Gabrielle Union, Melissa McCarthy turn up star power
Margot Robbie gets ‘Terminal’ in noir thriller
A small batch of films hit Bay Area screens this weekend, further solidifying bets that “Avengers: Infinity War” will retain its Iron Man hold on the box office.
That said, two major studio releases — the thriller “Breaking In” and the comedy “Life of the Party” — can be expected to ring up solid ticket sales given they’re being touted as Mother’s Day fare.
Gabrielle Union — a former Pleasanton resident and Foothill High School alum — is the draw of “Breaking In.” Union plays a fierce mama bear hellbent on saving her kids after creeps take hostages in an ominous high-security house owned by her late father.
If avenging mamas don’t appeal to your mom’s tastes, perhaps Melissa McCarthy in the collegiate comedy “Life of the Party” will. McCarthy plays Deanna, whose husband of many years dumps her, triggering her to enroll in the same college as her daughter. McCarthy co-wrote “Party” with her husband, Ben Falcone, who also directs, just as he did with her on “Tammy” and “The Boss.” But will McCarthy’s high jinks vamos to the top of its class?
Indie offerings
The best option on the indie scene is “Lu Over the Wall,” an effervescent little mermaid fable that’s both cute and clever but not as
entrancing as Hayao Miyazaki’s “Ponyo.” Still, Masaaki Yuasa’s familyfriendly yarn about a mermaid becoming part of a teen rock band does have its charms and features some fine animation. Too bad it’s a little too scattered.
For those who can’t get enough of Oscar nominee Margot Robbie, don’t miss the tricky “Terminal,” a neo-noir thriller that wows with its seductive neon look, but overdoes it with an extra plot twist. Robbie co-produced, and she more than delivers as a waitress dishing out a killer game plan. Director Vaughn Stein’s “Sin City”like odyssey has punch to it, particularly near the finale. Mike Myers and Simon Pegg co-star.
In “Measure of a Man,” an overweight teen receives some sage advice to help him weather the bullying he endures while vacationing with his family over the summer. Donald Sutherland and Luke Wilson co-star.
If a hot romance appeals to you, zip on over to see “Racer and the Jailbird,” a Belgian film about a female race car driver whose life goes into a tailspin when she romances a handsome guy involved in criminal activities. The sumptuous leads, Matthias Schoenaerts and Adele Exarchopoulos, will fire up engines.
Stream this
On the streaming side of things, Netflix unveils “The Kissing Booth,” one of its original films. Based on a popular young adult novel, this is a high school romance revolving around a pact between two besties that includes the rule that one of ’em can’t date her guy friend’s hunky brother. Plans go awry thanks to a kissing booth at school. It will be released Friday.