Chile Pages
ALMOST HOLY
Rated R. 100 minutes. In English and Ukrainian with subtitles. Center for Contemporary Arts. See review, Page 40.
CINEFESTA ITALIA
This four-day film festival, which runs through Saturday, June 4, focuses on contemporary Italian films from the last few years, more than half of which feature first-time and/or female directors. Highlights for the remainder of the fest include movies that focus on Italian cuisine: Barolo Boys: The Story of a
Revolution at Jean Cocteau Cinema at 2 p.m. on June 4, and Terra Madre (Mother Earth), also at Jean Cocteau at 4 p.m. the same day. For a complete schedule, visit www.cinefestaitalia.com.
DHEEPAN
Not rated. 115 minutes. In Tamil and French with subtitles. The Screen. See review, Page 38.
ELSTREE 1976
Jon Spira’s ode to inconsequence takes us back to the movie studios at Elstree, in a London suburb 40 years ago and far, far away. He’s rounded up a number of the bit players from the original Star Wars (parts of which were filmed at Elstree), some of whom had a line or two, others merely glimpsed in the background. One, David Prowse, a 6-foot, 7-inch former Mr. Universe hopeful, played the major role of Darth Vader, behind that helmet, but his voice was overdubbed by James Earl Jones. Another remembers asking someone to get him a cup of coffee and later discovering that the guy was George Lucas. None of them expected much from this low-budget sci-fi movie, but they’re all immortalized now in plastic action figures, and they make a tidy bit of change signing autographs at Star Wars conventions. The movie consists mostly of interviews, filling us in on everything from the actors’ childhoods to their grandchildren. It’s an amusing bit of trivia and a reminder that some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some settle for its dust as it zooms by. Rated R. 101 minutes. The Screen. (Jonathan Richards)
THE LOBSTER
Gorgeous cinematography and a fascinating premise anchor this dystopian film about love and romance. David (Colin Farrell) has lost his wife, so he is sent to a hotel, where he has 45 days to find a new partner or be turned into an animal. Residents of the hotel hunt a tribe of loners who live in the nearby woods, where coupling is punishable by maiming. Many high-level actors — including Rachel Weisz and John C. Reilly — contribute intensely controlled performances, but there is more style than substance to this story. Rated R. 119 minutes. Regal DeVargas. (Jennifer Levin)
ME BEFORE YOU
Emilia Clarke plays Lou, a young woman who takes a job as a caregiver for a recently paralyzed man (Sam Claflin). As their time together passes, she becomes the source of inspiration through his hard times, and a romantic relationship blossoms. Screenwriter Jojo Moyes adapted the script from her own novel. Rated PG-13. 110 minutes. Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown; DreamCatcher. (Not reviewed)
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL
It’s the time of the Crusades, and King Arthur (Graham Chapman) leads his knights of the Round Table in a quest to find the Holy Grail. The British comedy group’s irreverent and still-hilarious 1975 homage to medieval swashbucklers features catapulted livestock, tap-dancing knights, nympho nuns (they want to be spanked), and a flying rabbit who bites. This doesn’t have to make sense — it just makes you laugh. In one scene, Sir Lancelot (John Cleese) slices his way through a wedding party, in which a fey groom insists on telling his story as if he’s in a movie musical. It plays as part of the film’s 40th-anniversary celebrations, with singalong screenings at 11:20 p.m. Friday, June 3, and 10 p.m. Saturday, June 4. Rated PG. 92 minutes. Jean Cocteau Cinema. (Robert Nott)
POPSTAR: NEVER STOP NEVER STOPPING
The comedy trio Lonely Island (Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, and Jorma Taccone), best known for their SNL shorts, bring their
talents to the big screen in this mockumentary about a former boy-band member named Conner Friel (that’s Conner4Real to you) who must cope with the flop of his second solo album. His extended entourage includes characters played by Will Arnett, Maya Rudolph, Tim Meadows, Sarah Silverman, and many others. Rated R. 86 minutes. Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown; DreamCatcher. (Not reviewed)
PRESENTING PRINCESS SHAW
Not rated. 83 minutes. Jean Cocteau Cinema. See review, Page 41.
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OUT OF THE SHADOWS
The 2014 Michael Bay-produced reboot of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise gets a sequel, as the four heroes must once more save New York City and chow down on pizza, dude. This time, the CGI effects that animated the turtles are applied to a wider array of their villains, including the warthog Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams), the rhinoceros Rocksteady (Stephen Farrelly), and the alien Krang (Brad Garrett). Megan Fox reprises her role as April O’Neil, the turtles’ human friend. Rated PG-13. 112 minutes. Screens in 3-D and 2-D at Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown; DreamCatcher. (Not reviewed)