Current attractions
“Bad Moms”: The raunchy humor that often inhabits bro-centric comedies this time speaks to all the mothers who feel like they’re drowning in commitments. Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn and Kristen Bell deliver laughs as moms straining to meet the demands of work and home. A conflict arises when the friends take on the meanest girl of the PTA (Christina Applegate).
½ (Stephanie Merry, Washington Post) R, 1:41
“Café Society”: There’s not much to Woody Allen’s 1936-set seriocomedy, located in never-never Hollywood and grubbier, vital New York. But the stealthy acting of the central players, especially Jesse Eisenberg and Kirsten Stewart, humanizes the weak material. The story here is made up of stray stardust memories, fashioned around a fairly entertaining romantic triangle. Steve Carell also stars. ½ (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune) PG-13, 1:36 “Captain Fantastic”: Viggo Mortensen leads a terrific ensemble of young actors in this film about a family of off-the-gridders. Ben along with his wife, Leslie (Trin Miller), have been rusticating in the dripping woods with their six kids since the birth of their now-teenage son. A family crisis sends the whole clan on bus trip punctuated by visits with relatives, where they soon realize how alienated they’ve become. Ann Hornaday, Washington Post) R 1:58 “Don’t Think Twice”: In this summer of sequels and reboots, here is genuinely charming comedy. Writerdirector Mike Birbiglia stars as Miles, a 36-year-old improv veteran who fears his big break happened without him. Meanwhile, he works with a troupe, whose talented members all hunger for their own big breaks. ½ (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune) R, 1:32
Though far from perfect, this drama about female executives navigating sexism on Wall Street is an intriguing attempt. Naomi (Anna Gunn), a gifted investment banker, eyes the top job at her firm. But there are two obstacles on
her path: her ambitious associate, Erin (Sarah Megan Thomas), who is angling for her own position while she fights for the short attention span of her boss; and the hedge fund dude from the office, who has his own questionable agenda. (Ann Hornaday, Washington Post) R, 1:40
“Finding Dory”: Pixar’s sequel to “Finding Nemo” follows Dory, as she remembers, and tries to find, her family. The formula is the same as the original, which doesn’t stop “Dory” from being a charming film that resonates with warm emotion. Eleen DeGeneres returns as the lovable, and forgetful, fish, as does Albert Brooks as her friend Marlin. Ed’O Neil, Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton provide the voices for new, fresh characters. ½ (Tony Hicks, Staff) PG, 1:40 “Florence Foster Jenkins”: Bring ear plugs if you plan to see “Florence Foster Jenkins.” You may also want to bring along a double mocha frappuccino, because this draggy operatic farce is never quite as funny as it thinks it is. The film paints a sweet but slow-moving portrait of the infamous Manhattan socialite who fancied herself a high priestess of the opera. In reality, she sang like a dying cat. Underwater.
½ (Karen D’Souza, Staff) PG-13, 1:50 “Ghostbusters”: The four very funny stars (Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon) have the comic chops to carry a reboot of this beloved
comedy driven by male actors. Unfortunately, they got slimed by bad writing and a recycled concept. An encounter with a ghost brings the women enough Internet notoriety to get them canned from their jobs, so they go into business as paranormal exterminators.
Tony Hicks, Staff) PG13, 1:44
“Gleason”: Football star Steve Gleason retired from the sport in 2008, saying: “I can walk away with my health.” Fate had other plans. Have plenty of tissues on hand when you watch the moving, remarkable documentary about the ex-New Orleans Saint whose bravest days were actually ahead of him. The film captures the progression of the disease (ALS) as it robs the former athlete of his voice, use of his legs and later control of his bowels, but never his spirit. (Mark Kennedy, Associated Press) R, 1:50 “Hell or High Water”: This 21st-century Western, which plays like a Johnny Cash song come-to-life, has two pairs of central characters — bank robbing brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) and the Texas Rangers on their trail (Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham). Both are odd couples who volley folksy wisecracks back and forth as the pairs proceed along a collision course. Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) R, 1:42 “Hunt For the Wilderpeople”: This wacky story of the alliance between an overweight
reprobate teenager and a surly, wilderness-loving loner has a sweet and subversive sensibility that mixes adventure and comedy in surprising ways. Child Welfare wants Ricky back after his foster mother dies, but Ricky wants to stay with “Uncle” Hec. Complications ensue, and the two head into the bush. ½ (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) PG-13, 1:41
“Indignation”: The inspiration is the 2008 novel by Philip Roth. It’s set in 1951, first in the insular Jewish community of Newark, New Jersey, then in the WASP environs of Ohio’s Winesburg College, where protagonist Marcus Messner (Logan Lerman) is an incoming freshman. The film gets it right, telling a story that’s bittersweet, heartbreaking and bleakly comic all at once.
½ (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) R, 1:50
“Jason Bourne”: Matt Damon’s fourth go-round as the memory-challenged former CIA hitman wasn’t really necessary, as the latest chapter didn’t do much to set itself apart from the other movies. The car chase in Las Vegas will impress even the most diehard “Fast & Furious” fans, though, and the finale does offer some hope that, if the franchise carries on, there might be a new direction. ½ (Tony Hicks, staff) PG-13, 2:03. “The Legend of Tarzan”: Another attempt to bring Edgar Rice Burroughs’ characters to the big screen has so-so results. This version finds John Clayton/Tarzan (Alexander Skarsgard) in London, years after leaving the jungle. A government task sends him back to the Congo, where a ruthless foreign official plans his demise. ½ (Tony Hicks, Staff) PG-13, 1:49
“Lights Out”: In this excellent horror flick, Teresa Palmer plays Rebecca. Her younger brother, Martin (Gabriel Bateman), who must contend with their mercurial mother, Sophie (Maria Bello), in the wake of his father’s violent death. Sophie has a ghostly friend, Diana, who dates back to her teenage years, when Sophie was a mental patient. Diana is possessive of Sophie. She deals with meddlers in painful, terrifying ways.
Katie Walsh, Tribune News Service) PG-13, 1:21 “Our Little Sister”: Filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda focuses initially on three sisters in their 20s who live together in a ramshackle house in a seaside town south of Tokyo. But the plot kicks in when the sisters receive the news that their estranged father has died. At the funeral, they meet Suzu, the shy half-sister they didn’t know they had. (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times) PG, 2:06 “Pete’s Dragon”: Oakes Fegley stars as Pete in this most soulful film of the summer. Pete is the lone survivor of an automobile accident. In the woods, the fabled Millhaven dragon of local folklore comforts his newfound human friend. Six years later, the boy is 10 and living in a treehouse. This largely wordless first third of the film is magic. The rest concerns how Pete is discovered and what happens when he and the dragon are confronted by the civilized human world populated by the citizens of the logging community.
½ (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune) PG, 1:43 “The Secret Life of
Pets”: A playful premise, endearing performances (featuring the voices of Louis C.K., Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate and Albert Brooks) and outstanding score make “Pets” fun family fare. Two would-be rivals fighting for the love of their owner are forced to unite for a common cause when they get separated from their dog walker and captured by animal control. (Sandy Cohen, Associated Press) PG, 1:31 “Suicide Squad”: The much-anticipated supervillain movie from DC is a big mess. Which isn’t to say it’s not fun. But even as far as comic book movies go, this one pushes the ridiculousness past the point of no return. Margo Robbie, predictably, steals the show as the Joker’s psychotic girlfriend Harley Quinn. It’s worth a look, even if your head may be spinning as you leave the theater. (Tony Hicks, staff) PG-13, 1:40. “Star Trek Beyond”: This latest feature film pulled from the hallowed TV series isn’t quite up to the 2009 and 2013 movies. But it’s still fun. We still care about the people, and the effects manage to look a little more elegant and interesting. The nemesis this time is a lizard fellow named Krall, played by Idris Elba. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the rest of the gang reassemble to defeat him.
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune) PG-13, 2:02