I, Daniel Blake,
directed by Ken Loach
(R, 1 hour, 40 minutes)
If you've seen films by British writer/director Ken Loach (such as 2007's The Wind That Shakes the Barley, 2013's The Angel's Share and 2015's Jimmy's Hall), you know he's fearless when it comes to taking an often unsettling left-leaning approach to social ills, working-class politics and struggles, and the challenges of underserved urban and rural communities. They're not always easy to watch, nor are they easy to forget.
His latest, which won the Palme d'Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, is a compassionate, powerful and intermittently funny story that concerns gruff Daniel Blake (Dave Johns) a widowed woodworker who steers clear of modern technology and follows a common-sense moral code of his own making. After a heart attack leaves him unable to work and the unreasonably complicated state welfare system proves hopeless to navigate, his self-reliance takes over feelings of helplessness and rage, giving him the strength to fight for his dignity -- and that of those around him.
With Hayley Squiers, Briana Shann, Sharon Percy, Dylan McKiernan.
Happy Death Day (PG-13, 1 hour, 36 minutes) It's like Groundhog Day, but not: A college student (Jessica Rothe, La La Land) continuously relives the day of her murder, from the mundane details that lead to its terrifying conclusion. Complications, dead ends, moments of insights, and previously undiscovered nuances start to reveal themselves. Will they be enough for her to discover her killer's identity? It's tense, self-referential, often clever, and oddly upbeat. With Rachel Matthews, Israel Broussard, Charles Aitken, Ruby Modine; directed by Christopher Landon.
The Snowman (R, 1 hour, 59 minutes) Crime novels about conflicted alcoholic detective Harry Hole by Norwegian author Jo Nesbo are hugely popular. But this mystery drama, despite a terrific cast, turns out to be a massive, baffling bore that fails to connect with theatrical audiences in telling the story of the disappearance of a woman whose pink scarf is found wrapped around an ominous-looking snowman. With Rebecca Ferguson, Michael Fassbender, Chloe Sevigny, Val Kilmer, James D'Arcy, J.K. Simmons; directed by Tomas Alfredson.
Loving Vincent (PG-13, 1 hour, 34 minutes) Unique use of hand-painted animation sets this fascinating bio-pic apart as it explores the life and death of tortured, troubled artist Vincent van Gogh, whose fame followed long after his death in 1890. With Douglas Booth, Jerome Flynn, Chris O'Dowd, Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird); directed by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman.
Crooked House (PG-13, 1 hour, 55 minutes) Based on Agatha Christie's curve-tossing tale, this stylish, elusive mystery concerns suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of a wealthy patriarch. In search of evidence of a possible crime is spy/private detective Charles Hayward (Max Irons), lured into an investigation by his former lover to catch her grandfather's murderer before Scotland Yard exposes dark family secrets. Three generations of suspects emerge, including a theater actress (Gillian Anderson), the much-younger widow (Christina Hendricks), and family matriarch Lady Edith de Haviland (Glenn Close). With Terence Stamp, Stefanie Martini; directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner.
MovieStyle on 01/19/2018