NOW IN THEATERS
ALADDIN
Disney’s live-action take on its own 1992 cartoon has a bit of everything — music, romance, adventure, and comedy — with an almost-entirely non-white cast to boot. What it doesn’t seem to have is a genuine spark of life, perhaps by nature of being a close remake of a well-known film. The story centers on Aladdin (Mena Massoud), a street urchin who finds a magic lamp containing a genie (a blue-skinned Will Smith) and meets the princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott). They fall for each other, but Jasmine must marry a prince by law; meanwhile, Jafar (Marwan Kenzari), the royal vizier, schemes to land Jasmine and the kingdom for himself. The cast members are likeable (particularly Scott), yet they struggle to elevate the material beyond a mechanical shift through the paces. Director Guy Ritchie applies little of the hip, kinetic action that earned him his reputation and seems to struggle with the musical scenes. But the film’s biggest problem is that it looks cheap for something so expensive, resembling a Disneyland attraction based on a movie more than it does an actual movie. Rated PG. 128 minutes. Screens in 3D and 2D at Regal Stadium 14 and Violet Crown. Screens in 2D only at Regal Santa Fe 6. (Robert Ker)
AVENGERS: ENDGAME
Less a movie and more a victory lap combined with a curtain call, this epic adventure serves as a sequel to 2018’s superior Avengers: Infinity War and a capper to more than 10 years of Marvel movies. In this climactic installment, an array of superheroes — but primarily Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) — square off against the villain Thanos (Josh Brolin), who wiped out half of all living creatures in Infinity War. The final hour delivers all that fans could ask for, but any non-fans remaining in the universe are better off watching literally anything else. Unfortunately, the film’s first hour is rather dreary and meanders for too long, and the middle third is weighed down by a time-travel subplot — never a good sign — that only works in fits and starts. The plot is a whole bunch of nonsense, but that’s beside the point. Laughs will be shared, tears will be shed, and box office records will be broken. Your favorite characters will get a moment or two in the spotlight, and you’ll feel satisfied, if perhaps a bit befuddled and overwhelmed. Rated PG-13. 181 minutes. Screens in 2D only at Regal Santa Fe 6, Regal Stadium 14, and Violet Crown. (Robert Ker)
BE NATURAL: THE UNTOLD STORY OF ALICE GUYBLACHÉ
Alice Guy-Blaché was a pioneer of cinema, the first female filmmaker, the first filmmaker to recognize the potential of the technology to accomplish more than simply recording daily life. She was the first to make a narrative film
(The Cabbage Fairy, 1896) and one of the early innovators in sync sound and color, long before Al Jolsen declared “You ain’t heard nothin’ yet!” That she is largely unknown today is a scandal. She began as a secretary to French inventor Léon Gaumont, quickly seized the opportunity to direct, and ultimately made over 1,000 films in France and America. Director Pamela B. Green has created a visually lively presentation and has done a thrilling job of research and detective work, tracking down family members; unearthing lost troves of celluloid, letters, and other memorabilia; and putting together a fascinating portrait of a true giant of the cinema. If you’re a movie buff, this may be one of the most exciting movies you’ll see this year. And it should do its part to ensure that Alice Guy-Blaché is, in the words of the current New
York Times revisionist obituary series, overlooked no more. 103 minutes. In English and some French with subtitles. Jean Cocteau Cinema. (Jonathan Richards)
BOOKSMART
In this twist on the Superbad formula, Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein play two intelligent feminist besties who, on the eve of their high school graduation, realize that they should have studied less and partied more. The pair attempt to make up for four years of lost time with one big blowout, which finds them on the unforgettable trail of raunchy adventures at numerous parties. Along the way, they cross paths with a number of friends, enemies, and frenemies, with romantic potential coming and going without ever lingering too long in the foreground. Actress Olivia Wilde, in her directorial debut, takes her time in getting the film’s momentum going, but once familiarity and affection for the characters settle in, the ride becomes breezy, charming, and often funny. Like many of the best high school films, it conjures a time when you didn’t know anything but thought you knew everything, when you faced a vibrant future while also bidding farewell to friends and acquaintances that you didn’t realize you cared so much about. Rated R. 102 minutes. Regal Stadium 14 and Violet Crown. (Robert Ker)
BRIGHTBURN
This sci-fi movie blends the superhero genre with horror, telling the story of an alien kid (Jackson A. Dunn) who crashes down near a small town in America. He is adopted by a couple (Elizabeth Banks and David Denman) who realize as he grows up that he possesses superpowers. It is at this point, however, that this bad seed departs from the Superman mythology, as his impulses are murderous, and with his powers, he’s seemingly unstoppable. James Gunn (director of Guardians of the Galaxy) co-produced this film, which was written by his brother Brian and cousin Mark and directed by David Yarovesky. Rated R. 91 minutes. Regal Stadium 14 and Violet Crown. (Not reviewed)
THE CHAPERONE
Boasting the creator (Julian Fellowes), a director (Michael Engler), and a prominent actress (Elizabeth McGovern) from the BBC’s Downton Abbey, this film centers on a young dancer (Haley Lu Richardson) in the 1920s who travels from Kansas to New York City to pursue her dreams of becoming famous but is only allowed to do so if accompanied by a chaperone (McGovern). Far from their conservative home in America’s heartland, the two women experience separate journeys of self-discovery. Miranda Otto and Blythe Danner also star. Not rated. 103 minutes. Jean Cocteau Cinema. (Not reviewed)
THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA
In Mexican and borderland folklore, La Llorona is the ghost of a woman who once drowned her children. She haunts everyone she encounters, wailing for her lost babies as she searches for them. That myth is very loosely adapted for this film, which is tenuously connected to The
Conjuring franchise — a cameo by series regular Father Perez (Tony Amendola) and a two-second shot of the haunted doll Annabelle about covers it. In this installment, a social worker named Anna (Linda Cardellini) realizes that La Llorona has attached itself to her in an attempt to get to her children. She turns to a disgruntled priest (Raymond Cruz) to help get rid of the ghost. The scene-setting is well done, but the film is over-reliant on jump scares, which become predictable once you have a feel for their beats. The 1970s domestic setting and fine acting by the charming Cardellini give it a warmth that last year’s dismal The Nun lacked. A little more meat on its bones would have elevated it beyond a mere vehicle for incessant date-night frights and into the upper tier of Conjuring films. Rated R. 93 minutes. Regal Stadium 14. (Robert Ker)
A DOG’S JOURNEY
This sequel to 2017’s A Dog’s Purpose serves up another tale based on the pooch-themed books by W. Bruce Cameron. The stories center on the notion that dogs possess a soul that is passed from one to the next through reincarnation, and in this film, Josh Gad once more provides the voice for that soul. At the start of the film Gad voices Bailey, the beloved hound owned by Ethan Montgomery (Dennis Quaid). Bailey forms a bond with Ethan’s baby granddaughter CJ, but when Ethan’s daughter Gloria (Betty Gilpin) moves away, Bailey must embark on a journey through several dog bodies until he can reunite with her. Rated PG. 108 minutes. Regal Stadium 14. (Not reviewed)
THE HUSTLE
This loose remake of the 1988 comedy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels flips the gender of the two leads, casting Rebel Wilson as Lonnie, a small-time grifter who meets Josephine (Anne Hathaway), a high-class con artist. Josephine takes the uncouth Lonnie under her wing and attempts to refine her tastes and teach her skills. As Lonnie grows more savvy, if not more suave, the two form a partnership to take down the men who did them wrong. Rated PG-13. 94 minutes. Regal Stadium 14. (Not reviewed)
JOHN WICK 3: CHAPTER 3 PARABELLUM
Those who are tired of resorting to superhero movies for their cinematic action have found refuge in the R-rated violence of Keanu Reeves’ fitted-suitwearing hitman John Wick — even if Wick himself disposes of enemies with ease and seems as indestructible as a superhero. While these films’ action scenes are expertly staged, inventive, and sprinkled with humor and gore, their pleasures also involve watching the world’s mythology gradually expand. In this installment, Wick finds himself with a $14 million bounty on
his head after killing a member of a powerful assassin’s guild in the last film, and he must fight his way out of New York City as chaos reigns down around him. Cast members Halle Berry, Ian McShane, Anjelica Huston, and Laurence Fishburne all take juicy bites out of their supporting roles, while Asia Kate Dillon emerges as an enticing new villain. The John Wick movies are a vibe, and series director Chad Stahelski coats it with a visual veneer that’s far more sumptuous and stylish than the material requires. Rated R. 130 minutes. Regal Santa Fe 6, Regal Stadium 14, and Violet Crown. (Robert Ker)
LONG SHOT
In this smart romantic comedy, foxy overachiever Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) used to babysit for nerdy weirdo Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen), who clearly had a big crush on her back in the day. The two reconnect as adults when Charlotte, now the U.S. secretary of state, hires Fred, now an unemployed journalist, to personalize her speeches while she mounts a run for the presidency. The unlikely pair fly all over the globe while he crafts a new, relatable image for her. He humanizes her ice-queen persona, and she finds him to be cuddly, insightful, and loyal. But the optics of their budding love are all wrong, and the public seems to want her to consummate a flirtation with the prime minister of Canada (Alexander Skarsgård). Jonathan Levine directs a savvy script by Liz Hannah and Dan Sterling, shaping Long
Shot into a spirited, absorbing farce that’s full of heart — and subversive, hilarious jokes about feminism, racial inequality, and politics. The strange chemistry between Rogen and Theron actually works, and despite a few crude trappings, an irresistible sweetness pervades. The rom-com is not dead; long live the rom-com. Rated R. 125 minutes. Violet Crown. (Molly Boyle)
POKÉMON: DETECTIVE PIKACHU
A video game is what Detective Pikachu, directed by Rob Letterman, is based on, but its sense of cinematic history extends at least to 1988 and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, to which it owes a debt. Tim (Justice Smith) has a deep-seated dislike for Pokémon creatures, just as Bob Hoskins’ private eye did for ‘toons in Roger Rabbit. That aversion is tested when he teams up with Pikachu (voiced by Ryan Reynolds), his father’s detecting partner, after the father appears to have been killed in an accident. The narrative seems designed to be followed by even those with the shortest attention spans; plot points get repeated in case you’ve decided to look down to send a text message; and the imagery lacks weight and texture. This is 1 hour and 44 minutes of Pikachu short-circuiting your brain. Rated PG. 104 minutes. Screens in 2D only at Regal Santa Fe 6, Regal Stadium 14, and Violet Crown. (Ben Kenigsberg/The New York Times)
RED JOAN
In the 20th century, Melita Norwood was a British secretary who supplied the Soviet Union with nuclear secrets that helped the Soviets build the nuclear bomb. Author Jennie Rooney wrote a novel based on Norwood’s life in 2013, changing her name to Joan Stanley. Judi Dench stars as Stanley in this adaptation of the novel; Sophie Cookson plays her as a younger woman. The film shows how the young Stanley became radicalized and what her motivations were. Rated R. 101 minutes. The Screen. (Not reviewed)
WALKING ON WATER
This documentary profiles Christo, the Bulgarian artist famous for making large-scale environmental installations along with his wife, Jeanne-Claude, and then solo after her 2009 death. It focuses on Floating Piers, his first project without JeanneClaude (although they conceived it together in 1970). The work involves floating walkways installed at Lake Iseo in Italy, and this film follows him on the journey as he brings the project to life, through complicated logistics and potential danger. Not rated. 105 minutes. The Screen. (Not reviewed)
THE WHITE CROW
The third feature from director Ralph Fiennes follows famed dancer Rudolf Nureyev from his birth on a trans-Siberian train, through his youth in the povertystricken city of Ufa and his ballet training in Leningrad, to his defection from the Soviet Union at a Paris airport in 1961. But Fiennes biopic, while occasionally reaching high notes, particularly in its too few dance sequences, suffers from a narrative structure in which the events in the life of Nureyev (convincingly portrayed by first-time actor Oleg Ivenko) are told out of sequence. The structure undermines a sense of growing tension leading up to the fateful day when he risked never seeing his family again for a newfound freedom. In the last few moments the tension becomes visceral and the stakes feel high, but it’s too little, too late. And that’s too bad considering the enlivening dance sequences, which are marked by gorgeous, enchanting color photography that stands in stark contrast to the near-monochromatic tones depicting the young dancer’s early life in Ufa. Rated R. 127 minutes. in English, Russian, and French with subtitles. Center for Contemporary Arts. (Michael Abatemarco)