We haven’t hit Memorial Day Weekend yet, but it’s official: Summer Blockbuster Season is underway. Between comic books, Michael Bay‘s latest flick, a Tom Cruise vehicle, and summer dalliances in the Hamptons, the second installment of the rebooted “Star Trek” franchise almost seems superfluous. Almost. Still, there’s plenty of other delightful fare at the cinemas: another “Taken” imitation, a New-York-set coming-of-late-20s-ager,a B-horror movie set in Maine, a Korean thriller that may or may not
feature Oedipal urges, and plenty of engaging documentaries. So enjoy the early onset of summer, faithful readers! And tell us what you want to see to celebrate it in the comments below!
the time the credits roll, there’s a sense that you’re undernourished
and unsatisfied; you’ve been on a decent ride, but not one that really
adds up to anything by the time you’re done. ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’
is a long, long way from a disaster, but it’s hard not to feel that
Abrams’ mystery box turned out to be a bit empty this time out.” Metacritic: 73 Rotten Tomatoes: 87% The Playlist: C+
that is so openly critical of American intervention. But maybe that’s us
reading way too much into what turns out in the end to be a solid VOD
release, with Eckhart lifting his leading role out of anonymity and
claiming it with a driven if not outstanding performance.” MC: 35 RT: 19% PL: B-
Our review: “Loose, limber and driven by a fierce energy and
staccato/pause rhythm we haven’t seen previously from this filmmaker,
Noah Baumbach’s sublime ‘Frances Ha’ is a fresh and vivacious
near-reinvention of the director/writer’s comedic milieu.” MC: 81 RT:
91% PL: B+
This unfunny, possibly even tragic “comedy” is rambling and trite,
boasting little beyond its notable cast. MC: 30 RT: 38%
“Black Rock.” Directed by and starring Katie Aselton. Also starring Kate Bosworth, Lake Bell, Will Bouvier, Jay Paulson, and Anselm Richardson. Our review: “Some more strident and narrow-minded horror fanatics — not fans, but
fanatics — will possibly find ‘Black Rock’ too talky, or not violent
enough…but if you like your scares smart, and like them to
happen to people you actually care about, then Aselton’s island of
friendship and fury is a nice place to visit.” MC: 46 RT: 39% PL: B-
performances, but it’s hard not to feel that it would have proved more
successful if it had stayed on the path it was heading down for the
first forty minutes or so.” MC: 68 RT: 73% PL: C+
“State 194.” Directed by Dan Setton.
The facts about Palestine’s struggle for statehood are presented
clearly enough, employing a more local framework than any previous
coverage. However, the doc suffers from numerous digressions that don’t
contribute enough to the central message. MC: 61 RT: no score
yet
“Becoming Traviata” opened Wednesday. Directed by Philippe Beziat.
An account of a French opera singer readying herself for a role that
is both beautiful and passion-filled, but may require a certain
familiarity with the titular production to sustain engagement. MC: 66
RT: 75%
“Old Dog” opened Wednesday. Directed by Pema Tseden. Starring Drolma Kyab, Lochey, Tamdrin Tso, Yanbum Gyal. Our review: “‘Old Dog’ is a true gem and the mark of an especially skilled director
— mark our words, Pema Tseden is a name you’ll be seeing in contention
for the Palme d’Or in the not-too-distant future.” MC: 74 RT: n/a PL: A
