Chile Pages
BOUNDARIES
In this indie road-trip comedy, Laura (Vera Farmiga) drives her teenage son Henry (Lewis MacDougall) and her eccentric father Jack (Christopher Plummer) across the country after Jack is booted from his retirement home for, among other things, dealing marijuana — a scheme that he plans to continue to perform out of the trunk of her car. Despite the fact that Laura and Jack have never gotten along well, the drive and the adventures they have along the way help the two grow closer. Christopher Lloyd and Peter Fonda play two of the people they encounter on their travels. Rated R. 104 minutes. Violet Crown. (Not reviewed)
THE CAPTAIN
The effects of fascism are explored in this World War II drama about Willi Harold (Max Hubacher), a German soldier who impersonated an officer and used this power to murder the inmates at prison camps, eventually earning the name “The Executioner of Emsland.” Director Robert Schwentke (The Time
Traveler’s Wife) tells his story. Not rated. 118 minutes. In German with subtitles. Center for Contemporary Arts. (Not reviewed)
EVOLUTION OF ORGANIC
Frances McDormand narrates this documentary about the origin of organic agriculture, told from the perspective of some of the prominent early farmers. Filmmaker Mark Kitchell tells the tale of hippies and the children of family farmers as they sought alternatives to chemical-based farming and created a movement that eventually broke into mainstream culture. Not rated. 77 minutes. Jean Cocteau Cinema. (Not reviewed)
KIN
A young boy named Elijah (Myles Truitt) finds a powerful weapon made from alien technology, and uses it to protect his older brother Jimmy (Jack Reynor), a recently released exconvict. Soon, however, the two brothers find themselves on the run from both the extraterrestrial owners of the gun, and a powerful crime family led by a ruthless gangster (James Franco). Dennis Quaid plays the two brother’s father, and Zoë Kravitz portrays Jimmy’s girlfriend. Rated PG-13. 102 minutes. Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown. (Not reviewed)
THE LITTLE STRANGER
This Gothic horror based on the 2009 novel by Sarah Waters centers on a country doctor (Domhnall Gleeson) in 1947, who visits a patient in a decrepit old house where his mother once worked as a servant. While there, he falls for Caroline Ayers (Ruth Wilson), the daughter of Angela Ayers (Charlotte Rampling), the matriarch of the crumbling estate. The more time he spends in the house, however, the more he realizes that it contains dark secrets — including some that pertain to him. Lenny Abrahamson (Room) directs. Rated R. 111 minutes. Violet Crown. (Not reviewed)
MADELINE’S MADELINE
Not rated. 90 minutes. Jean Cocteau Cinema. See review, Page 46.
THE MYSTERY OF PICASSO
Rated PG. 75 minutes. In French with subtitles. The Screen. See review, Page 44.
SEARCHING
When teenage Margot Kim (Michelle La) disappears, her father (John Cho) enlists the help of a detective (Debra Messing) and goes through Margot’s laptop to figure out what happened to her. As he slowly contacts everyone in her social media contact lists, he discovers that his daughter is not who he thought she was. Co-writer and director Aneesh Chaganty shot the film entirely from the perspective of computer, tablet, and smartphone screens. Rated PG-13. 102 minutes. Regal Stadium 14. (Not reviewed)
YA VEREMOS
This comedy stars Santi (Emiliano Aramayo) as a young boy whose parents (Mauricio Ochmann and Fernanda Castillo) have split. When he is diagnosed with an illness that threatens to take his eyesight, he wishes for his parents to get back together. Despite their distaste for one another, his parents do their best to oblige him. This movie enjoyed the second-biggest opening of all time for a Mexican film when it debuted in Mexico earlier this year. Rated PG-13. 85 minutes. In Spanish with subtitles. Regal Stadium 14. (Not reviewed)
ALPHA
The origins of the relationship between human and dog are explored in this fable set in the last ice age. Kodi Smit-McPhee (Nightcrawler in the recent X-Men movies) plays Keda, a young hunter who is separated from his tribe and left for dead in the wilderness of what is now Europe. He is hunted by wolves, and when he injures one, something keeps him from finishing it off. The two form a bond and embark on a journey to get Keda home. Rated PG-13. 96 minutes. Screens in 2D only at Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown. (Not reviewed)
A.X.L.
The future of artificial intelligence resides in A.X.L. (Attack, Exploration, Logistics), a robotic dog developed by the military to fight and protect soldiers. When the prototype for this machine goes missing, it is found by a young man named Miles Hill (Alex Neustaedter), who activates A.X.L.’s owner-animal pairing technology and forms a bond with it. The two of them must then protect A.X.L. from its creators, who are eager to get it back. Rated PG. 100 minutes. Regal Stadium 14. (Not reviewed)
BLACKKKLANSMAN
Director Spike Lee’s career is full of peaks and valleys, and his latest film finds him reaching crowd-pleasing heights once more. It’s a dramedy based on the true story of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), an African-American detective in 1970s Colorado Springs who goes undercover to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan. Using the phone most of the time — and sending a proxy (Adam Driver) when face time is required — Stallworth does such a good job that he becomes close with national Grand Wizard David Duke (an oddly cast Topher Grace). Because it’s a Spike Lee joint, all of the filmmaker’s strengths and weaknesses are on display. There are bold creative choices and excellent work by supporting cast members (watch for Harry Belafonte’s powerhouse turn), yet an excessive amount of cuts make even simple scenes feel busy. Lee’s toolbox is full of nothing but blunt objects, so don’t go in expecting subtlety; however, it’s refreshing to see racial divisions in America addressed so directly. The plot is gripping and there are funny jokes, but brace yourself for the gut-punch connection to modern times that closes the film. Rated R. 135 minutes. Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown. (Robert Ker)
THE CAKEMAKER
Thomas (Tim Kalkhof), a baker in Berlin, finds his life transformed when a handsome Israeli man named Oren (Roy Miller) makes a pass at him. Oren has a wife and child back home in Israel, but he makes monthly visits to Berlin through work, and an affair blossoms between the two men, until Oren suddenly dies in a car crash. Stricken with grief and for reasons unclear, Thomas travels to Jerusalem and, without revealing his identity, takes a job baking in a café owned by Oren’s wife, Anat (Sarah Adler). As they become close, Thomas’ secret threatens to come into the open. From these simple story elements, a gripping, insightful, and unpredictable drama arises. Writer and director Ofir Raul Graizer keeps his gestures quiet, and the cast rewards him with sturdy and subtle performances, with Adler shining in particular. Graizer also uses the preparation of food as a shared connection, capable of conveying emotion beyond words. Not rated. 113 minutes. In English, Hebrew, and German with subtitles. Center for Contemporary Arts. (Robert Ker)
CHRISTOPHER ROBIN
It’s hard to imagine what Disney was thinking with this weird and just plain wrong imagining of Winnie the Pooh’s Christopher Robin as an adult (Ewan McGregor) who fights in World War II and emerges a dour workaholic. He neglects his wife (Hayley Atwell) and daughter (Bronte Carmichael) until becoming reunited with Pooh (voiced by Jim Cummings) and his other imaginary childhood friends — most notably Tigger (also Cummings), Eeyore (Brad Garrett), and Piglet (Nick Mohammed). Director Marc Forster gives the tale an elegant, pastoral look, and the film offers the occasional chuckle for the littlest members of the audience. The plot is feebly constructed, and the special effects used to bring the stuffed animals to life offer up fuel for nightmares. The worst thing about the movie is that it exists at all — the characters of the Hundred Acre Wood are a celebration of a child’s imagination, and as such, A.A. Milne’s books end with Robin growing older and saying farewell in one of the most bittersweet and poetic finales in literature. The idea that the characters should live on forever, comes across as a cynical attempt by Disney to keep the property alive. Rated PG. 104 minutes. Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown. (Robert Ker)
CIELO
“It seems like we watch the sky less and less,” says director Alison McAlpine in her documentary tribute to the beauty and wonder of the night sky. In urban areas, it’s difficult to appreciate the profundities inherent in the vast mantle of stars. But in Chile’s Atacama Desert, where astronomers observe the heavens from the Las Campanas and La Silla observatories, it seems impossible not to be impacted by its mysteries and magic. Part science documentary and part love letter to the night sky, Cielo is a moving, inspiring film shot by cinematographer Benjamín Echazarreta using time lapse photography that captures views of the cosmos and the desert landscape with a majesty that matches the films contemplative tone. Not rated. 78 minutes. In English, Spanish, and French with subtitles. Center for Contemporary Arts. (Michael Abatemarco)
CRAZY RICH ASIANS
Based on the bestselling novel by Kevin Kwan,
Crazy Rich Asians crosses a classic fish-out-ofwater romantic comedy with a fun millennial sensibility. NYU economics professor Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) is head over heels in love with her dashing boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding), who has been hiding a very big secret — he’s the filthy rich scion of a Singapore real estate dynasty. When Nick invites her to accompany him to the lavish wedding of his best friend in Singapore, Chu is thrust into a glaring spotlight, scrutinized by Nick’s snobby mother (Michelle Yeoh), grandmother (Lisa Lu), and a passel of jealous onlookers, none of whom think an ordinary Asian-American girl is good enough for the Prince Harry of Singapore. Using all her charm and wit — as well as the support of her wisecracking college roommate (Awkwafina) — Rachel does her best to win over Nick’s family and friends, with mostly disastrous and hilarious results. Chockablock with breakout performances, the film is a dizzying, madcap cultural immersion. It should serve as a reminder to Hollywood that when it’s executed with a sense of ingenuity and an emphasis on diversity, the old-school rom-com marriage plot always makes for a damn fine movie. Rated PG-13. 120 minutes. Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown. (Molly Boyle)
THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS
Brian Henson, son of Jim Henson and producer of films such as
The Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppets from Space, turns to the dark side of puppetry with this raunchy, R-rated comedy. Melissa McCarthy plays Connie Edwards, a detective who teams with a puppet private investigator to figure out why all of the puppets of a 1980s children’s TV show are being murdered one by one. Elizabeth Banks and Maya Rudolph also star. Rated R. 91 minutes. Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown. (Not reviewed)
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION
Beloved animator Genndy Tartakovsky returns for his third film in this series based on Todd Durham’s book about a hotel for monsters run by Count Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler), his vampire daughter (Selena Gomez), and human son-in-law (Andy Samberg). In this episode, the whole gang (including monsters voiced by Kevin James, David Spade, Mel Brooks, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, and Fran Drescher) decide they need a little R&R, so they take a monster cruise. While aboard, Dracula falls for the ship’s captain (Kathryn Hahn) — only to find that she’s the great granddaughter of Abraham Van Helsing (Jim Gaffigan), his longtime nemesis. Rated PG. 97 minutes. Screens in 2D only at Regal Stadium 14. (Not reviewed)
THE MEG
You’re going to need a much bigger boat to land the latest shark to stalk summer cinema: it’s the Carcharodon Megalodon, a 75-foot-long behemoth that was long thought to be extinct. This monster is so massive and dangerous that a hero no less rugged than Jason Statham is required to stop it. Statham is Jonas Taylor, a rescue diver who attempts to save the trapped crew of an undersea observatory when he encounters the shark. Li Bingbing plays his young daughter, and Rainn Wilson plays the billionaire who accidentally unleashes the Megalodon with his ambitious underwater observation program. Rated PG-13. 113 minutes. Screens in 2D only at Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown. (Not reviewed)
MILE 22
Director Peter Berg and star Mark Wahlberg have established a rapport, having collaborated on three movies since 2013: Lone
Survivor, Deepwater Horizon, and Patriots Day. Their latest effort centers on James Silva (Wahlberg), a member of an elite and covert CIA unit that is tasked with sneaking an agent (martial arts star Iko Uwais) through 22 miles of hostile territory and into America, where he can prevent a major terrorist attack. John Malkovich and Lauren Cohan also star. Rated R. 95 minutes. Regal Stadium 14. (Not reviewed)
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — FALLOUT
In an era when blockbuster movies mean superheroes, science fiction, and special effects until your eyes glaze over, it’s refreshing to watch an action movie that relies on helicopter and motorcycle chases, bathroom punch-em-ups, ticking timebombs, and even literal cliffhangers. In the case of this, the sixth Mission: Impossible film, that’s down to star Tom Cruise, who — with a pathological determination — insists on doing many stunts himself. Once more, he is Impossible Missions Force agent Ethan Hunt, who is called upon to save the world when a bunch of plutonium goes missing and Solomon Lane (Sean Harris), long under custody, shakes free. Henry Cavill, most famous for playing Superman in the recent DC movies, serves as an excellent foil for Hunt, and the chase is on. Director Christopher McQuarrie offers a sure hand for the crackerjack action sequences and classic spy-movie tropes, which is the whole reason to see the film. Rated PG-13. 147 minutes. Screens in 2D only at Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown. (Robert Ker)
OPERATION FINALE
Post-World War II Argentina is the setting for this drama, which centers on Peter Malkin (Oscar Isaac), an Israeli spy charged with tracking down Adolf Eichmann (Ben Kingsley), one of the major orchestrators of the Final Solution and the Holocaust. When Malkin finds Eichmann, the question becomes whether or not he will kill him before he is able to deliver him to trial. Chris Weitz directs. Mélanie Laurent and Nick Kroll also star. Rated PG-13. Regal Stadium 14; Violet Crown. (Not reviewed)
PAPILLON
Danish director Michael Noer invades sacred ground in taking on a remake of the 1973 classic by Franklin J. Schaffner that boasted a screenplay by Dalton Trumbo and Lorenzo Semple Jr. and iconic performances by Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. Charlie Hunnam gets the nod as McQueen’s title character. He’s buff, he’s cool, and he’s a decent actor. For the role of his wispy pal, a counterfeiter named Louis Dega, the call to fill Hoffman’s shoes went out to Rami Malek. If you squint, you can conjure a glimpse of the originals here. But the movie overcommits to the brutality of the story and gets mired down in one pulverizing, smash-mouth fight after another, leavening the action with a naked shower scene. For those who want more blood, a few stabbings and disembowelings and a decapitation make their way in. The bond between the two main characters is reached for, but it never quite jells. Rated R. 133 minutes. Violet Crown. (Jonathan Richards)
PUZZLE
Agnes (Kelly Macdonald in a lovely, nuanced performance) is a suburban lifer, a mousy, resigned little woman whose life is immured by her home, her family, and her church. She hasn’t been to nearby New York City in many years. Her husband Louie (David Denman) is a big burly garage owner. He loves his wife, but treats her with the well-meaning, unthinking chauvinism of a man totally unaware of an alternative. When she gets a jigsaw puzzle as a birthday present, things begin to change. She turns out to have a savant’s facility for puzzles, and her new passion opens up her world. She answers an ad for a competition partner, and meets Robert (Irrfan Khan), a charming, handsome New Yorker. Her blossoming self-confidence emerges like a flower in stop-motion, and it affects everyone around her. Where’s it all going? That’s the real puzzle here. The pieces snap into place, and the picture emerges at the end. Rated R. 103 minutes. Center for Contemporary Arts; Violet Crown. (Jonathan Richards)
SLENDER MAN
The titular villain of this horror movie is based on an internet meme that originated on the “Something Awful” forum, which features a tall, thin figure that appears to haunt the background of (and often has been Photoshopped into) found photographs. Strange folklore about this figure has been passed around the internet just for fun, and now the creature appears in a movie. Joey King plays Wren, one of several teenage girls who stumble into the Slender Man myth online and soon find it infects their minds like a virus, stalking them and driving them mad in real life. Rated PG-13. 93 minutes. Regal Stadium 14. (Not reviewed)
SUPPORT THE GIRLS
This endearing yet oddly paced dark dramedy takes place primarily in a small-town sports bar where the girls may wear crop tops and short shorts, but their manager, the motherly Lisa (Regina Hall) will boot unruly patrons right out the door, no questions asked. Support the Girls is a slyly feminist film that addresses the line between exploiting one’s assets and being exploited, and frankly addresses some race and class issues without becoming didactic. The directing is uneven, however, and the movie never really settles on a consistent tone. Rated R. 90 minutes. Jean Cocteau Cinema. (Jennifer Levin)