OPENING TODAY
“Confidential Assignment”
Not reviewed
A North Korean criminal organization crosses into South Korea, and agents from North Korea and South Korea join forces to bring it down. In Korean with English subtitles. (Unrated, 2:05)
“A Cure for Wellness”
“Fistfight”
“The Great Wall”
Not reviewed
An epic has master Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou joining forces with Matt Damon in this story about Western mercenaries who find that China’s Great Wall isn’t keeping only human invaders out. (PG-13, 1:43)
“I Am Not Your Negro”
“My Ex and Whys” (Filipino with English subtitles)
Not reviewed
Romantic comedy from the Philippines has a blogger whose ex-boyfriend unexpectedly comes back into her life.
“Neruda”
NOW PLAYING
“Arrival” ****
Amy Adams portrays linguistics professor Louise Banks, recruited by the military to establish a conversation with aliens who have landed on Earth. She teams with mathematician Ian Donnelly, played by Jeremy Renner. Both are excellent throughout, while addressing topics such as the challenge of communicating with beings whose language is a mystery, and the way international politics can create pressure to cut short scientific problem-solving. (PG-13, 1:56)
“A Dog’s Purpose” **
“A Dog’s Purpose,” based on the book by W. Bruce Cameron and directed by Lasse Hallstrom, suggests that dogs are constantly reincarnated. We follow the lives of a pup voiced by Josh Gad: first, briefly, as a stray puppy; then a red retriever named Bailey in the 1960s and ’70s; Ellie, a German shepherd police dog; Tino, a chubby ’80s corgi; and finally Buddy, a neglected St. Bernard. For all his shapes, forms and lives, it’s always Bailey inside there, retaining all the memories and experiences along the way. Bailey’s a rather existential dog, constantly questioning the meaning of life. Is it to have fun? To make humans happy? Bailey just can’t stop questioning as he journeys to a “Pleasantville”-like town to join boy Ethan (Bryce Gheisar, then K.J. Apa), then experiences the human dramatics of first loves, alcoholic fathers and tragedy. The novelty of the film comes from its “dog’s perspective.” There are digs at cats, cutesy misunderstandings about what donkeys are called, and speculation about why humans press their mouths together. The problem is that it’s painfully cheesy pabulum, relying on hokey stereotypes and cliches. (PG, 2:00)
“Fences” ****
Director-star Denzel Washington captures the poetry of playwright August Wilson’s text, and the result is an experience of exuberance and richness. Washington portrays Troy, a scarred and formidable personality. He was a star in the Negro baseball league, but he was 40 when baseball integrated, so he never knew real money or fame. Instead, Troy works as a sanitation man, aware of his own magnificence while hiding his bitterness. He seems to unconsciously want to destroy his family, his wife (Viola Davis) and a teenage son (Jovan Adepo). He also has an older son, a struggling musician (Russell Hornsby) who craves his approval, but Troy won’t give it. Washington gives one of the best self-directed performances in cinematic history, and Davis is staggering, especially in a scene in which she lets loose her fury. (PG-13. 12:18)
“Fifty Shades Darker”
Not reviewed
Sequel to psychosexual thriller “Fifty Shades of Grey” has the eccentric Christian Grey trying to woo back Anastastia Steele while fending off enemies as well. (R, 1:58)
“Hacksaw Ridge” ***
Mel Gibson’s filmmaking prowess is evident in this viscerally violent yet also often moving film. Starring Andrew Garfield as the real-life soldier Desmond Doss, “Hacksaw Ridge” strikes an unusual balance. It’s a violent film whose hero espouses nonviolence. It’s a war film that will appeal to a religious audience. It’s a film that at moments can feel relentlessly corny — and a second later, painfully real. Doss experienced beatings, harassment and ultimately a court-martial over his beliefs before being thrust into the brutal battle at Hacksaw Ridge on Okinawa, and becomes a hero, saving countless men while others retreat. He is guided by his faith; at one point, he asks God out loud what is expected of him, and Garfield makes the scene feel honest. As he tells this story, Gibson also reveals the suddenness, brutality and unfathomable randomness of death in combat. At the end, it’s truly exciting to see footage of Doss, who died in 2006. (R, 2:18)
“Hell or High Water” ****
“Hell or High Water” is a gripping heist drama keenly attuned to the outsider politics of our times. Set in the desolate West Texas, it sports two Robin Hood-like brothers, Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner (Ben Foster), who hit only branches of one specific bank, obviously holding a grudge. The movie is filled with sly humor grounded in the dissimilarity of the brothers as well as the mismatched Rangers chasing them, Marcus (Jeff Bridges), an old-timer three weeks from an unwanted retirement, and Alberto (Gil Birmingham), his Native American partner, who suffers through insults and gives back as good as he gets. That “Hell or High Water” makes you empathize with and understand (though not excuse) each member of this disparate quartet is a tribute to the way the film works equally well as a thriller, character study and pointed social commentary. (R, 1:42)
“Hidden Figures” ***
“Hidden Figures” takes us back to 1961, when segregation and workplace sexism were widely accepted facts of life, and the word “computer” referred to a person, not a machine. The most important computers here are three African-American women who work at data entry jobs for NASA but go on to play crucial roles in the space program. Based on Margot Lee Shetterly’s nonfiction book, the film, directed by Theodore Melfi, turns the entwined careers of Katherine Goble (played with perfect nerd charisma by Taraji P. Henson), Mary Jackson (Janelle Monae) and Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) into a rousing celebration of merit rewarded and perseverance repaid. It’s a well-told tale with a clear moral and a satisfying emotional payoff. (PG, 2:06)
“John Wick: Chapter 2” ***
Before you buy a ticket to see “John Wick: Chapter 2,” the improbably fun sequel to the implausibly good “John Wick,” you might want to ask yourself how much tolerance you have for gunshots to the head, because there are a lot of them. Otherwise, stuntman-turned-director Chad Stahelski’s sequel is straightforward, fast-paced and gets the job done entertainment-wise. “Chapter 2” picks up where the first left off, with John Wick (Keanu Reeves) retrieving his Mustang from the crooks holding it hostage and returning to his modernist castle in the woods to play with his dog (yep, there’s a new one). Soon Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio), who helped John get out ot the assassination game, is knocking at his door asking John to repay the favor. This request leads John further into the world of assassins and boy is it fun, with action sequence after action sequence. The film is jam-packed with cameos, and Reeves is in top form as the perpetually unruffled John Wick, a role that is tailor-made for his low-key intensity. (R, 2:02)
“La La Land” ****
A musical with big numbers, intimate reveries and adult feelings, Damien Chazelle’s musical “La La Land” is a boy-meets-girl tale with early-21st-century rhythms. It grapples with love between equals in a story about an aspiring actress, Mia (Emma Stone), who meets an ambitious musician, Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), Los Angeles-style during a traffic jam: He honks at her; she flips him the bird. They end up swaying in that fading, soft-light time known as the magic hour, tapping and twirling. This must have been what it was like to see Astaire and Rogers dance for the first time, and one hopes it will appeal to contemporary moviegoers. While “La La Land” engages with nostalgia, it also passionately speaks to the present. (PG-13, 2:08)
“The Lego Batman Movie” ****
“The Lego Batman Movie” is quite possibly the best Batman movie ever made. Liberated from the constraints of “dark,” “edgy” or even “campy,” “Lego Batman” is able to poke fun at the costumed gentleman hero, and really dig into the elements of Batman that make the character who he is, for better or for worse. Writer Seth Grahame-Smith, known for his twists on classics like “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” and a host of comedy writers keep the jokes coming fast and furious — visual gags, puns, wordplay, one-liners. Will Arnett plays Bruce Wayne/Batman as the arrogant playboy he always has been, still mourning his family, but with room for a new one: sidekick Robin (Michael Cera), new police commissioner and love interest Barbara Gordon (Rosario Dawson), and, of course, Alfred (Ralph Fiennes). As the saying goes: “Everything is awesome, everything is cool when you’re part of a team.” (PG, 1:44)
“Lion” ***
“Lion” is the incredible true story of two remarkable journeys that Saroo Brierley took in his life — one far away from home, and his return trip. Based on his memoir, “A Long Way Home,” the film is split in two. The first half depicts the travels of young Saroo (Sunny Pawar), who is just 5 when he becomes separated from his brother in Khandwa and ends up 900 miles away in Kolkata. Two decades later, after he’s been taken from an orphanage and adopted by an Australian couple, he returns as the adult Saroo (Dev Patel) in the emotional journey, using modern technology to find his family. Both Pawar and Patel are impressive in their portrayal of Saroo young and old, and Nicole Kidman, as his adoptive mother, Sue, in a brief but juicy role, is luminous as a woman who demonstrates her boundless love in sharing a son with another mother. (PG-13, 2:00)
“Manchester by the Sea” ****
Dramatist-turned-filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan’s screenplay is character-driven, focusing on people the world normally doesn’t give much scrutiny to. Casey Affleck portrays a gruff Lee, who’s OK getting by on minimum wage as a custodian at a Boston condo complex. A family emergency concerning his brother Joe (Kyle Chandler) draws Lee back to his hometown, gradually unearthing a calamity in his own life. Joe’s son Patrick (Lucas Hedges), now a sarcastic high-schooler, is left in uncle Lee’s unwilling care, but Lee can’t stand remaining in Manchester, and Patrick refuses to leave his school, hockey team, rock band and two girlfriends. That strained relationship teaches both of them that amid harrowing disasters, life goes on. (R, 2:17)
“Moana” ***
Those fretting over the depiction of Polynesian cultures in “Moana” shouldn’t trouble themselves. The movie itself is not realistic. It’s fantasy, magical, with a cave of magic canoes and an anthropomorphic ocean. Kamehameha Schools student Auli‘i Cravalho does a wonderful job as the voice of Moana, bringing depth and heart to the character. Moana feels the ocean is calling to her, but her father, Chief Tui (Temuera Morrison), forbids her to set sail. Suddenly, her island has no fish, and coconuts become infected with a blight, so Moana jumps on a canoe and does just that. Her quest includes finding the powerful Maui (Dwayne Johnson), returning a green stone heart to a creation goddess, learning wayfinding and stopping the blight. Maui, meanwhile, needs to get his magic fis**ook back, but what he really wants is for mortals to admire him for his wondrous feats. (PG, 1:53)
“Moonlight” ****
The extraordinary film “Moonlight” uses restraint, quiet honesty, fluid imagery and an observant, uncompromising way of imagining one outsider’s world so that it becomes our own. “Moonlight” traces the life of an African-American male — played in three segments, each by a different actor — growing up in Miami. Alex Hibbert portrays the boy, known as Little, who faces the dilemma of trusting a drug dealer (Mahershala Ali) who befriends him, acting as a father figure while serving crack to his mother (Naomie Harris, who is riveting), a loving, hostile paradox of a wreck. In segment two, Little, now called Chiron (superb young actor Ashton Sanders), has a clandestine sexual encounter with childhood friend Kevin, but is betrayed when Kevin joins in on a beating with some bullies. In the third act, Chiron is called Black (Trevante Rhodes); he gets a call out of the blue from Kevin. Their extended, nearly real-time conversation is reason enough to champion the film. (R, 1:50)
“Rings”
Not reviewed
The third entry in the supernatural horror franchise, this film involves a movie that supposedly puts a curse on those who watch it, and a young woman who, after sacrificing herself for her boyfriend, discovers that there’s a movie inside the movie. (PG-13, 1:42)
“The Salesman” ***
Asghar Farhadi’s film, Iran’s Oscar nominee for best foreign film, tells a universal story, but it also reveals what it’s like to live in a patriarchal Islamic culture. A man and his wife flee their collapsing apartment building and relocate to an apartment owned by a friend, a member of their theater group, which is performing Arthur Miller’s play “Death of a Salesman.” The apartment was previously rented by a prostitute, and one day, while the husband is out, one of the prostitute’s clients shows up and assaults the wife. In Iran, getting the authorities involved in a case like this is risky. How this weighs on the marriage and how this gradually transforms each of the partners are Farhadi’s areas of concern. If there’s a connection between the Miller play and the film, it’s that both Willy Loman and this Iranian husband have a conception of what it means to be a man. The acting is superb, and the last half hour is as dramatic as anything in any film currently playing. (PG-13, 2:05) In Persian, English and French with English subtitles
“Split” ***
M. Night Shyamalan’s name has always been synonymous with one thing: twist. Which is a kind of a shame when the filmmaking and performances are particularly exceptional. In the multiple-personality psychothriller “Split,” Anya Taylor-Joy and James McAvoy shine as prey and predator. McAvoy sinks his teeth into the role of a young man who developed dissociative identity disorder to deal with an abusive childhood. He keeps 23 personalities in control with the help of a therapist, but darker proclivities have taken over, and he kidnaps three young girls to satisfy those urges. McAvoy is delightfully demonic; each of his characters has unique gestures, and he slides seamlessly from one to another. Taylor-Joy portrays Casey, one of the kidnap victims. She’s thoughtful and composed in dealing with the situation, drawing on lessons learned from hunting trips with her father and uncle. Unfortunately, Shyamalan retreats to tried-and-true formulas. Cinematographer Michael Gioulakis’s creative camera work, rapidly swapping character point-of-view, contributes greatly to the film, but it’s tiresome to see yet another movie where young women get locked in a basement. (PG-13, 1:57)
“Toni Erdmann” ***
“Toni Erdmann” — by a wide margin the funniest almost-three-hour German comedy you will ever see — is, most simply but also most elusively, a sweet and thorny tale of father-daughter bonding, propelled by two utterly fearless performances. Winfried (Peter Simonischek), a shaggy baby boomer, has had the luxury of conflating irresponsibility with idealism and has settled into a permanent, pleasant state of not-quite- adulthood, adopting the altar ego Toni Erdmann. His daughter Ines (Sandra Huller) is a fiercely serious executive at a sterile modern office building in Bucharest. His visit there unleashes one awkward, heartfelt, hilarious scene to the next, as Erdmann shows up wherever he is likely to cause Ines the most embarrassment. Yet the film addresses some of the thorniest complexities of contemporary reality, setting its sights on the odd ways of the executive class, German arrogance within the European Union and the casual cruelty of international capitalism. This film wants to shake its audience out of habits of complacency and compromise, to alter our perceptions and renew our sense of what is possible. (R, 2:42) In German, Romanian and English.
“XXX: The Return of Xander Cage” **1/2
After a one-film absence from the franchise, Vin Diesel is back as the thrill-seeker turned government agent. He’s surrounded by stars from around the world: Hong Kong wushu star Donnie Yen, Thai martial artist Tony Jaa, Bollywood beauty Deepika Padukone, Aussie personality Ruby Rose, Chinese singer-actor Kris Wu, British UFC champ Michael Bisping, “Game of Thrones” fave Rory McCann and Brazilian soccer phenomenon Neymar. Even Toni Collette turns up, and she’s fantastic. Out of this group, Diesel’s Cage is the least interesting. He gets pulled out of retirement to pursue bandits who have stolen a weapon capable of dropping satellites out of orbit. That’s the ostensible plot, but mostly the film is about extreme stunts, adolescent jokes, female bodies and Xander’s cheesy come-ons. The punch lines are mostly silly, but when Xander starts opining about extreme stunts, it tips into unintentionally hilarious territory. As far as the stunts go, Xander skis through a jungle and rides waves on an ocean-going motorbike, but Yen’s wushu mastery swipes this movie right out from under his prodigious pecs. (PG-13, 1:47)
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
George Takei’s “Allegiance on Broadway”
12:55 p.m., Sunday, Regal Dole, $19
Film of the musical based on the “Star Trek” actor’s childhood experience growing up in an internment camp for Japanese-Americans during WWII. Stars Takei and Lea Salonga in a story that explores the meaning of allegiance in a time of injustice and war.
“Disney’s Newsies: The Broadway Musical”
12:55 p.m., Saturday, and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dole Cannery and Regal Pearl Highlands, $21
Filmed version of the hit stage play about a newsboy (a young person who sells newspapers on the street) taking on the publishers of major newspapers who are trying to squeeze their hard-earned dollars from them. Based on a true incident.
“Royal Opera House: Il Trovatore”
7 p.m. Tuesday and 2 p.m. Wednesday, Kahala Theatre, $20
The tragic tale of revenge, romance and witchcraft plays out over the backdrop of war in this production by David Bosch. Verdi’s magnificent score features the famous “Anvil Chorus.”
ARTHOUSE
DORIS DUKE THEATRE
Honolulu Museum of Art, 532-6097, honolulumuseum.org; $8-$10
Honolulu African-American Film Festival 2017
Ends today.
>> “Harriet Returns: Based on the Legendary Life of Harriet Tubman”
7:30 p.m. today, $30-$35
Karen Jones Meadows stars in a one-woman play (of 31 characters) that chronicles the life of the famed Underground Railroad conductor who experienced slavery in her childhood and became a revolutionary entrepreneur whose philosophies continue to influence us today.
Women in Film
In partnership with Hawaii Women in Filmmaking, the museum will feature films by and about women that showcase common perspectives from around the world. Opens Saturday and runs through Feb. 28.
>> “The Fits”
1 p.m. Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and 1 p.m. Wednesday
An 11-year-old tomboy must learn to assimilate into a tightknit dance squad by learning new routines and drills, but her intense desire for acceptance turns out to be twisted after the team is hit with a mysterious outbreak of fainting spells. Directed by Anna Rose Holmer. (2015, 1:22)
>> “Sonita”
4 p.m. Saturday and 7:30 p.m. Sunday
Documentary about an 18-year-old Afghan refugee in Iran who emerges from a timid rapper into an empowered activist who speaks out through a dramatic rap video about disastrous forced-marriage practices that impede her freedom. Directed by Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami. (2015, Germany/Switzerland/Iran, 1:31)
>> “The Eagle Huntress”
7:30 p.m. Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday, 1 p.m. Tuesday and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
In this New York Times Critics’ Pick directed by Otto Bell, a 13-year-old Kazakh girl trains to become the first female in her family to become an eagle hunter. (2016, 1:41)
Family Film Sunday
>> “Maisa the Chamoru Girl Who Saves Guahan”
Sunday, 11:10 a.m. and 1 p.m., free, 808ne.ws/1U7h0wO
In this first animated film to feature the endangered Chamorro language of Guam, a courageous young girl leads the women of Guahan (Guam) in a battle against a giant creature that is ruining their island home. Directed by Michael Q. Ceballos. (2015, Guam/Hawaii, 0:35)
2017 Oscar-Nominated Short Films: Documentary
7 p.m. Monday and 1 p.m. Thursday
>> “Extremis”
Doctors, patients and families are faced with end-of-life decisions in a hospital ICU. Directed by Dan Krauss. (2016, 0:24)
>> “4.1 Miles”
While thousands of refugees are at risk of drowning, a Coast Guard captain on a small Greek island is suddenly charged with saving them. Directed by Daphne Matziaraki. (2016, 0:22)
>> “Joe’s Violin”
An unlikely friendship between a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor and a 12-year-old Bronx schoolgirl is forged by a donated musical instrument. Directed by Kahane Cooperman. (2016, 0:24)
>> “Watani: My Homeland”
A family escapes from war-torn Syria and attempts to make a new life in Germany. Directed by Marcel Mettelsiefen. (2016, U.K./Syria/Germany, 0:39)
>> “The White Helmets”
A group of unarmed, neutral civilian volunteers are brave first responders who have saved more than 60,000 lives since 2013 during Syria’s civil war. Directed by Orlando von Einsiedel. (2016, U.K., 0:41)
MOVIE MUSEUM
3566 Harding Ave., 735-8771; $5, $4 members
“Mr. Klein”
11 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. today; 1 and 9 p.m. Monday
In German-occupied Paris during 1942, a French Catholic art dealer becomes caught up in a tangled web of suspicion after learning someone else with the same name is wanted by police. For ages 12 and older. In French with English subtitles. (1976, France/Italy, 1:58)
“Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad”
1, 3:30 and 6 p.m. today; 7 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday
Adaptation of Lily Franky’s autobiographical novel about a mother and son who move from Tokyo to a small town and back. For ages 12 and older. (2007, Japan, 2:22)
“Arrival”
11 a.m. and 1, 3, 5 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday
A linguist and a theoretical physicist are hired by the U.S. military to communicate with and figure out what alien visitors want from them after 13 of their spaceships appear around the world. With Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker. Rated PG-13. Nominated for eight Oscars including best picture, director, adapted screenplay and cinematography. (2016, 1:56)
“The Edge of Seventeen”
Noon, 4:30, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Sunday
Feeling abandoned, Nadine confides in her teacher that she wants to kill herself to get revenge on those who tell her she doesn’t fit in. With Hailee Steinfeld, Haley Lu Richardson, Blake Jenner, Kyra Sedgwick and Woody Harrelson. Rated R. (2016, 1:44)
“Captain Fantastic”
11 a.m. and 3, 5 and 7 p.m. Monday
Six home-schooled children living off the grid are left to survive in the “real” world after the death of their mother. Rated R. Viggo Mortensen is Oscar-nominated for best supporting actor. (2016, 1:58)
“Nocturnal Animals”
11 a.m. and 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 p.m. Thursday
When a wealthy art gallery owner gets her hands on a manuscript for an unpublished novel by her ex-husband, she becomes absorbed in the crime thriller and feels compelled to face the decisions she made in her past. With Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Isla Fisher and Michael Sheen. Rated R. Shannon is Oscar-nominated for best supporting actor. (2016, 1:56)
Engineers Week
7 p.m. Thursday, Consolidated Theatres Ward 16, with an opening program at 6 p.m., doors open 5 p.m., $5-$10. ascehawaii.org
“Dream Big: Engineering Our World”
Jeff Bridges narrates this 3-D film showcasing “engineering marvels from around the world.” Presented by the American Society of Civil Engineers, Hawaii Section.