The Favourite,
directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
(R, 1 hour, 59 minutes)
A stylish costume drama with true grit, The Favourite will never be mistaken for a historical after-school special.
Intrigue and conniving are much in evidence in revelations of difficult Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), who reigns over England, Scotland and Ireland in the early 1700s. She's obstreperous, childish, scatterbrained, sometimes cruel, and given to rages when her commands are not followed. Yet she pays attention to her best friend and primary adviser Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz), whose control is waged through a system of praise, sexual fulfillment (sometimes graphically portrayed), and honesty.
Eventually Sarah's distant cousin Abigail (Emma Stone), reduced in social standing by her father's nasty gambling habit, obtains a position among the queen's servants. Scheming and clever, she proves to be a keen competitor to Sarah for the queen's favors. An elegantly backstabbing war of strong wills results.
With Nicholas Hoult, Joe Alwyn, James Smith, Mark Gatiss.
Ben Is Back (R, 1 hour, 43 minutes) Julia Roberts is a powerful presence -- too much so -- in this depressing and melodramatic family standoff concerning 19-year-old chronic drug addict Ben Burns (Lucas Hedges), who leaves rehab and arrives unexpectedly at his family home, where his mother Holly (Roberts) welcomes him in hopes that he has conquered his demons. Fat chance. With Courtney B. Vance, Kathryn Newton; directed by Lucas' father, Peter Hedges.
Creed II (PG-13, 2 hours, 10 minutes) Fans of the seemingly never-ending Rocky franchise may find much to admire in the continuing adventures of Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan), the newly crowned light heavyweight champion, who is being tutored by Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) before taking on Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), son of Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). With Brigitte Nielsen, Phylicia Rashad, Tessa Thompson; directed by Steven Caple Jr.
Vox Lux (R, 1 hour, 54 minutes) Good luck figuring out the story arc in this messy, self-satisfied story of a pop star (Natalie Portman) who, after surviving a violent tragedy as a teenager, finds success with help from her talented songwriter sister (Stacy Martin) and clever talent manager (Jude Law). That's before her career disintegrates. Then resumes. With Jennifer Ehle; directed by Brady Corbet.
Instant Family (PG-13, 1 hour, 58 minutes) Well-intentioned, somewhat silly, yet ultimately charming, this family comedy concerns a husband and wife who get more than they bargained for when they decide to foster three children. With Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne, Octavia Spencer; directed by Sean Anders.
The Clovehitch Killer (not rated, 1 hour, 49 minutes) A decent, twisty-turny horror effort in which a seemingly perfect family -- Boy Scout/volunteer son (Charlie Plummer), community leader dad (Dylan McDermott) -- crumbles into disarray when a revelation about a psychopathic killer who terrorized the area a decade earlier disrupt their happy home. With Madisen Beaty; directed by Duncan Skiles.
The Vanishing (R, 1 hour, 47 minutes) No, not the mediocre 1993 American remake of terrifying and nerve-wracking Spoorlos (1988). This is a well-crafted and finely performed suspense thriller in which three lighthouse keepers, arriving for their regular six-week shift, encounter something that isn't theirs to keep. With Gerard Butler, Peter Mullan, Gary Lewis; directed by Kristoffer Nyholm.
Prospect (R, 1 hour, 40 minutes) This entertaining and smartly conceived sci-fi fantasy follows a teenage girl and her dad as they seek riches on a remote moon. But others -- none too friendly -- are already there. With Pedro Pascal, Jay Duplass, Sophie Thatcher; directed by Christopher Caldwell, Zeek Earl.
The Mercy (not rated, 1 hour, 52 minutes) A fine cast fails to completely clarify whatever it is the writer wishes to convey in this baffling epic of a yachtsman's failed effort to win the 1968 Golden Globe race which results in the creation of an implausible tale of traveling the world solo by sea. With Rachel Weisz, Colin Firth, David Thewlis, Ken Stott; directed by James Marsh.
The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (not rated, 1 hour, 28 minutes) A spirited tale -- tripped up by an illogical plot -- of a reclusive former cop who investigates a shooting at a police funeral where the top suspect is a member of the militia to which the former cop now belongs. With James Badge Dale, Brian Geraghty, Chris Mulkey, Cotter Smith; directed by Henry Dunham.
MovieStyle on 03/08/2019