The Reel Dr. Bob

FEBRUARY 20, 2020

DEAR FRIENDS:

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

1) THE TRUTH– At the Theater

2) THOSE WHO REMAINED– At the Theater

3) BLINDED BY THE LIGHT– Netflix Disc

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MOVIES I SAW LAST WEEK AT THE THEATER-

1) THE TRUTH– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “Returning to Paris to visit her mom — beloved film actress Fabienne — screenwriter Lumir is upset by revelations in Fabienne’s just-published memoir, igniting an emotional showdown between mother and daughter that exposes their painful past.”

2/13/20- Fair reviews for this French drama starring Catherine DeNeuve. TRDB.

2/14/20- Very, very slow even for me but there were some very good scenes between mother and daughter and it is worth seeing. TRDB.

2) THOSE WHO REMAINED– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “Though 42-year-old doctor Aldo and 16-year-old Klára have survived the Holocaust, the scars remain. When the two Budapest residents meet, a healing father-daughter bond develops — but the innocence of their connection is soon questioned.”

2/11/20- Just 4 reviews so far but they are all excellent. TRDB.

2/16/20- I saw this movie today and thought it was excellent. TRDB.

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MOVIES I SAW LAST WEEK AT HOME-

1) BLINDED BY THE LIGHT– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1987 England, 16-year-old Pakistani Javed feels constrained by his blue-collar town and his father’s rigid views. But things change when a friend lends Javed some Bruce Springsteen tapes — and he starts to find his voice through the Boss’ lyrics.”

8/13/19- Excellent reviews from audiences and critics. TRDB.

2/16/20- This movie went from bad to fair to OK. Very predictable. The best part was the Springsteen music. TRDB. 

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT WEEK-

1) FRANKIE– 10/25/19. Synopsis by Netflix. “After learning that she has just months left to live, famed actress Frankie gathers three generations of her family in the picturesque town of Sintra, Portugal, for an emotionally charged final holiday.”

10/25/19- Fair reviews but it sounds interesting to  me. TRDB.

2) SCANDALOUS– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “When Generoso Pope Jr. bought the “National Enquirer” in 1952, he rebranded the racing publication as a mass-market tabloid. Through interviews with ex-staffers and media observers, this documentary examines the scandal-filled paper’s influence.”

11/17/19- Fair to good reviews in general for this documentary. TRDB

3) A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD– A wonderful documentary about Fred Rogers. TRDB.

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OPENED LAST WEEK-

Recommended-

1) DOWNHILL- 2020- Synopsis by Netflix. “When Tom and his family embark on a ski vacation in the Alps, an avalanche disrupts their perfect holiday, leaving them physically unscathed but exposing cracks in the couple’s marriage as Tom’s courage fails in the moment of crisis.”

2/10/20- A remake of “Force Majeure” which I really liked. This one received poor reviews. TRDB.

2) THE PHOTOGRAPH– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “Seeking answers after the death of her famous photographer mother, Mae finds an old picture of her mom that could be the key to her mysterious past. When Mae teams with up-and-coming journalist Michael, their working rapport soon evolves into more.”

2/11/20- No reviews as yet but it sounds interesting. TRDB.

3) THE TIMES OF BILL CUNNINGHAM– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “”New York Times” photographer Bill Cunningham loved his work, and that joy pervades this documentary built around a 1994 interview in which the shutterbug discusses his upbringing, his days as a milliner, his unique view of fashion and more.”

2/14/20- Fair reviews at best. TRDB.

4) ORDINARY LOVE– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “All the comfortable routines of Joan and Tom’s long and happy marriage are thrown into disarray when Joan is diagnosed with breast cancer. As the couple navigates Joan’s medical treatment, they begin to contemplate the unthinkable.”

2/14/20- Excellent reviews for this drama. TRDB.

5) YOU GO TO MY HEAD– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “Awakening after an auto accident with no memory of her past, Dafne finds herself stranded in the Sahara Desert until a man named Jake rescues her. Dafne’s beauty inspires Jake to tell her they’re married — but his gambit soon begins to fall apart.”

2/14/20- Great reviews. TRDB.

6) BUFFALOED– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. ” Young Peg Dahl is so intent on escaping her hometown of Buffalo, New York, that she starts running scams in high school to raise money. After a scalping scheme lands her in jail, Peg turns to a new enterprise when she’s released: debt collection.”

2/14/20- Fair reviews for this drama. TRDB.

7) COME AS YOU ARE– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “After learning of a brothel in Montreal that caters to the physically impaired, three disabled and virginal young men pool their resources for a road trip to Canada, hiring a cynical nurse named Sam as their driver.”
2/14/20- Excellent reviews for this comedy. TRDB.

8) I WAS AT HOME, BUT… 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “Already devastated by her husband’s death, Astrid suffers more agony when her 13-year-old son, Phillip, disappears for a week. When he returns but refuses to explain his absence, Astrid becomes increasingly shaken by Phillip’s unpredictable behavior.”

2/14/20- Good reviews for this German drama. TRDB.

9) OLYMPIC DREAMS– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “Filmed at the Olympic Village during the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, this disarming romantic comedy focuses on the relationship that develops between an introverted cross-country skier and an extroverted volunteer dentist.”

2/14/20- Fair reviews at best. It sounds interesting to me. TRDB.

Not Recommended-

1) VFW- Blood and gore

2) THE LAST THING HE WANTED– Awful reviews.

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BOB’S PICKS IN WESTHESTER AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES-

NEW IN THE BURBS-

1) PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE– Jacob Burns. 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “When hesitant bride-to-be Héloïse refuses to sit for a portrait to entice a marriage proposal, commissioned artist Marianne must observe Héloïse during the day and paint her at night. In the process, Marianne begins to fall for her beautiful subject.”

12/6/19- Excellent reviews for this drama that takes place in 1760 France. TRDB.

2) CUNNINGHAM– Jacob Burns. 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “Using previously unseen archival material, documentarian Alla Kovgan takes viewers inside Merce Cunningham’s world of dance, charting the legendary choreographer’s artistic evolution through three decades.”

12/13/19- Fair to good reviews including a few excellent ones. TRDB.

3) VARDA BY AGNES– Jacob Burns. 2019. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “An unpredictable documentary from a fascinating storyteller, Agnès Varda’s new feature documentary sheds light on her experience as a director, bringing a personal insight to what she calls “cine-writing.”

11/22/19- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

4) THE TRAITOR– Bethel. 1/31/20- Synopsis by Netflix. “As gang war rages in Sicily in the 1980s, Mafia captain Tommaso Buscetta flees to Brazil rather than risk assassination by his foes. After Buscetta is arrested and extradited to Italy, he becomes a critical witness in a mass trial of mob kingpins.”

1/31/20- OK reviews for this gangster movie. TRDB. 

5) DOWNHILL– Bethel. 2020- Synopsis by Netflix. “When Tom and his family embark on a ski vacation in the Alps, an avalanche disrupts their perfect holiday, leaving them physically unscathed but exposing cracks in the couple’s marriage as Tom’s courage fails in the moment of crisis.”

2/10/20- A remake of “Force Majeure” which I really liked. This one received poor reviews. TRDB.

6) THE ASSISTANT– Bethel. 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “After landing a job as an assistant to an entertainment mogul, aspiring producer Jane thinks she has it made. But as she settles into her new role, Jane begins to notice abuses large and small — until finally she must speak up.”

1/31/20- Good reviews. TRDB.

REPEATS-

1) PARASITE– Bethel.

2) BEANPOLE– Jacob Burns.

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BOB’S PICKS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY-

A) THE MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH-

1) THOSE WHO REMAINED– I saw this and highly recommend it. It’s about the relationship between a 16 year old girl and her 42 year old gynecologist in post WW2 Hungary.

2) DOWNHILL– 2020- Synopsis by Netflix. “When Tom and his family embark on a ski vacation in the Alps, an avalanche disrupts their perfect holiday, leaving them physically unscathed but exposing cracks in the couple’s marriage as Tom’s courage fails in the moment of crisis.”

2/10/20- A remake of “Force Majeure” which I really liked. This one received poor reviews. TRDB.

3) JUST MERCY– Good reviews.

4) THE SONG OF NAMES– Fair reviews but most friends who have seen it have liked it.

5) PARASITE– I didn’t care for it but many people liked it and it won many awards

B) THE MOVIES OF DELRAY- Same as Lake Worth above

C) THE STONZEK THEATER AT THE LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE-

1) I WISH I KNEW– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “Shanghai — the subject of this documentary commissioned for the 2010 World Expo in that city — serves as the world’s largest cargo port as well as the financial capital of China’s global trading empire. As such, it’s been at the fulcrum of the nation’s history and politics since the 19th century. The changes and critical events that have transpired there since the city was opened to foreign trade are closely examined in this cinematic profile.”

1/25/20- Excellent reviews by the critics and fair ones by audiences. TRDB.

2) THE LAST FULL MEASURE– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “This fact-based drama charts the story of Vietnam War medic William Pitsenbarger, who proves his valor by refusing to abandon 60 soldiers trapped in an ambush. Decades later, a Pentagon staffer works to have Pitsenbarger awarded the Medal of Honor.”

1/25/20- Mixed reviews from the critics and very good ones from audiences. TRDB.

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

1) JOSE- Very good reviews.

2) PARASITE– I didn’t care for this movie but obviously many people did

3) PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE– 2019. Synopsis by Netflix. “When hesitant bride-to-be Héloïse refuses to sit for a portrait to entice a marriage proposal, commissioned artist Marianne must observe Héloïse during the day and paint her at night. In the process, Marianne begins to fall for her beautiful subject.”

12/6/19- Excellent reviews for this drama that takes place in 1760 France. TRDB.

4) THE SONG OF NAMES– Fair reviews but many of my friends have liked it

5) THE TRAITOR-. 1/31/20- Synopsis by Netflix. “As gang war rages in Sicily in the 1980s, Mafia captain Tommaso Buscetta flees to Brazil rather than risk assassination by his foes. After Buscetta is arrested and extradited to Italy, he becomes a critical witness in a mass trial of mob kingpins.”

1/31/20- OK reviews for this gangster movie. TRDB.