A critical consensus

An assessment of current motion pictures by major American film critics. Film criticism is rated on a scale of 10 (excellent) to 1 (poor). Criticism not available at press time will be reflected in future columns. Roma

Shoplifters

The Favourite

Cold War

If Beale Street Could Talk Ruben Brandt, Collector Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Widows

Happy as Lazzaro

Can You Ever Forgive Me? Free Solo

A Star is Born

Bathtubs Over Broadway Green Book

People’s Republic of Desire Mirai

At Eternity’s Gate Charmer

Stan & Ollie Communion Capernaum

Vox Lux

Never Look Away

Mary Queen of Scots

Ralph Breaks the Internet Bumblebee

Mary Poppins Returns

Vice sound track is full of Queen songs, and even if you’re not a big Queen fan, you’ll find they sound better in the movie than they do on the radio. Rated PG-13. 135 minutes.

— M. LaSalle

MBumblebee The latest installment in the “Transformers” series, about an alien robot that befriends an angst-ridden teenager, actually has wit, charm and likable characters. It’s as if the often unwatchable franchise has pleasantly mutated into a robotic version of “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” — and become a decent popcorn movie for the holidays. Rated PG-13. 114 minutes. — D. Lewis

NCan You Ever Forgive Me? Melissa McCarthy is terrific in this reallife story of the writer Lee Israel who, after the collapse of her literary career, found a lucrative second career as the forger of letters by historical people. Directed by Marielle Heller, it’s a film of wit and atmosphere and about the most twisted rags to riches story you could ever hope to see. Rated R. 106 minutes.

— M. LaSalle

K9.3 9.1 8.9 8.8 8.7 8.7 8.6 8.6 8.5 8.4 8.2 8.2 8.1 7.9 7.9 7.8 7.7 7.6 7.6 7.5 7.4 7.3 7.1 7.0 6.9 6.8 6.8 6.7

Capernaum Programmed, slick and maudlin neo-neorealist film about the mean streets of Beirut. With a gripping lead performance by 14-year-old Zain Al Rafeea, a Syrian refugee; his energy recalls JeanPierre Léaud in Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows.” The filmmakers have not made a call to action, but a calling card for themselves. Rated R. 123 minutes. Reviewed by Carlos Valladares

LR R R R R * PG R * R * R PG-13 PG-13 * PG R * PG * R R * R PG PG-13 PG R 7 7 7 2 4 6 4 8 6 12 15 14 6 8 6 6 8 5 2 1 4 5 6 5 7 3 3 3

Destroyer Nicole Kidman’s performance, as a desperate, violent, tormented homicidal cop is the one reason to see this Creed 2

The Party’s Just Beginning On the Basis of Sex

Ben is Back Destroyer

Rust Creek

Bitter Melon

Bird Box

Mule

The House

That Jack Built Aquaman

Fantastic Beasts:

The Crimes of Grindelwald Once Upon a Deadpool Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle The Grinch

Second Act

Genesis 2.0

Escape Room Bohemian Rhapsody Mortal Engines

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms Welcome to Marwen Robin Hood

Holmes and Watson otherwise slow and bleak crime film. It’s mostly a slog, despite a handful of terrific scenes. Rated R. 120 minutes.

— M. LaSalle

LEscape Room This thriller, about six people trapped in a series of lethal escape rooms, aspires to do nothing more than unsettle us — but it succeeds beautifully in doing so. It’s a pure diversion, but rather nicely staged, with decent performances. It’s pretty good, which, for a movie like this, is practically the brass ring. Rated PG-13. 100 minutes.

— M. LaSalle

NThe Favourite Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz are brilliant in this comedy-drama set during the reign of Queen Anne. Brilliantly directed by Yorgos Lanthimos on the knife edge between farce and drama, historical truth and PG-13

* PG-13 R R R * R R R

PG-13 PG-13

PG-13 PG-13 PG PG-13

* PG-13 PG-13 PG-13 PG

PG-13 PG-13 PG-13 anachronism. Rated R. 119 minutes. — M. LaSalle

N7 5 2 5 2 1 5 4 4 4

3 8

3 6 9 3 1 1 10 4 10

3 7 2 6.6 6.6 6.5 6.4 6.4 6.3 6.1 6.0 6.0 5.9

5.8 5.7

5.5 5.4 5.3 5.2 5.1 5.0 4.9 4.7 4.5

4.3 3.1 2.9

Free Solo Thrilling, vertigo-inducing documentary that chronicles Alex Honnold’s quest to scale the 3,000-foot vertical rock face of Yosemite’s El Capitan — with just his hands and feet — no ropes. It’s never been done; will he be the first? The photography is incredible, as is its subject. Rated PG-13. 100 minutes.

— G. Allen Johnson

NGreen Book Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali are ideally paired as an Italian American driver and an African American pianist on a concert tour through the deep South in 1962. Mortensen completely transforms and is probably on his way to an Oscar nomination. Rated PG-13. 130 minutes. — M. LaSalle The Grinch The makers of “Minions” and the “Despicable Me” movies find a consistent offbeat humor in this “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” adaptation, while retaining the sneaky emotional core. But the uneven new film highlights the greatest problem of any big screen Seuss reimagination: It’s very hard to turn this 69-page picture book into a feature-length movie. Rated PG. 86 minutes.

LHolmes & Watson A comedy with Will Ferrell as Sherlock Holmes and John C. Reilly as Dr. Watson. Not reviewed. Rated PG-13. 91 minutes.

LIf Beale Street Could Talk Barry Jenkins’ adaptation of the James Baldwin novel has a couple of great scenes and at least as many good scenes, but Jenkins lards the film with musical interludes and adopts a mournful tone and a funereal pace that kills the movie dramatically. Still, the acting, particularly the supporting performances, is strong. Rated R. 119 minutes. — M. LaSalle

L— P. Hartlaub

Mary Poppins Returns She returns, but she’s different this time. She’s Emily Blunt and looks worried. And the songs she sings are pretty lousy. Still, if you don’t mind weak songs and a clinically depressed Mary Poppins, this one has things to offer — great visuals and Lin-Manuel Miranda as a jolly lamplighter. Rated PG. 130 minutes.

— M. LaSalle

The Mule Clint Eastwood directed, and stars in, this crime drama about a 90-yearold American WWII veteran caught transporting cocaine for a Mexican drug cartel. Also with Bradley Cooper. Not reviewed. Rated R. 116 minutes.

NOn the Basis of Sex The early life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, from her entry into Harvard Law School through her first landmark case dealing with discrimination on the basis of sex, is the subject of this engaging drama, which becomes increasingly involving until, by the last half-hour, it’s goosebumps all around.