The Wannabe,
directed by Nick Sandow
(R, 90 minutes)
An all-over-the-map plot could have sunk this Queens-based romantic drama presented by first-time director Nick Sandow (who plays warden Joe Caputo in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black).
Saving The Wannabe, which premiered at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival, are persuasive performances by a first-rate cast in the unpredictable and often disturbing story of Thomas (an intense Vincent Piazza), a going-nowhere loser who's obsessed with inserting himself into gangster John Gotti's 1992 trial. His poorly thought-out efforts lead to his entanglement in all sorts of mob situations, real and imagined, along with the unexpected discovery of older, criminal-savvy Rose (Patricia Arquette), who just might be his soul mate. With Michael Imperioli, David Zayas.
The Assassin (unrated, 120 minutes) Breathtakingly stylish cinematography pretty much makes up for a complex but not compelling story in which a competent ninth-century assassin (Shu Qi) is ordered to kill corrupt official Lord Tian (Chang Chen), her cousin as well as her former fiance. With Chen Chang; directed by Hsiao-hsien Hou. Subtitled.
Goosebumps (PG, 103 minutes) A spooky animated comedy for the 12-and-under set in which teenager Zach Cooper (voice of Dylan Minnette) eases the pain of moving from a big city to a small town by meeting the gorgeous girl next door (voice of Odeya Rush). Then he meets her dad, R.L. Stine (Jack Black), author of the best-selling Goosebumps books -- whose monsters, Zach discovers, are not just a product of the writer's imagination. With the voices of Amy Ryan, Jillian Bell; directed by Rob Letterman.
Burnt (R, 100 minutes) Bradley Cooper is the best ingredient in this mediocre comedy about a big-deal Parisian chef whose bad habits get in the way of his winning an elusive third Michelin star and his own kitchen in which to show off his culinary craftiness. With Sienna Miller, Uma Thurman, Emma Thompson, Lily James; directed by John Wells.
Chi-raq (R, 118 minutes) Spike Lee presents an edgy, passionate and very modern interpretation of Aristophanes' ancient play Lysistrata. It's the story of a group of women who, following the murder of a child by a stray bullet, organize against the violence in their Southside Chicago neighborhood. With Nick Cannon, Jennifer Hudson, Angela Bassett, Wesley Snipes, Samuel L. Jackson.
A Brilliant Young Mind (PG-13, 112 minutes) A spirited, unique and wonderfully engaging dramatic comedy that follows Nathan (Asa Butterfield), a socially graceless autistic teenager with an amazing intellect, who attends a mathematics camp in Taiwan hoping to be selected to represent Great Britain at the prestigious International Mathematics Olympiad competition. With Rafe Spall, Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan; directed by Morgan Matthews.
Girl Like Her (PG-13, 92 minutes) The destructive effects of physical and verbal harassment are made abundantly clear here; subtlety is not this film's strength. After a year of being heartlessly bullied by her former friend Avery Keller (Hunter King), high schooler Jessica Burns (Lexi Ainsworth) uses a hidden digital camera and help from her friend Brian Slater (Jimmy Bennett) to prove her case against one of South Brookdale High School's most popular students. Directed by Amy S. Weber.
Learning to Drive (R, 105 minutes) Intermittently charming but far too predictable, this star-powered slice-of-life comedic drama features the always watchable Patricia Clarkson as Wendy, a New York-based book critic whose life is upended when her husband, Ted (Jake Weber), leaves her. For a change of scenery, Wendy is determined to visit her daughter (Grace Gummer) in upstate New York. To do so, she has to learn how to drive. To that end, she takes driving lessons from Darwan (Ben Kingsley), an Indian-American cab driver, which results in an exchange of wisdom and ideas that neither anticipated. With Sarita Choudhury, Samantha Bee; directed by Isabel Coixet.
MovieStyle on 01/29/2016