Some reviews originate at newspapers that do not award star ratings; some movies are not screened in advance for critics. Ratings range from zero to four stars. All movies reviewed in print can also be found at .
OPENING TODAY
“Ballet 422”* * ½
PG. Reviewed on 6C
“Buzzard”Not rated. Reviewed at
“Cinderella”PG. Reviewed on 7C
“An Honest Liar” Not rated. Reviewed on 7C
“Run All Night” R. Reviewed on 6C.
“Timbuktu” * * * ½ PG-13. Reviewed on 7C
“Wild Canaries”Not rated. Reviewed at
“Wild Tales” R. Reviewed on 6C.
continuing
Selected mini-reviews of films in theaters, listed alphabetically:
“American Sniper” War memoir. * * * R. “American Sniper” is not director Clint Eastwood’s best film — not by a long shot. But this adaptation of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle’s 2012 best-selling autobiography is arguably his most significant. A beefed-up Bradley Cooper brings psychological heft and laser focus to his portrayal of Kyle, who did four tours in Iraq and is credited with 160 confirmed kills. (Kennedy) 132 minutes
“Chappie” Sci-fi adventure. R. Intelligence, artificial or otherwise, is one of the major casualties of this robot-themed action movie that winds up feeling as clunky and confused as the childlike droid with which it shares its name. Hugh Jackman, and Sigourney Weaver also star. (Justin Chang, Variety) 120 minutes
“Fifty Shades of Grey” Erotic romance. R. If the problem with too many literary adaptations is a failure to capture the author’s voice, then that shortcoming turns out to be the single greatest virtue of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” the hotly anticipated first film inspired by E.L. James’ best-selling assault on sexual mores, good taste and the English language. In telling the story of a shy young virgin (played by Dakota Johnson) and the broodingly handsome billionaire (Jamie Dornan) who invites her into his wonderful world of hanky-spanky, director Sam Taylor-Johnson and screenwriter Kelly Marcel have brought out a welcome element of cheeky, knowing humor that gradually recedes as the action plunges into darker, kinkier territory. (Chang, Variety) 125 minutes
“Focus” Con-artists romance. * * ½ R. Welcome back, Will Smith. Your grin, your glib retorts, your movie-star stride have been missed. And third-generation con-man Nicky Spurgeon, with his cool demeanor and whiff of vulnerability, suits you. Instead, like the zesty “Ocean’s” flicks, “Focus” is a shiny, diverting ride. (And right about now, that’s OK.) This one takes us from New York to New Orleans to Buenos Aires in pursuit of marks and, just maybe, love. (Kennedy) 105 minutes
“The Imitation Game” Drama. * * * ½ PG-13. Benedict Cumberbatch brings intelligence and anguish to this story about Alan Turing and his war-altering work to crack Germany’s Enigma code. Directed by Morten Tyldum and written by Graham Moore, “Imitation” is loosely based on Andrew Hodges’ 1983 tome, “Alan Turing: The Enigma.” At the Mayan. (Kennedy) 114 minutes
“Kingsman: The Secret Service” Spy movie. R. “Kingsman: The Secret Service” brings the irreverence back to the British spy genre, offering a younger, streetwise variation on the 007 formula. Based on Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons’ 2012 comic-book series, Fox’s franchise-ready one-off at first poses as a more teen-friendly option, before taking a hard turn. But the film also reserves the right to go gonzo in its final stretch, and while there’s sure to be an outcry from some corners over the turning-point scene, no one can contest that the finale distinguishes it from other spy-movie knockoffs. (Peter Debruge, Variety) 129 minutes
“The Lazarus Effect” Horror. PG-13. For reasons never made entirely clear, romantically entangled scientific researchers Frank (Mark Duplass) and Zoe (Olivia Wilde) have spent several years at a California university getting closer and closer to their ultimate goal: resurrecting the dead. At least, that’s what Frank hopes to achieve by hooking up various deceased animals, including a pig and a dog, to an elaborate machine and injecting them with a fancy resuscitation serum. (Geoff Berkshire, Variety) 83 minutes
“Maps to the Stars” Drama. R.
At a certain point in their careers, nearly all aspiring actors in Hollywood are “waiters”: They wait tables, they wait for callback. One-time wannabe Bruce Wagner did his time in that waiting zone, writing this script while working as a limousine driver for the Beverly Hills Hotel. By the time his cynical satire made it to the big screen nearly two decades later — in the hands of director David Cronenberg — its time had passed, the intended toxicity diluted by the fact that nearly everyone involved was now “in.” Somehow, it’s more interesting to watch dreamers struggling to play stars than it is for Oscar nominees to parody the desperate, which is pretty much what Julianne Moore is doing in a fearless performance far more gonzo than the out-of-touch satire that contains it. John Cusack, Robert Pattinson and Olivia Williams also star. At the Sie FilmCenter. ( Debruge, Variety) 112 minutes
“McFarland, USA” Sports drama. * * * PG. Set in 1987 in California’s central valley, this heartening sports flick recounts (with some dramatic tweaks) the story of coach Jim White and his impact on the young men who make up the agricultural town’s first-ever high school cross country track team. Kevin Costner and an appealing crew of young actors (Rafael Martinez, Ramiro Rodriguez, Michael Aguero, Carlos Pratts, Hector Duran, Sergio Avelar and Johnny Ortiz) portray the fish-out-of-water coach and his migrant charges who compete against the state’s wealthier schools. (Kennedy) 128 minutes
“Red Army” Hockey documentary. PG. One of the best sports movies of the early 2000s was “Miracle,” Gavin Smith’s rousing re-creation of the “Miracle on Ice,” when the U.S. hockey team beat the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics, clearing the way for an eventual American gold medal. With “Red Army,” documentary filmmaker Gabe Polsky gives viewers a portrait of the opposing team that is just as spirited, enthralling and ultimately inspiring. In this swift, smart, often very funny film, Polsky takes an unprecedented look at the legendary Soviet-era hockey program and its life after glasnost, exposing an athletic system that became a crucial symbol of Communist history and politics, but also discipline, grace and brooding, melancholy soul. In Russian with subtitles. At the Mayan. (Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post) 76 minutes
“The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” Aging comedy. * * * PG. Having established a winning communal vibe at the rundown, charming Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in Jaipur, India, young proprietor Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel) wants to expand. Turns out the Brit pensioners that populate his hotel (and the 2012 sleeper hit) like it too much to leave. This may be challenging news for Sonny but mighty fine news for the rest of us about this amiable — if decidedly second best — outing. Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, and Bill Nighy are among the hotel’s permanent guests. Director John Madden and writer Ol Parker add to this comedy of romantic miscues and mistaken identities by having Sonny’s business adventure coincide with his and fiancée Sunaina’s impending nuptials. Also starring: Celia Imrie, Lisette Dubey, Tina Desai and Richard Gere, as a new guest who may or may not be a hotel inspector. (Kennedy) 122 minutes
“Still Alice” Drama. * * * ½ PG-13. Julianne Moore goy an Oscar for her portrayal of Alice Howland, a Columbia University linguistics professor who at 50 is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease. At the Chez. (Kennedy) 101 minutes
“Unfinished Business” Dramedy. R. “Unfinished Business” finds director Ken Scott following 2013’s “Delivery Man” with another dubious attempt to sell audiences on Vince Vaughn’s sensitive side. Vaughn plays a down-on-his-luck family man who takes an ill-advised business trip to Berlin with two unfunny sidekicks in tow (Tom Wilkinson and Dave Franco). ( Chang, Variety) 90 minutes
“What We Do In the Shadows” Comedic horror. * * * R. You’ve got to love a thing to skewer it as well Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement do in their delightfully silly vampire mockumentary. The film’s writers, directors and stars lovingly impale bloodsucker mythology with the sharpened stick of comedy. At the Mayan. (Michael O’Sullivan, The Washington Post) 86 minutes
