Let ‘Chesil Beach’ sweep you away
Realizing the Star Wars franchise is a force you shouldn’t reckon with, studios are offering few alternatives next to “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” Wise move.
As for alternatives: Do you prefer indie dramas based on celebrated novels?
Then take a walk “On Chesil Beach.” Ian McEwan (“Atonement”) adapts his slim, eloquent heartbreaker about a just-hitched couple (Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle) in 1962 who nervously dance around their intimate first honeymoon day. Fans of McEwan’s exceptional tome might fuss over some decisions, but everyone will likely agree the leads — particularly Howle — are exceptional. Dominic Cooke directs with polish and understanding of the source material.
Another indie receiving terrific buzz is “First Reformed,” featured in the recent San Francisco International Film Festival lineup. Ethan Hawke continues to be one of American cinema’s MVPs, and here he plays a priest wrangling with his past choices, memories triggered when a parishioner seeks his help. Paul Schrader directs.
Another SF Film Fest 2018 pick — “How to Talk to Girls at Parties” — also receives a Bay Area release but it didn’t collect such favorable praise as “Reformed” did. Based on a quirky Neil Gaiman story, it mashes up genres as a teen hangs with otherworldly types at a London club. John Cameron Mitchell of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and “Shortbus” acclaim directs and co-adapts the screenplay.
If eccentric teen dramas happen to be your preferred genre, enter “House of Tomorrow.” Asa Butterfield stars as an isolated teen living with his kooky grandma (Ellen Burstyn) in a famous eco-home tucked away in the woods. One day he befriends a volatile punk-music-loving teen visitor (Alex Wolff) who’s dealing with health issues, and both lives change. Nick Offerman costars in this well-made indie find.
For animal lovers, “Love and Bananas: An Elephant Story” provides an inspirational true story about a mission in Thailand to rescue an ailing older elephant.
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Netflix’s frisky original comedy “Ibiza” is a winner. The breezy, sexy variation on “Girls Trip” finds three female besties getting into mischief when one of them falls for a dreamy — and sensitive — DJ (Richard Madden). Is it as funny as “Girls Trip”? Hardly. But it is one of Netflix’s best originals with a dynamo cast (Gillian Jacobs, Vanessa Bayer and Phoebe Robinson) and an up-and-coming director (Alex Richanbach) who knows what he’s doing and exactly how to entertain. It comes out Friday.