OPENING THIS WEEK
THE BREAKING POINT
Director Michael Curtiz and actor John Garfield teamed for the fourth and last time in 1950 with this fairly faithful noir adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s novella
To Have and Have Not. Garfield is the World War II veteran turned fishing-boat captain who is so desperate to turn his life around that he rents out his boat to a lot of bad people, culminating in double-dealing, a racetrack hold-up, and a climactic gun duel at sea. It’s taut stuff, with Garfield — in his penultimate acting role — knocking it over the back wall with his turn as a PTSD-driven vet who can’t figure out how to solve his personal problems without resorting to violence. Patricia Neal is cynically comic as the femme fatale, while Phyllis Thaxter offers earthy stability as Garfield’s wife. Screening as part of Violet Crown’s Essential Cinema series, this classic is introduced by Pasatiempo contributor and film historian Robert Nott. 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 12, only. Not rated. 97 minutes. Violet Crown. (Robert Nott)
FIRST REFORMED
Rated R. 134 minutes. Violet Crown. See review, Page 46.
IN THE LAST DAYS OF THE CITY
Not rated. 118 minutes. In Arabic with subtitles. Jean Cocteau Cinema. See review, Page 47.
HEREDITARY
When Annie Graham’s (Toni Collette) reclusive mother, Ellen, passes away after a long bout with dementia, events in the Graham household begin getting very weird. Annie’s young daughter Charlie (Milly Shapiro) — who had a close relationship with her grandmother — begins to exhibit peculiar behavior. As Annie copes with the complicated feelings stemming from her abusive mother’s death, she must also deal with the potential that Ellen has passed something cryptic and supernatural to her daughter. Gabriel Byrne also stars in this horror film, which was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival. Rated R. 127 minutes. Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown. (Not reviewed)
HOTEL ARTEMIS
In the not-too-distant future, rioting and lawlessness have become so normalized in Los Angeles that when criminals are injured, they even have their own members-only emergency room they can turn to: the Hotel Artemis, an establishment ruled over by a woman known only as the Nurse (Jodie Foster). This movie documents a crazy night at the hotel, when a thief (Sterling K. Brown) brings in a prize worth a fortune and the colorful array of local criminals all want to get their hands on it. With Jeff Goldblum, Sofia Boutella, Dave Bautista, and Zachary Quinto. Rated R. 97 minutes. Regal Stadium 14. (Not reviewed)
MARY SHELLEY
Rated PG-13. 121 minutes. Violet Crown. See review, Page 48.
MOUNTAIN
Clocking in at a brisk 74 minutes and boasting awe-inspiring, high-definition footage of mountain ranges in all their glory, this film seems at times like an episode of Planet Earth. What sets it apart is the fine music by Richard Tognetti, the focus on humankind’s relationship with mountains, and lots of extreme-sports footage. Willem Dafoe provides wonderful voicework, but even at a short running time, it feels like the filmmakers eventually ran out of interesting narration for him. The climbing, skiing, biking, and jumping footage is impressive, but after repeatedly watching similar-looking people performing all the feats, the documentary uncomfortably begins to feel like a monument to white privilege — a pattern that is so glaring that the filmmakers sheepishly acknowledge it more than once. While the camerawork is indeed astounding, you’re better off feeling the majesty of the mountains by taking an afternoon drive up to the ski basin. Rated PG. 74 minutes. Violet Crown. (Robert Ker)
OCEAN’S 8
This latest entry in the loosely constructed Ocean’s 11 heist franchise swaps out the pack of suave, mostly male specialists for an all-female team. The “all-star” nature of the heist series is kept intact, however, as the cast features Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Helena Bonham Carter, Rihanna, and more. Bullock plays Debbie Ocean, sister to Danny Ocean (played by George Clooney in the contemporary films and Frank Sinatra in the original), a master thief who enlists a crack team to rip off the Met Gala. Rated PG-13. 110 minutes. Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown. (Not reviewed)
THE SEAGULL
Rated PG-13. 98 minutes. Center for Contemporary Arts. See review, Page 44.
SUPERFLY
This remake of the 1972 blaxploitation film Super Fly, directed by music-video specialist Director X, stars Trevor Jackson as Youngblood Priest, a major drug dealer with a talent for martial arts who, along with his partner Eddie (Jason Mitchell), attempts one big payday before retirement. Rap superstar Future, who co-produced the film, helped move this film to his native Atlanta and attempts to follow in the footsteps of Curtis Mayfield’s iconic 1972 score by providing the music as well. Opens Wednesday, June 13. 108 minutes. Regal Stadium 14. (Not reviewed)