Argentina 1985 – 8.5

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A deft combination of the personal and political, pathos and humor, this historical drama was held together, above all, by Ricardo Darin’s remarkably human portrayal of Julio Strasseras, tasked with prosecuting the Argentine military junta for its decade of torture and disappearances. In composition and appeal his family echoed Tony Soprano’s, and the film was just as good in its domestic scenes as in the stories of the young lawyers and torture victims that led to the courtroom finale. Although the ending was never in doubt (either due to reviews or actual Argentine history), the suspense never flagged and–a rarity in recent moviegoing–we felt exhilarated as we departed the theater.

Tar – 7.5

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The setting: how many dramas are set in and around a symphony orchestra?
The dialogue: starts as a New Yorker interview and remains at that lofty level.
The acting: Cate Blanchett is a lock for an Oscar nod, and the great German actress Nina Hoss (Barbara, Phoenix) is just as good in a subtler featured role.
The directing: Todd Field’s stamp is all over the film, predominantly shot in close-up with lots of negative space in a wide-screen format, and I can’t even remember if it’s in color or black-and-white.
The score: in a movie about a conductor, there is zero background music, making the orchestral bits stand out.
The story: Even the most guarded review unfortunately gives away the ending; so the suspense is how it happens, not what. The ending: Whaaa? It’s a close call as to which goes furthest off the rails, Lydia Tar or the movie she’s in. In sum: powerful and gripping, but unresolved and frustrating.

Moonage Daydream – 5.5

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A loud and frantic collage of David Bowie’s personae, songs and thoughts, in that order, without concern for dramatic arc or, even, chronology. You could watch almost any fifteen minutes of the two-hour-plus film and see all there is to see. The songs are different, but none play out at length. Greater attention is given to Bowie’s costumes, hairstyles, makeup and facial expressions. He is good-looking, but I wonder if I wouldn’t have more enjoyed watching, in sequence, the music videos for “Changes,” “All the Young Dudes” and “Ashes to Ashes.”  This is not a film for the casual fan.

Woman King – 5

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A charitable view sees this as a Marvel super-hero tale, ignoring the “inspired by true events” prologue, for there is not a believable action or bit of dialogue in the entire film. The battles are bloody and one-sided and the moral message is simplistic: “palm oil good, slavery bad.” A mature Viola Davis is rather a stretch as the Kirk Douglas/Chris Hemsworth figure, but two of her lieutenants are more appealing, and John Boyega does what he can in this orgy of Black woman triumphalism.

The Good Boss – 6

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It’s obvious early on, despite Javier Bardem’s suavity, that the “good” in the title is meant ironically. His badness, however–again, maybe due to Bardem’s inherent charm–never seems that bad: how would you react to a maniac setting up with a bullhorn and banners in front of your front door, and the personal attention he gives to the plant manager who continually screws up seems wildly excessive if the only goal is a regional corporate award on top of a dozen others already won, including “the Oscar of scales.” The pleasures of the movie are in the individual performances, not the story, which left me cold and confused.

Funny Pages – 5

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A celebration, I guess, of an oddball teenager who makes a series of bad decisions in service to his love of cartooning. Amusing, not funny. You don’t want to feel sorry for people, but overall the picture here is fairly sad.

Malik – 6.5

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If I didn’t know “Malik” is Arabic for “king,” I would have thought it meant “Godfather,” so much does this two-hour, forty-minute Indian epic borrow from the Coppola classics, not only characters and plot, but several scenes that are direct lifts. (Then again, maybe in the Malayalam language that’s what it means.) Unfortunately, Fahadh Faasil, who plays the godfather, lacks the presence, or maybe the acting skills, of DeNiro and Pacino. The scenes of criminal activity are beyond belief, but more important and credible are the personal relationships. Although the lightning-fast subtitles and unfamiliar culture made the non-linear story hard to follow, my attention and interest never flagged. [Amazon Prime]

Fire of Love – 5

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90 minutes of home movies without any discernible plot or organizing principle. By the end I had no idea what a “volcanologist” is or whether this couple were actual scientists or merely storm-chasers. What they were “studying” was never disclosed. If their only contribution was to warn people that volcanoes are dangerous, that hardly seems earth-shaking. Miranda July’s breathless narration tended toward over the top and didn’t help. The pictures were amazing, but after awhile one felt free to doze.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris – 6

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Call me stonehearted, but I wasn’t touched by Mrs. Harris or her story. The good guys were too sweet, the bad guys too ugly and nothing met the plausibility test. Individually, however, the characters were charming, especially Natasha, and the clothes were almost worth the price of admission.

Where the Crawdads Sing – 7

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Much better than I expected.  The action takes place from 1953 to 1969, and the film feels like it. When was the last time we saw a hero as decent, sincere, handsome and blond as Tate? The story is just as implausible as it was in the book, but the imperfect crime at its climax is finessed more adroitly. The biggest plus of the film is David Strathairn’s performance as the Gregory Peck/Sam Waterson lawyer. In fact, echoes of To Kill A Mockingbird echo through the marsh. Daisy Edgar-Jones, in a hard role, is fine.