Carell bolsters addiction drama ‘Beautiful Boy’
Also: Jamie Lee Curtis returns for revenge 40 years later in ‘Halloween’ sequel
Here’s what’s coming to Bay Area movie theaters this weekend.
The multifaceted Steve Carell establishes yet again what a fine dramatic actor he is in “Beautiful Boy,” an overstated family drama that uneasily unites two widely praised memoirs.
On the plus side, “Boy” features Carell along with gorgeous Bay Area locations, particularly those near Bodega Bay. But the film feels emotionally detached in what should have been an in-the-moment, at times devastating, portrait of a dad valiantly trying to save the life of his addicted son (Timothée Chalamet).
Eager for the holidays? One of this week’s new releases might get you in the ghoulish spirit, while the other could make you think twice about behaving like a turkey come Thanksgiving.
In “Halloween,” Jamie Lee Curtis fearlessly reacquaints herself with that perpetual thorn-in-her-side Michael Myers (no relation). Michael has escaped 40 years after he first donned the mask and spooked a nation and the teen-age Laurie (Curtis). He’s primed to start carving up more than just pumpkins again in David Gordon Green’s sequel, which won raves at the Toronto International Film Festival.
If you’re looking for something especially tart this Thanksgiving season, try Ike Barinholtz’s alternatingly hilarious and frightening “The Oath.” The funnyman wrote, directed and stars as a news junkie who proudly refuses to sign away his allegiance to a crackpot president. As relatives gather around the table, warring political views and a pop-up visit from two government enforcers beat the stuffing out of everyone. Co-producer Tiffany Haddish surprises in a strong dramatic turn. “The Oath” is an edgy comedy that encapsulates the current volatile state of political and familial affairs.
Flying below the radar is “The Guilty,” a whiteknuckle Scandinavian thriller. In this claustrophobic, nearly one-man show, a troubled emergency dispatcher desperately tries to halt an abduction in progress. Jakob Cedergren gives a searing performance in Gustav Moller’s brisk, twisty and unnerving debut feature. What a find.
A little less successful, but worth a look, is the stunningly shot and terrifically acted “Galveston.” In this bleak neo-noir, Ben Foster plays a newly expendable mob taskman who frees a teenage prostitute (Elle Fanning) from an uncertain fate during a setup. None of that sits well with others. Although “Galveston” suffers from gales of narrative deja vu, there are some strong elements here, notably Fanning’s full-force performance and actress-director Melanie Laurent’s intuitive direction. Based on a novel from “True Detective” creator Nic Pizzolatto.
Over on Netflix, it’s a bloodbath come Friday: In the over-the-top martialarts smackdown “The Night Comes for Us,” a member of a secret team designed to guard the Indonesian drug trade goes rogue. His change of heart — to help a little girl — prompts mega gougings, garrotings and gorings. The violence goes way off the charts in this never-boring, well-made action epic from the talented Timo Tjahjanto. Be warned, it’s only for you brave types who thought “Kill Bill” was much too tame.