Upcoming Theatrical Releases
Tomb Raider
Directed by Roar Uthaug
Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, and for some language
Lara Croft is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished when she was scarcely a teen. Now a young woman of 21 without any real focus or purpose, Lara navigates the chaotic streets of trendy East London as a bike courier, barely making the rent, and takes college courses, rarely making it to class. Determined to forge her own path, she refuses to take the reins of her father’s global empire just as staunchly as she rejects the idea that he’s truly gone. Advised to face the facts and move forward after seven years without him, even Lara can’t understand what drives her to finally solve the puzzle of his mysterious death. Going explicitly against his final wishes, she leaves everything she knows behind in search of her dad’s last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. But her mission will not be an easy one; just reaching the island will be extremely treacherous. Suddenly, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Lara, who–against the odds and armed with only her sharp mind, blind faith and inherently stubborn spirit–must learn to push herself beyond her limits as she journeys into the unknown. If she survives this perilous adventure, it could be the making of her, earning her the name tomb raider.
For a film that no one needed to get made, this could be a lot worse. It’s generic and overly corny, but decent enough for a second tier flick.
Two and a Half out of Five Stars
Love, Simon
Directed by Greg Berlanti
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, sexual references, language and teen partying
Everyone deserves a great love story. But for seventeen-year old Simon Spier it’s a little more complicated: he’s yet to tell his family or friends he’s gay and he doesn’t actually know the identity of the anonymous classmate he’s fallen for online. Resolving both issues proves hilarious, terrifying and life-changing. Directed by Greg Berlanti (Riverdale, The Flash, Supergirl), written by Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger (This is Us), and based on Becky Albertalli’s acclaimed novel, LOVE, SIMON is a funny and heartfelt coming-of-age story about the thrilling ride of finding yourself and falling in love.
A well crafted coming of age story with enough mystery and emotional resonance to set it apart. While it certainly is a “gay genre” film, it surpasses these boundaries to be more of a meditation on love and compassion.
Four out of Five Stars
Loveless
Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev
Rated R for strong sexuality, graphic nudity, language and a brief disturbing image
Zhenya and Boris are going through a vicious divorce marked by resentment, frustration and recriminations. Already embarking on new lives, each with a new partner, they are impatient to start again, to turn the page – even if it means threatening to abandon their 12-year-old son Alyosha. Until, after witnessing one of their fights, Alyosha disappears.
Nothing here is by the book and the story will keep you engaged. But this is not a film for everyone, as the essential core is a realism that is devastatingly hard to watch.
Four and a Half out of Five Stars
7 Days in Entebbe
Directed by José Padilha
Rated PG-13 for violence, some thematic material, drug use, smoking and brief strong language
A gripping thriller inspired by the true events of the 1976 hijacking of an Air France flight en route from Tel Aviv to Paris, the film depicts the most daring rescue mission ever attempted.
To conforming to actually be thrilling, this isn’t the best representation of what political theater has to offer. There are some strong points along the way, but they are coupled with strange choices that destroy any resonance established.
Three out of Five Stars
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