The Reel Dr. Bob

MARCH 11, 2021

DEAR FRIENDS:

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

1) THE CLIMB– Netflix Disc

2) RAMS– Amazon Prime

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK-

1) THE CLIMB- 2020. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Two lifelong pals test the boundaries of their friendship when a woman comes between them.”

Netflix had this to say- “The ties that bind are examined in this comic tale about the long-term friendship of best pals Kyle and Mike. Unfolding in seven vignettes spanning a decade, the story begins with Mike’s revelation that he slept with Kyle’s fiancée.”

11/13/20- Very good reviews for this drama/comedy. TRDB.

3/6/21- I enjoyed this quirky movie. TRDB. Netflix

2) RAMS– 2021. Synopsis by Netflix. “Brothers Colin and Les haven’t spoken in decades despite laboring side by side on their family’s sheep ranch. But when a disease in the flocks leads to a call to slaughter every sheep in the valley, the two must come together to save their legacy.”

2/7/21- Very good reviews from the critics and weak ones from audiences. TRDB.

3/7/21– I liked this movie very much. TRDB. Amazon Prime

3) BOMBAY ROSE– 2019. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Escaping from child marriage, a young club dancer living in the streets of Bombay, must choose between fending for her family and finding love with a boy orphaned by the militancy.”

3/10/21- Excellent reviews for this animated drama. TRDB.

3/10/21- I really tried to enjoy this movie that has been well reviewed but I, in general do not like animated movies and this one is no exception. TRDB. Netflix

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COMING TO NETFLIX NEXT WEEK ON DISC AND PERHAPS STREAMING ALSO-

1) ZAPPA- 2020. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “With unfettered access to the Zappa family trust and all archival footage, ZAPPA explores the private life behind the mammoth musical career that never shied away from the political turbulence of its time.”

11/28/20- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

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STREAMABLE NEW MOVIES–

1) STRAY– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “STRAY explores what it means to live as a being without status or security, following three strays as they embark on inconspicuous journeys through Turkish society.”

3/5/21- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB. In Theaters and on virtual cinemas

2) BOOGIE– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Alfred “Boogie” Chin, a basketball phenom living in Queens, N.Y., dreams of one day playing in the NBA. While his parents pressure him to focus on earning a scholarship to an elite college, Boogie must find a way to navigate a new girlfriend, high school, on-court rivals and the burden of expectation.”

3/5/21- Poor reviews for this movie but it sounds to me like there are possibilities there. TRDB. In Theaters

3) MY SALINGER YEAR– 2020. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “New York in the 90s: After leaving graduate school to pursue her dream of becoming a writer, Joanna (Margaret Qualley) gets hired as an assistant to Margaret (Sigourney Weaver), the stoic and old-fashioned literary agent of J. D. Salinger.”

3/3/21- Just a few reviews and they are fair at best. TRDB. On Google Play, Vudu, Pay for view and other streaming platforms

4) KEEP AN EYE OUT– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “An absurd all-night interrogation takes place in a 1970s police station.”

3/5/21- Very good reviews for this French drama. TRDB. In theaters and virtual cinemas.

5) THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS– 2021. Synopsis by Netflix. “Set in Northern Italy, this fascinating documentary focuses on a cadre of aging men and their trained canine companions, who search the forest at night for the white Alba truffle — an elusive delicacy that’s impossible to cultivate.”

3/6/21- Great reviews for this documentary. TRDB. In Theaters

6) TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Truth or Consequences is a speculative documentary about time and how we weave the past into the present and our possible future. Set in the small desert town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, the film takes place in the shadow of the world’s first commercial Spaceport. Subtly set in a near future when space travel has begun, the film follows five residents in the town.”

3/6/21- I’ve seen just 1 review and it’s good. TRDB. On Virtual cinemas

7) ADAM– 2021. Synopsis by Netflix. “As she runs a bakery from her Casablanca home, widow and mother Abla sees her routine disrupted when Samia, a pregnant young woman, appears at Abla’s door seeking refuge. After reluctantly taking Samia in, Abla finds the course of her life changing.”

3/7/21- Excellent reviews for this foreign drama. TRDB. On Amazon and Apple TV

8) LOST COURSE– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Embedding herself in the village of Wukan, southern China for several years starting in 2011, first time documentarian Jill Li witnessed an unprecedented experiment in local democracy. Corrupt officials had illegally sold villagers’ land, but the villagers decided to fight back.”

3/6/21- Great reviews for this documentary. TRDB. On virtual cinemas

9) BOMBAY ROSE– 2019. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Escaping from child marriage, a young club dancer living in the streets of Bombay, must choose between fending for her family and finding love with a boy orphaned by the militancy.”

3/10/21- Excellent reviews for this animated drama. TRDB. On Netflix

3/10/21- I really tried to enjoy this movie as it has been well reviewed but in general I do not like animated movies and this one is no exception. TRDB. Netflix

1) CHAOS WALKING– Sci-fi and violent

2) THE WALRUS AND THE WHISTLEBLOWER- Poor reviews

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

1) LEONA– 2020. Synopsis by IMDB. “A young Jewish woman from Mexico City finds herself torn between her family and her forbidden love with a non-Jewish man.”

3/11/21- Very good early reviews.

2) MINARI- 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A tender and sweeping story about what roots us, Minari follows a Korean-American family that moves to a tiny Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream. The family home changes completely with the arrival of their sly, foul-mouthed, but incredibly loving grandmother. ”

Netflix had this to say– The patriarch of a Korean family living in Michigan during the 1980s wants to be a farmer in Arkansas, but his family experiences severe culture shock as they try to assimilate and become part of the community.

2/11/21- Excellent reviews for this drama. TRDB. 

3) MY SALINGER YEAR– 2020. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “New York in the 90s: After leaving graduate school to pursue her dream of becoming a writer, Joanna (Margaret Qualley) gets hired as an assistant to Margaret (Sigourney Weaver), the stoic and old-fashioned literary agent of J. D. Salinger.”

3/3/21- Just a few reviews and they are fair at best. TRDB.

4) NOMADLAND– 2021. Synopsis by Netflix. “When her rural Nevada company town goes belly up, Fern packs up her van and starts driving. Becoming a modern-day nomad, she finds work and adventure along the way as she travels across the West.”

2/16/21- Excellent reviews by the critics and fair ones from audiences. TRDB.

5) THE FATHER– 2020. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Led by stellar performances and artfully helmed by writer-director Florian Zeller, The Father presents a devastatingly empathetic portrayal of dementia.”

Here’s what Netflix had to say– “ Anne has always adored her impish and independent father, who’s approaching 80. But his mind is failing, and as he rejects every caregiver she brings in, Anne finds herself in an anguishing quandary about making her own life choices.”