This weekend belongs to the acting community, as many of the new films feature a big name star (or six). Alright, thespians – you headline those films! And there’s no shortage of variety in tone or style: Denzel is serious, Alicia makes you giggle, Philip scowls, and Russell dextrously throws knives. Let us know in the comments who you decide to spend your time with at the Cineplex!
“Flight.” Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Starring Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, Bruce Greenwood, Kelly Reilly, and John Goodman. Our review: “Featuring a thrilling, terrifying opening, plus many of the potent, moving elements that a conventional but admirable morality drama might boast, ‘Flight’ is often undone by its very unsubtle choices and its problematic, strained last act.” Metacritic: 77 Rotten Tomatoes: 79% The Playlist: B
“Wreck-It Ralph.” Directed by Rich Moore. Starring John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, and Alan Tudyk. Our review: “ ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ is diverting enough in the moment, with the originality of setting at carrying much of the weight, but once the credits roll, you won't be in a rush to select Continue.” MC: 72 RT: 84% PL: C
“The Man with the Iron Fists.” Directed by and starring RZA. Also starring Rick Yune, Russell Crowe, Lucy Liu, Jamie Chung, and David Bautista. Our review admits that “ ‘The Man with the Iron Fists’ makes sense as a picture focused on spectacle,” but adds, “for all the film’s efforts to invest you in the story of a noble weapons-maker, you just wish he would have stayed around and kept silently crafting weapons.” MC: 59 RT: 70% PL: B-
“This Must Be the Place.” Directed by Paolo Sorrentino. Starring Sean Penn, Frances McDormand, Judd Hirsch, Eve Hewson, Shea Whigham, and Harry Dean Stanton. Our review: “The film can't help but feel like three movies in one… And none of the three movies works especially well with the other two, and none of the three is especially notable on its own.” MC: 60 RT: 76% PL: C-
“Vamps.” Directed by Amy Heckerling. Starring Alicia Silverstone, Krysten Ritter, Dan Stevens, Sigourney Weaver, and Wallace Shawn. While it will definitely make you laugh, this satire might prove too uneven to stick the landing. MC: 59 RT: 38%
“The Bay.” Directed by Barry Levinson. Starring Kether Donohue, Kristen Connolly, Will Rogers, and Christopher Denham. Our review calls the film “more or less, a terrifically exciting horror movie achievement,” and concludes, “ ‘The Bay,’ produced by the team behind ‘Paranormal Activity’ but with much more on its mind than those films, is a movie whose immediacy and realism make it even scarier.” MC: 70 RT: 76% PL: B
“The Details.” Directed by Jacob Aaron Estes. Starring Tobey Maguire, Elizabeth Banks, Ray Liotta, Kerry Washington, Dennis Haysbert, and Laura Linney. Our review: “Though this film makes a great argument against cheating, tonal inconsistencies keep it from being in the same league as some of the dark comedies it emulates.” MC: 54 RT: 55% PL: C+
“Jack and Diane.” Directed by Bradley Rust Gray. Starring Juno Temple, Riley Keough, and Cara Seymour. Our review: “We dig the aesthetic Gray employs, but the substance just isn't there, and ‘Jack And Diane’ is regrettably a major disappointment.” MC: 45 RT: 8% PL: D+
"A Late Quartet.” Directed by Yaron Zilberman. Starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Walken, Catherine Keener, and Mark Ivanir. Our review lauds the performances but concedes, “ ‘A Late Quartet’ is mostly a series of either predictable or sour (or both) notes.” MC: 67 RT: 82% PL: C
“North Sea Texas.” Directed by Bavo Defurne. Starring Ben Van den Heuvel, Eva van der Gucht, and Thomas Coumans. Dutch, with subtitles. Strong performances and a stunning location may be undermined by a story that lacks depth. MC: 61 RT: 78%
“A Liar’s Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman.” Directed by Bill Jones, Jeff Simpson, and Ben Timlett. Our review calls the animated doc “both gripping and gauzy,” concluding, “ ‘A Liar's Autobiography’ is an overwhelming visual experience, but rarely is it an overwhelming emotional or intellectual one.” MC: 36 RT: 45% PL: B
“Bones Brigade: An Autobiography.” Directed by Stacy Peralta. Our review: “Peralta has managed to make a skateboarding documentary that while still being rambunctious is also at times more contemplative.” MC: n/a RT: 71% PL: B+
“A Man’s Story.” Directed by Varon Bonicos. Our review calls the documentary “a fascinating look at the juggling act of a man who is succeeding in public, but still trying to find the answers in private,” and commends “its honesty about the personal toll and uncertainty that comes with a career at the top of the industry.” MC: 42 RT: 23% PL: B
“Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters” opened Wednesday. Directed by Ben Shapiro. This documentary is well made and entertaining, capturing the titular photographer’s process with precision and pathos. MC: 90 RT: 80%
