Home Movies

1917
1917

1917

directed by Sam Mendes

(R, 1 hour, 59 minutes)

The battlefield drama that finally earned cinematographer Roger Deakins a long-deserved Academy Award, this realistic dun-colored World War I tale follows (in seemingly one long take) the efforts of two young British soldiers to cross enemy territory on the Western Front and deliver a message that is imperative to stopping a planned attack on apparently retreating German forces that will lead Allied forces into a deathly trap.

The melodramatic elements can be cumbersome, but the emotional impact, overtones of danger, subtle performances, and striking imagery are effective.

With George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch.

The Grudge (R, 1 hour, 34 minutes) Despite a decent cast, this is a watered-down version of a horror film that is unlikely to arouse any interest in those who appreciate the genre. The plot is hardly original: A young mother murders her family, and a neighbor pairs with a detective to figure out why. Hint: The house -- or rather, its occupants -- is the problem. With Andrea Riseborough, Demián Bichir, Tara Westwood, Betty Gilpin, John Cho, Jacki Weaver; directed by Nicolas Pesce.

Clemency (R, 1 hour, 52 minutes) Spare, stylish and deeply affecting, this drama focuses on a prison warden (Alfre Woodard, in an exceptional performance) who -- although accustomed to carrying out death row executions -- finds herself troubled by her unexpected conflict between duty and ethics concerning the next prisoner scheduled to die. With Wendell Pierce, Aldis Hidge, Richard Schiff; directed by Chinonye Chukwu.

Shooting the Mafia (not rated, 1 hour, 34 minutes) Letizia Battaglia, now in her 80s, the first female photographer to be employed by an Italian daily newspaper, took it upon herself to film images of commonplace life in Palmero, Sicily, that happened to include grisly murders of ordinary citizens who in the 1970s were daring enough to defy the control of the Cosa Nostra. This affectionate and respectful if quilted-together documentary uses her angular black and white photographs, archival footage, and scenes from classic Italian films to illustrate her spirited life story. Directed by Kim Longinotto.

Suburban Birds (not rated, 1 hour, 58 minutes) Urbanization's effects in western China are explored in this gentle, mystical drama concerning a cerebral engineer's investigation of sinkholes around a newly developed suburb. With Mason Lee, Lu Huang, Zihan Gong; written and directed by Sheng Qiu. Subtitled.

Come to Daddy (R, 1 hour, 36 minutes) Violent, creepy, sometimes disturbing, yet tinged with occasional relief in the form of deadpan humor, this is a menace-laden horror tale of wussy Norval Greenwood (Elijah Wood) who leaves his posh lifestyle in Beverly Hills behind to a remote coastal cabin in the Pacific Northwest to reconnect with his estranged father, a shifty character who isn't exactly overflowing with goodwill for his son. Demons are involved. With Stephen McHattie, Martin Donovan; directed by Ant Timpson.

The Song of Names (PG-13, 1 hour, 53 minutes) A dramatic if sentimental and slow-moving detective story spread over two continents and a half century in which a young New Yorker goes in search of his lifelong friend, a gifted young Polish violinist who disappears before his debut concert performance just as his country becomes embroiled in Word War II. Flashbacks are involved. With Tim Roth, Clive Owen, Catherine McCormack, Eddie Izzard, Saul Rubinek; directed by François Girard.

Standing Up, Falling Down (not rated, 1 hour, 31 minutes)

It's baffling to many of us as to why anyone would want to stand on a spotlighted stage in front of a room full of alcohol-guzzling strangers and try to make them laugh. Yet standup comics embrace the brutality of their chosen profession and pursue success maniacally.

A bit of insight into the motivation to do this sort of work is provided by Scott Rollins (Ben Schwartz) who, after four years of toiling on the boards of Los Angeles, is forced to give up and move into his parents' home in Long Island.

That's where Scott, who's also regretting the departure of former love interest Becky Brookes (Eloise Mumford), strikes up a barroom friendship with a peculiar dermatologist (Billy Crystal), a guy who, like Scott, knows a thing or two about failure.

The film's breezy tone, combined with some genuinely funny moments and a believable relationship between the main characters, won't stick in viewers' heads all that long, but they'll have a pleasant time while it's on the screen. With Grace Gummer, Nate Corddry, Jill Hennessy; directed by Matt Ratner.

Mystify: Michael Hutchence (not rated, 1 hour, 48 minutes) The ambivalent nature of fate is evident in this visual, tightly focused documentary concerning vibrant, charismatic, and introspective INXS vocalist Michael Hutchence who, years after suffering a traumatic brain injury in 1992, ends his life at the age of 37, the night before undertaking a world tour in 1997. With Kylie Minogue, Helena Christensen, Bono; written and directed by Richard Lowenstein. (See our interview with Lowenstein elsewhere in this section.)

VFW (not rated, 1 hour, 32 minutes) Competent direction of a well-chosen cast makes this bloody thriller a worthy member of the B-movie genre that once showed regularly on the low-budget grindhouse circuit. It concerns a group of war veterans at a local VFW who find their casual camaraderie interrupted when a teenage girl bursts in toting a bag of stolen drugs. As you would expect, the source of those drugs is in hot pursuit, which forces them to take action. With Stephen Lang, William Sadler, David Patrick Kelly, Sierra McCormick; directed by Joe Begos.

The Current War: Director's Cut (PG-13, 1 hour, 42 minutes) A big blast of star power doesn't guide the way to audience approval of this dull, disappointing drama that pits celebrity inventor Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) against successful businessman George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon) and his genius partner Nikola Tesla (Nicholas Hoult) in the race to illuminate America with electricity. With Tom Holland, Katherine Waterston; directed by Alfonso Gomez Rejon.

Star Wars: Episode IX -- The Rise of Skywalker (PG-13, 2 hours, 22 minutes) Devotees of the Star Wars genre (eight films, 20 hours) have already seen this, and those who aren't interested will remain so. For anyone in between who might be curious about seeing the long-winded final standoff in the Skywalker Saga, here's your chance. With Domhnall Gleeson, Adam Driver, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac; directed by co-written by J.J. Abrams.

MovieStyle on 04/03/2020

Upcoming Events