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Bang: The Bert Berns Story Though recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this 1960s songwriter and record producer remains virtually unknown. This energetic, highly musical and entertaining documentary makes the case for his rediscovery. Not rated. 94 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Born in China A documentary from Disneynature filmed in the wilds of China and focusing on animal life including a mother and baby panda and a golden snub-nosed monkey. Not reviewed. Rated G. 66 minutes.
The Boss Baby “Madagascar” director Tom McGrath returns with a satisfying animated comedy about a corporate baby (voiced by Alec Baldwin) making life miserable for a 7-year-old boy. But there are distracting side plots — and side plots to the side plots — that keep the movie from rising to greatness. Rated PG. 97 minutes. — P. Hartlaub
Chuck This Chuck Wepner boxing biopic has two big things going for it: a lively made-forHollywood story and an outstanding performance by Liev Schreiber as the title character. “Chuck” is too procedural, especially during the boxing scenes, but the story of the “Bayonne Bleeder” consistently entertains. Rated R. 101 minutes. — P. Hartlaub
The Circle As chilling as any horror film and even more disturbing because the world it depicts is so close to our own, this is a dystopian vision of what could happen to human interaction if the big tech companies have their way. Based on Dave Eggars’ novel and starring Emma Watson and Tom Hanks. Rated PG-13. 110 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Citizen Jane: Battle for the City This documentary is a good introduction to the life and work of writer and urban activist Jane Jacobs, focusing on her epic battle with New York planning czar Robert Moses. Moses was the embodiment of the slashand-burn urban renewal policies that disrupted many lives in the middle of the last century. The story of how Jacobs won the war has been told many times, and this film can only skim the surface — but it still has value. Not rated. 92 minutes. — W. Addiego
Colossal Nacho Vigalondo wrote and directed this exceptionally imaginative high-wire act, about a young woman who notices that every time she has an alcoholic binge, a monster attacks Seoul. The movie doesn’t retreat into metaphor but stays wild and imaginative. Starring Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis. Rated R. 110 minutes. — M. LaSalle
David Lynch: The Art Life David Lynch hasn’t made a new nondocumentary feature since 2006
but is back in the news for reviving his groundbreaking TV series, “Twin Peaks.” This documentary focuses on his early life and training in the visual arts, up to the time of his breakthrough film, “Eraserhead.” We also see him at work today on art projects. The film is mainly for Lynch aficionados, who will appreciate how it hints at the origins of the darkness that permeates his work. Not rated. 90 minutes.
— W. Addiego
The Fate of the Furious In this latest installment of the “Fast & Furious” action franchise, Dominic (Vin Diesel) falls prey to the machinations of an unscrupulous new lover (Charlize Theron). This new film is a welcome return to the series’ true, silly nature. Rated PG-13. 136 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Get Out This first film from director Jordan Peele is very much a product of 2017, a comic horror film about a young black man (Daniel Kaluuya) who goes with his new girlfriend (Allison Williams) on a visit to her parents’ house. It’s a funny and unsettling mix of paranoia and a comic awareness of its own paranoia, and it’s irresistible. Rated R. 103 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Gifted This modest, well-made film overcomes — or rather skirts around — the cliches associated with math geniuses in the movies, with this story of a 7-year-old math prodigy (Mckenna Grace) being raised by her uncle in Florida. Rated PG-13. 101 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
God Knows Where I Am This is a highly affecting documentary about the lonely death of Linda Bishop, a homeless, mentally ill woman during the winter of 2008 in a small New Hampshire town. We hear extensive readings from the journal she kept in her final months, and the film’s title is a quotation from that journal. Not rated. 97 minutes.
— W. Addiego
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 This second installment improves on the first by concentrating on the comedy. It’s like a postmodern take on the sci-fi action film genre, with Kurt Russell showing up this time as Ego, the long-lost father of Peter (Chris Pratt). It’s a pretty good action movie, but it’s also one of the funniest movies of the season. Rated PG-13. 138 minutes.
— M. LaSalle Hounds of Love Psychological thriller about a young Australian woman abducted by a disturbed married couple. With Emma Booth, Ashleigh Cummings, Stephen Curry. Not reviewed. Not rated. 108 minutes.
I Called Him Morgan Kasper Collin’s compelling documentary details the rise and fall of jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan, and the complex story of his wife, Helen, who saved him from a heroin habit only to kill him just as he had made it to the top again. It has all the elements of great tragedy, and it is a unique and invigorating portrait of the New York jazz scene, circa 1956-72. Not rated. 93 minutes.
— G. Allen Johnson
Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent From director Lydia Tenaglia, this is a well-made documentary about the celebrity chef, one of the originators of California cuisine and of the legendary Stars restaurant. Tower is a complicated figure and makes for fascinating viewing. Rated R. 115 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword The latest from director and cowriter Guy Ritchie takes the King Arthur legend and adds
monsters, cockney banter and lots of plot convolutions to make for a tiresome and exhausting movie experience. However, Jude Law is fun as an evil, usurping king. Rated PG-13. 136 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
The Lost City of Z The British explorer Percy Fawcett becomes the subject for this very long story of a man who didn’t accomplish much. It’s about Fawcett’s journeys to South America in search of artifacts of a lost civilization. It stars Charlie Hunnam as the driven explorer and Sienna Miller as the wife who saw him every few years. Directed by James Gray. Rated PG-13. 141 minutes. — M. LaSalle
The Lovers A tonally complex film, expertly directed by Azazel Jacobs, this comedy-drama tells the story of married couple (Debra Winger and Tracy Letts), each of whom is cheating on the other — and then each starts cheating on the lovers with each other. It’s an interesting and enjoyable movie. Rated R. 94 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Norman Richard Gere gets a strong and unusual showcase as a small-time hustler trying to crack into the big time, by putting over a deal involving American big business and the Israeli government. It features excellent character work by Gere and a swift-moving story by writer-director Joseph Cedar. Rated R. 117 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Obit This informative documentary looks at the New York Times’ obituary writers, who bring people to life one last time. It’s a highly enjoyable, even uplifting, film. Not rated. 95 minutes. — D. Lewis
One Week and a Day A married couple struggles to find outlets for their grief over the death of their son in director Asaph Polonsky’s gentle but uneven Israeli drama-comedy. The husband smokes marijuana with his stoner neighbor; the wife, an underdeveloped character, keeps herself busy with more mundane tasks. The film has its moments, just not enough of them. Not rated. 98 minutes. In Hebrew with English subtitles. — G. Allen Johnson
The Promise This film tries to tell the story of the Armenian genocide in Turkey during World War I, but the fictional tale, involving Oscar Isaac as a medical student torn between two
women, undercuts the seriousness of the subject. It’s a respectable attempt, and it has its moments, but it ultimately fails. Rated PG-13. 132 minutes. — M. LaSalle
A Quiet Passion This so-so biopic charts the sad decline of Emily Dickinson from a bright, capable youth to an embittered, rancorous older woman. Despite a good cast (Cynthia Nixon, Jennifer Ehle) and a good director (Terence Davies), there’s a heavyhandedness that disappoints. Rated PG-13. 125 minutes.
— W. Addiego
Risk This fascinating documentary offers remarkable access to Wikileaks chief Julian Assange, and though it’s not a narrative masterpiece, it’s must-see viewing. Not rated. 84 minutes.
— D. Lewis
Smurfs: The Lost Village This animated reboot featuring the troll-like Smurfs has none of the bathroom humor or darkness of the recent live action movies. Smurfette even gets a story line that borders on female empowerment. Sadly, almost all of this goodwill is wasted on a film that simply isn’t very well-written, imaginative or memorable. Rated PG. 91 minutes. — P. Hartlaub
Snatched Amy Schumer is terrific, and nicely paired with Goldie Hawn as her mother, in this sometimes uneven but mostly laugh-filled comedy about two women who go off to Ecuador on vacation and end up kidnapped by drug dealers. Rated R. 90 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Their Finest Gemma Arterton and Sam Clafin are co-workers who become romantic, while making a British propaganda movie before the United States has entered World War II. The two pieces of cinema become tied together, with many of the same weaknesses and strengths. But the film succeeds with a smart script, and positive outlook for humanity in tough times that resonates in 2017. Rated R. 117 minutes.
— P. Hartlaub
3 Generations This lukewarm drama, about a transgender teen’s struggle to get hormone replacement therapy, gets lost in transition as it flirts with both slapstick and melodrama. It also seems dated. Rated PG-13. 92 minutes. — D. Lewis
Truman This best picture winner at Spain’s Goya Awards (the Spanish Oscars) stars Ricardo Darin and Javier Camara as two friends reunited in Barcelona when one falls seriously ill. It’s a brilliant film, beautifully acted. Rated R. 108 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles. — M. LaSalle
Unforgettable This purported drama about a scorned woman who tries to destroy her ex-husband’s fiancee is a perversely entertaining showcase of deliciously awful acting, memorably putrid lines and laughout-loud set pieces. Whether intended or not, it’s an instant camp classic. With Rosario Dawson and Katherine Heigl. Rated R. 100 minutes.
— D. Lewis
The Wall The two-man show (plus one very important vocal performance) directed by Doug Liman defies labeling. It’s is a war sniper thriller, wrapped in a survival horror film, wrapped in a political message. The result is a mostly satisfying genre souffle, guided by a skilled filmmaker who seems to be all in on this minimalist filmmaking opportunity. R. 85 minutes.
Your Name What starts out as a “Freaky Friday”-type body exchange between high school kids — a rural village girl and a Tokyo boy — becomes a rumination on time travel, cataclysmic fate, rural-urban dynamics and, of course, a love story in novelist-turned-director Makoto Shinkai’s anime, which is more Miyazaki than “Ghost in the Shell.” Rated PG. 106 minutes.
— G. Allen Johnson The Zookeeper’s Wife Jessica Chastain and Flemish actor Johan Heldenbergh are brilliant as Antonina and Jan Zabinski, a Polish couple who used their zoo in Warsaw as a transit point for rescuing Polish Jews from the Warsaw ghetto. This is a humane and extremely well-made film from director Niki Caro. Rated PG-13. 124 minutes. — M. LaSalle