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A Most Violent Year One of the best films of the last year, this J.C. Chandor movie tells the story of a heating-oil entrepreneur trying to expand his business while the walls are closing in on him — thieving competitors, hostile unions, a federal investigation. The scenes are expansive, but the pacing is brisk, an ideal combination, and Oscar Isaac, in the lead role, and Jessica Chastain, as his mob-connected wife, are outstanding. Rated R. 124 minutes. — M. LaSalle
American Sniper Clint Eastwood has directed a sly war film that, on the surface, is a laudatory biography of Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in American history, but is, in fact, a shrewd critique of the warrior mentality. It’s balanced and well made, with some extraordinary war scenes. The only drawback is that the protagonist is of limited interest. Rated R. 132 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Big Hero 6 Beautifully conceived and crafted, this is a fun and artful animation that will please everyone, about a teenager and his health-care robot, who team up to solve a crime in the mashup city of San Fransokyo. Another winner from John Lasseter’s team at Disney. Rated PG. 108 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Birdman One of the best movies of 2014, this inventively filmed (no visible cutting — it seems like it’s all one shot) showbusiness satire stars Michael Keaton as a former superhero film star, now in his 60s, who goes to Broadway in search of redemption and enters a maelstrom of tension and strife. The movie is full of terrific performances: Keaton, Emma Stone (as his daughter), Zach Galifianakis (as his manager) and Edward Norton (as a wildly neurotic but talented stage actor). Written and directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. Rated R. 119 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Black or White Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer play grandparents vying for custody of their grandchild, in this sometimes frustrating, sometimes satisfying personal story that tries too hard to be a commentary on race in America. Still, Costner does some of his best recent work. Rated PG-13. 121 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Black Sea Jude Law, in an atypical role (although everything he’s
doing these days seems to break new ground) plays a Scottish tough guy who leads a crew of Brits and Russians to recover lost treasure on the bottom of the sea. Sounds good, but this submarine drama is more Das Boring than “Das Boot.” Rated R. 115 minutes. — M. LaSalle
The Boy Next Door
A high school teacher sleeps with a troubled teen who then stalks her. Why a onetime A-lister like Jennifer Lopez decided to do this inept film is anyone’s guess. Unfortunately, her resume now includes this stinker. Also with Ryan Guzman, John Corbett. Rated R. 91 minutes. Reviewed by Thomas Lee.
Cake
Jennifer Aniston proves to doubters that she’s a talented dramatic actress, in this story of a woman suffering from chronic pain — and the resulting pill and alcohol addiction — coming to terms with her grief in the days following the suicide of a friend. Rated R. 92 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Citizenfour
Directed with a deft technical touch by Laura Poitras, this film is the muchanticipated documentary on how Edward Snowden leaked documents on the National Security Agency’s secret surveillance programs to Poitras and reporter Glenn Greenwald. Despite extensive media coverage, the resulting tapestry of Big Brother overreach still manages to shock and awe. Not rated. 114 minutes. Reviewed by Thomas Lee.
The Duke of Burgundy
Peter Strickland creates a gorgeously composed and often funny depiction of the sealed-off fantasy world of two lesbian lovers who play endless games of dominance and submission. The surreal setting is an all-female world where everyone is seriously interested in insects. The problem is a gradual change of tone that does not work. Not pornographic, but not for the squeamish (and certainly not for children). Not rated. 106 minutes. — W. Addiego
Foxcatcher
Writerdirector Bennett Miller gives the grand treatment to what is essentially a curious anecdote, and the result is a dull film with no cumulative impact. Based on the real-life story of millionaire John du Pont and his association with two Olympic gold medalists in wrestling, the movie is lifted by its strong performances, particularly Steve Carell’s as du Pont. Rated R. 134 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
The last film of the trilogy is also the best, and the shortest, but it’s still suffering from the bloat of having to stretch one-third of a book into a mammoth feature. At least 45 minutes is taken up with the climactic battle scene. Rated PG-13. 144 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Human Capital
This deftly edited, wellacted film concerns two very different Italian families (one rich, the other not so rich) who intersect because of financial shenanigans and a mysterious bicycle accident. The story is riveting, even when the whodunit at the end overwhelms the critique of capitalism. Not rated. 109 minutes. In Italian with English subtitles.
— D. Lewis
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1
That such flimsy material could be released is an insult to fans of the series. This is half of one bad movie stretched to feature length, consisting of scene after scene of Jennifer Lawrence
reacting to atrocities and calamities, but with no active role to play. Aside from the presence of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, this is one of the worst films of 2014. Rated PG-13. 123 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
The Imitation Game Too many flashbacks and flash forwards into Alan Turing’s pre- and post-World War II life disturb the momentum and lessen the impact of the main story, about the role of Turing and his associates in breaking Nazi Germany’s Enigma code. Winston Churchill credited this achievement as being decisive in the Allied victory. But the material is irresistible and Benedict Cumberbatch is ideal as Turing. Rated PG-13. 113 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Inherent Vice In adapting Thomas Pynchon’s novel of the same name, Paul Thomas Anderson has found a vehicle for emphasizing his own worst qualities — his disrespect for story and his long-windedness. There are some funny moments, but this comedy wears out its welcome long before it’s over. Rated R. 148 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Interstellar Earth is dying, so astronauts use a wormhole to find mankind a new home. Can they complete their mission before humanity dies out? Stars Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Michael Caine. Directed by Christopher Nolan. Rated PG-13. 165 minutes. Reviewed by M. Ordona
Into the Woods Stephen Sondheim’s musical makes a smooth transition to the big screen in this adaptation written by the musical’s book writer, James Lapine, and directed by Rob Marshall. Darker than the original musical, it retains most of the songs while streamlining some of the story. Still, the last third drags a bit, though not fatally. Rated PG. 124 minutes. — M. LaSalle
The Loft Thriller about five married men who conduct affairs in a penthouse loft, where they find a woman’s body. Not reviewed. Rated R.
104 minutes.
Mr. Turner The latest from Mike Leigh, a biopic on the life of the British painter J.M.W. Turner (Timothy Spall), is an indigestible 150 minutes of undramatic scenes, in which nothing happens and in which nothing is at stake. As this is a Mike Leigh film, there are some occasional, fleeting moments of cinematic deftness, but the lack of anything remotely resembling dramatic tension makes this hard to sit through. Rated R. 149 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Mommy A flashy widow tries to raise her mentally disturbed teenage son in this French Canadian drama, directed by Xavier Dolan, who is only 25 years old. Slightly overlong, but powerful. Rated PG-13. 139 minutes. In French with English subtitles. — M. LaSalle
Mortdecai Action comedy about a roguish art dealer in pursuit of a stolen painting that has a priceless secret. With Johnny Depp and Gwyneth Paltrow. Not reviewed. Rated R. 107 minutes. Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
This is an underwhelming finale to the trilogy of comic fantasies starring Ben Stiller as a museum guard. The series’ central gag — the exhibitions at New York’s Museum of Natural History come to raucous life at night — is bolstered here with some new characters from the British Museum. Most of the series’ regulars are on hand: Robin Williams (his last film), Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais and a monkey named Dexter. There are a few good jokes and some amusing cameos, but you get the feeling that the series is played out. Rated PG. 97 minutes. — W. Addiego Oscar Nominated
Live-Action Shorts An exceptionally strong program for 2015 includes “Aya,” about a woman who gives a ride to a stranger after she is mistaken for a chauffeur at the airport; and “The Phone Call,” with Sally Hawkins as a worker at a crisis center who receives a call from a very distraught man, voiced by Jim Broadbent. (Separate programs are also being released
of animated and documentary shorts.) Not rated. 94 minutes.
— W. Addiego
Paddington This highly enjoyable family film is based on the popular children’s books about a marmalade-loving bear (rendered in CGI) who is taken in by a human family in London. Will he win over the uptight dad? Will he escape the clutches of the villain? There’s slapstick and some gentler verbal humor, and just a bit of gross-out material. Nice comic performances from Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins and Nicole Kidman. Rated PG. 95 minutes. — W. Addiego
Project Almanac Sci-fi thriller about a group of teens who construct a time machine, with unhappy consequences. Rated PG-13. 106 minutes.
Selma At times when watching David Oyelowo you can really believe you’re seeing Martin Luther King Jr. He and Carmen Ejogo, who plays Coretta Scott King, highlight this very good movie on a great subject — the events surrounding King’s Alabama march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. What keeps the movie this side of greatness is some peculiar casting — Tom Wilkinson as LBJ, in particular — and some missed opportunities in the direction. Rated PG-13. 128 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Song of the Sea Two young children confront ancient Irish legends as they try to get back home in this beautifully hand-drawn Oscar nominee. Stars Brendan Gleeson and Fionnula Flanagan. Rated PG. 93 minutes. Reviewed by Michael Ordona.
Song One This is an understated romance despite its gooey premise: A young woman develops feelings for a folk musician who is the idol of her comatose brother. Anne Hathaway is very good, but the opaquely written characters prevent the film from soaring. Rated PG-13. 86 minutes.
— D. Lewis
Spare Parts Based on a true story, the serviceable yet uninspired movie centers on four Mexican American high-schoolers in Phoenix who overcome big odds to win a national underwater robotics competition against MIT and Cornell. The cast is led by some recognizable names (including George Lopez, Jamie Lee Curtis and Marisa Tomei), but except for the game but limited Lopez, the actors phone in their performances. Rated PG-13. 113 minutes. — T. Lee
Still Alice This is a movie about the progress of a disease, in this case early-onset Alzheimer’s, with Julianne Moore as a professor stricken at the age of 50. Her extraordinary perfor- mance makes this worth seeing. Kristen Stewart, as her daughter, is also quite effective. Rated PG-13. 101 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Strange Magic Set to repurposed hits from six decades of pop music, this animated fantasy finds fairies, elves and other woodland creatures in a battle over a love potion — and love itself. From a story by George Lucas. Stars Alan Cumming and Evan Rachel Wood. Rated PG. 99 minutes. — M. Ordoña
Taken 3 This installment is the most conventional of the Liam Neeson series, in that it breaks from the formula and adopts a more familiar action trope. This time Bryan (Neeson) is wanted for a crime he didn’t commit. And so as he is trying to find the real criminal, or real criminals, or some really vast criminal network, there is a cop (Forest Whitaker) trying to find him. If you love the other “Taken” movies, you will like this. But if you’re determined to love it, you’ll have to talk yourself into it — and even then, it might not work. Rated PG-13. 109 minutes.
— M. LaSalle The Theory of Every
thing Eddie Redmayne’s uncanny performance as Stephen Hawking highlights this welldirected biopic, which juggles the stories of Hawking’s discoveries, his illness, his amazing survival and his loving but turbulent marriage. Rated PG-13. 123 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Timbuktu This drama, about Islamic fundamentalist rebels running roughshod over a Malian city, minimizes violent images and focuses on the morally complex characters caught up in this tragedy. The film is both lyrical and savage, and though the narrative execution is far from perfect, there are many memorable scenes. Rated PG-13. 97 minutes. In French, Arabic, Bambara, English and Songhay, with English subtitles.
— D. Lewis
Two Days, One Night Of mild cultural interest, and well acted by Marion Cotillard, despite the mopey role, this is nonetheless the worst film by the Belgian Dardenne brothers, a programmatic piece with the same scene over and over, about a woman trying to persuade her co-workers, one by one, not to take a bonus, so that her boss won’t lay her off. Rated PG-13. 95 minutes. In French with English subtitles.
— M. LaSalle
The Wedding Ringer A desperate groom hires
a professional best man to pose as his friend and save his wedding. Stars Kevin Hart and Josh Gad. Directed by Jeremy Garelick. Rated R. 101 minutes. — M. Ordoña
Whiplash J.K. Simmons’ tour de force as a sadistic music teacher is the highlight of this drama, about an aspiring jazz drummer (Miles Teller) and the mind-bending, soul-distorting pressure put on him. The focus is narrow, but the film is successful within its scope. Rated R. 106 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Wild Though the experience of watching this film feels a little like a hike at times, this story of a troubled woman who attempts to break with her past by going on a dangerous 1,100-mile trek maintains interest and features a good performance by Reese Witherspoon. Rated R. 109 minutes. — M. LaSalle The Woman in Black 2: Angel
of Death Horror thriller about an evil spirit that is riled by a group of children evacuated from World War II London. Not reviewed. Rated PG-13. 98 minutes.