OPENING FRIDAY
“Collide” (Not reviewed)
An American backpacker hitching through Europe finds romance, then danger as he tangles with a drug-smuggling ring. (PG-13, 1:39)
“Fabricated City” (Not reviewed)
An unemployed hacker who is a champion gamer gets framed for murder. In Korean with English subtitles. (Not rated, 2:06)
“Get Out” (Click here for review)
“The Red Turtle” (Click here for review)
“Rock Dog” (Click here for review)
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. Best Picture nominee. (PG-13, 1:56)
“Confidential Assignment” (Not reviewed)
A North Korean criminal crosses into South Korea, and agents from North Korea and South Korea join forces to bring it down. In Korean with English subtitles. (Not rated, 2:05)
“A Cure for Wellness” **1/2
In this horror film set in a spa in the Swiss Alps, “wellness” could easily be a euphemism for “wealth.” A powerful Wall Street banker, Pembroke (Harry Groener), runs off to a Swiss spa and writes back to say that he’s not returning. Young banker Lockhart (Dane DeHaan) is sent to retrieve him, but he gets into a car accident and breaks his leg. Everyone at the spa keeps pushing the local water on him as a tonic, and he’s ultimately drawn into the morbid tale of the place’s history, about a mad baron, a baroness, his sister and the villagers who burned them to death. Director and co-writer Gore Verbinski based the story on Thomas Mann’s 1924 book “The Magic Mountain,” playing on the notion of a magic potion — in this case, yoga, diets and mindfulness apps — to cure the ails of modern life. The film is a flawed masterpiece but masterfully done. Unlike most recent horror films, it’s made with attention to detail and design, yet it succumbs to its base instincts, delivering snatches of gruesome violence. It eventually turns into a 1930s Universal-style gothic, psychosexual monster flick. But it might be just weird enough to inspire a cultish fascination. (R, 2:26) (See feature on page 35.)
“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.” The problem is that it’s painfully cheesy pabulum, relying on hokey stereotypes and cliches. (PG, 2:00)
“Elle” ***
“Elle” is a violently dark comedy in which passion and cruelty burn together in a masochistic fire. It begins startlingly with a rape, but rather than following it up with tears, revenge or justice, the victim — Michele Leblanc (Isabelle Huppert) — cleans up the room (her heels still on), takes a bath and orders in sushi. Director Paul Verhoeven, rebuffed by Hollywood, took to France to tell the story, adapted from Philippe Dijan’s novel “Oh …” He masterfully unspools the dense layers of Michele, who lords over a small army of nebbishy men at her literary-minded video game company and is sleeping with her best friend’s husband despite loathing him. On top of all this, she is the daughter of a mass murderer, who herself became a figure of public hate as a possible collaborator. Huppert commands the film, and few could pull off the unapologetically demented nature of “Elle” like Verhoeven. (R, 2:10)
“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. Best Picture nominee. (PG-13. 2:18)
“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)
“Fist Fight” ***
“Fist Fight” is one of the most violent laughfests in recent cinema, and yet it is a rousing success. Charlie Day plays mousy English teacher Andy Campbell, who offers his tech skills to help his combustible colleague Strickland (Ice Cube) deal with student sabotage. When things go awry, wrathful Principal Tyler (Dean Norris) is ready to terminate someone. The result is a challenge to fight in the parking lot after school. While the clever script largely concerns Andy learning to be a badass, the strength of the film lies in the ensemble cast: Jillian Bell as a meth-addicted counselor lusting after a football player; Tracy Morgan as the coach, oblivious to the assault the student body inflicts on him; Christina Hendricks as a teacher who uses a stiletto the way most use chalk. The dialogue is ceaselessly foulmouthed in very funny ways. Cube and Day, as the contentious educators, endure beat-down after beat-down, but they are wonderfully silly as well. (R, 1:31)
“The Great Wall” *1/2
Master Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou joins forces with Matt Damon in this ambitious story about Western mercenaries who find that China’s Great Wall isn’t keeping only human invaders out. (PG-13, 1:43)
“Hell or High Water” ****
“Hell or High Water” is a gripping heist drama keenly attuned to the outsider politics of our times. Set in desolate West Texas, it sports two Robin Hood-like brothers, Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner (Ben Foster), who hit branches of only 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. Best Picture nominee. (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. Best Picture nominee. (PG, 2:06)
“I Am Not Your Negro” ****
Novelist, playwright, poet and cultural critic James Baldwin planned to write a book exploring the lives of three murdered friends: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Baldwin died in 1987 with only 30 pages done, but Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck has breathed new life into the work in “I Am Not Your Negro.” The film is much more than a historical document; Peck has created a film that is completely contemporary. He brings it alive with photographs, archival news footage, Hollywood films and Baldwin himself, enhancing the words he wrote with his TV appearances and filmed debates. Through careful yet bold editing choices, Peck applies Baldwin’s words to events such as the Rodney King beating and the Black Lives Matter protests in Ferguson, Mo. Peck’s film crackles with electricity, from its daring visual design and storytelling to Baldwin’s achingly brilliant mind. The film is an incisive, biting cultural analysis, a psychological examination of a nation in denial of its own social constructs of race and racism. (PG-13, 1:35)
“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 of 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. Best Picture nominee. (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. Best Picture nominee. (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. Best Picture nominee. (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 fishhook 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. Best Picture nominee. (R, 1:50)
“My Ex and Whys” (Not reviewed)
Romantic comedy from the Philippines has a blogger whose ex-boyfriend unexpectedly comes back into her life. With English subtitles. (Not rated, 2:34)
“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 there’s a movie inside the movie. (PG-13, 1:42)
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” ***1/2
The Force is strong with this spinoff, which provides a solid prequel to the original, taking us to a galaxy of new planets shrouded by ice or cloud-capped fog, drenched in rain or adorned by towering palm trees, all property of the evil Empire. At the center is rebel Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and her allies, whose goal is to capture the Imperial Death Star blueprints designed by her father (Mads Mikkelsen), or perhaps to assassinate him for aiding the totalitarians. As in every “Star Wars” film, the focus is the little guy fighting the big guy. This time the combat leaves palpable scars coated in filth; you experience them and wince. Of course, authoritarians are still entirely evil. Australian actor Ben Mendelsohn is the gold standard of personified malice as the main villain, Krennic. (PG-13 2:13)
“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’ 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)
“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 punchlines 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
The Met: “Rusalka”
12:55 p.m. Saturday and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Regal Dole, $19-$25
The Metropolitan Opera House presents Dvorak’s haunting romance, inspired by “The Little Mermaid,” with Kristine Opolaise as the water nymph who is willing to sacrifice everything for her love of a prince.
“National Theater Live: Amadeus”
7 p.m. Tuesday and 2 p.m. Wednesday, Kahala and Consolidated Kapolei, $20
Cinecast of the revival of Peter Shaffer’s Tony Award-winning play about the naughty prodigy Mozart (Adam Gillen) and the elder court musician Salieri (Lucien Msamati) who plots to bring him down.
DORIS DUKE THEATRE
Honolulu Museum of Art, 532-6097, honolulumuseum.org; $8-$10
2017 Oscar-Nominated Short Films: Documentary — 1 p.m. Friday
>> “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)
2017 Oscar-Nominated Short Films: Animation — 1 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday
>> Short films include “Borrowed Time,” “Pearl,” “Piper,” “Blind Vaysha”and “Pear Cider and Cigarettes.” Additional films “The Head Vanishes,” “Asteria” and “Happy End” are not nominees.
2017 Oscar-Nominated Short Films: Live Action — 4 p.m. Saturday
>> “Sing (Mindenki)”
Based on a true story, this childhood drama is about a new girl in school who joins the school’s famous award-winning choir, only to find that the inspirational director might not be the person everyone thinks she is. Directed by Dristof Deak. (2016, Hungary, 0:25)
>> “Silent Nights”
While volunteering at a homeless shelter, Inger meets and falls for illegal immigrant Kwame, who reveals nothing about his family and children in Ghana until his daughter is hospitalized. Inga believes his lies about stealing money from the shelter to pay bills but soon learns more about his life in Ghana through his mobile phone. Directed by Aske Bang. (2016, Denmark, 0:30)
>> “Timecode”
Diego and Luna are parking lot security guards, one of whom works the day shift while the other works the night. (2016, Spain, 0:15)
>> “Ennemis Interieurs”
A French-Algerian man is accused of protecting terrorists’ identities during an interview at a police station during France’s turbulent period in the 1990s. Directed by Selim Aazzazi. (2016, France, 0:28)
>> “La Femme et la TGV”
For many years, lonely Elise waves at an express train as it passes her house. One day she finds a letter from the train conductor, which starts a chain of correspondence between the two until the day the train line gets canceled. Inspired by true events. Directed by Timo von Gunten. (2016, Switzerland, 0:30)
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. Runs through Tuesday.
>> “In Between” — 1 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, and 1 p.m. Tuesday
Three Palestinian women sharing an apartment in Tel Aviv, Israel, must learn to balance life while entangled in both traditional and modern cultures. In Arabic with English subtitles. (2016, Israel/France, 1:36)
>> “Window Horses: The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming” — 4 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday
Animated film about a 20-year-old poet raised by overprotective Chinese grandparents who attends a poetry festival in Iran, where she learns about her Iranian father, whom she assumed had abandoned her. In Arabic with English subtitles. (2017, Canada, 1:29)
Women of Wonders Film Fest
Female filmmakers showcase their talent through their work and panel discussions. Wednesday and Thursday, Doris Duke Theatre, Honolulu Museum of Art, free. hawaiiwomeninfilmmaking.org/wow2017
Program 1, 4 p.m. Wednesday: Kicks off with the highlighting of graduates of the Hawaii Women in Filmmaking camps, followed by a discussion, “Girls Make Films.”
Program 2, 6 p.m. Wednesday: Features short films about self-esteem, raising awareness of negative social media that affect female teens and Friday’s “standard of beauty,” followed by a panel discussion.
Program 3, 6 p.m. Thursday: Features films by local filmmakers Laurie Arakaki (“Late Expectations”), Alana Bombino (“B Movie”) and Ella Joanna Sokolowski and Kate Trumbull-LaValle (“Ovarian Psycos”).
MOVIE MUSEUM
3566 Harding Ave., 735-8771; $5, $4 members
>> “Hacksaw Ridge” — 11 a.m. and 1:30, 4, 6:30 and 9 p.m. Friday; noon and 2:30 p.m. Sunday
Mel Gibson directs this film based on a true story about World War II medic Desmond Doss, who refused to carry a weapon even as he put his own life in danger while saving lives during the Battle of Okinawa. With Andrew Garfield, Hugo Weaving, Luke Bracey, Rachel Griffiths, Teresa Palmer, Vince Vaughn and Sam Worthington. Rated R. Oscar-nominated for best picture, best director and best actor (Garfield). (2016, Australia/U.S., 2:19)
>> “Manchester by the Sea” — 11 a.m. and 1:30, 4, 6:30 and 9 p.m. Saturday
When tragedy strikes a family, a grieving Boston handyman becomes legal guardian to his teen nephew. With Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler and Lucas Hedges. Oscar-nominated for best film, actor (Affleck), supporting actor (Hedges), supporting actress (Williams), director and original screenplay. Rated R. (2016, 2:17)
>> “Bekas” — Noon and 8:15 p.m. Monday
In war-torn Iraqi Kurdistan, two young orphaned brothers leave for America in search of Superman, who they feel can solve their problems and punish Saddam Hussein. In the process they become heroes to each other. For ages 12 and older. In Kurdish with English subtitles. (2012, Sweden/Finland/Iraq, 1:37)
>> “Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad” — 1:45 and 5:45 p.m. Monday
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)
>> “The Suitor” — 4:15 p.m. Monday
Comedy about a shy young man who is determined to find a wife, at his parents’ urging, so he quits studying astronomy and instead studies other men’s rituals for attracting women. For ages 10 and older. In French with English subtitles. (1962, France, 1:23)
>> “Ambush” (“Rukajarven tie”) — 12:15, 4:30 and 8:45 p.m. Thursday
In the summer of 1941, 14 Finnish soldiers bike into the Karelian Forest to spy on enemy positions during Finland’s “Continuation War,” which took place between 1941 and 1944. For ages 15 and older. In Finnish, Italian and Russian with English subtitles. (1999, Finland, 1:57)
>> “Hear Me” (“Ting shuo”) — 2:30 and 6:45 p.m. Thursday
Romantic comedy about a restaurant delivery boy who falls for a deaf woman training to become a professional swimmer. For ages 12 and older. In Mandarin and sign language with English subtitles. (2009, Taiwan, 1:49)