REVERSE ANGLE
‘Dragon’ around S.F.
Hong Kong star Philip Ng’s lengthy resume includes plenty of martial-arts action. So what was one of the greatest challenges he faced in shooting “Birth of the Dragon” in San Francisco?
“One thing I wasn’t used to was that it was very hilly,” Ng says by voice chat from Hong Kong. “A lot of walking up and a lot of walking down. We walked to Chinatown from my hotel, which was quite a hike. I think it was made a lot longer by the fact that there were a lot of hills. So I’m sure everyone in San Francisco is very athletic.”
“Birth” concerns an actual martial-arts event in the life of Bruce Lee: his 1964 fight with Chinese master Wong Jack Man in Oakland.
Although much about that confrontation is disputed, including its outcome and even its cause, it has become a key to Lee’s legend. After that fight, Lee went on to forge his own martial art, Jeet Kune Do.
Ng is quick to say that the ideas of “Birth of the Dragon,” rather than an imitation of Lee, were paramount, but the Hong Kong-born actor, who was raised outside Chicago, uncannily captures Lee’s physical and vocal traits. He had an inside track: Ng trained for years with Wong Shun Leung, Lee’s senior under the famous Ip Man.
Ng says Lee’s mixed heritage (one of his grandparents was partly of European extraction) eventually prevented him from continuing his formal training in a conservative Wing Chun establishment that frowned on training foreigners. So Ip Man “passed him off to my sifu,” says Ng of his late teacher, Wong, for informal training. “I definitely did get a lot of (insight) into Bruce Lee’s past — he was pretty close to my sifu; they exchanged a lot of letters. I even got to see a handwritten letter from Bruce Lee, which was pretty cool.”
“Birth,” which is directed by George Nolfi (“The Adjustment Bureau”), is atypical for the genre in that its combat — impressive as it is — takes second position to its concepts. It springs from one interpretation of the famous fight while playing fast and loose with biographical details (for instance, Lee’s wife, Linda, does not appear in the film) to get at an idea.
“It was more like a fable, a kung fu fable,” says Ng. “It was inspired by real events and real people, but they’re trying to tell a point that maybe documentation of the actual fight might not be (feasible). A very important point of the story is self-discovery through martial arts. The fact that Bruce Lee created Jeet Kune Do after a fight is very in line with that self-discovery.”
Trivia question
Bruce Lee’s first film appearance was in a movie shot in San Francisco. What was it?
‘Jedi’ can be a plural noun
For those wondering whether the title of the next “Star Wars” episode, “The Last Jedi,” refers to Luke Skywalker or Rey, the answer is apparently “Yes.”
The French title for the film, as revealed by its posters, is “Les Derniers Jedi.” As in more than one last Jedi.
The logo from the French posters is viewable at https://tiny url.com/y9fv9vma.
A cosmic disco ‘Inferno’
You owe it to yourself to check out the ’70s-style music video promoting the “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” home video release. “Guardians’ Inferno” is at https:// tinyurl.com/y8p37ytm.
Trivia answer
Lee appeared as an infant in “Golden Gate Girl” (also known as “Tears in San Francisco”) in 1941. The film also is notable as a rare Chinese-language feature shot in San Francisco — as well as being directed by a Chinese American woman, Esther Eng.
Footage from “Golden Gate Girl” including Lee’s appearance is viewable at https://tinyurl.com/ yca92mlj.
Michael Ordoña is a Los Angeles freelance writer. Twitter: @michael ordona Annabelle: Creation There are some genuine jolts in this “Annabelle” prequel (part of the same universe as “The Conjuring” films), which involves six girl orphans and a devilish doll. But a lot of it is standard horror tricks that you can see coming for miles. Rated R. 109 minutes. — W. Addiego
Atomic Blonde Charlize Theron dazzles as a British agent sent to East Berlin in 1989 to recover a missing list of double agents, helped by fellow agent James McAvoy. The hand-to-hand combat comes fast and furious in this colorful, fabulously entertaining, although thinly plotted and sometimes tedious, action film. With this film following “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Theron is now the top action actress in the movies. Rated R. 115 minutes.
— G. Allen Johnson
Baby Driver Edgar Wright’s action movie, starring Ansel Elgort as a talented young getaway driver, is propulsive and fun, full of surprises and delights. The gimmick of a very pervasive soundtrack wears a bit, but this is an entertaining genre movie. Rated R. 113 minutes. — M. LaSalle
The Big Sick Kumail Nanjiani co-wrote (with his wife, Emily V. Gordon) and stars in this romantic comedy, based on his own life, about a romance that is interrupted by the woman’s getting sick and falling into a coma. Funny, unexpected, human and appealing, it features winning performances by Nanjiani and especially Zoe Kazan, who is asleep for most of the film. Rated R. 120 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Columbus This gem of a romantic dramedy, about a translator stuck in a small Indiana town, beautifully illuminates not only the local architecture but also the characters that inhabit it. The film has a quiet wavelength all of its own, but thanks to excellent directing and acting, that wavelength always remains accessible. Not rated. 100 minutes.
— D. Lewis
The Dark Tower Based on a series of Stephen King novels, this sci-fi fantasy involves the struggle between light and order on the one hand, and chaos and darkness on the other. But the movie has enough story only for a very good one-hour, one-off TV drama. The concept has resonance, but in the film everything is on the surface. With Idris Elba, Katheryn Winnick and Matthew McConaughey. Rated PG-13. 95 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Dave Made a Maze Fantasy comedy about an artist who becomes trapped in a fort he builds in his living room. Directed by Bill Watterson. Not reviewed. Not rated. 80 minutes.
Despicable Me 3 The latest installment in the juggernaut series, about an ex-villain who now chases super villains, has cute characters, some clever set pieces and dazzling animation, but this time around, the story appears to have been lost in the shuffle. It’s competent, but rather joyless. Rated PG. 90 minutes. — D. Lewis
Detroit Kathryn Bigelow’s account of the
1967 Detroit riot, written by Mark Boal, is exceptionally paced and photographed, with one long, harrowing scene at its center, an imaginative re-creation of an event at a hotel, in which a handful of police officers abused and terrorized a group of people. Absolutely riveting (and often maddening) from start to finish. Rated R. 143 minutes. — W. Addiego
Dunkirk Christopher Nolan’s career-best film tells the story of World War II’s harrowing Dunkirk evacuation as experienced on land, sea and air. It’s inspired filmmaking from the first frame. Rated PG-13. 107 minutes. — M. LaSalle
The Emoji Movie Animated comedy about the adventures of emojis who live in Textoplis. With voices of T.J. Miller, James Corden and Anna Faris. Not reviewed. Rated PG. 126 minutes.
Escapes Hampton Fancher’s most famous credit is as writer of “Blade Runner,” but that’s just one brief stop in the raconteur’s prodigious career and life. “Escapes” director-editor Michael Almereyda matches filmmaking style with his subject. The result is a small but layered portrait of a complicated talent. Not rated. 89 minutes. — P. Hartlaub
False Confessions Luc Bondy’s last film, a modern-day screen adaptation of the 18th century Marivaux play, has some fine stylistic turns, but it’s defeated by the bizarre casting of the love interests (Isabelle Huppert and Louis Garrel, separated by 30 years) and a certain distance in the playing. Not rated. 85 minutes. In French with English subtitles.
— M. LaSalle
A Ghost Story David Lowery’s audacious and methodical fantasy tells the story of a haunting from the standpoint of a sad, disoriented and a rather heartbroken ghost. The movie is slow and contains very little dialogue. It is completely against the pattern of contemporary popular cinema, but if you’re up for a drastic change, you will find it rewarding. Starring Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck. Rated R. 92 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Girls Trip Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith and the very funny Tiffany Haddish play college friends who reunite for a wild long weekend in New Orleans. Lovable and often side-splitting, full of outrageous humor and wellconceived comic situations. Rated R. 122 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
The Glass Castle Though this filmed rendering of Jeannette Walls’ memoir, about her troubled childhood growing up with an erratic father, goes a little soft in the end, it’s all the same a dramatic portrait of the terrors of childhood, as seen from a child’s perspective. Rated PG-13. 127 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Good Time This heist drama features a breakout performance by Robert Pattinson and plenty of tense action. Ultimately, it doesn’t add up to much, but there are thrills along the way. Rated R. 100 minutes.
— D. Lewis
Hare Krishna! This film plays more like a promotional video than a serious documentary. It’s so uncritical of its subject that it has the unintended effect of undermining its mission, which appears to be recruiting new devotees of the faith. Not rated. 90 minutes. — D. Lewis
The Hitman’s Bodyguard This is a pleasing action comedy, starring Samuel L. Jackson, as a hit man who needs to be escorted to the Hague (to testify in court) and the bodyguard assigned to protect him (Ryan Reynolds). Jackson and Reynolds make a good pair, and they get strong comic support by Salma Hayek, as Jackson’s impossibly profane, assertive wife. Rated R. 118 minutes.
In This Corner of the World Featuring delicate, pastel, handdrawn animation, this Japanese film, about the lead-up to World War II and the experience of the Hiroshima bombing, as experienced from the suburb of Kure, has some touching moments, but it’s defeated by its excessive running time and sluggish narrative. Rated PG-13. 129 minutes. In Japanese with English subtitles.
— M. LaSalle
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power Al Gore is back with a compelling update to his 2006 documentary about climate change. The film gives the latest in scientific research while following Gore on his worldwide crusade that includes a decisive visit to Paris during the Paris Agreement negotiations. Rated PG. 98 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Ingrid Goes West Ingrid is an Internet stalker, and she goes West to wangle her way into the life of her latest obsession, an Instagram celebrity. Aubrey Plaza is very funny but also emotionally connected and creepy/sympathetic as Ingrid, in this well-observed comic examination of the effects of social media on actual social life. Rated R. 98 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Kidnap In this thriller, which has echoes of “Taken,” Halle Berry plays a working-class single mom who chases down her little boy’s abductors. It’s a serviceable B-movie vehicle. Rated R. 94 minutes.
— D. Lewis
Lady Macbeth This is a smart, streamlined reimagining of “Lady Macbeth of Mtensk,” transplanted to rural 19th century England, and a star-making showcase for young Florence Pugh, who has the turbulence and composure of the young Kate Winslet. Rated R. 89 minutes. — M. LaSalle
The Last Dalai Lama Director Mickey Lemle’s follow-up to his 1991 Dalai Lama documentary shows a Buddhist leader at peace entering his ninth decade, even with so much uncertainty surrounding the future of the position. MVPs in the slow-moving but engaging film include George W. Bush in an interview and the Lamainspired musical score by composer Philip Glass and Tenzin Choegyal. Not rated. 90 minutes. — P. Hartlaub
Lemon Quirky comedy that skewers the personality of an unpleasant man. Directed by Janicza Bravo. Not reviewed. Not rated. 90 minutes.
Letters From Baghdad Absorbing documentary about Gertrude Bell, often called the female Lawrence of Arabia, and her role in the making of the modern Middle East. Taken from actual correspondence and journals by Bell and her fiends and colleagues, with Tilda Swinton as the voice of Bell, and filled with archival photographs and film footage, directors Sabine
Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum intimately evoke Baghdad, Syria and London in the first two decades of the 20th century. Not rated. 95 minutes.
— G. Allen Johnson
The Little Hours Jeff Baena wrote and directed this very funny comedy about three nuns coping with pent-up anger and sexual frustration in 14th century Europe. Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie and Kate Micucci co-star. Based on Boccaccio’s “Decameron.” Rated R. 90 minutes. — M. LaSalle Logan Lucky It’s good that director Steven Soderbergh is back, and it might even be good that he got this one out of his system, a tiresome, overlong heist comedy about a pair of brothers who put together a plan to rob NASCAR of its box office take. But you don’t need to see it. Starring Channing Tatum and Adam Driver. Rated PG-13. 119 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Marjorie Prime Michael Almereyda’s minimalist, thoughtful sci-fi film begins with a dementia patient in her 80s (Lois Smith) spending her final days in conversation with a holographic image of her dead husband (Jon Hamm); soon daughter Geena Davis and son-in-law Tim Robbins need “primes” of their own. Not rated. 99 minutes.
— G. Allen Johnson
Maudie This year’s example of the Vera Drake syndrome in action — a movie that has no life and vitality but that you feel guilty for disliking because it tells the story of a nice person — is a biopic about the Canadian artist Maud Lewis (a relentlessly poignant Sally Hawkins), who, if you believe this movie, went through life without a single interesting thing happening to her. Deadly. Rated PG-13. 115 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Menashe Set in a Brooklyn Hasidic community, this is the moving story of a widower who runs afoul of his ultraOrthodox family and neighbors because of his desire to raise his son as a single dad. It’s a compelling portrayal of a closed society. Rated PG. 82 minutes. In Yiddish with English subtitles. — W. Addiego
The Midwife Catherine Frot is a veteran midwife and Catherine Deneuve is her temperamental opposite, who pops up from out of the past and forces the midwife to confront her longneglected emotional life. It’s a strong film with terrific performances from France’s two great Catherines. Not rated. 117 minutes. In French with English subtitles. — M. LaSalle
The Nut Job 2: Nutty by
Nature This sequel about squirrels trying to save their park from evil politicians seems surgically targeted for parents who have a week left before school starts, and have run out of ideas. The first “Nut Job” tried to set itself apart with noir-ish qualities. The second movie uses nonstop action to distract from its lack of originality. Rated PG. 91 minutes. — P. Hartlaub
The Only Living Boy in
New York This misfire concerns a misunderstood Millennial man who falls for his rich father’s mistress. There is nothing that the appealing cast can do to overcome the silly dialogue. Rated R. 88 minutes.
— D. Lewis
Spider-Man: Homecoming This is yet another reboot of the “Spider-Man” franchise and the least interesting yet, with Tom Holland in the title role. It’s a routine entry with some halfhearted humanizing elements and lackluster action. Still, it’s reasonably entertaining throughout. Rated PG-13. 134 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Step This inspiring and entertaining documentary focuses on three young African American members of the step-dancing team at a Baltimore charter school, and their issues at home and in school in the era of Black Lives Matter. Rated PG. 83 minutes. — W. Addiego
The Trip to Spain This is the third installment in the series of foodie travelogues with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon — who play lightly fictionalized versions of themselves — and it’s a return to form after its predecessor, “The Trip to Italy.” The men indulge in the usual banter and celeb impersonations, but more somber notes are sounded, especially regarding the Coogan figure. Not rated. 108 minutes.
— W. Addiego
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets Director-producer Luc Besson returns to the space opera for the first time since he made “The Fifth Element” in 1997. The production and character design are off the charts, adequately masking structure and pacing deficiencies. There’s so much coolness going on in each individual interplanetary sequence that the so-so story about detectives investigating a government plot is mostly an afterthought. Rated PG-13. 137 minutes. — P. Hartlaub
Walk With Me Documentary about Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. Directed by Marc J. Francis and Max Pugh, narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch. Not reviewed. Not rated. 94 minutes.
War for the Planet of
the Apes The last in this trilogy of prequels to the 1968 classic finds the apes and humans in a struggle for survival in this low-key, thinking-person’s action movie, which concludes the series in a satisfying and intelligent way. Rated PG-13. 140 minutes. — M. LaSalle Whose Streets? “Frontline” documentary about the aftermath of the 2014 Michael Brown shooting and how the black community in Ferguson, Mo., has fought for changes in police-community relations is loud, unrelenting, angry and passionate. In other words, a movie for our times. Rated R. 90 minutes.
— G. Allen Johnson
Wind River Taylor Sheridan wrote and directed this crime drama, about the FBI investigating a murder on an Indian reservation. The story is conventional, but the setting and the treatment — with its emphasis on the snowy location and the specifics of the culture — turn this into an interesting and satisfying experience. Rated R. 107 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Wonder Woman This is a different kind of comic book movie, with a sense of history and purpose, featuring a star-making performance by Gal Gadot in the title role. Co-starring Chris Pine and directed by Patty Jenkins (“Monster”). Rated PG-13. 141 minutes.
— M. LaSalle