“The Beaver”
*** (out of 4)
When clinically depressed dad and toy company exec Walter Black leaves it to The Beaver — the furry hand puppet he begins to communicate through — things get a whole lot cheerier. Then they get complicated. Jodie Foster directs and stars with Mel Gibson (in one of his best performances) in this absurd, absorbing and very askew family drama about mental illness and families. Young one Anton Yelchin as Walter’s son and Oscar-nom Jennifer Lawrence as a brainy cheerleader add to the hurt and the hope. PG-13. 1 hour, 31 minutes.
Lisa Kennedy, The Denver Post
“Secret Sunshine”
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Shin-Ae is a South Korean woman who relocates, along with her young son, to the village where her recently deceased husband grew up. A lot is left unexplained in this elliptical film — why she moves, how she survives a suicide attempt — but one thing is clear as soon as her son is kidnapped; there’s still a lot of heartache ahead for Shin-Ae. No MPAA rating. 2 hours, 22 minutes.
Chris Hewitt, St. Paul Pioneer Press
“Win Win”
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Tom McCarthy has already given audiences two lovely features — “The Station Agent” and “The Visitor.” The writer-director’s third film is a charmer. Paul Giamatti is Mike Flaherty, an elder-law attorney and high-school wrestling coach who wades into a moral muddle when he becomes guardian of a client and then offers the guy’s grandson a temporary home and a spot on his low-talent team. The winning ensemble includes Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale and Burt Young. But it’s newcomer and former Jersey wrestling champ Alex Shaffer as Kyle who triumphs. R. 1 hour, 44 minutes.
Lisa Kennedy
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