Movie picks
Pineda as a crafty gambler — capture the spirit of “Bebop” magic, as do the neonlit sets that look trippy and otherworldly.
DETAILS: >> \*\*\*; available Friday on Netflix.
“TICK, TICK … BOOM!” >> In this big-hearted musical directed by “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, we enter the hyperactive and restless mindset of late playwright Jonathan Larson (“Rent”) as he nears his 30th birthday. Coming off a ho-hum performance in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Andrew Garfield belts one out like a Broadway star, portraying the antic, energetic Larson whose ambitions sometimes steamrolled those who loved him. “Tick, Tick … Boom!” is stuffed with great musical numbers and captures what it means to be an artist. In smaller roles, Alexandre Shipp as Larson’s girlfriend, Judith Light as his agent and Robin de Jesus as his gay best friend are unforgettable.
DETAILS >> \*\*\*/*; available Friday on Netflix.
“THE POWER OF THE DOG”: >>
Jane Campion’s moody Western basks in the Montana landscape and then shocks the hell out of you as it takes a bruising and brutal look at the dangers of machismo and repressed desires. Based on Thomas Savage’s acclaimed 1967 novel, it’s slathered in tension (both sexual and violent) as the 1925 cowboy/ ranching life of the Burbank Brothers swings out of whack when brother George (Jesse Plemons) becomes smitten with a widow (Kirsten Dunst) who has an often-bullied son (Kodi Smit-McPhee). None of this sits well with George’s cruel brother Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch), who proceeds to make everyone’s life a nightmare. Campion’s disturbing, unsettling film is crafted to perfection — from the performances
to a near-Shakespearean finale.
DETAILS >> \*\*\*\* ; now playing in select theaters, available Dec. 1 on Netflix.
“JULIA” >> Just as they did with “RBG,” the Oscar-nominated filmmaking duo of Julie Cohen and Betsy West whip up something special for public consumption: a vigorously researched portrait of an American female trailblazer. In this affectionate portrait, Child’s loves, losses and triumphs, along with her skill as a businesswoman, come into sharp focus. The food shots are unbelievable and the clips from her TV show a joy to revisit. And the revelation that Child could admit when she was wrong makes her even more impressive. DETAILS >> \*\*\*; opens Friday in theaters.
“BOILING POINT” >> This would make an ideal double-bill pairing with “Julia,” an excruciatingly intense one-shot wonder from Philip Barantini. Set entirely on a fateful Christmastime night at a posh London restaurant, it follows
coming-undone chef Andy (Stephen Graham) as he wrangles with a surprise health inspection, food allergies, newbie hires, demanding customers and a celebrity chef and restaurant critic who pop in to say hi and then torment him. You’ll feel like you’ve been tenderized like a tough flank steak afterwards. DETAILS >> \*\*\*; In theaters Friday.
“ZEROS AND ONES” >> If you’re looking for a straight-up Hollywood thriller, the sort where Gerald Butler runs around and bellows a lot, stay far away from this nontraditional genre film from writer/director Abel Ferrara. Set around a terrorist plot to blow up the Vatican, this gritty, shakycamera COVID-19-era product stars Ethan Hawke as a soldier on a mission to save his brother. It stays true to Ferrara’s playbook throughout its tidy 86 minutes. DETAILS >> \*\*\*; opens Friday in select theaters and on AppleTV+.