Dakota Johnson: An appealing presence in ‘Fifty Shades Freed’
With “Fifty Shades Freed,” the hit franchise winds down with the weakest entry in the series but at least filmmaker James Gray ratchets up the suspense with kidnappings, home invasions and corporate espionage.
Christian (Jamie Dornan) and Ana (Dakota Johnson) are on their honeymoon when they’re called back to the States to deal with Ana’s disgruntled ex-boss (Eric Johnson.) In between police visits, Christian and Ana are either having sex, or arguing about his possessiveness.
The most valuable player is, by far, Johnson who is such an appealing presence that she’s capable of making even the most leaden dialogue sound achingly human. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu.
Also New to VOD and Streaming
Please Stand By: From “The Sessions” director Ben Lewin comes an involving look at a young autistic woman (Dakota Fanning) who’s determined to travel alone to Los Angeles to submit a “Star Trek”-inspired script to Paramount Pictures. Beautifully acted by the entire ensemble cast, including Patton Oswalt as a police officer who speaks Klingon, the movie really soars when depicting the ways that pop culture can help you navigate your way through life’s challenges. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu. My Friend Dahmer: Here’s a surprisingly gripping and insightful account of the teenage years of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer (Ross Lynch). Based on a graphic novel by Derf Backderf (Nat Wolff), the movie chronicles how Dahmer was bullied at school and ignored at home by his warring parents (Anne Heche, Dallas Roberts). He cultivated a few friends, such as Backderf, only to discover they were laughing at him behind his back. The movie doesn’t make excuses for Dahmer but it does provide an absorbing portrait of a man whose darker impulses were allowed to fester. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu. Valentina’s Wedding: Mexican actress Marimar Vega is such an engaging presence that it’s a shame this manic romantic comedy doesn’t provide her with a better showcase. She stars as a businesswoman who’s about to wed the boss’s son (Ryan Carnes) when her scandal-ridden politician father back in Mexico insists she pretend she’s married to an ex-beau (Omar Chaparro.) As long as Vega and Chaparro are center stage, “Valentina’s Wedding” is bubbly fun but the filmmakers can’t resist continually cutting to members of Valentina’s wacky but grating family. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu.
Paterno: Al Pacino stars in this HBO movie which examines PSU coach Joe Paterno’s culpability in the case of Jerry Sandusky, the assistant coach who was convicted in June 2012 of molesting 10 young boys and sentenced to serve 30 to 60 years in prison. Reviews on the film were mixed but Pacino and Kathy Baker, as Mrs. Paterno, are likely to remembered with Emmy nominations. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu.
Tig Notaro - Happy To Be
Here: The stand-up comic will bring her signature deadpan silliness to her latest stand-up set, which includes comedic takes on marriage, parenting and being invited to an Ellen DeGeneres party. On Netflix.
Evil Genius: The latest must-see true crime series revolves around one of the oddest crimes in the history of Pennsylvania. It all started on May 11, 2003 with the gory death of a pizza delivery man who was forced to rob a bank with a bomb around his neck. According to Variety, the series showcases a bizarre collection of “Midwestern hoarders, outcasts, and lawbreakers” as they play catand-mouse with the FBI. Eventually, a middle-aged woman named Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, once the town beauty, was revealed as the mastermind. On Netflix.
For the Kids
Nicholas on Holiday: Your entire family will get a big kick out of this delightful adventure set during a summer vacation at the beach. While his folks bake in the sun, little Nicholas (Matheo Boisselier) spends his time at the Beau-Rivage Hotel in the South of France hanging out with his newfound friends and running away from a girl he finds creepy. The pals – and their parents – get into all kinds of trouble involving sand castles, Italian filmmakers and nude beaches. There’s nothing here you haven’t seen before in other comedies but the film’s energy and high spirits prove irresistible. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu.
Teen Title
1:54: Cyberbullying is the subject of this powerful Canadian indie about Tim (Antoine-Olivier Pilon), a closeted high-schooler trying to come to terms with his sexuality. Tired of being pushed around by the popular kids, including a bully named Jeff (Lou-Pascal Tremblay), Tim vows to dethrone Jeff as the reigning king of the 800meter dash. It might sound like a mawkish sports movie but writer/ director Yan England works in a truthful, blunt style, and the result is a film that continually surprises you with its depiction of the agonies (and occasional joys) of adolescence. On Amazon, Google, iTunes, Movies Anywhere and Vudu.