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The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Dis
appeared This Swedish slapstick version of “Forrest Gump” starts out promising when an ancient resident (with quite a past) escapes from a nursing home. But the film tries too hard to be funny, and eventually goes off the rails. Rated R. 114 minutes. In Swedish, German, Spanish, French, Russian and English, with English subtitles
— D. Lewis
About Elly A seaside holiday for several families of uppermiddle-class Iranians dissolves into angst and recriminations when one of the vacationers abruptly disappears, possibly drowned. The very talented filmmaker, Asghar Farhadi, offers an incisive portrait of a society caught in the collision between old and new ways and undermined by duplicity. Not rated. 119 minutes. In Farsi and German with English subtitles.
— W. Addiego
Aloha Charm alone almost carries this one, because it’s always pleasant to inhabit a Cameron Crowe universe. But the writerdirector’s latest, about a defense worker (Bradley Cooper) trying to decide between two women (Emma Stone and Rachel McAdams) while working for a sleazy billionaire, doesn’t quite make it. Rated PG-13. 105 minutes.
— M. LaSalle Avengers: Age of Ultron The possible destruction of humanity by artificial intelligence becomes an unintentional metaphor for the destruction of cinema by computers in this actionpacked and utterly dead sequel to “The Avengers.” This time, the team unites to defeat a robot and his robot army. It’s long, hard to follow and boring. Rated PG-13. 141 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Entourage The HBO series gets the bigscreen treatment in this shallow but entertaining glimpse of life in Hollywood, with Adrian Grenier as a movie star, Jeremy Piven as his friend and studio head, and three other guys along for the ride. Haley Joel Osment, the former child star, has a nice showcase in an adult role, as the ne’er-do-well son of a financier. Rated R. 104 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Ex Machina There are lots of sci-fi movies, but few like this one, with intelligent things to say about science itself — in this case, artificial intelligence. Domhnall Gleeson stars as an employee who gets to stay for a week at the home of his employer, an eccentric billionaire tech entrepreneur, played with charm and an edge of menace by Oscar Isaac. Rated R. 110 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Far From the Madding
Crowd The casting of Carey Mulligan as a woman of such appeal that every man she meets falls in
love with her — a role previously played by Julie Christie — deflates much of the passion in this tale of a woman landowner juggling a series of suitors in the late 19th century. It’s not bad, but not fully realized. Rated PG-13. 118 minutes.
— M. LaSalle Heaven Knows What Arielle Holmes makes a striking debut in this documentary-like narrative film, by Ben and Joshua Safdie, about a homeless teenage heroin addict living on the streets of New York. It’s based on Holmes’ own life, and that’s of interest, though the stunted monotony of a junkie’s existence inevitably infects the movie. Rated R. 94 minutes. — M. LaSalle
I'll See You in My
Dreams Blythe Danner is a revelation in this film about a widow being coaxed back into contact with life by a series of emotional experiences, some good and some bad. 2015 will have to become a record year for acting for Danner’s performance not to rank among the year’s best. Rated PG-13. 92 minutes.
— M. LaSalle Insidious: Chapter 3 More mean ghosts show up from the “Further” as psychic Elise tries to help yet another innocent family in this unwanted prequel. Stars Lin Shaye, Dermot Mulroney and Stefanie Scott. Directed by Leigh Wannell. Rated PG-13. 97 minutes. — M. Ordoña
Jurassic World This is a superior monster movie that matches the pace and style of a 1990s sci-fi thriller with a witty script that deals with modern concerns, such as the influence of mad scientists and military manufacturers. It’s a good summer movie. Rated PG-13. 124 minutes.
— M. LaSalle Live From New York! A once-over-lightly history of “Saturday Night Live,” offering entertaining stories from the performers and writers, and from the show’s guiding genius, Lorne Michaels, about “SNL’s” amazing four-decade run. Be aware that the film takes a breezy, positive approach that sidesteps any juicy tidbits. Not rated. 81 minutes.
— W. Addiego
Love & Mercy This is a brilliant biopic about Brian Wilson, which contrasts the years of his peak creativity (in which he is played by Paul Dano) with his middle years, in which he was all but enslaved by a terrifying psychotherapist. John Cusack plays the older Wilson. This is one of the great movies about creativity — it makes other screen biographies, even good ones, look corny and obvious. Rated PG-13. 120 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Love at First Fight In this boy-meets-survivalist, existential romantic comedy, Madeleine (an excellent Adele Haenel) is a gruff heroine whose end-ofthe-world view is challenged when she meets an unassuming young man in her town. It’s amusing — and very French. Not rated. 98 minutes. In French with English subtitles.
— D. Lewis Mad Max: Fury Road Artful touches and a cleverly imagined future world lift this film somewhat, but the bottom line is that it’s pretty much a two-hour chase scene, with lots of fake-looking special effects. If that sounds great to you, here’s your ticket Rated R. 121 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Me and Earl and the
Dying Girl This is a very smart movie that walks the line between comedy and drama, farce and tragedy, with its story of a friendship that develops between a witty yet odd high school student (Thomas Mann) and a classmate suffering from leukemia. The title may keep people away in droves, but the movie is worth seeing. Rated PG-13. 105 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Pitch Perfect 2 Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson and the rest of the Barden Bellas are back for this arch and delightful sequel to the 2012 hit. Now the Bellas are seniors, trying to live down a public embarrassment by winning an international a cappella championship. This is one of the most likable films of the season. Rated PG-13. 115 minutes. — M. LaSalle
Results Andrew Bujalski (“Computer Chess”) does it again, this time with a bigger budget, with this story of three people (the owner of a gym, a personal trainer and a multimillionaire) whose lives intersect and who all need something from the others. Kevin Corrigan is superb as the millionaire. Rated R. 104 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
San Andreas The movie promises great earthquake effects, and that’s what you get in this straight-ahead action movie. Nobody is pretending to create a masterpiece here, but this is a good summer entertainment that, within its limits, is imaginative and well acted. And it clocks in at under two hours. Rated PG-13. 114 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Spy Melissa McCarthy gets her best starring role to date in this comedy from writer-director Paul Feig, about a desk-job CIA agent who gets sent out on her first field assignment — to stop a team of terrorists.
McCarthy is very funny in a variety of modes. Rated R. 120 minutes.
— M. LaSalle Testament of Youth Alicia Vikander commands the screen in this dramatization of Vera Brittain’s World War I memoir, which shows the horrible conflict as experienced by a young woman with friends and family battling on the front lines. It’s a powerful and moving experience. Rated PG-13. 129 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
Tomorrowland After a very slow start, this film — about a former boy genius (George Clooney) and a current girl genius (Britt Robertson) traveling to a city outside time and space — becomes a delightful and thoughtful exploration of the ways in which the future, the concept and promise of it, function in human life. It’s a more serious movie than it seems. Rated PG. 129 minutes.
— M. LaSalle
When Marnie Was
There Fine animation from Studio Ghibli, with lustrous images and an emotionally resonant story. A 12-year-old outcast is sent by her foster parents to live with relatives in the country, where she befriends a girl of the same age who may or may not be real. Based on the 1967 novel of the same title by Joan G. Robinson, with the setting changed from England to Japan. Rated PG. 103 minutes. In Japanese with English subtitles
— W. Addiego
Wild Tales This collection of six short wild films from Argentina, all written and directed by Damian Szifron, has more energy, wit and invention in any of its sections than most films have in their entirety. These are bizarre tales of revenge, and they’re a demented delight. Rated R. 122 minutes. In Spanish with English subtitles.
— M. LaSalle