STATE CINEMA
Little Women (G) Greta Gerwig gets to have her cake and eat it, too, with this light-as-a-sponge, not-too-sugary adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s 19th century classic. Gerwig’s version of Little Women, which features a star-studded cast, actively develops the author’s protofeminist themes for a contemporary audience.
Jojo Rabbit (M) Described by writer-director Taika Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople) as “an anti-hate satire,” Jojo Rabbit is a genial coming-of-age comedy that is definitely not for everyone, but it will appeal to more than many will assume on first impressions. And a first impression drawn from its synopsis might be the last straw for some viewers. So what is the sticking point here? Well, the movie is set in Nazi Germany of the 1940s. The innocent young hero (played wonderfully by youngster Roman Griffin Davis) who discovers his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home continually turns to an imaginary friend for advice. The name of that imaginary friend? Adolf Hitler. Waititi snatches triumph from the jaws of folly with an inspired and touching work that won’t be forgotten in a hurry. Starring Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell.
Doolittle (PG) Psssst! You in the market for some real movie magic? Then get along to Dolittle, and watch Hollywood make $250 million disappear in 100 minutes. One day, there will be a great story (or better still, a documentary) emerge to explain how the heck a quarter of a billion bucks could ever have been pumped into a vessel as empty as this. For now, we just have the movie itself: a quirky, herky-jerky combo of wonky special effects, shonky voice casting, and a bewilderingly terrible lead performance from Robert Downey Jr. Following in the footsteps of Rex Harrison in the 1960s and Eddie Murphy in the 1990s, RDJ has the title role, playing a veterinary doctor who can converse with all creatures great and small. In keeping with the original Doctor Dolittle books by author Hugh Lofting, the story unfolds in 19th century England. Most similarities with the source material ends there. For reasons best known only to himself, Downey speaks his lines in an obscure and often unintelligible accent that could be likened to a Welshman with a severe head cold.