Films featuring complex, dynamic women to open Stream this
Characters shine in ‘Disobedience,’ ‘Tully, and ‘RBG’
A depressed mom juggling way too much, an attraction between two women that tests religious bonds and a fly, ever-so fly Supreme Court justice who’s become a sen- sation for a new generation.
They are the dynamic, complex females anchoring three of this week’s finest Bay Area movies releases.
But don’t discount the box-office might of Mexican comedian Eugenio Derbez, who has a new movie out. His previous entries — “How to Be a Latin Lover” and “Instructions Not Included” — cooked up boffo box office biz both here and abroad. “Overboard” finds the multitalented star playing a rich jerk whose amnesia lands him in the position of the “husband” of the woman he just fired. If this sounds vaguely familiar, yes, it’s an update of “Overboard” with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, only with the roles switched.
Meanwhile, the womendominated Bay Area releases: “Tully,” “Disobedience” and “RGB,” in that order, are highly recommended.
Charlize Theron should receive another Oscar nomination for her tonally perfect, risk-taking performance in “Tully” as Marlo, a depleted mom of three who takes in a night nurse (Mackenzie Davis). Diablo Cody wrote the adventurous script, and it’s one of the best yet of 2018.
While Rachel McAdams, Rachel Weisz and Alessandro Nivola deliver some of their most nuanced work to date, the actual star of the forbidden love story “Disobedience” is its director, Sebastian Lelio. The Chilean filmmaker is on a winning streak, having given us “Gloria” and this year’s Oscar winner, “A Fantastic Woman.” In his latest, he takes a somber, realistic approach to a character-driven narrative about repressed attraction set in an Orthodox Jewish community. “Disobedience” never takes the easy way out, as characters struggle to balance who they are with their belief systems. It’s powerful, indeed.
In “RGB,” the pioneering career of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is encapsulated in an intimate glimpse into the life of one of the most unlikely of celebrities. Fans of RGB will de delighted with the Julie Cohen and Betsy West film.
Other indie releases
“Love and Bananas: An Elephant Story” is an inspirational documentary about a mission in Thailand to rescue an older elephant. Lovers
of all creatures great and small should bring hankies.
“Lives Well Lived” focuses in on some 40 people ranging in age from 75 to 100 as they share stories and discuss what they have learned about life.
“Bye Bye Germany” is comedy/drama based on a novel that’s set in Germany after the Holocaust. In it, a handsome entrepreneur with an uncertain past entices survivors to purchase goods. Moritz Bleibtreu is earning raves in the lead.
“End Game”: The Oscarwinning team of Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman sensitively chronicle how people and their families in the Bay Area are handling the final stages of death. Their short film will bring you to tears, but it also enlightens as it shows how a team of dedicated, innovative health professionals are soothingly helping people transition from life to death. It’s available Friday.