The Reel Dr. Bob

February 4, 2021

Dear Friends:

NEWS: The Stonzek Theater in downtown Lake Worth is re-opening. I’m still not sure of their schedule- See below

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

1) THE DIG– Netflix Streaming

2) COLDWATER– Netflix Disc

3) PENGUIN BLOOM– Netflix Streaming

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK-

1) THE DIG– 2020. Synopsis by IMDB. “An archaeologist embarks on the historically important excavation of Sutton Hoo in 1938.”

1/30/21- Good early reviews- staring Carey Mulligan.

1/31/21- A bit Hollywoodish and formulaic but I  enjoyed it never-the-less. It helped that it was from a true story. TRDB.

2) PENGUIN BLOOM– 2020. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In 2013, Samantha Bloom (two-time Academy Award nominee Naomi Watts), her husband Cameron (The Walking Dead’s Andrew Lincoln) and their three sons left their home in Australia for a holiday in Thailand. While enjoying a view, Sam fell off of a rooftop due to what was later determined to be a rotted railing… breaking her vertebrae in two places. Paralyzed from the chest down, Sam — a lifelong outdoorswoman, surfer, and traveler — was unrecognizable to herself, and spent long months in a depression that made her question who she could be in the world and in her own family.

1/29/21- Fair reviews at best but all critics liked Naomi Watts. TRDB.

2/1/21- I liked the movie AND I liked Naomi Watts also. TRDB. Netflix.

3) COLDWATER– 2014. Synopsis by Netflix. “This stark drama follows troubled teen Brad Lunders after he’s spirited away — at his parents’ behest — to a remote juvenile reform camp, where he finds himself in a dehumanizing situation that results in a battle for mental and physical survival.”

8/15/14- Poor reviews in general but a few good ones mixed in. TRDB.

2/4/21- I’ll go with the review above. Not great and you can skip it. A bit of an awakening regarding juvenile detention facilities.  TRDB. Netflix Disc

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT WEEK ON DISC AND PERHAPS STREAMING AS WELL-

NONE I CAN RECOMMEND

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NEW STREAMABLE MOVIES AND PERHAPS ON DISC AS WELL-

1)  PENGUIN BLOOM– 2020. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In 2013, Samantha Bloom (two-time Academy Award nominee Naomi Watts), her husband Cameron (The Walking Dead’s Andrew Lincoln) and their three sons left their home in Australia for a holiday in Thailand. While enjoying a view, Sam fell off of a rooftop due to what was later determined to be a rotted railing… breaking her vertebrae in two places. Paralyzed from the chest down, Sam — a lifelong outdoorswoman, surfer, and traveler — was unrecognizable to herself, and spent long months in a depression that made her question who she could be in the world and in her own family.

1/29/21- Fair reviews at best but all critics liked Naomi Watts. TRDB. On Netflix.

2/1/21- I liked the movie AND I liked Naomi Watts also. TRDB.

2) TRUE MOTHERS– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “Desperate to have a child, Tokyo couple Kiyokazu and Satoko are elated to be able to adopt a baby boy being given up by his teenage mom, Hikari. But when she returns six years later to claim the tyke, Satoko refuses to believe Hikari is his mother.”

1/29/21- Excellent reviews for this drama. TRDB. On Virtual Cinemas- filmmovement.com

3) SUPERNOVA– 2020. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Sam (Academy Award winner Colin Firth) and Tusker (Academy Award nominee Stanley Tucci), partners of twenty years, are traveling across England in their old camper van visiting friends, family and places from their past. Following a life-changing diagnosis, their time together has become more important than ever until secret plans test their love like never before.”

4) SOFTIE- 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “Throwing his hat into the ring for a regional Kenyan election, activist Boniface “Softie” Mwangi finds it harder than expected to mount a clean campaign against corrupt competition as challenging the status quo puts his family and his life in peril.”

1/29/21- Very good reviews for this documentary. TRDB. On bam.org

5) SAVAGE STATE– 2020. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “The American Civil War breaks out… A family of French colonists, settled in Missouri, decides to go back to France. Edmond, Madeleine, and their three daughters have to cross the whole country to reach New-York. They are led by the mysterious and dangerous mercenary, Victor.”

1/29/21- Mixed reviews, mostly poor but several good ones as well. TRDB. On Apple TV, Google Play and several other platforms.

6) THE REUNITED STATES– 2020. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “At a time when America is ripping apart at the seams, The Reunited States is a powerful and urgent documentary that follows the unsung heroes on the difficult journey of bridging our political and racial divides.”

1/30/21- Early reviews are good.  TRDB.

7) THE DIG– 2020. Synopsis by IMDB. “An archaeologist embarks on the historically important excavation of Sutton Hoo in 1938.”

1/30/21- Good early reviews- staring Carey Mulligan. TRDB. On Netflix

1/31/21- A bit Hollywoodish and formulaic but I  enjoyed it never-the-less. It helped that it was from a true story. TRDB.

8) FINDING OHANA– 2020. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Geocache champion Pilialoha “Pili” Kawena, age 12, is abruptly lifted from her busy New York life and dropped into rural O’ahu to help care for her grandfather. Initially skeptical about her new surroundings, Pili finds a cryptic pirate’s journal in her Papa’s studio hinting at a 200-year-old shipwrecked treasure hidden away in the island’s caves and mountains.”

1/30/21- Excellent reviews from the critics and fair ones from audiences. TRDB.

9)  PALMER– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “After taking a wrong turn, ex-gridiron star Eddie Palmer landed in jail for 12 years. Now free and living with his grandmother, Eddie struggles to fit in to his former community until he forms a bond with an abandoned boy who’s become his charge.”

1/30/21- Fair reviews from the critics and very good ones from audiences. TRDB. On Apple TV

10) BEGINNING– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “Living in a primarily Orthodox Christian village, Jehovah’s Witness missionary Yana — the community leader’s wife — feels isolated. When their house of worship is firebombed, the incident kindles Yana’s inner turmoil and leaves her at a crossroads.”

1/30/21- Excellent reviews. TRDB. On Mubi.com

11) JUST DON’T THINK I’LL SCREAM– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “During a self-imposed, six-month exile from the world, French director Frank Beauvais creates a cathartic diary of his life, using snippets from hundreds of films to link his personal struggles with various world events.”

1/30/21- Great reviews from the critics and just mediocre ones from audiences. TRDB.

11) THE NIGHT– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “After attending a dinner party in Los Angeles, Iranian expatriates Babak and Neda spend the night in an old hotel to avoid the drive home. But that choice turns into a nightmare when secrets from the past come back to haunt them.”

1/30/21- Mixed early reviews. TRDB.

SKIP THESE-

1) THE LITTLE THINGS

2) SAINT MAUD– Horror and I’m not interested

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MOVIES PLAYING AT THE LIVING ROOM THEATERS AT FAU IN BOCA RATON-

1) SOME KIND OF HEAVEN– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “All the packaged positivity in the world can’t mask the unhappiness of some residents of the Villages, where documentarian Lance Oppenheim trains his lens on four members of the Central Florida community dubbed the “Disneyland for Retirees.”

1/7/21- Great reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

Very good reviews

2) SUPERNOVA– 2020. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Sam (Academy Award winner Colin Firth) and Tusker (Academy Award nominee Stanley Tucci), partners of twenty years, are traveling across England in their old camper van visiting friends, family and places from their past. Following a life-changing diagnosis, their time together has become more important than ever until secret plans test their love like never before.”

3) TWO OF US– 2020. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Two retired women, Nina and Madeleine, have been secretly in love for decades. Everybody, including Madeleine’s family, thinks they are simply neighbors, sharing the top floor of their building. They come and go between their two apartments, enjoying the affection and pleasures of daily life together, until an unforeseen event turns their relationship upside down and leads Madeleine’s daughter to gradually unravel the truth about them.”

2/4/20- Excellent reviews for this drama from France. TRDB.

4) LITTLE FISH– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “In a world where a pandemic is robbing people of their memories, young and old feel the horror of dementia — including newlyweds Emma and Jude, who struggle to keep recollections of their love alive after Jude contracts the illness.”

2/4/20- Excellent reviews for this sci-fi movie. TRDB.

STONZEK THEATER-

FEB. 12–14 SHOWING :

SAINT FRANCES– 2020. Synopsis by Netflix. “Fresh on the heels of an unplanned pregnancy and subsequent abortion, Bridget is in no mood for care-giving when she’s offered a job as a 6-year-old’s nanny. But after getting off to a rocky start, she begins to form a connection with her charge.”

2/29/20- Very good reviews. TRDB.

7/26/20- I liked this drama very much and highly recommend it. The 6 year old girl is wonderful. TRDB. Netflix (Disc.)