American Fable,
directed by Anne Hamilton
(Not rated, 1 hour, 37 minutes)
A dreamy, lyrical mystery with big ambitions and beautiful imagery, American Fable concerns self-assured 11-year-old Gitty (Peyton Kennedy), who finds escape from the financial woes her Wisconsin farm family is suffering during the 1980s by drifting into a fantastic world of imagination.
Reality rudely interrupts her make-believe realm when she discovers that a well-dressed, obviously distressed real-estate developer (Richard Schiff) who, because he has been running around taking advantage of the rural residents' distress by buying up their farms at cheap prices, has been kidnapped by her family and is imprisoned in a silo. The bizarre and topsy-turvy situation forces the girl to consider where her loyalties lie.
With Gavin MacIntosh, Kip Pardue, Rusty Schwimmer, Marci Miller; the first film from director Anne Hamilton, who worked as an intern for Terrence Malick on The Tree of Life.
The Promise (PG-13, 2 hours, 14 minutes) A stylish, handsomely photographed, and lengthy war drama as backdrop to a not-so-substantial love triangle. Against the backdrop of the disintegrating Ottoman Empire near the end of World War I, a remarkably high-achieving medical student Michael (Oscar Isaac) is entranced by fellow Armenian Ana (Charlotte Le Bon), which causes a romantic showdown with Ana's boyfriend (Christian Bale), a renowned American photojournalist specializing in political intrigue. With Shohreh Aghdashloo, Abel Folk; directed by Terry George.
Free Fire (R, 1 hour, 30 minutes) This rowdy, violent, noisy and high-spirited action comedy set in street-tough 1970s Boston, where a black-market arms deal between a representative of the IRA (Cillian Murphy) and a sleazy South African (Sharlto Copley), set up by an American businesswoman (Brie Larson) and her sidekick (Armie Hammer), starts out well, then rapidly disintegrates. Directed by Ben Wheatley.
Kong: Skull Island (PG-13, 1 hour, 58 minutes) A too-good cast does its best with an ambitious but clumsy reimagining of the giant ape tale (heavily computer-generated), this time set in 1973 as the Vietnam War draws to a close. With Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John C. Reilly, John Goodman, Brie Larson, Richard Jenkins; directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts.
A Quiet Passion (PG-13, 2 hours, 6 minutes) An elegant, intelligent bio pic in which Cynthia Nixon is extraordinary as Emily Dickinson, an intellectually independent, witty and evocative poet with a deep attachment to her devoted family who uses her writing to transcend the societal and spiritual restrictions and strict moral expectations of America in the mid-19th century. With Jennifer Ehle, Keith Carradine; directed by Terence Davies.
Tommy's Honour (PG, 1 hour, 52 minutes) A fairly well-conceived and decently performed bio pic concerning the founding of the modern game of golf by an argumentative and unusual Scottish father and son in the mid-19th century. With Peter Mullan, Jack Lowden, Sam Neill, Ian Pirie; directed by Jason Connery (Sean's son).
Buster's Mal Heart (not rated, 1 hour, 36 minutes) In this shape-shifting psychological drama, Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) portrays a solitary Montana mountain man who shelters during the snowy winter by breaking into empty vacation homes and vents his frustrations by calling into radio talk shows. A former hotel concierge with a wife and daughter, his ambitions to take care of his family collide with the changes he undergoes when he meets a conspiracy-theory fanatic (DJ Qualls), which changes both of their lives forever. With Toby Huss, Kate Lyn Sheil; directed by Sarah Adina Smith.
Lost in America, (R, 1 hour, 31 minutes) Albert Brooks' 1985 satirical comedy -- newly released on Blu-ray by Criterion Collection -- is widely considered to be one of the funniest films ever, from one of the country's top movie comedians. It concerns a husband (Brooks) and wife (Julie Hagarty) in their 30s, shining examples of the then up-and-coming demographic known as yuppies, whose frustrations with suburban life lead them to quit their jobs, withdraw their retirement nest egg and hit the highway to roam America in a Winnebago. Adventures, not all them good, ensue.
A must-see for those planning a cross-country road trip this summer, or any other time.
The Boss Baby (PG, 1 hour, 37 minutes) DreamWorks Animation and director Tom McGrath (Madagascar) present a sprightly animated kids comedy -- with just the right cartoon tone to appeal to young audiences -- about the ways a newborn affects a family, especially 7-year-old Tim. With the voices of Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudro, Miles Christopher Bakshi.
Ghost in the Shell (PG-13, 1 hour, 46 minutes) A finding-yourself search is at the heart of this throbbing, highly visual actioner in which a cyber-enhanced human (Scarlett Johansson) is exactly engineered for soldiering in order to stop the world's most dangerous criminals. But she's obsessed with finding out who made her into the ultra-powerful creature she has become. With Michael Pitt, Joseph Naufahu, Philippe Joly; directed by Rupert Sanders.
Gifted (PG-13, 1 hour, 41 minutes) A predictable, emotionally cliched comedy/drama in which the stunning mathematical abilities of 7-year-old Mary come to the attention of her scheming grandmother (Lindsay Duncan). Mary's Uncle Frank (Chris Evans), who's raising her, objects, leaving him in danger of being separated from his young charge. With Octavia Spencer, Mckenna Grace, Jenny Slate; directed by Marc Webb.
Black Butterfly (R, 1 hour, 33 minutes) A ludicrous yet often punchy effort of a thriller in which a loner of a writer (Antonio Banderas) breaks out of his solitary habits and offers a drifter (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) a place to stay in his isolated cabin. Surprise! A storm cuts off the power, and the two men amuse themselves with a deadly game of cat and mouse. With Piper Perabo, Katie McGovern, Abel Ferrara; directed by Brian Goodman.
The Final Master (not rated, 1 hour, 49 minutes) A complex, compelling action drama set in China before World War II, The Final Master concerns a Wing Chun practitioner's extraordinary efforts to open a martial arts school to fulfill his master's death wish to pass on the art, which requires him to send his apprentice to secretly challenge and defeat the best knife-wielders that eight martial arts schools have to offer. With Fan Liao, Jia Song; directed by Haofeng Xu and based on his best-selling novel, The Master. Subtitled.
MovieStyle on 07/28/2017