Movie recommendations from critics Justin Chang and Kenneth Turan.
Colette
Well-acted by Keira Knightley and Dominic West, Wash Westmoreland’s witty, spirited English-language biopic follows the great French writer Colette during her early marriage to a literary impresario who nurtured, exploited and ultimately betrayed her talent. (Justin Chang) R
Juliet, Naked
A charming film of an engaging, adult nature about two very different people trying to press reset in their lives, it is impressively directed by Jesse Peretz and acted with verve, passion and great skill by Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke and Chris O’Dowd. (Kenneth Turan) R
Monsters and Men
The shooting of an unarmed black man by a white police officer sets in motion three tense stories in this urgently topical yet quietly contemplative debut feature from writer-director Reinaldo Marcus Green. (Justin Chang) R
Searching
A Bay Area dad (John Cho) looks for his missing daughter in this compelling and formally innovative thriller from first-time director Aneesh Chaganty, which unfolds entirely on the characters’ computer and phone screens. (Justin Chang) PG-13
The Sisters Brothers
John C. Reilly, Joaquin Phoenix, Riz Ahmed and Jake Gyllenhaal make superb company in French director Jacques Audiard’s English-language debut, a funny, sad, brutal western about outlaws and prospectors searching for gold and deliverance in 1850s Oregon. (Justin Chang) R
A Star Is Born
No matter how many previous versions of “A Star Is Born” you’ve seen, the Bradley Cooper-Lady Gaga extravaganza about a star on the rise falling for a star on the way down should not be missed. (Kenneth Turan) R