The Reel Dr. Bob

SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

DEAR FRIENDS:

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

1) PLUS ONE– 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) PLUS ONE– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Long-time friends Alice and Ben find themselves in that inevitable year that all late 20-somethings experience—in which seemingly every person they know gets married—and agree to be one another’s plus ones as they power through an endless parade of insufferable weddings.”

6/14/19- Very good reviews. TRDB.

9/23/19- I liked this comedy very much. TRDB. Netflix Disc.

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT WEEK- 10/1/19

1) THE PROPOSAL– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “As artist Jill Magid prepares an exhibition that pays tribute to Mexico’s revered architect Luis Barragán, her efforts to access his professional archive challenge the copyright that makes his work largely inaccessible to the masses.”

5/24/19- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

2) THE QUIET ONE– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “From the time he was a child, longtime Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman kept a journal — one that provides plenty of background material for this absorbing documentary, which also details his post-Stones projects.”

6/21/19- Poor reviews but I’d see it just for the history. TRDB.

3) MAIDEN– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1989, an all-female crew captained by 27-year-old Tracy Edwards entered the Whitbread Round the World Race on the yacht “Maiden.” By finishing second, the distaff sailors permanently transformed the all-male province of deep-water yacht racing.”

6/28/19- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

4) DRIVEN– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1989, an all-female crew captained by 27-year-old Tracy Edwards entered the Whitbread Round the World Race on the yacht “Maiden.” By finishing second, the distaff sailors permanently transformed the all-male province of deep-water yacht racing.”

6/28/19- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

COMING TO NETFLIX IN 2 WEEKS- 10/8/19-

1) RED JOAN– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Loosely inspired by a true story, this dramatized biopic shifts between two eras as it recounts the tale of Joan Stanley, a longtime British spy for the KGB who sees her peaceful suburban retirement abruptly shattered when she’s arrested for treason.”

4/19/19- Terrible reviews. TRDB.

2) AMEREICAN WOMAN– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “After her teenage daughter, Bridget, inexplicably vanishes, Deb Callahan is left to care for the girl’s 1-year-old son. But Deb never stops wondering what happened to Bridget — and 11 years later, new information surfaces that changes everything.”

6/14/19-  Very good reviews. TRDB.

3) THREE PEAKS– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Setting out for a holiday in the Dolomites with his girlfriend and her 8-year-old son, Aaron hopes to forge a stronger bond with the youngster. Instead, their brewing power struggle turns perilous as the boy disappears when the two go for a hike.”

6/28/19- Fair reviews but it sounds interesting. TRDB.

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OPENED LAST WEEK-

1) AD ASTRA– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Army Corps engineer Roy McBride has never stopped missing his father, a scientist who vanished on a mission to find alien life on Neptune. Twenty years later, Roy embarks on a galactic search to locate his dad and learn what happened.”

9/18/19- Fairly good reviews for this sci-fi movie starring Brad Pitt. TRDB.

2) DIEGO MARADONA– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Considered by many to be the best footballer ever, Diego Maradona led Napoli its first national championship. But off the field, the charismatic athlete’s life took a darker turn, as chronicled in this comprehensive documentary.

9/21/19- Fairly good reviews for this documentary from HBO. TRDB.

3) WHERE’S MY ROY COHN-? 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Serving as a good starting point for those seeking to understand what makes President Donald Trump tick, this documentary profiles attorney Roy Cohn, who prosecuted the Rosenbergs, served as Joseph McCarthy’s chief counsel and mentored Trump.”

9/21/19- Fair reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

4) ALWAYS IN SEASON– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “When teen Lennon Lacy is found hanging from a swing set in North Carolina, officials call it suicide, but his mother disagrees. Certain that her son was lynched, she begins a quest for justice, as chronicled in this powerful documentary.”

9/21/19- Mixed reviews for this documentary– some very good. TRDB.

5) DOWNTON ABBEY– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Set in the period between world wars, this big-screen adaptation of the beloved British TV series continues to follow the lives of the patrician Crawley family and those of the servants who keep the sprawling estate running.”

9/17/19- Fair to good reviews. TRDB.

6) BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this charming dramedy, 63-year-old Britt-Marie starts life anew after learning that her mate of 40 years is having an affair. But the only job available to her is as the coach of a youth soccer team.”

9/21/19- Fair to good early reviews. TRDB.

7) ANTHROPOCENE: THE HUMAN EPOCH– Synopsis by IMDB. “Filmmakers travel to six continents and 20 countries to document the impact humans have made on the planet.”

9/25/19- Good early reviews for this documentary. TRDB. 

1) CORPORATE ANIMALS– Poor reviews

2) ZEROVILLE– Awful reviews

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NEW IN THE BURBS–

1) JUDY- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Danbury, Cinema 100. 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Set in 1968, this dramatized biopic recounts singer Judy Garland’s last concerts in London, where the fragile and weary star prepares for a run of sold-out shows while beginning a courtship with her soon-to-be-fifth spouse.”

9/224/19- Very good reviews for this new film. TRDB.

2) JIM ALLISON: BREAKTHROUGH- Jacob Burns. 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Though Jim Allison lost his mom to cancer at age 11, he found his life’s purpose: to find a cure for her killer. This documentary charts the struggle by Allison — now an immunologist — to get the medical community to accept his landmark discovery.”

9/24/10- I’ve seen just 1 review and it is very good. TRDB.

3) MS. PURPLE– Bethel. 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. ” Working as a karaoke hostess in Los Angeles’ Koreatown, young Kasie isn’t equipped to care for her dying dad when his home-care nurse quits. With no other choice, Kasie turns to her estranged brother for help, and the two begin a wary reconciliation.”

9/3/19- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

4) HUSTLERS- Danbury. 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Angry about being taken advantage of by their employer and their customers, a group of former strip-club employees turns the tables on their wealthy Wall Street clients in this true-life tale.”

9/10/19- Excellent reviews for this drama. TRDB.

1) DOWNTON ABBEY– Jacob Burns, Bethel, Danbury, Cinema 100. Fair to good reviews

2) LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE- Jacob Burns, Bethel, Cinema 100. Great documentary

3) OFFICIAL SECRETS– Cinema 100. Fair reviews

4) BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON– Jacob Burns. Just so-so. Limited screenings

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BOB’S PICKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY-

A) THE MOVIES OF DELRAY-

1) JUDY– Very good reviews

2) AD ASTRA– Good reviews

3) DOWNTON ABBEY– Fair to good reviews

4) THE GOLDFINCH– Weak reviews

5) HUSTLERS– Good reviews

6) LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE– I liked this very much

B) THE MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH-

Same as Delray except not showing “The Goldfinch”

C) THE STONZEK THEATER AT THE LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE-

1) HONEYLAND– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In an isolated Balkan landscape, beekeeper Hatidze Muratova lovingly tends her hives, scratching out a living by selling honey at a faraway market. But when a nomadic family and their 150 cows move in next door, her fragile existence is threatened.”

7/26/19- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

2) RAISE HELL: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MOLLY IVINS– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “This entertaining documentary profiles trailblazing journalist and political commentator Molly Ivins, who passed away in 2007. But her views — including her fear that partisanship would destroy democracy — remain as relevant as ever.”

9/5/19- Very good reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

D) THE LIVING ROOM THEATERS-

1) BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON– Just so-so. limited screenings

2) DOWNTON ABBEY– Fair to good reviews

3) EDIE- limited screenings. Good reviews

4) FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES– Very good reviews

5) JUDY- Very good early reviews

6) MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL– Very good reviews

7) TEL AVIV ON FIRE– limited screenings. Very good reviews

8) PEANUT BUTTER FALCON– limited screenings. Very good reviews