More thrills from Mark Wahlberg
The summer movie season is nearing its final lap with three high-profile releases hitting theaters this week.
Besides the big-buzz all-Asian-cast rom-com “Crazy Rich Asians,” there’s something for Mark Wahlberg fans — “Mile 22,” an R-rated thriller directed by Peter Berg (“Patriots Day”). Wahlberg plays a tough-guy CIA operative assigned to deliver a top-secret “package” (from the trailer it looks like it’s a human) who has precious intel. John Malkovich co-stars.
For fans of Ice Age liveaction survival epics (not too many in that genre, eh?), there’s “Alpha.” Albert Hughes directs this survival adventure about a teen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) bonding with a cranky wolf that goes from enemy to friend.
Indie offerings
On the indie landscape, two skateboarding-themed films are worth flipping out over, while two indie dramas feature strong lead performances.
First up is “Skate Kitchen,” the must-see feature debut of “The Wolfpack” director Crystal Moselle, who puts her savvy documentary skills to great use in this character-driven feature film that gazes into the lives of close female skateboarders in New York. Rachelle Vinberg is a find as the newbie in the park who makes some moves that offend others.
Not enough ’boards? Carve out some time for “Minding the Gap.” Bing Liu put a lens on his skateboarding guy friends living in a small town in Illinois. The result is a blunt, eye-opening and painfully honest depiction of men and their relationships and egos.
If you want to see drama play out between a wife and husband, catch “The Wife.” The best reason to drop some bills on it is Glenn Close’s impeccable performance as the spouse of a Nobel Peace Prize winner (played by Jonathan Pryce). Set mostly around the hullabaloo over the upcoming award ceremony, Björn Runge’s film snags on a calculated, melodramatic narrative, but Close is pure dynamite. It’s an Oscar-worthy turn.
Another strong main performance can be found in the tough-to-watch but well-made “The Captain.” Relative newcomer Max Hubacher is explosive, transforming from a desperate German World War II deserter into a Nazi monster after he dons the garb of a Nazi captain as a disguise. Shot, for the most part, in stunning black and white, the German drama by Robert Schwentke (“RED”) visits grim places and exposes the darkest side of human nature. You’ll want a bath afterward.
Stream these
In “The Motive,” an unlucky writer finds inspiration for his characters by watching and observing his neighbors. That becomes problematic when he decides he wants to pump more tension into his story.
“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” might give you a John Hughes fix. Based on a young adult tome, it’s about a teen (Lana Condor) whose secret love letters to the guys she’s crushed on accidentally get (gulp!) delivered.