Fury,
directed by David Ayer
(R, 134 minutes)
Muscular and stout-hearted, Fury takes on World War II with a cast of fearless characters and an unusual story that sets it apart from other war dramas.
Leading the charge inside a lumbering tank nicknamed Fury aimed squarely at the Third Reich in the waning days of the war is a decidedly unglamorous, very manly Brad Pitt as Sgt. Don "Wardaddy" Collier. He and his highly experienced, we've-seen-it-all crew (with exceptional performances by Shia LaBeouf, Jon Bernthal and Michael Pena), along with a frightened adolescent newcomer (Logan Lerman) who has been yanked from a typist position to serve as assistant driver, are taking on the Allies' final ground assault.
Despite the crew's confidence and experience, calamities ensue, brutality fills the screen, and violence inevitably takes over -- even during a rather charming off-duty encounter with German village locals that allows fearful hostility to transform into a cautiously comfortable welcome, at least for a while, thanks to the Yanks' gifts of much-needed food.
Director David Ayer doesn't shrink from the idea that soldiers are charged with killing other soldiers, and while the movie doesn't question the morality of the fight against the Nazis, it doesn't ask us to believe it's all about flag-waving glory either.
A last-minute command to take on a perilous mission behind enemy lines brings out the best in these brave men, who nonetheless retain their humanity, right down to confronting their fears. It's a realistic, ruggedly physical adventure that somehow incorporates just enough emotion and touchingly accurate details to keep in touch with its all-important characters.
John Wick (R, 96 minutes) Sometimes a role absolutely requires an actor with a practically undetectable emotional range. Who you gonna call? Keanu Reeves! Best known as Neo from The Matrix Trilogy, Reeves -- looking good at 50 -- resumes his action career by playing the title character, a notorious former hitman who gets back into the game when his car is stolen and his beagle is killed by the dopey son of his former Russian mob boss Viggo Tarasov (Michael Nyqvist). Artfully choreographed revenge-fueled fights ensue. A good choice for those who aren't interested in the morals behind a character's decisions. With Willem Dafoe, Bridget Moynahan, Ian McShane; directed by David Leitch and Chad Stahelski.
The Best of Me (PG-13, 119 minutes) Either you like movies based on Nicholas Sparks' syrupy melodramatic novels or you don't. Fans will be placated and aginners will find nothing new to like in this Louisiana-set story of one-time high school sweeties who encounter each other 20 years later at a funeral for a friend. Ya think there's a second chance here? With James Marsden, Michelle Monaghan, Sean Bridgers, Clarke Peters; directed by Michael Hoffman.
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby (R, 122 minutes) A terrific cast can't manage to salvage this overly melancholic and cliched drama -- told from conflicting perspectives -- in which tragedy threatens to destroy the marital bliss between Conor (James McAvoy) and Eleanor (Jessica Chastain). With William Hurt, Isabelle Huppert, Viola Davis, Ciaran Hinds, Bill Hader; directed by Ned Benson.
Dear White People (R, 108 minutes) A sassy, thought-provoking and often witty satire in which four black students make their way through ongoing modern racial politics at a mostly white Ivy League college. With Tyler James Williams, Dennis Haysbert, Brandon Bell, Tessa Thompson; the directing debut of Justin Simien.
MovieStyle on 02/06/2015