Four stars: superior. Three stars: good. Two stars: average. One star: poor. D (drug use), L (language), N (nudity), S (sexual situations, references), V (violence). Ratings by Dann Gire, Daily Herald Film Critic, unless otherwise noted.
Picks
“The Accountant”— A high-functioning autistic CPA (Ben Affleck) moonlights as a hitman in Gavin O’Connor’s quirky, character-driven action thriller seemingly inspired by the comic book superhero genre. (R) L, V. 128 minutes.???
“Arrival”— It’s Terrence Malick meets Steven Spielberg in Denis Villeneuve’s slow, but stylish and thoughtful sci-fi tale of a linguist (Amy Adams) enlisted by the military to decipher the language of aliens who’ve landed around the earth. Reviewed by Ann Hornaday, Washington Post. (PG-13) L. 116 minutes.???
“Doctor Strange”— One of the top-tier Marvel Comics transfers, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as a brilliant, arrogant surgeon forced by a car wreck to make a career switch into wizardry so he can protect the world from the Dark Dimension. Mind-boggling visual effects, witty script and bald Tilda Swinton’s quirky performance as The Ancient One highlight this action epic. (PG-13) V. 130 minutes.???½
“The Edge of Seventeen”— A dialogue delight as teenager Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) navigates the minefields of adolescence and learns a few hard lessons of adulthood. Smart, insightful and painfully funny. With Woody Harrelson and Kyra Sedgwick. (R) D, L, S. 98 minutes.???½
“Hacksaw Ridge”— With rage and passion, Mel Gibson directs this powerful, if flawed, fact-based World War II drama about a Seventh-day Adventist (Andrew Garfield) who joins the U.S. Army but refuses to touch a weapon. A driving tale of personal convictions. With former Buffalo Grove’s Vince Vaughn and chameleonic sparkler Teresa Palmer. (R) V. 139 minutes.???½
“Jackie”— Natalie Portman’s breathless Jacqueline Kennedy dazzles in this insightful, yet flawed study of the first lady following the 1963 assassination of her husband. At the River East 21 and Century Centre in Chicago, and the Evanston Century 12. (R) L, V. 95 minutes.???
“Loving”— Jeff Nichols’ tender, graceful drama celebrates the real-life courage of an interracial couple, Richard and Mildred Loving (Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga), who married and spent nine years fighting for the legal right to live as a family in their Virginia hometown. (PG-13) thematic elements. 123 minutes.???½
“Manchester by the Sea”— Casey Affleck’s tight performance as a withdrawn handyman/janitor highlights Kenneth Lonergan’s piercing character study of loss, grief and survival. He doesn’t want custody of his teen nephew (Lucas Hedges), even though his deceased brother (Kyle Chandler) put it in his will. (R) L, S. 135 minutes.???
“Miss Sloane”— Jessica Chastain rules in this character study of a ruthless, ambitious Washington, D.C., lobbyist leading an assault against the American gun lobby. With an absurd but crowd-pleasing finale foreshadowed in the intro’s voice-over narration. With Mark Strong, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Alison Pill. (R) L, S. 132 minutes.???
“Moana”— Walt Disney’s lushly visualized animated musical tells the story of a feisty teen Polynesian princess (Hawaiian actress Auli’l Cravalhol) and her quest to break a long-standing curse, with assistance from an egocentric demigod (Dwayne Johnson) and his giant hook. Fun without romance. (PG) 103 minutes.???½
“Moonlight”— Raw, yet gentle cutting-edge drama about an African-American kid in Florida glimpsed in three stages of life: as a shy little boy, a troubled teen and a ripped neighborhood drug dealer. An evocative tribute to the power of forgiveness from filmmaker Barry Jenkins. (NR) D, L, S, V. 110 minutes.??? ?
“Trolls”— Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake lead an animated cast in this musical tale of grumpy creatures who eat colorful little trolls for a happiness boost. Can Princess Poppy (Kendrick) sing something sweet enough to stop them? Reviewed by Sandie Angulo Chen, Washington Post. (PG) 100 minutes.???
Passables
“Allied”— Even the chemistry between Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard can’t prevent Robert Zemeckis’ grandly mounted World War II romantic thriller from feeling stiff and hollow. A Canadian spy (Pitt) marries a French agent (Cotillard), only to be later given 72 hours to prove she’s not a Nazi plant. (R) D, L, N, S, V. 124 minutes.??½
“Almost Christmas”— A warmhearted holiday family gathering comedy flubbed by a cloying score, sketchy story and an ill-considered gun incident that deviates from the movie’s earnest vibe. With Danny Glover, Kimberly Elise, Mo’Nique, Gabrielle Union and Omar Epps. (PG-13) D, L, S. 120 minutes.??½
“Bleed for This”— Halfhearted attempt to tweak the boxing-movie formula, with vague characters and no new moves. The fact-based story of boxer Vinny Paz (Miles Teller) who stages a comeback after he breaks his neck in a car accident. (R) L, N, S, V. 117 minutes.??
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”— It’s not exactly Harry Potter, but it’ll do. A Brit magizoologist (Eddie Redmayne) arrives in 1926 NYC, loses a suitcase full of mischievous critters, deals with an arresting agent (Katherine Waterston), befriends a charming baker (Dan Fogler) and battles a murderous wizard. (PG-13) V. 133 minutes.??½
“Office Christmas Party”— Easy stereotypes and silly jokes are rendered with so-sue-me glee that somehow makes them less offensive than they ought to be. A tech firm boss (Jennifer Aniston) threatens layoffs unless a tech officer (Jason Bateman) and branch manager (T.J. Miller) sign a new client (Courtney B. Vance). Hence, a party for him. Reviewed by Michael O’Sullivan, Washington Post. (R) D, L, N, S. 105 minutes.??½
Pits
“Bad Santa 2 ”— An intelligence-insulting sequel reuniting Billy Bob Thornton with elf Tony Cox in a comedy about a lecherous, amoral lush who plots to steal $2 million from a charity. Kathy Bates plays Thornton’s foul mother (and she’s only seven years older than he). Unfortunately set in Chicago. Reviewed by Michael O’Sullivan, Washington Post. (R) D, L, N, S, V. 87 minutes.?
Unpreviewed
“Abattoir”— A horror tale about a reporter and her ex-lover cop who discover her sister’s soul trapped in a mysterious house of death and pain. With Lin Shaye. (R) L, V. 98 minutes.
“Befikre”— In Paris, a couple meets and says they will never say “I love you” or stuff like that. It’s a sexy musical as well as a romance. In Hindi with subtitles. 150 minutes.
“Believe”— A faith-based drama about a Virginia capitalist (Ryan O’Quinn) with a good heart. He cleverly skirts local zoning laws to allow the community’s homeless to stay in his warm auto factory during the holidays. Not screened for critics so caveat emptor. (PG) 119 minutes.
“Bounce-Back”— Two adversarial romance experts (Shemar Moore and Nadine Velazquez) become the Siskel & Ebert of TV therapists in this romantic comedy. (PG-13) D, L, S. 104 minutes.
“Contract to Kill”— Steven Seagal plays a CIA/DEA agent investigating Arab terrorists intent on using drug-smuggling routes to bring deadly weapons and leaders into the U.S. (R) L, S, V. 90 minutes.
“Dear Zindag”— A cinematographer named Kaira learns happiness is all about accepting life’s imperfections, thanks to a freethinker named Jug. (NR) In Hindi with subtitles. 150 minutes.
“Incarnate”— Scientist Dr. Seth Ember (Aaron Eckhart) tries to save a young boy (David Mazouz) from a demon possessing his body. Not screened for critics, and you know what that means. (PG-13) L, S, V. 91 minutes.
“A Man Called Ove”— An aging, angry old man (Rolf Lassgård) gets his life changed when a lively young family moves in next door. (PG-13) L. 116 minutes.
