Movie Capsules from A-Z
The following capsule reviews, listed alphabetically, will give you an idea of the caliber of films unreeling locally. Please refer to the movie schedule for theaters and show times.
The films are graded as follows: excellent/very good (A); good (B); fair (C); poor (D); turkey (F). Those with (NP) have not been previewed. (To locate a website, go to www.google.com and type in the film’s title.)
OPENING THIS WEEKEND
BEING FLYNN: (B-) Robert De Niro, Julianne Moore and Paul Dano star in this family drama about an adult son who finds his long-lost father in a Boston homeless shelter and then tries to reach out to the delusional man, who considers himself a great writer. De Niro fans will applaud the celebrated actor’s intense performance. Paul Weitz (“Little Fockers”) directed. (102 minutes) Harsh four-letter profanity throughout, some sexual content, drug use, brief nudity. (R)
CASA DE MI PADRE: (B) Will Ferrell, Gael Garcia and Diego Luna star in this outrageous Spanish-language (yes, there are subtitles) frontier tale from south of the border. In the spoof of Mexican Westerns from the early 1970s, Ferrell’s clumsy character is pitted against a drug dealer seeking to take over the family’s ranch through violent means. Matt Piedmont (TV’s “Funny or Die Presents…”) made his big-screen directing debut. (85 minutes) Bloody violence, language, some sexual content, drug use. (R)
JEFF, WHO LIVES AT HOME: (B) Jason Segel, Susan Sarandon and Ed Helms star in this smart and eccentric comedy about a 30-year-old guy who’s addicted to the film “Signs” and lives in the basement of his mother’s home. He agrees to help his suspicious brother investigate some personal information about a family member, and finds that their snooping results in some unexpected events and teaches everyone about the importance of family, even a dysfunctional one. Jay and Mark Duplass, who previously teamed on “Cyrus,” co-directed. (84 minutes) Language, including sexual references; some drug use. (R)
NATURAL SELECTION: (NP) In this offbeat comedy, starring Rachael Harris and John Diehl, a Christian wife was never able to have children and had no idea that her sick husband had donated to a sperm bank. She then embarks on a journey to find her spouse’s 23-year-old son and bring him to meet his biological father before he dies. (90 minutes) Sexual content, brief graphic nudity, a beating, some drug material. (R)
SEEKING JUSTICE: (C) Nicolas Cage, January Jones, Guy Pearce, IronE Singleton and Jennifer Carpenter star in this revenge picture about a husband who asks some vigilante group members for help in punishing the punks who attacked his wife. He then finds they want something in return. Australian native Roger Donaldson (“The Bank Job”) directed. Quality rating based on website and wire-service reports. (105 minutes) Violence, brief sexuality. (R)
21 JUMP STREET: (B+) Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum and Ice Cube star in this wild action comedy about two bumbling cops – one smart, the other tough – assigned to go undercover in their old high school and stop the distribution of a synthetic drug. The reboot is loosely based on the TV series (1987-90) with Johnny Depp as Tom Hanson. With its wild parties, reefer gags, beer blasts, sexual references and casual shootouts, the reboot plays more like an “Animal House” installment than a “Die Hard” title. Chris Miller and Phil Lord, who previously teamed on the children’s computer-animated tale “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs,” co-directed. (109 minutes) Drugs, sex gags, outrageous violence, harsh-four-letter profanity. (R)
RETURNING FILMS
ACT OF VALOR: (B) This military tale that uses real Navy SEALs (all unidentified for security reasons) in a hard-hitting combat picture about a team that rescues a kidnapped CIA agent and then learns of an attack plot designed to kill millions. Filmmakers Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh made their directing debut. (101 minutes) Bloody violence, torture, language. (R)
THE ARTIST: (A-) In this black-and-white picture, starring Jean Dujardin, Berenice Bejo, John Goodman and Malcolm McDowell, a silent-era star refuses to embrace sound and watches an attractive extra’s career blossom in the new talkie era. Michel Hazanavicius (“OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies”) directed the delightful silent movie. It won numerous Oscars, including best picture, director and actor. (100 minutes) Disturbing image, a crude gesture. (PG-13)
CHRONICLE: (B) During this sci-fi thriller, starring Michael B. Jordan and Anna Wood, three high school friends discover a powerful item that transforms them into superheroes. They soon learn that their new powers are drawing them to dark psychological places. Max Landis, the son of filmmaker John Landis (“An American Werewolf in London”), wrote the story and script. Josh Trank made his directing debut. (83 minutes) Intense action/violence, adult themes, sexual content, teen drinking. (PG-13)
DR. SEUSS’ THE LORAX: (B) Danny DeVito, Taylor Swift, Zac Efron, Ed Helms and Betty White lend their voices to this colorful adaptation of the children’s ecological book about a boy who wishes to see a real tree and can’t find one in a world where everything is plastic. The computer-animated picture is also being shown in RealD 3-D and IMAX 3-D. Chris Renaud (“Despicable Me”) and Kyla Balda, who makes his filmmaking debut, co-directed. (95 minutes) Brief mild language. (PG)
THE FORGIVENESS OF BLOOD: (B+) In this dramatic import, starring Tristan Halilaj and Sindi Lacej, an Albanian family is destroyed by a murder that results in a violent feud that could destroy a young woman’s future. Joshua Marston (“Maria Full of Grace”) directed. Quality rating based on website and wire-service reports. (109 minutes) (Unrated)
FRIENDS WITH KIDS: (B+) Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Megan Fox, Adam Scott, Edward Burns, Maya Rudolph and Chris O’Dowd form the gifted ensemble in this warm-and-winning friends-without-benefits comedy. The plot follows the jealousies, joys, rivalries and bad feelings that surface once couples start having children and turn to very traditional relationships. Jennifer Westfeldt, who penned “Kissing Jessica Stein,” wrote the script, has a role in the film, and made her directing debut. (107 minutes) Adult language and situations. (R)
GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE: (C) Nicolas Cage, Idris Elba, Violante Placido and Ciaran Hinds star in this comic-book sequel about an anti-hero superhero who can burst into flames and accepts the hellish challenge of stopping the devil from taking the form of a human. Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, who created the high-intensity favorites “Crank” and “Crank: High Voltage,” co-directed. (95 minutes) Action violence, disturbing images, language. (PG-13)
GOOD DEEDS: (B) Tyler Perry, Gabrielle Union and Thandie Newton star in this comedy-drama-romance about a highly successful and engaged businessman. He finds himself drawn to a single mother who works on the cleaning crew at his office. Perry also wrote and directed. (111 minutes) Sexual content, some violence, adult themes. (PG-13)
HUGO: (A-) The voices of Chloe Grace Moretz, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jude Law and Christopher Lee are featured in this beautifully photographed family drama/mystery set in Paris during the 1930s. The $170 million fable follows a 12-year-old orphan who lives in a train station and seeks to solve the mystery surrounding the death of his late father. Be sure to see it in 3-D. Thanks to the sure hand of director Martin Scorsese (“The Departed”), the film features the best 3-D since “Avatar.” Martin Scorsese (“The Departed”) directed. The film won Oscars for best art direction, cinematography, visual effects, sound mixing and sound editing. (127 minutes) Mild thematic material, some action and peril, smoking. (PG)
IN DARKNESS: (B+) This import is based on a true story about a sewer worker/petty thief who toils in Lvov, a Nazi-occupied city in Poland. One day, he encounters a group of Jews trying to escape being executed by the Germans. The cynical man initially hides them for money, discovers that he has a conscience, and helps the people survive for 14 months in the sewers despite ever-increasing danger. It is being shown with subtitles. Agnieszka Holland (“The Secret Garden”) directed. Quality rating based on website and wire-service reports. (145 minutes) Violence, disturbing images, sexuality, nudity, language. (R)
THE IRON LADY: (B) Meryl Streep, who strongly resembles the title character, earned a best-actress Oscar for her performance as Margaret Thatcher, the former prime minister of England who had to fight sexist politicians to achieve her position. Phyllida Lloyd (“Mamma Mia!: The Movie”) directed the biopic, which co-stars Jim Broadbent as Thatcher’s devoted husband, Denis. (105 minutes) Violent images, brief nudity. (PG-13)
JOHN CARTER: (C+) In this $250 million sci-fi epic, starring Taylor Kitsch, Samantha Morton, Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church, Mark Strong and Dominic West, a Civil War veteran is transplanted to Mars. He then battles 12-foot-tall barbarians and helps a princess in this ponderous fantasy largely based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ book “A Princess of Mars.” Pixar talent Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo”) made his live-action directing debut. (132 minutes) Intense sequences of violence and action. (PG-13)
JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND: (B) This family adventure, with Dwayne Johnson, Vanessa Hudgens, Kristin Davis, Michael Caine and Josh Hutcherson, is based on Jules Verne’s “The Mysterious Island.” (The PG-rated picture is a sequel to 2008’s “A Journey to the Center of the Earth,” also starring Hutcherson and based on a Verne novel.) In the film, Hutcherson travels with his mother’s boyfriend to find his adventurer grandfather, who is lost in a faraway place. It is being presented in 3-D. Brad Peyton (“Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore”) directed. (94 minutes) Some intense moments for younger children. (PG)
LAST DAYS HERE: (B) Bobby Liebling, lead singer of the heavy metal band Pentagram, is the subject of this documentary, which chronicles his fight against drugs and personal demons in an attempt to regain control of his life. Don Argot (“The Art of the Steal”) and debuting filmmaker Demian Fenton co-directed. Quality rating based on website and wire-service reports. (91 minutes) (Unrated)
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN: (A-) Michelle Williams and Kenneth Branagh star in this absorbing biopic about the fiery on-set relationship between Marilyn Monroe, a Method actress, and Laurence Olivier, a traditional performer, during the making of 1957’s “The Prince and the Showgirl” in England. Much of the fact-based story follows Monroe as she convinces a lowly, star-struck production assistant to take her on a multi-day drive, which totally interrupts the filming schedule. Simon Curtis (TV’s “David Copperfield”) directed. (99 minutes) Language. (R)
PROJECT X: (B) During this cautionary tale, starring Thomas Mann, three high school seniors throw a party for themselves. They put out the information via social media and then find things all around them being destroyed as word of the bash spreads and attracts out-of-control young adults. Nima Nourizadeh makes his directing debut. (88 minutes) Crude sexual content throughout, nudity, drugs, drinking, pervasive language and reckless behavior, all involving teens. (R)
SAFE HOUSE: (B) In this thriller, starring Denzel Washington, Ryan Reynolds, Robert Patrick, Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson, Sam Shepard and Ruben Blades, a rookie CIA agent must protect a resourceful prisoner after his secret location is discovered by his enemies. Daniel Espinosa (“Easy Money”) directed. (115 minutes) Strong violence throughout. (R)
SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN: (B) Emily Blunt, Ewan McGregor and Kristin Scott Thomas star in this feel-good comedy about a rich sheik with a seemingly impossible dream. He plans to spend whatever is necessary to introduce the sport of salmon fishing into a desert area by bringing in millions of dollars worth of water. Swedish filmmaker Lasse Hallstrom (“The Cider House Rules”) directed. (107 minutes) Sexual content and violence, brief language. (PG-13)
SILENT HOUSE: (B) Gifted young actress Elizabeth Olsen (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”) stars in this haunted-house chiller about a girl who’s trapped by ghost-like beings in her family’s lake-house retreat. She tries to escape and finds no way out. Chris Kentis (“Open Water”) and debuting filmmaker Laura Lau co-directed and shot the film on video in one continuous take, a style that will impress some viewers and annoy others. (85 minutes) Disturbing violent content and terror. (R)
THIS MEANS WAR: (B-) The appealing ensemble of Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine and Tom Hardy saves this romantic comedy that walks a fine line between cute and creepy. Pine and Hardy play two top-level spies who fall for the same smart and attractive woman and then, without her knowledge, observe her during some intimate moments. They believe the modern military devices at their disposal will help them to win her heart. The supporting cast includes Chelsea Handler, Angela Bassett and Rosemary Harris. McG (“Terminator Salvation”) directed. (98 minutes) Some sexual content. (PG-13)
A THOUSAND WORDS: (C) Eddie Murphy, Kerry Washington and Allison Janney star in this bland comedy about a quick-talking literary agent whose habit of stretching the truth results in a curse that will allow him to speak only a certain number of words. Brian Roberts (“Norbit”) directed. (84 minutes) Sexual situations, language, drug-related humor. (PG-13)
THE VOW: (B) Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum team in this sweet romantic drama about a wife who goes into a coma during a car accident, awakens some time later, and doesn’t remember her husband, who must woo her all over again. Sam Neill, Scott Speedman and Jessica Lange co-star. Michael Sucsy (TV’s “Grey Gardens”) directed. (104 minutes) Accident scene, sexual content, partial nudity, language. (PG-13)
WANDERLUST: (B) Jennifer Aniston, Paul Rudd, Malin Akerman, Justin Theroux and Lauren Ambrose star in this old-school comedy about a Manhattan couple who lose their jobs. They then decide to make a drastic change in their lives by moving into a hippielike commune with free love and clothing-optional living. David Wain (“Role Models”) directed. (98 minutes) Sexual content, graphic nudity, language, drug use. (R)
WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN: (B) Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly and Ezra Miller star in this unnerving drama about a caring mother who fears that her child was born bad due to a behavior pattern that includes psychologically torturing his loving parent. He eventually participates in a tragedy, an act that destroys the life of his mother and many others. Lynne Ramsay (“Ratcatcher”) directed. (112 minutes) Disturbing violence and behavior, some sexuality, language. (R)
The Associated Press and websites contributed to this story.