AT THE MOVIES
NEW IN TOWN La famille Bélier: Not reviewed. Director Éric Lartigau trains his lens on this story of 16-yearold Paula, who serves as an interpreter for her deaf parents and brother. But when a music teacher discovers her gift for singing, Paula must choose whether to leave and pursue a collegiate degree or stay with her family on their farm. (Melissa Hank) Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles: See review on F3, 1/2 ★★
Magic Mike XXL: Pulled back in for one last ride, Mike and his boys are on their way to the male entertainer convention. Where the first Magic Mike pulled back the curtain, this one stays firmly in the pit below the stage, happy to soak up sweat and skin and not worry about what might be going on in the dark recesses of these strippers’ brains. (David Berry) ★★ ★ 1/2
The Overnight: See review on F2, ★★★
Slow West: See review on F2, ★★ ★
Terminator Genisys: Arnold Schwarzenegger is back in what feels like the original Terminator movie for about six minutes before it veers excitedly into a new timeline. Emilia Clarke is a remarkably badass Sarah Connor, and J.K. Simmons provides comic relief in what feels like both a reboot and a fitting conclusion to the franchise. (Chris Knight). ★★★★
Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead: Not reviewed. Jay Gallagher and Bianca Bradey star in writerdirector Kiah Roache-Turner’s tale of a man who survives a zombie plague, and then slashes his way through evil soldiers and ravenous monsters to rescue his kidnapped sister. (Melissa Hank)
STILL IN TOWN The Age of Adaline: Blake Lively gives a mature performance in this film about the travails of a woman sentenced to immortality without the possibility of crow’s feet. Director Lee Toland Krieger avoids earnestness and resists classic feminine movie tropes, as he explores the larger theme of intimacy. (Julia Cooper) ★★★★
Aloha: Cameron Crowe’s latest feels like a connect-the-dots done with invisible ink. There are scattered shoals of lucidity but for the rest of the film you’re floundering. Bradley Cooper and Emma Stone star in a story about launching a new satellite from Hawaii. Or something. (Chris Knight) 1/2 ★
Avengers: Age of Ultron: In the latest, increasingly confusing chapter of the Marvel-verse, Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) accidentally creates an artificial intelligence (voiced by James Spader) that wants to wipe out humanity. At least it also has a sense of humour. (Chris Knight) ★★★
Cinderella: This earnest affair retells the 65-year-old Disney animated classic in live-action, with Lily James as the title character and Richard Madden as the charming prince. What it lacks in ironic winking it more than makes up for in twinkling and sparkling, with sets and costumes to dazzle and delight. (Chris Knight) ★ ★ ★1/2 Entourage: The movie version of the TV show Entourage does not stoop below its pedigree. A toothless Hollywood satire, it’s always just been about a gaggle of bros in awe of their awesomeness. The mood is self-congratulation, which helps the sugary medicine of lifestyle fantasy go down. (David Berry)
★ ★ Far From the Madding Crowd: Film adaptations have a way of flattening the subtleties of character in Victorian and Edwardian novels. And this version of Thomas Hardy’s story of a woman considering three suitors is no exception. The acting is solid but unremarkable and the scenery is lovingly lingered over. (David Berry) ★★★1/2
Furious 7: The film commits its fair share of cinematic crimes, yet it’s pure popcorn escapism — brashly dumb and knowing at the same time. The plot finds Jason Statham’s mercenary hunting down Vin Diesel’s street-racing crew. (Barry Hertz) ★★★★
Home: Base on Adam Rex’s The True Meaning of Smekday — though not nearly as edgy — Home follows a bumbling alien invader (Jim Parsons) who teams up with a human girl named Gratuity (Rihanna) after Earth is invaded. Simple wisdom and squishy aliens: Should be fun for kids. (Chris Knight) ★★★
I’ll See You In My Dreams: Blythe Danner’s nuanced performance is worth the price of admission to this quirky and solipsistic, but endearing film that resists the lure of contemporary pop platitudes. Living in the moment has its pluses, but there are gentler, more loving ways to measure the course of our lives and the film makes affecting note of some of them. (Julia Cooper) ★★★
Inside Out: Pixar’s latest takes place inside the mind of 11-yearold Riley, who must deal with a move to a new city with the help of five emotions, chief among them Joy and Sadness. It’s funny, but for adults there are unexpected, welcome reserves of depth and thoughtfulness. (Chris Knight) ★★★★★
Insidious: Chapter 3: This one should really be called Insidious: Prologue, as it’s set a few years before the first two chapters. It’s your standard girl-in-peril movie, as teenager Quinn (Stefanie Scott) tries to contact her dead mom and ends up stalked by a ghost. (Chris Knight) 1/2 ★★
Jurassic World: Twenty-two years after the original Jurassic Park, this summer popcorn movie features one-note acting from Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard; the Apatosaurus delivers a nice deathbed scene though. But go for effects and dino-on-dino fighting action and you won’t be disappointed. (Chris Knight) ★★★★
Love & Mercy: The poorly told story of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys features two actors playing the troubled surfer boy. Paul Dano and John Cusack take turns of playing Wilson at different times in his life. Director Bill Pohlad misses the mark with settings and dialogue. (Adam Nayman) ★ 1/2
Max: What starts as a 20-minute commercial for the valiant war dogs of the world soon morphs into a boy-and-his-dog tale, as Justin (Josh Wiggins) adopts the military dog trained by his deceased brother, and each finds new meaning in life. Sweet and message-y but well done. (Chris Knight) ★★★ 1/2
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl: Based on the like-named novel, this Sundance winner never opts for the easy way out. Human connection, camaraderie and friendship take precedence over romantic love in a nicely underplayed story that benefits from a stellar cast. (Chris Knight) ★★★ 1/2
Woman in Gold: The film fails to tap into the potential richness of its source material, the matter of art plundered from Austrian Jews by the Nazis during the Second World War and its restitution. Based on a true story, the film’s lazy oversimplifications ignore the complexities of the tale. Stars Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds. (Adam Nayman) ★★