The Reel Dr. Bob

DECEMBER 9, 2021-

DEAR FRIENDS:

QUICK LOOK AT MY FAVORITES OF THE WEEK-

1) 14 PEAKS: NOTHING IS IMPOSIBLE– Netflix

2)  LISTENING TO KENNY G- HBO Max

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MOVIES I SAW THIS WEEK-

1)  14 PEAKS: NOTHING IS IMPOSIBLE–  2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible explores Nepal’s deep connection to high-altitude mountaineering through the eyes of Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja, a fearless, fun-loving Nepali climber on a quest he dubs “Project Possible”–to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter mountains in just seven months, breaking the previous record of seven years.”

MOVIES COMING TO NETFLIX ON DISC-

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NEW MOVIES IN THEATERS AND/OR STREAMING-

1) BENEDETTA– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “A 17th-century nun becomes entangled in a forbidden lesbian affair, but it’s her shocking religious visions that threaten to shake the Church to its very core.”

12/1/21- Very good reviews. TRDB. In Theaters and varius platforms

2) CITIZEN ASHE– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Directors Rex Miller and Sam Pollard explore the enduring legacy of tennis great and humanitarian Arthur Ashe in a feature documentary as elegant, meaningful, and poignant as the life he lived. Ashe’s widow, brother, friends from his childhood in Richmond to his Grand Slam tournament playing and coaching days, as well as confidantes that nurtured his personal evolution from sports legend to global activist, describe the key events that shaped Ashe’s quiet determination to ‘use what he had to do what he could.”

12/3/21- Very good reviews for this documentary (biopic). TRDB In Theaters and Prime Video

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3) LISTENING TO KENNY G– 2021. Synopsis by Netflix. “Though often dissed for what many consider a bland style of playing, saxophonist Kenny G — according to album sales — is one of the most popular musicians of all time. This documentary examines the reasons behind the polarizing artist’s success.”

12/3/21- No reviews as yet but I like Kenny G and I’ll be sure to see this one. TRDB. On HBO Max

12/5/21- I saw this on HBO Max and liked it. TRDB.

4) FLEE- 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “FLEE tells the story of Amin Nawabi as he grapples with a painful secret he has kept hidden for 20 years, one that threatens to derail the life he has built for himself and his soon to be husband. Recounted mostly through animation to director Jonas Poher Rasmussen, he tells for the first time the story of his extraordinary journey as a child refugee from Afghanistan.”

12/4/21- Excellent reviews from the critics for this animated documentary. In Theaters

5) TORN– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Widely hailed as the greatest mountaineer of his generation, Alex Lowe was a towering figure in the world of outdoor sports. But he loomed even larger for his oldest son, Max, who was only 11 in 1999 when Alex was buried by an avalanche along with cameraman David Bridges while attempting to ski the north face of Mount Shishapangma in the Tibetan Himalaya. Seventeen years after their deaths, Lowe’s and Bridges’ bodies were found by two climbers attempting the same route, and in the following months, Lowe’s family journeyed to the remote mountain to recover them. In the powerful and deeply moving new documentary TORN, director Max Lowe examines the long-buried feelings this unearthed for him and his family, including his mother, Jennifer; his younger brothers, Sam and Isaac; and his stepfather, Conrad Anker, Alex’s climbing partner and best friend.

12/4/21- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB. In Theaters.

6) TRY HARDER!- 2021. Synopsis by Netflix. “At San Francisco’s highly ranked public school Lowell High, the pressure to get into a top college is intense. This documentary follows five students as they vie to attract the attention of their dream schools while remaining true to themselves.”

7) THE SUMMIT OF THE GODS– 2021. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this animated adventure, a photojournalist sets out to determine whether mountaineer George Mallory and his climbing partner, Andrew Irvine, were the first to scale Mount Everest. But the question can only be answered by locating Mallory’s camera.”

12/4/21- Excellent reviews for this animated drama. TRDB. On Netflix

8) 14 PEAKS: NOTHING IS IMPOSIBLE–  2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible explores Nepal’s deep connection to high-altitude mountaineering through the eyes of Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja, a fearless, fun-loving Nepali climber on a quest he dubs “Project Possible”–to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-meter mountains in just seven months, breaking the previous record of seven years.”

SKIP THESE–

1) RED PILL– On several pay per view platforms

2) SINGLE ALL THE WAY– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Desperate to avoid his family’s judgment about his perpetual single status, Peter (Michael Urie) convinces his best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers) to join him for the holidays and pretend that they’re now in a relationship. But when Peter’s mother (Kathy Najimy) sets him up on a blind date with her handsome trainer James (Luke Macfarlane)–the plan goes awry. On Netflix

3)  WOLF– In Theaters

4) SILENT NIGHT– In Theaters

5) THE ADVENT CALENDAR

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MOVIES SHOWING IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY

A) THE JACOB BURNS FILM CENTER IN PLEASANTVILLE, NY

NEW-

1) WEST SIDE STORY– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Love at first sight strikes when young Tony spots Maria at a high school dance in 1957 New York City. Their burgeoning romance helps to fuel the fire between the warring Jets and Sharks — two rival gangs vying for control of the streets.”

12/8/21- Excellent reviews for this re-make. TRDB.

2) DRIVE MY CAR– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Two years after his wife’s unexpected death, Yusuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima), a renowned stage actor and director, receives an offer to direct a production of Uncle Vanya at a theater festival in Hiroshima. There, he meets Misaki Watari (Toko Miura), a taciturn young woman assigned by the festival to chauffeur him in his beloved red Saab 900. As the production’s premiere approaches, tensions mount amongst the cast and crew, not least between Yusuke and Koji Takatsuki, a handsome TV star who shares an unwelcome connection to Yusuke’s late wife.”

11/27/21- Excellent reviews for this Japanese drama. TRDB.

REPEATS AND LIMITED SCREENINGS-

3) HOUSE OF GUCCI– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “House of Gucci is inspired by the shocking true story of the family behind the Italian fashion empire. When Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), an outsider from humble beginnings, marries into the Gucci family, her unbridled ambition begins to unravel the family legacy and triggers a reckless spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately… murder.”

11/24/21- Fair reviews from the critics and good ones from audiences. TRDB.

4) WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY– 2021. Synopsis by Netflix. “Centering on a trio of female characters and playing out in vignettes with common themes, this three-part anthology depicts tales about an unforeseen love triangle, a bungled seduction trap and an encounter stemming from a case of mistaken identity.

10/16/21- Excellent reviews for this Japanese drama. TRDB.

5) BELFAST– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “BELFAST is a movie straight from Branagh’s own experience. A nine-year-old boy must chart a path towards adulthood through a world that has suddenly turned upside down. His stable and loving community and everything he thought he understood about life is changed forever but joy, laughter, music and the formative magic of the movies remain.”

11/10/21- Very good reviews for this drama. TRDB.

12/1/21- I liked this movie very much. Lucky there were sub-titles. TRDB.

MOVIES SHOWING IN DANBURY

A) AMC-

1) BEING THE RICARDOS– 2021. Synopsis by Netflix. “Chronicling a week of filming the beloved 1950s sitcom “I Love Lucy,” this biopic follows stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as they experience personal and professional crises that could end their relationship onscreen and off.”

12/8/21- Just fair reviews for this drama/biopic. TRDB.

2) WEST SIDE STORY– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Love at first sight strikes when young Tony spots Maria at a high school dance in 1957 New York City. Their burgeoning romance helps to fuel the fire between the warring Jets and Sharks — two rival gangs vying for control of the streets.”

12/8/21- Excellent reviews for this re-make. TRDB.

3) HOUSE OF GUCCI– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “House of Gucci is inspired by the shocking true story of the family behind the Italian fashion empire. When Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), an outsider from humble beginnings, marries into the Gucci family, her unbridled ambition begins to unravel the family legacy and triggers a reckless spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately… murder.”

11/24/21- Fair reviews from the critics and good ones from audiences. TRDB.

4) C’MON C’MON– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Johnny (Joaquin Phoenix) and his young nephew (Woody Norman) forge a tenuous but transformational relationship when they are unexpectedly thrown together in this delicate and deeply moving story about the connections between adults and children, the past and the future, from writer-director Mike Mills.”

12/1/21- Very good reviews for this drama. TRDB.

MOVIES SHOWING IN PALM  BEACH COUNY. FL

A) THE MOVIES OF LAKE WORTH- (Fri-Sun, Wed)

1) WEST SIDE STORY– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Love at first sight strikes when young Tony spots Maria at a high school dance in 1957 New York City. Their burgeoning romance helps to fuel the fire between the warring Jets and Sharks — two rival gangs vying for control of the streets.”

12/8/21- Excellent reviews for this re-make. TRDB.

2) BEING THE RICARDOS– 2021. Synopsis by Netflix. “Chronicling a week of filming the beloved 1950s sitcom “I Love Lucy,” this biopic follows stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as they experience personal and professional crises that could end their relationship onscreen and off.”

12/8/21- Just fair reviews for this drama/biopic. TRDB.

3) HOUSE OF GUCCI– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “House of Gucci is inspired by the shocking true story of the family behind the Italian fashion empire. When Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), an outsider from humble beginnings, marries into the Gucci family, her unbridled ambition begins to unravel the family legacy and triggers a reckless spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately… murder.”

11/24/21- Fair reviews from the critics and good ones from audiences. TRDB.

4) BELFAST– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “BELFAST is a movie straight from Branagh’s own experience. A nine-year-old boy must chart a path towards adulthood through a world that has suddenly turned upside down. His stable and loving community and everything he thought he understood about life is changed forever but joy, laughter, music and the formative magic of the movies remain.”

11/10/21- Very good reviews for this drama. TRDB.

12/1/21- I liked this movie very much. Lucky there were sub-titles. TRDB.

B) THE MOVIES OF DELRAY- Same as Lake Worth

C) THE LIVING ROOM THEATERS AT FAU IN BOCA RATON

1) BEING THE RICARDOS– 2021. Synopsis by Netflix. “Chronicling a week of filming the beloved 1950s sitcom “I Love Lucy,” this biopic follows stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as they experience personal and professional crises that could end their relationship onscreen and off.”

12/8/21- Just fair reviews for this drama/biopic. TRDB.

2) C’MON C’MON– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Johnny (Joaquin Phoenix) and his young nephew (Woody Norman) forge a tenuous but transformational relationship when they are unexpectedly thrown together in this delicate and deeply moving story about the connections between adults and children, the past and the future, from writer-director Mike Mills.”

12/1/21- Very good reviews for this drama. TRDB.

3) WEST SIDE STORY– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Love at first sight strikes when young Tony spots Maria at a high school dance in 1957 New York City. Their burgeoning romance helps to fuel the fire between the warring Jets and Sharks — two rival gangs vying for control of the streets.”

12/8/21- Excellent reviews for this re-make. TRDB.

4) WRITING WITH FIRE– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In a cluttered news landscape dominated by men emerges India’s only newspaper run by Dalit women. Chief reporter Meera and her journalists break traditions, redefining what it means to be powerful.”

12/9/21- Excellent reviews for this documentary. TRDB.

D) THE STONZEK THEATER IN THE LAKE WORTH PLAYHOUSE- (Fri–Sun)

1) C’MON C’MON– 2021. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Johnny (Joaquin Phoenix) and his young nephew (Woody Norman) forge a tenuous but transformational relationship when they are unexpectedly thrown together in this delicate and deeply moving story about the connections between adults and children, the past and the future, from writer-director Mike Mills.”

12/1/21- Very good reviews for this drama. TRDB.