PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN
his long-held secret in 2005, a few years before he died. By then what he represented had already transcended anything an actual human could live up to. It’s not a surprise then that the fictionalized telling of his story in “Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House “is a little underwhelming. The mundanities of the truth could hardly be as sexy as decades of intrigue and mythology enshrined in history and the enduring greatness of “All the President’s Men.” But director Peter Landesman (“Concussion”) and star Liam Neeson nonetheless manage to weave together a fairly compelling (if disputed ) tick-tock of how it all went down from Felt’s purview. And it all started with a slight. We’re introduced to Felt in his ordinary suburban home, getting ready for another day of work at the Bureau. He’s a tall and soft-spoken man who hides the dirty secrets of the country, and his organization, behind a stoic poker face. A few characters at the outset tell him (read: us) how loyal and reliable and competent he is — a “golden retriever” for whomever is in power. When J. Edgar Hoover dies, Felt is passed over for that top position in favor of Nixon favorite L. Patrick Gray (Marton Csokas) — a mighty snub that sows the seed of discontentment in Felt. A little over a month after Hoover’s death is when those five men are arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee headquarter in the Watergate complex. The peculiar facts of the case raise eyebrows at the FBI, but then the White House starts attempting to interfere with what should be an independent inquiry. So Felt takes it upon himself go another route — to the press. As Felt, Neeson is understated and convincing despite his tendency to drift in and out of his native Irish accent. The film is at its best when it is dealing with the central story, which can also at times feel like a bit of a repetitive slog. Felt’s fellow agents are not much more than suits, distinguishable only by the fact that they’re portrayed by recognizable actors (Josh Lucas, Tony Goldwyn, Ike Barinholtz, Brian d’Arcy James) and while the day-today of what was happening at the FBI is a compelling slice of history, as a film it can feel a little dry. — Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press
THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US
PG-13, 110 minutes. Through tonight only at Waterford and Mystic Luxury Cinemas. Still playing at Stonington, Westbrook and Lisbon. Survival romance “The Mountain Between Us” seems straightforward enough — a couple of strangers are bonded forever when they endure a harrowing ordeal after their charter plane crashes on a mountain in Utah. It’s “Alive,” without the cannibalism, and a lot more romance. But as the film progresses, it becomes clear that the romantic fantasy tendencies hijack this otherwise interesting unconventional love story. Certified hunk Idris Elba plays a character who’s just too good to be true. He’s a doctor, he wears fine, expensive outerwear, and he listens to classical music on his headphones. Why does he need to rush back to New York? Because he has to do emergency brain surgery on a child, of course. Elba’s character Ben, encounters another traveler, Alex (Kate Winslet), while they’re stranded in an airport. She’s a photojournalist rushing to get home to New York for her wedding, and suggests a private charter plane to this stranger she realizes is in the same predicament. All too soon they’re fighting for their lives on a snow-capped mountaintop. — Katie Walsh, Tribune Content Agency
MY LITTLE PONY
H1/2 PG, 99 minutes. Through tonight only at Waterford. Still playing at Westbrook, Lisbon. Perhaps it’s unfair, but one has to wonder for whom the animated feature film “My Little Pony: The Movie” has been made. Ostensibly, it’s for young kids, who count for double the ticket money with their parents in tow. But there’s also a large market to be found in the young adults who have developed a cultish fandom around the animated series “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.” No matter who you might encounter in the theater, “My Little Pony: The Movie” signals that the unrelentingly positive pastel ponies have hit the big time. — Katie Walsh, Tribune Content R, 108 minutes. Westbrook, Lisbon. 2017 was the year we collectively fell for Wonder Woman on the big screen. Propelled by cultural tides, embodied by Gal Gadot, she was the hero we so badly needed. On the heels of Patty Jenkins’ blockbuster, be prepared to fall in love with Wonder Woman all over again, thanks to the wonderfully sensitive and insightful superheroine origin story “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women,” written and directed by Angela Robinson. Robinson maps the psychology of Wonder Woman onto the life story of her creator, Dr. William Moulton Marston (played by Luke Evans), who led a very unconventional life for his time. A dashing Radcliffe psychology professor with a headstrong, genius wife, Elizabeth (Rebecca Hall), Marston encounters a beautiful undergrad, Olive (Bella Heathcote), in class, who becomes their assistant, friend and confidant. It’s through their psychology research into human emotion, and theories of dominance and submission, that the trio open up to each other (while testing lie detector prototypes), and fall in love. Marston declares that these two together are the perfect woman — Elizabeth is bold, smart, unfiltered and funny, while Olive is soft, guileless and pure of heart. Once they buck tradition, convention and “normalcy” to build a life as a threesome, it’s only a matter of time before their sex life takes on a new dimension, thanks to some lessons at the local sex shop, and they delight in role play and light bondage. His inspirational light bulb for the comic book is the wonderful women at home, and he draws on their traits and experiences to create the iconic female superhero. — Katie Walsh, Tribune Content Agency
VICTORIA & ABDUL
PG-13, 112 minutes. Starts Friday at Lisbon. Still playing at Niantic, Madison Art Cinemas, Mystic Luxury Cinemas. The story takes us into the pomp, high formality and backstabbing surrounding Queen Victoria beginning around 1899, the last year and a half of her reign. She is the longest-reigning monarch in history, which has left her deeply bored, sharp-tempered, dangerously obese and prone to fall asleep halfway through official functions. It also marks a Golden Jubilee, when the leaders of her empire’s billion subjects pay homage to her with lavish symbolic gifts. The only one that counts is the ceremonial gold coin carried halfway around the world from India to her Scottish summer castle by Abdul Karim, a humble young clerk pressed into service by British officials. Because he was friendlier with her highness than protocol allowed, because he was tall and handsome and because he arrived before her at the right moment, he created a strong impression. Which caused a keen elevation in Victoria’s liveliness, which boosted his status from her royal servant to close friend. It’s a true story, mostly. Judi Dench, a 1997 Best Actress contender for her role as a younger version of Victoria in “Mrs. Brown,” returns here for the final chapter of the queen’s story. It’s a wry, funny, likable performance with glints of sadness and mortality. When Abdul arrives (Ali Fazal), he violates decorum by looking directly into the queen’s eyes and giving her a warm smile. — Colin Covert, Minn. Star-Tribune