San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
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American Animals Writer-director Bart Layton has made an interesting movie, a narrative feature with documentary elements, about an inept group of would-be thieves, who join forces to steal a rare book from a college library. The movie is funny, but with an extra undertone of uneasiness, partly because we know it’s a true story. Rated R. 116 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Ant-Man and the Wasp A sequel better than its original in nearly every way, with Paul Rudd back as Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as the Wasp, San Francisco as a location. With newcomers Michelle Pfeiffer and Lawrence Fishburne. Silly and winning, the “Ant-Man” series occupies the fun corner of the Marvel Universe sandbox. Rated PG-13. 125 minutes.
— G. Allen Johnson
Ava This debut film by Iranian Canadian writer-director Saraf Foroughi is a heartfelt and compelling tale of a high school girl in Tehran whose goals and desires conflict with the wishes of her parents and a larger society. You feel for Ava (Mahour Jabbari) the way you for for Antoine Doinel in Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows. Not rated. 102 minutes. — G. Allen Johnson
Blindspotting One of the best films of the year so far, this story, about friends coping with an Oakland in transition, was written by its two stars, Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal. Directed by Carlos Lopez Estrada, the film is a seamless mix of extreme humor and tense drama, an inspired work or intuition and artistry. Rated R. 95 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
The Cakemaker This Israeli-German coproduction is an impressive debut from director Ofir Raul Graizer. When a German baker’s male lover is killed, he travels to Jerusalem and gets a job with the lover’s wife, without telling her who he is. The story could have been melodramatic or sentimental, but in Graizer’s hands it is genuinely affecting. Not rated. 113 minutes. In German, Hebrew and English with English subtitles.
— W. Addiego
Dark Money This depressing documentary, focusing mostly on matters in the state of Montana, shows the effect of untraceable corporate money on the American political system. It tries to be hopeful, but hope is hard to come by. Not rated. 97 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot This is the story of a real-life cartoonist, who discovered his calling after suffering a horrible accident that left him paralyzed from the chest down. Actor Joaquin Phoenix and director Gus Van Sant do committed work, but they can’t overcome a certain why-are-we-watching-this quality that sets in after less than an hour. Rated R. 115 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Eighth Grade Bo Burnham’s film about the struggles of an unpopular eighth-grade girl is one of the more thoughtful and valiant feature film directorial debuts in recent memory. Elsie Fisher is terrific in the lead role, adding compassion
to a difficult part. Burnham takes viewers back to a place they would rather not go, and finds goodness, without sacrificing a bit of accuracy. Rated R. 93 minutes. — P. Hartlaub
The Equalizer 2 Denzel Washington is back as the retired government killing machine, now devoting his services on behalf of the powerless. The movie has Washington, a strong premise and some winning sequences, but it pales in comparison to the original, due to a lackluster script. Rated R. 121 minutes. — M. LaSalle
The First Purge A prequel exploring the origin of the creepy, sanctioned-murder day shown in previous “Purge” films, this action/horror movie starts with an interesting premise that it then fuzzes up too much to be compelling. It begins with the government setting up poor people of color to participate in the first-ever Purge, thereby establishing the government as the clear enemy. But the movie’s supposed hero is not that good of a guy, and the government minions are too personality-free to be interesting villains. Rated R. 97 minutes. — C. Meyer
Five Seasons: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf The work of master Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf — whose most well-known jobs include New York’s High Line and Chicago’s Lurie Garden — is nicely showcased in this documentary. Oudolf is known for his use of perennials, and his private garden in the Dutch village of Hummelo has been a Mecca for gardening enthusiasts. Not rated. 75 minutes.
— W. Addiego
Gauguin: Voyage to Tahiti The quasi-
biographical drama attempts to show how Paul Gauguin reinvigorated his artistic spirit on an isolated tropical island — away from the hustle and bustle of 1890s Paris. It’s a beautifully shot film, but often it’s like watching paint dry. Not rated. 102 minutes. In French and Polynesian, with English subtitles. — D. Lewis
Generation Wealth This flawed documentary examines the the wretched excess of consumerism and greed in today’s America, presenting a motley assortment of shifty hedgefund types, Kardashians, plastic-surgery addicts and children of Hollywood royalty. There’s a shortage of political analysis, and filmmaker Lauren Greenfield errs when she turns her camera on herself and her family to make a point about her own workaholic nature. Rated R. 106 minutes. — W. Addiego
Hearts Beat Loud A thoroughly charming film (and another success for director Brett Haley), this tells the story of a father (Nick Offerman) and daughter (Kiersey Clemons), who team up to write songs in the weeks leading up to her going away to college. Rated PG-13. 97 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Hereditary Hypnotic and intense throughout, this brilliantly executed supernatural thriller taps into the ghosts within all of us — the insidious roots of family dysfunction — and turns them upside down and all around. The psychological fallout is just as disturbing as the apparitions that come chillingly to life. Rated R. 127 minutes. — D. Lewis
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation While the dialogue remains mediocre in this sequel, the kinetic animation stylings of director Genndy Tartakovsky are front and center. There are several charming and funny set pieces, as Dracula and family embark on a monster cruise ship. A flawed film, but still the best in the series. Rated PG. 97 minutes.
— P. Hartlaub
Incredibles 2 Despite Pixar’s high production values and good performances from a strong cast (Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Catherine Keener), this sequel to the 2004 animation stalls, due to a stretched-out story full of digressions. Samuel Jackson is wasted in a lackluster role. Rated PG. 118 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Leave No Trace In this captivating, heartbreaking film by Debra Granik (“Winter’s Bone”), a traumatized veteran (Ben Foster) and his teenage daughter (Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie) embark on an odyssey after being rousted from their campsite in a public park. McKenzie is a revelation, simultaneously exhibiting an old-soul quality appropriate to a girl who must be her father’s caretaker but also show youthful wonder at new experiences. Rated PG. 109 minutes.
— C. Meyer
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again The sequel to the 2008 hit musical film takes place five years after the end of the previous movie. Cher shows up in the last 15 minutes of “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again,” wearing a blond wig, and launches into the ABBA song, “Fernando.” Andy Garcia joins in on backing vocals. I can’t decide if the movie is horrible or if I liked it and must conclude that both are true. It really was horrible, and I liked it, anyway. Rated PG-13. 114 minutes. — M. LaSalle
McQueen This kinky catwalk of a documentary is a savagely beautiful tribute to the late, irreverent fashion designer Alexander McQueen. Even non-fashion fanatics can enjoy the dazzling catwalks and craftsmanship on display here. Rated R. 111 minutes.
— D. Lewis
Mission: Impossible -- Fallout The latest and best installment of the series — an astonishing mix of action and expert story construction — finds Ethan Hunt and his crew looking for plutonium balls that have fallen into the hands of terrorists. Buckle up. This one never stops. It’s what summer movies used to be, and should be. Rated PG-13. 147 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Ocean’s 8 This continuation of the “Ocean’s” series, with Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean, is a big shiny cubic zirconia of a movie. The film can be lots of fun — with its well-cast female leads, patriarchybreaking vibe and creative central heist. But there is something slightly off, partly in the pacing and also in the concept. It’s a slightly diminished copy, not a bold new direction. Rated PG-13. 110 minutes. — P. Hartlaub
Poor Boy An ambitious but scattered and ultimately disappointing example of what I call “red state desert noir” (think “Breaking Bad,” “Hell or High Water”) about the two sons of a rodeo clown (Michael Shannon, in a cameo), nitwit petty criminals who lose control of their own narrative. Not rated. 104 minutes.
— G. Allen Johnson
RBG Even most people who are disposed to admire Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg are unfamiliar with her background and personal story. This documentary sets the record straight, positing Ginsburg as the Thurgood Marshall of feminist jurisprudence. It’s an entertaining and uplifting documentary. Rated PG. 97 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda Not only a portrait of a great artist and activist, but also a sensitive and engrossing depiction of the act of creation and its process. Sakamoto rose to prominence in Japan in the 1970s with his influential technomusic band Yellow Magic Orchestra; his rich, eclectic film scores, including “Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence,” “The Last Emperor” and “The Revenant.” Not rated. 100 minutes. In Japanese with English subtitles. — G. Allen Johnson
Sicario: Day of the Soldado This bloody tale of deception and human trafficking on the U.S.-Mexico border is a thinking person’s action movie — as long as you don’t think too much. Even if it has its share of preposterous moments, it crackles with non-stop tension, combat scenes and double-crosses. Rated R. 122 minutes. — D. Lewis
Skyscraper The latest Dwayne Johnson thriller doesn’t quite have the delirious, crazy thrills of some of his best movies, but it benefits from his combination of massive physicality and long-suffering humanity, and it does come up with imaginative ways for people to fall off a building while on fire. At least there’s that. Rated PG-13. 103 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Sorry to Bother You Written and directed by Boots Riley, this story about a successful telemarketer who becomes privy to the diabolical plans that big business and science have for the working classes is innovative and fresh, with lots of penetrating observations about modern life and modern anxiety. Not every scene works, but this movie is a welcome original. Rated R. 105 minutes. — M. LaSalle
MLTeen Titans Go! to the Movies An insideHollywood story about a team of young DC Comics crimefighters who want a movie made about them — like DC’s Superman and Batman — this film plays like a 90-minute advertisement for DC. Jokes about the DC-Marvel rivalry will go over kids’ heads. But the songs are catchy, and Will Arnett brings delightful smarm to his supervillain. character. Rated PG. 92 minutes.
— C. Meyer
NThree Identical Strangers Three triplets, separated at birth and adopted by different families, were reunited, by a fluke, in 1980, when they were 19. It’s a great story — and then the story goes on, and they discover they were part of a scientific study that deliberately separated them and analyzed them like lab rats. This is a terrific documentary by Tim Wardle. Rated PG-13. 96 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
LUncle Drew This is the best-case scenario for a movie based on a soft drink advertisement. It is a disjointed and inconsistent comedy, shoddily filmed at times and occasionally abandoning storytelling effort altogether. But in addition to a solidly executed central gimmick — old guys kicking young butts on a street ball court — it’s undeniably fun, with a pretty good heart. Rated PG-13. 104 minutes.
— P. Hartlaub
MUnder the Tree This Icelandic feature is a black comedy with tragic overtones about a petty neighborhood feud that escalates into a bloody catastrophe. Tonally, it is designed to keep the viewer off balance, which may be a problem for some. Not rated. 89 minutes. — W. Addiego
LUnfriended: Dark Web In this social media horror film, evil hackers stalk a pack of Millennials having a game night on Skype. It’s all a nihilistic trifle, but it has its share of thrills. Rated R. 98 minutes.
— D. Lewis
NWon’t You Be My Neighbor? This enlightening and extremely moving documentary recounts how Fred Rogers, in creating “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” provided an alternative to overbearing children’s TV with his gentle manner and abiding concern for the emotional lives of his preschool viewers. Rated PG-13. 94 minutes.
— W. Addiego