The Reel Dr. Bob

JUNE 6, 2019

DEAR FRIENDS:

I PLAN TO  SEE “ROCKETMAN” TODAY AND I’LL REVIEW IT NEXT WEEK-

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

1) ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE– Netflix Streaming

2) APOLLO 11– Netflix Disc.

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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) ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE– 2019. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Childhood sweethearts have a falling out and don’t speak for 15 years. They reconnect as adults when Sasha, now a celebrity chef opening a restaurant in San Francisco, runs into Marcus, a happily struggling musician still living at home working for his dad.”

5/31/19- Fairly good reviews for this comedy. TRDB.

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT WEEK-

1) COMBAT OBSCURA– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “As a combat cameraman in Afghanistan from 2011-12, Miles Lagoze’s primary role was to gather footage for use in Marine Corps recruiting. But his camera kept rolling after the battles ended, capturing the boredom, banality and futility of endless war.”

3/13/19- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

2) WRESTLE– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Though Huntsville’s J.O. Johnson High has been on Alabama’s list of failing schools for years, its wrestling team is determined to win despite facing a bevy of obstacles, as chronicled in this affecting documentary.”

2/22/19- Very good reviews from the critics. TRDB.

3) THE MUSTANG– I liked this very much.

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OPENED LAST WEEK-

1) ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE- 2019. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Childhood sweethearts have a falling out and don’t speak for 15 years. They reconnect as adults when Sasha, now a celebrity chef opening a restaurant in San Francisco, runs into Marcus, a happily struggling musician still living at home working for his dad.”

5/31/19- Fairly good reviews for this comedy. TRDB.

6/1/19- Surprisingly I actually enjoyed this movie. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.

2) FOR THE BIRDS– 2019. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In Richard Miron’s surprising and empathetic ?For the Birds?, we follow an unusual woman named Kathy who lives with 200 pet chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys. What starts as a story seemingly about Kathy’s battle with local animal advocacy groups slowly transforms into an intimate drama about her relationship with her husband Gary, and the toll the birds have taken on their marriage and her well-being.”

5/31/19- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

3) THE IMAGE YOU MISSED– 2019. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Drawing on over 30 years of unique and never-seen-before imagery, The Image You Missed is an experimental essay film that weaves together a history of the Northern Irish Troubles with the story of a son’s search for his father. In the process, the film creates a candid encounter between two filmmakers born into different political moments, revealing their contrasting experiences of Irish nationalism, the role of images in social struggle, and the competing claims of personal and political responsibility.”

5/31/19- Great reviews. TRDB.

4) TOO LATE TO DIE YOUNG– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this coming-of-age tale set in 1990 Chile, teenage Sofía lives off the grid with her family and a group of like-minded ex-urbanites at the foot of the Andes — where disquieting adult truths soon disrupt her youthful idyll.”

5/31/19- Very good reviews for this drama. TRDB.

5) YOMEDDINE– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Abandoned at a leper colony in his youth, Beshay leaves the community for the first time after his wife’s death. Determined to find his kin, he sets off with his donkey cart — not realizing that a 10-year-old orphan has stowed away.”

5/31/19- Reviews are fair to good. TRDB.

6) ECHO IN THE CANYON– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In the mid-1960s, Laurel Canyon in the Hollywood Hills became the creative nexus for a generation of young musicians who would become rock ‘n’ roll icons. This affectionate documentary looks at that famous scene’s history and ongoing influence.”

5/31/19- Excellent reviews by the critics and good ones from audiences. TRDB.

7) THE RUSSIAN FIVE 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Dubbed the “Dead Wings” after many dismal seasons, Detroit’s professional hockey team looked to a new source of talent in the 1980s, enticing members of the Soviet Union’s Red Army team to defect to the West and join the Motor City squad.”

5/31/19- Great reviews all around. TRDB.

8) THE SPY BEHIND HOME PLATE– 2019. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “The Spy Behind Home Plate is the first feature-length documentary to tell the real story of Morris “Moe” Berg, the enigmatic and brilliant Jewish baseball player turned spy.”

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BOB’S PICKS IN WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES-

NEW IN THE BURBS-

1) ECHO IN THE CANYON– Clearview 100. 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In the mid-1960s, Laurel Canyon in the Hollywood Hills became the creative nexus for a generation of young musicians who would become rock ‘n’ roll icons. This affectionate documentary looks at that famous scene’s history and ongoing influence.”

5/31/19- Excellent reviews by the critics and good ones from audiences. TRDB.

2) THE SPY BEHIND HOME PLATE– Jacob Burns, Clearview 100. 2019. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “The Spy Behind Home Plate is the first feature-length documentary to tell the real story of Morris “Moe” Berg, the enigmatic and brilliant Jewish baseball player turned spy.”

REPEATS-

1) THE SOUVENIR– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Clearview 100. 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this romantic drama, film student Julie is struggling to find her voice when she falls for the charismatic but mysterious Anthony. As love blooms, so does her creativity, but her mother and friends fear that the relationship will destroy Julie.”

5/17/19- Great reviews by the critics and terrible ones from audiences. I’ll try to see this one. TRDB.

2) ROCKETMAN– Bethel, Danbury, Clearview 100. 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In the early 1970s, Elton John begins a rocket ride to fame. With his topnotch composing skills and over-the-top showmanship, he becomes one of the world’s most beloved rock stars over the next four decades, as recounted in this tuneful biopic.”

5/28/19- Very good reviews for this drama. TRDB.

3) BOOKSMART– Jacob Burns, Danbury, Clearview 100. Good reviews but friends have not liked it

4) THE TOMORROW MAN- Bethel, Clearview 100. 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Retiree Ed Hemsler is focused on the future, specifically on the disaster he’s certain is just around the corner. But in the midst of his doomsday preparations, he meets shopaholic Ronnie Meisner, and the two quirky characters develop a bond.”

5/24/19- Poor reviews with most critics saying that great acting kept this movie alive at all. TRDB.

5) ALL IS TRUE– Bethel.

6) THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM– Jacob Burns, Bethel. A great movie.

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BOB’S PICKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY-

A) THE MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH-

1) SHELTER– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “When Mossad agent Naomi returns to work after a long absence, she’s assigned to guard Mona, a Lebanese informant recovering from plastic surgery in a German safe house. Meanwhile, Mona’s former Hezbollah comrades are determined to hunt her down.”

6/5/19- Poor early reviews for what sounds like an interesting movie.  TRDB.

2) ROCKETMAN– Very good reviews for this drama. TRDB.

3) THE TOMORROW MAN– Poor reviews with most critics saying that great acting kept this movie alive at all. TRDB.

4) THE WHITE CROW– Reviews are mixed with more positives than negatives. TRDB.

5) RED JOAN–  Terrible reviews. TRDB.

B) THE MOVIES OF DELRAY-

1) SHELTER– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “When Mossad agent Naomi returns to work after a long absence, she’s assigned to guard Mona, a Lebanese informant recovering from plastic surgery in a German safe house. Meanwhile, Mona’s former Hezbollah comrades are determined to hunt her down.”

C) THE STONZEK THEATER AT THE LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE-

1) DIAMANTINO– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Disgraced by his poor play, international soccer star Diamantino begins a soul-searching odyssey that exposes him to social ills he didn’t know about. But his first attempt to improve the world puts him in the hands of an undercover tax investigator.”

5/24/19- Very good reviews for this drama/comedy. TRDB.

2) MEETING GORBACHEV– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Co-directed by prolific filmmaker Werner Herzog, this admiring documentary takes a look at the Soviet Union’s last leader, Mikhail Gorbachev — a charismatic statesman who initiated reforms that led to the end of the Cold War and changed the world.”

5/3/19- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

D) THE LIVING ROOM THEATER AT FAU IN BOCA RATON

1) ROCKETMAN– Good reviews

2) THE THIRD WIFE–  2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 19th-century Vietnam, 14-year-old May becomes a rich landowner’s third wife, knowing that she must give birth to a son to increase her status. But after she becomes pregnant, dormant desires force her to choose between safety and freedom.”

5/15/19- Very good reviews for this movie. TRDB.

3) THE SOUVENIR– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this romantic drama, film student Julie is struggling to find her voice when she falls for the charismatic but mysterious Anthony. As love blooms, so does her creativity, but her mother and friends fear that the relationship will destroy Julie.”

5/17/19- Great reviews by the critics and terrible ones from audiences. I’ll try to see this one. TRDB.

4) PHOTOGRAPH– My kind of movie- I’ll see it.

5) NON-FICTION– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this diverting comedy, Parisian book editor Alain and his longtime author Léonard — both contending with midlife crises — reluctantly find themselves trying to get a handle on the publishing industry’s new rules in the digital age.”

5/3/19- Very good reviews and I’ll definitely try to see this, especially with Juliette Binoche. TRDB.