Roberts. TRDB.

2) IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK– Jacob Burns. 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “Based on the novel penned by James Baldwin, this urban drama centers on pregnant Harlem resident Tish as she attempts to clear the name of her fiancé, who’s awaiting trial on a false rape accusation.”

12/14/18- Excellent reviews from the critics and good ones from audiences. TRDB.

1) MID 90’S– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1990s Los Angeles, teenage Stevie is looking for his place in a world dominated by his abusive older brother and needy single mom. After finding acceptance with the crew at a skateboard shop, Stevie learns some hard lessons about race and class.”

10/19/18- Fairly good reviews noted. TRDB.

1) BEN IS BACK– 2018. Synopsis by Netflix. “As troubled as he is charming, 19-year-old Ben Burns surprises everyone when he returns home for Christmas. Although his mother cautiously welcomes Ben’s arrival, he soon begins to disrupt the family.”

12/8/18- Excellent reviews for this movie starring Julia Roberts. TRDB.

2) FREE SOLO– I enjoyed this movie- very suspenseful

3) MARIA BY CALLAS-Good reviews

4) MARY QUEEN OF  SCOTS– Fair reviews at best

5) SHOPLIFTERS- Excellent reviews