NOW IN THEATERS
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR
If you’ve been following the Marvel movies since Iron Man debuted in 2008, then this is the moment you’ve been waiting for — when all of your favorites come together. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) join the more recent additions to the universe such as Spider- Man ( Tom Holland), Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), and the Guardians of the Galaxy. They’re teaming up to fight a new villain, Thanos (Josh Brolin), who aims to kill off half the life forms in the universe. The weapons he needs, the Infinity Stones, are scattered among the Marvel heroes, who mix and match in different combinations — often with delightful results — to prevent him from acquiring them. The film nicely balances a wide array of storylines, mixing humor and pathos and taking viewers to some far- out locales worthy of the psychedelic comics upon which these worlds are based. This movie will deliver everything fans hoped for. If you haven’t seen many Marvel movies, however, Infinity War will scarcely seem like a film at all to you — just a series of chaotic events without a beginning or end, with random payoffs to character arcs that were set up six movies ago. Rated PG-13. 149 minutes. Screens in 2-D only at Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown. (Robert Ker)
BOOK CLUB
The all- star quartet of Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen play a group of friends who are well- off, if a bit bored. They don’t realize how listless their sex lives have become until they read Fifty Shades of Grey in their book club. The saucy novel about sadomasochism inspires the four women to spice things up in their own bedrooms, and in some cases, to find new partners. Andy Garcia, Craig T. Nelson, Richard Dreyfuss, and Don Johnson play the objects of their advances. Rated PG. 104 minutes. Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown. (Not reviewed)
BREAKING IN
Gabrielle Union plays Shaun Russell, a mother who brings her children to her recently deceased father’s house in the country. She is surprised to find he had equipped his home with an advanced security system complete with fortress-like barriers and an array of surveillance cameras. Her suspicions about her father having a secret life are confirmed when a gang of violent crooks enter the house looking for a hidden prize, locking themselves in with her kids. They soon find out they have messed with the wrong mother. Rated PG-13. 88 minutes. Regal Stadium 14. (Not reviewed)
DEADPOOL 2
Hot Topic shoppers, rejoice! The fourth-wall-breaking, wiseacre mercenary Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) is back for another round of ultraviolent, crotch- kicking superhero action. This time, his cast is expanded when he teams up with the scene-stealing Domino (Zazie Beetz) to prevent a military bruiser named Cable (Josh Brolin) from killing a kid (Julian Dennison) who, in the future, is destined to murder Cable’s family. The madcap pursuit is usually well- staged (director David Leitch worked as a stuntman before helming last year’s
Atomic Blonde), but the film is a comedy first, and admirably persistent in its irreverence. Nary 30 seconds go by without a joke of some kind, be it sharp-witted or (mostly) juvenile, and just by playing the numbers game, the cast and filmmakers scrape together their share of laughs. The offbeat romance at the core of the first film is missed, however, and the concept, characters, and tone ultimately wear out their welcome. After the last bullet is fired and the last butt is bared, make sure to stay for the scene in the middle of the credits, which is the best bit in the whole film. Rated R. 119 minutes. Jean Cocteau Cinema; Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown. (Robert Ker)
DISOBEDIENCE
Chilean director Sebastián Leilo ( l ast year’s Oscar- winning A Fantastic Woman), in his f irst English- language film, tackles a number of complex issues, but they’re all bound up in one way or another with the issue of freedom. New York photographer Ronit (Rachel Weisz) returns to London for the funeral of her orthodox rabbi father, from whom she has been long estranged. There she rekindles a passionate affair with her friend Esti (Rachel McAdams), now married to her father’s rabbinical protégé Dovid (Alessandro Nivola). The emotional centerpiece of this story, based on the novel by Naomi Alderman, is the love scene between the two women. It’s passionate and explicit without being graphic. The sex is the lightning, but the rumble of thunder that echoes through this film is its exploration of choices and conventions, of smothering restrictions and societal pressures, and the human ideal of freedom. How it all works out, what decisions and life choices are arrived at, and how much that ideal is realized are things you will guess at, and watch unfold. Rated R. 104 minutes. Violet Crown. (Jonathan Richards)
ISLE OF DOGS
There are plenty of dogs and one hell of an island in this splendid Wes Anderson animated adventure. Trash Island is a garbage dump off the coast of a Japanese city ruled by dastardly Mayor Kobayashi (Kunichi Nomura), where all the dogs of the city are exiled on account of a mysterious illness. But when the mayor’s orphaned nephew Atari (Koyu Rankin) crash- lands his plane on the island to rescue his canine best friend Spots (Liev Schreiber), the game’s afoot! The pack of dogs that join Atari in his quest includes Rex (Edward Norton), the leader; King (Bob Balaban), a former TV spokesdog; Boss (Bill Murray), a baseball team mascot; and Duke (Jeff Goldblum), a rumormongrel. And then there’s Chief (Bryan
Cranston), a stray who’s never submitted to human ownership. The human dialogue is delivered mostly in untranslated Japanese. The language barrier emphasizes the gap between humans and dogs — barks are rendered in English. It’s all smart, funny, and full of character, and the plot, while convoluted, never ceases to engage. The visuals are extraordinary, there’s excitement, suspense, and tugs at the heartstrings, and plenty of topical relevance. Rated PG-13. 101 minutes. In English and Japanese with occasional subtitles. Violet Crown. (Jonathan Richards)
LIFE OF THE PARTY
Melissa McCarthy’s latest comedy finds her embodying a role similar to Rodney Dangerfield’s in Back to School — that of a middle-aged wisecracker who finds herself back in the partyhardy campus life. She plays Deanna, a woman who decides to complete her degree after her husband (Matt Walsh) leaves her. She joins her daughter (Molly Gordon) at college, and discovers fun and frat parties as well as her untapped potential, fresh romance, and a new lease on life. Rated PG-13. 105 minutes. Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown. (Not reviewed)
OVERBOARD
It’s hard to discern who was clamoring for a remake of the popular 1987 Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell comedy, but this update flips the genders of the two lead parts to keep things fresh. Anna Faris, a comic actress worthy of stepping into Hawn’s shoes, plays a housecleaner who is treated poorly by her billionaire boss (played by Eugenio Derbez, who is a major star in Mexico). When he falls off his yacht and suffers amnesia, the maid tricks him into thinking he’s her husband and teaches him how to perform manual labor and treat people with respect. Rated PG-13. 112 minutes. Screens in English and Spanish with subtitles at Regal Stadium 14. (Not reviewed)
POPE FRANCIS: A MAN OF HIS WORD
German filmmaker Wim Wenders ( Wings of Desire) directs this documentary about Pope Francis. Wenders is granted several sit- down interviews with the pontiff, who was once an Argentine clergyman named Jorge Mario Bergoglio, and also follows him around the world as he attempts to spread his message of hope, peace, and equality. Not rated. 96 minutes. In Spanish, German, and Italian with subtitles. Violet Crown. (Not reviewed)
A QUIET PLACE
John Krasinski, best known for clowning around as Jim on The Office, directs and stars in this horror movie with his real-life wife, Emily Blunt. They play a married couple with two children who live on a farm in upstate New York. There, they are stalked by mysterious creatures that hunt by the sense of sound, forcing them to live their lives in total silence. The premise requires a fair amount of suspension of disbelief — it’s hard not to think that a little soundproofing would go a long way, and no matter how fast and lethal these creatures may be, animals with five senses should theoretically have the upper hand over opponents with only one. Put that aside, however, and you’re left with a well- crafted thriller with cool creature design, superb acting, innovative use of sound and silence, and a great deal of heart. Rated PG-13. 90 minutes. Regal Stadium 14. (Robert Ker)
RAMPAGE
In the latest conversion of a video- game property to the big screen, Hollywood turns to an unlikely source: Rampage, the 1986 game in which monsters destroy cities. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson plays Davis Okoye, a primatologist whose only companion is his pet gorilla. When a genetic experiment transforms this gorilla into a giant monster, Okoye must search for an antidote — not only for his pet but for the other monsters wreaking havoc on the country. Rated PG-13. 107 minutes. Screens in 2-D only at Regal Stadium 14. (Not reviewed)
RBG
This affectionate, deeply moving documentary traces the ascent of Ruth Bader Ginsburg from her childhood in Brooklyn, through her years as a standout in law school, to a career as a litigator, federal judge, and finally Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. The film focuses on her as a champion of equal rights and underscores her increasing willingness to express dissent on a court whose complexion has veered to the right during her quarter-century tenure. Serious and sometimes stern, she has become an unlikely pop icon, but this film clarifies why her partisans are passionate. Santa Fe makes some cameo appearances. Rated PG. 98 minutes. Center for Contemporary Arts; Violet Crown. (James M. Keller)
THE RIDER
A young bucking bronc rider from the Pine Ridge Reservation suffers a near-fatal injury that curtails his rodeo career, forcing him to accept new limitations — some of which challenge his deepest notions of manhood. The sophomore film by writer- director Chloé Zhao is one of the year’s most bravura features, delivering a stunning and radiant lyricism out of the most hardscrabble and realistic background. The actors are all non-professionals, making this accomplishment all the more heartfelt and honest. Starring the Jandreau family — son Brady, tough-minded father Tim, and spirited autistic sister Lilly. Rated R. 104 minutes. Center for Contemporary Arts. (Jon Bowman)
SHOW DOGS
Will Arnett and Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges play an unlikely duo in this buddy- cop movie — with Bridges voicing a wisecracking Rottweiler. In this world, humans and canines can communicate, and these two cops must work undercover to break up an animal smuggling ring that operates under the guise of a Las Vegas dog show. Alan Cumming, Stanley Tucci, Gabriel Iglesias, and Shaquille O’Neal also lend their voices to pooches, and Natasha Lyonne plays another human. Director Raja Gosnell also helmed Beverly Hills Chihuahua and Scooby-Doo, so he has taken the talking-dog genre for a walk around the block before. Rated PG. 92 minutes. Regal Stadium 14. (Not reviewed)
TULLY
The third teaming of director Jason Reitman with writer Diablo Cody finds them examining further adventures in womanhood, after teenage pregnancy ( Juno) and narcissistic adulthood ( Young Adult). Charlize Theron, carrying 50 extra pounds, plays the postpartum Marlo, who is overwrought by the demands of motherhood. She has a precocious daughter (Lia Frankland), a son on the autism spectrum (Asher Milles Fallica), a needy newborn, and a fairly useless husband (Ron Livingston) — so her well-off brother (Mark Duplass) offers to pay for a night nurse to bring order to her chaotic household. Enter Tully (a delightful Mackenzie Davis), who tells Marlo, “I’m here to take care of you,” equating her with the baby. Through their growing friendship, Marlo recaptures some of the wonder she misses about her childless youth. The film isn’t really funny, but it does bittersweet well, hitting on some sharp truths about the emotions and fatigues of mothering. A twist at the end is not quite as interesting as it thinks it is. The reason to watch is Theron, who is fearless and frequently explosive, letting it all — including her big belly — hang out. Rated R. 96 minutes. Violet Crown. (Molly Boyle)