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.
OPENING TODAY
“71”R. Reviewed on 8C.
“Do You Believe?”PG-13. Not reviewed.
“The Gunman”R. Reviewed on 8C
“Insurgent”* * ½
PG-13. Reviewed on 1C
“Merchants of Doubt” PG-13. Reviewed on 8C
“She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry”* * ½ Not rated. Reviewed on 7C
“The Wrecking Crew” PG. Reviewed on 8C
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
“An Honest Liar” Documentary. Not rated. This is a highly entertaining portrait of James “the Amazing” Randi, a magician-cum-escape artist who, like his role model, Houdini, eventually turned his primary attention to debunking professional mystics, telepathists and other “supernatural” charlatans. At the Sie FilmCenter. (Dennis Harvey, Variety) 92 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
“Cinderella” Fairy tale. PG. In Disney’s new live-action “Cinderella,” director Kenneth Branagh reverently reimagines Charles Perrault’s fairy tale for a new generation the world over, spelling countless opportunities to exploit fresh interest in the story throughout the Disney universe. Precious little has changed in the plot itself, apart from a scene in which Cinderella (“Downton Abbey’s” Lily James) meets Kit (“Game of Thrones” king Richard Madden) before the story’s famous ball. He, too, is soon to be orphaned, and his ailing father (British actor Derek Jacobi) wants nothing more than to see his son married before he dies. Cate Blanchett stars as the fashion-plate stepmother and Helena Bonham Carter is the fairy godmother. (Peter Debruge, Variety) 105 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. (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
“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
“Leviathan” Drama. * * * * R. This exquisite drama takes viewers on an icy plunge into the grim realities of life in post-Soviet Russia. In this story of one man’s Job-like struggle with that system, Kolya (Aleksei Serebryakov), a mechanic who lives with his wife, Lilya (Elena Lyadova), and son Roma (Sergey Pokhodaev) in a picturesque coastal town on the Barents Sea, has been told by the city that his house and property are being seized for public-private use. With the help of his Army buddy Dima (Vladimir Vdovichenkov), a Moscow lawyer, he’s fighting the authorities, making one last idealistic stand.
At the Sie FilmCenter. (Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post) 140 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
“Run All Night” Irish mob thriller. R. Someday the mobsters, petty thugs and crooked cops of the world will finally get it through their thick skulls that you should never, ever mess with Liam Neeson’s family — not that audiences have reason to complain in the meantime, so long as they keep getting action pictures as straightforward and robustly satisfying as “Run All Night.” In his third and arguably most effective partnership with director Jaume Collet-Serra, the 62-year-old Neeson puts his world-weary killer instincts to good use as an aging Brooklyn hit man trying to protect his estranged son. (Justin Chang, Variety) 114 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 Sie FilmCenter. (Kennedy) 101 minutes
“Timbuktu” Drama. * * * ½ PG-13. Ever so gently, director Abderrahmane Sissako sets herdsman Kidane, wife Satima and daughter Toya on a collision course with the jihadists who have taken over the nearby city of Timbuktu. The Mauritania-born director and co-writer was moved by the story of a stoning in Bamako to make this masterwork.As visually poetic as it is quietly harrowing “Timbuktu” does not spare us the outrages and arrogance of the jihadists who boss, bully and worse the Islam-observant locals. The performances are hushed and memorable. Cinematographer Sofian El Fani captures the grace of this desert land. Amine Bouhafa’s score is its own act of gorgeous grace and defiance. “Timbuktu” is a beauty that protects us but does not spare us.
At the Esquire. (Kennedy) 114 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
