The Reel Dr. Bob

OCTOBER 24, 2019

DEAR FRIENDS:

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

1) FAGARA– At the Theater (Special Showing)

2) MIDNIGHT TRAVELER– At the Theater

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT THE THEATER-

1) FAGARA- 2019. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “After her father died, a Hong Kong girl discovers she has two hitherto unknown sisters, one in Taiwan and one in China. To settle her father’s debt, she must reunite with them to run the family’s hot pot restaurant.”

10/18/19- I enjoyed this drama from China very much and found it even more interesting because of today’s political situation. TRDB. 

2) MIDNIGHT TRAVELER– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Targeted by the Taliban in 2015, Afghan director Hassan Fazili flees to Europe with his family. This immersive documentary — shot by Fazili, his wife and two daughters on a cell phone — captures their perilous three-year journey.”

10/16/19-  Excellent reviews from the critics and good ones from audiences. TRDB.

10/22/19- A tribute to courage and fortitude. I liked it.

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK AT HOME-

1) THE LAUNDROMAT– 2019. Synopsis by IMDB. “A widow investigates an insurance fraud, chasing leads to a pair of Panama City law partners exploiting the world’s financial system.”

9/27/19- Weak reviews for this movie. TRDB.

10/18/19- This movie from Netflix deserves the poor reviews it has received. Skip it! TRDB. Netflix Streaming.

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT TUESDAY, OCT. 29-

1) MIKE WALLACE IS HERE– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “When it came to asking tough questions, longtime “60 Minutes” reporter Mike Wallace pulled few punches. This documentary takes a similar approach, using a wealth of archival footage to explore what made the journalist tick and how his career evolved.”

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

2) THEM THAT FOLLOW- 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In a remote Appalachian community, the daughter of a snake-handling Pentecostal preacher is about to enter an arranged marriage with a member of her father’s flock. But she’s harboring a secret: She’s carrying a nonbelieving local boy’s child.”

8/2/19- Fair reviews at best. TRDB.

3) LUCE– I saw this and liked it very much- be prepared for an ambiguous story

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OPENED LAST WEEK-

1) MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Years after the conflict portrayed in “Maleficent,” the horned fairy and Princess Aurora — soon to become queen — forge new alliances and take on new foes to save the enchanted forest of the Moors and the creatures within it.”

10/18/19-  Poor reviews and not my kind of movie anyway. TRDB.

2) THE CAVE– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this harrowing documentary set in war-ravaged Syria, medical care literally goes underground in a hospital composed of tunnels and subterranean rooms, where a female doctor leads the way in treating a constant stream of casualties.”

10/18/19- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

3) #FEMALE PLEASURE– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Through the viewpoints of five brave women from diverse cultural backgrounds, documentarian Barbara Miller focuses on sexuality in the 21st century, contending that pleasure is a universal entitlement — not something reserved strictly for males.”

10/18/19- Very good reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

4) SERENDIPITY– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “When multimedia artist Prune Nourry is diagnosed with breast cancer at age 31, she decides to turn her experience into art, documenting her medical journey, the changes in her body and the evolution of her body of work.”

10/18/19- Fair reviews at best for this documentary. TRDB.

5) CYRANO, MY LOVE- 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1897 Paris, playwright Edmond Rostand is facing a creative crisis just as actor Constant Coquelin needs a hit and asks Rostand to pen a play for him. Taking inspiration from his own life, the dramatist authors the now-famous “Cyrano de Bergerac.”

10/18/19- Very good reviews. TRDB.

6) GREENER GRASS– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this absurdist comedy that lampoons politeness and social climbers, the denizens of a synthetic suburban community covet everything their neighbors possess — while hiding their searing envy behind overly gracious veneers.”

10/18/19- Excellent reviews for this comedy but honestly it sounds stupid to me. TRDB.

7) TELL ME WHO I AM–  2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “When 18-year-old Alex Lewis wakes up from a coma after surviving a motorcycle accident, the world is not one he remembers. He has forgotten everything. His home. His parents. He can’t even remember his own name. The only thing he does know is that the person sitting next to him is his identical twin brother, Marcus.”

10/18/19- Very good reviews for this drama. TRDB.

8) JOJO RABBIT– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this World War II satire, young Jojo Betzler is yearning to join the Hitler Youth when he discovers that his mother — who secretly works for the resistance — is hiding a Jewish girl in the attic to save her from death.”

10/18/19- Good reviews by the critics and excellent ones from audiences. TRDB.

9) CHEZ JOLIE COIFFURE– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Cameroon native Sabine has created a refuge for other West African women in her small Brussels salon, where this observational documentary captures the conversations that take place and underscores the struggles these immigrant women face.”

10/18/19- I’ve seen just 2 reviews and they are both very good. TRDB.

10) THE ELEPHANT QUEEN– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Forced by drought conditions to leave their customary watering hole, an elephant herd headed by 50-year-old matriarch Athena undertakes a perilous trek across the African savanna to locate a new water source.”

10/18/10- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

11) THE LIGHTHOUSE– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “From the director of the horror classic “The Witch” comes this hallucinatory fable set in the 1890s off the New England coast, where a temperamental old lighthouse keeper and his new assistant push each other to the brink of insanity.”

10/18/19- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

12) BY THE GRACE OF GOD– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Molested as a boy by a priest, Alexandre Guérin — now a husband and dad — is dismayed to find that his abuser still works with minors. Determined to expose the church’s complicity, Alexandre joins forces with two of the clergyman’s other victims.”

10/18/19- Excellent reviews for this drama. TRDB.

Not Recommended-

1) KINETTA– Terrible reviews

2) ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP- Definitely not my kind of movie

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BOB’S PICKS IN WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES-

NEW IN THE BURBS–

1) THE CURRENT WAR: DIRECTOR’S CUT.- Danbury, Cinema 100. 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In the early days of electricity, Thomas Edison’s direct current (DC) was the U.S. standard. This historical drama charts the battle that erupted when George Westinghouse began touting alternating current (AC) as a more sustainable standard.”

10/22/19- Fairly good reviews. TRDB.

2) JOJO RABBIT– Jacob Burns. 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this World War II satire, young Jojo Betzler is yearning to join the Hitler Youth when he discovers that his mother — who secretly works for the resistance — is hiding a Jewish girl in the attic to save her from death.”

10/18/19- Good reviews by the critics and excellent ones from audiences. TRDB.

3) THE LIGHTHOUSE– Danbury. 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “From the director of the horror classic “The Witch” comes this hallucinatory fable set in the 1890s off the New England coast, where a temperamental old lighthouse keeper and his new assistant push each other to the brink of insanity.”

10/18/19- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

REPEATS-

1) PARASITE– Jacob Burns, Cinema 100. Very good reviews

 2) PAIN AND GLORY– Bethel, Cinema 100. Very good reviews

3) JUDY– Bethel, Cinema 100. I saw this and liked it very much

4) WHERE’S MY ROY COHN– Cinema 100. Good reviews

5) DOWNTON ABBEY– Bethel. Fair reviews

6) JOKER– Danbury. People have been asking me to see this film. I think I’ll wait till I can stream it.

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BOB’S PICKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY-

A) THE MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH-

1) THE CURRENT WAR: DIRECTOR’S CUT– Fairly good reviews

2) PAIN AND GLORY– Very good reviews

3) JUDY- I enjoyed this movie very much

4) LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE– I loved this documentary

5) DOWNTON ABBEY– Fair reviews

6) ECHO IN THE CANYON– Very good reviews

B) THE MOVIES OF DELRAY- Same as Lake Worth but not showing ECHO IN THE CANYON

C) THE STONZEK THEATER AT THE LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE-

1) THE GROUND BENEATH MY FEET– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Approaching 30, business consultant Lola Wegenstein is hyperfocused on success. But her tightly compartmentalized life starts to unravel when her troubled sister attempts suicide, and Lola’s personal and professional worlds begin to collide.”

7/26/19- Excellent reviews for this foreign drama. TRDB.

2) CELEBRATION– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Shelved for more than a decade, this immersive documentary goes behind the scenes to capture iconic couturier Yves Saint Laurent’s final few years at  the helm of his Parisian fashion house. Footage from his last runway show in 2002 caps off the film.”

10/4/19- Excellent reviews. TRDB.

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

1) JIM ALLISON BREAKTHROUGH–

2) JUDY– I enjoyed this movie very much and Zellweger was terrific playing Judy Garland

3) PAIN AND GLORY– Very good reviews

4) WHERE’S MY ROY COHN?- Good reviews