"Mayor"
directed by David Osit
(not rated, 1 hour, 29 minutes)
A riveting and human portrait of the very likable Musa Hadid, the Christian mayor of the Palestinian city of Ramallah, who says he believes that local government is the most beautiful branch of government and walks the walk, directly addressing inquiries from citizens and engaging in the sort of mundane public service chores that transcend the usual rhetoric about Palestinian independence from Israel.
In a direct cinema documentary without interview footage, narration or any meta-fictional gimmicks, Osit simply embeds us squarely in the world of a politician in one of the world's most fraught regions and allows us to observe him as he goes about the business of trying to re-brand his city and planning a Christmas pageant. He upbraids a municipal bus driver for speeding, tries to deal with a sewage problem compounded by uncooperative Israeli bureaucrats and -- in the film's most dramatic footage -- witnesses protesters under fire and his city hall under siege.
Briskly paced and expertly edited, "Mayor" is a humbling reminder that not all politicians are cynical opportunists looking to acquire and consolidate power in order to win some abstract game. Some of them actually want to help people.
"Monster Hunter" (PG-13, 1 hour, 43 minutes) Lots of noisy, unfettered action that amounts to little is on screen when Lieutenant Artemis (always watchable Milla Jovovich) and her soldiers are transported from this world to a new world populated with violent, powerful enemies. With Ron Perlman, Tony Jaa, Jannik Schümann, Diego Boneta, Meagan Good; written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson.
"Scare Me" (not rated, 1 hour, 44 minutes) An aptly named, tightly wrought horror thriller that delivers, with a plot revolving around two strangers, Fred and Fanny, telling scary stories during a power failure in a remote Catskills cabin. Hey, the stories are made up, right? Right? With Aya Cash, Rebecca Drysdale, Chris Redd; written and directed by Josh Ruben.
"Liberté" (not rated, 2 hours, 18 minutes) The sins of self-expression and its effects on the mainstream population are explored at far too much length here when, a few years before the French Revolution, a bunch of obnoxious libertines are expelled from the Puritan court of Louis XVI. So they take their controversial philosophy, based on rejecting morality and authority, to Germany. With Helmut Berger, Marc Susini, Iliana Zabeth; written and directed by Albert Serra.
"Fatale" (R, 1 hour, 42 minutes) This ambitious but unremarkable and misdirected effort at being an erotic thriller concerns a successful sports agent (Michael Ealy) who engages in a one-night stand with a seductive woman (Hilary Swank) who turns out to be a police detective with ulterior motives. With Mike Colter, Danny Pino, Sam Daly; directed by Deon Taylor.
"All My Life" (PG-13, 1 hour, 33 minutes) Drippy with sentimentality but still watchable (thanks to the appealing characters), this is a romantic drama about a lovely couple who watch their wedding plans fall to pieces when would-be groom is diagnosed with liver cancer. With Jessica Rothe, Harry Shum Jr., Jay Pharoah, Kyle Allen; directed by Marc Meyers.
"Half Brothers" (PG-13, 1 hour, 36 minutes) An action comedy with family-drama overtones (that doesn't quite conquer either genre) concerns two brothers who experience bonding and battling while on a road trip that involves crossing the border between the U.S. and Mexico. With José Zúñiga, Luis Gerardo Méndez, Vincent Spano; directed by Luke Greenfield.
"Pinocchio" (PG-13, 2 hours, 5 minutes) A strangely intriguing and rather dark live-action version of the story of a wooden puppet (Federico Ielapi) who desperately wants to become a real boy. With Roberto Benigni, Marine Vacth, Marcello Fonte; directed by Matteo Garrone.