Seventh Son, directed by Sergey Bodrov
(PG-13, 102 minutes)
Another excellent example of how a fine cast can't solve all (if any) of a movie's problems, especially a violent, cobbled-together and totally uninspired sci-fi fantasy that pits the powers of the supernatural against pitiful humankind in the 18th century.
Our hero, Master John Gregory (Jeff Bridges, an Oscar winner who amuses himself by being nearly incomprehensible here) , is a knight who never learned not to burn bridges if he wants to get along with others. Having imprisoned a particularly wicked witch known as Mother Malkin (fellow Oscar winner Julianne Moore, exhibiting a talent for scenery chewing) centuries ago, he finds himself, and the rest of the world, as the objects of her substantial need for revenge on the occasion of her escape. It's pretty silly, and worse yet, not likely to keep the audience's interest.
With Djimon Hounsou, Kit Harington, Alicia Vikander, Olivia Williams.
Cut Bank (R, 92 minutes) Not quite edgy enough to justify inclusion in the category of crime thriller, a talented cast almost makes this often witty but too-pokey effort worthwhile. Young mechanic Dwayne McLaren's (Liam Hemsworth) post-high school dream of leaving rural life in Cut Bank, Mont., behind for a more urban existence looks like it's about to come true. But when he and his girlfriend Cassandra (Teresa Palmer) prepare to depart their small town, troublesome consequences get in the way. With John Malkovich, Bruce Dern, Billy Bob Thornton; directed by Matt Shakman.
The Loft (R, 108 minutes) A mediocre and sleazy attempt at erotic drama in which five married men rent an apartment in the city to carry on sexual exploits away from possible detection by their wives. Then one of them finds a dead woman in the apartment, and no one will admit to being the guilty party. Accusations fly, and troubles ensue. With Karl Urban, James Marsden, Wentworth Miller; directed by Erik Van Looy.
Ballet 422 (PG, 72 minutes) A stylish, intimate documentary by Jody Lee Lipes that, without intrusive editorializing or talking-head commentary, observes 25-year-old choreographer and company member Justin Peck as he works to create the New York City Ballet's 422nd original piece.
Lost Songs: The Basement Tapes Continued (not rated, 106 minutes) Directed by Sam Jones, this documentary gets up close and personal with songwriters such as Elvis Costello, Rhiannon Giddens, Taylor Goldsmith, Jim James and Marcus Mumford as they spend two weeks at Capitol Studios creating music based on newly discovered lyrics from Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes sessions.
Oblivion (PG-13, 125 minutes) This visually breathtaking but skimpily plotted 2013 futurefest, now available on Blu-ray, stars Tom Cruise as Jack Harper, a security repairman stationed on our long-abandoned planet in 2077 where he's tasked with scraping up what's left of the Earth's resources after years of war with powerful aliens. His imminent departure for a safe, secure lunar colony is abruptly canceled when he rescues a beautiful stranger (Olga Kurylenko) from a crashed spacecraft. Heroism ensues. With Morgan Freeman, Melissa Leo; directed by Joseph Kosinski.
Amira & Sam (not rated, 90 minutes) This nicely crafted character-driven drama concerns Sam (Martin Starr of Silicon Valley), an Army veteran trying to readjust to civilian life after a tour overseas, whose encounter with his unit's former Iraqi translator in New York leads him to a meeting with the translator's niece Amira (Dina Shihabi), suffering from immigration problems. Romance ensues, along with complications. With Paul Wesley; written and directed by Sean Mullin.
MovieStyle on 05/29/2015