Capsule reviews for Oct. 21

Elevate

It’s not necessary to be a basketball fan to admire this modest documentary from director Anne Buford that follows four athletic teenagers from the poor West African country of Senegal who venture to the United States to play basketball at elite prep schools, with the hope of one day earning a chance to play professionally. The film doesn’t yield a lot of surprises, chronicling the usual issues of culture clash and homesickness. But the subjects are smartly chosen because of their unique stories and personalities, and the result has some exciting moments on the court combined with some powerful sequences behind the scenes. (Rated PG, 81 minutes).

Martha Marcy May Marlene

Some of the parts of this atmospheric debut from writer-director Sean Durkin are easier to admire than the whole. It has the trappings of a horror movie (along with an October release date) but really resembles more of a low-key thriller about a young woman (Elizabeth Olsen) who tries to escape from an abusive cult by moving in with her estranged older sister. But her behavior becomes erratic as paranoia begins to take over. Olsen is terrific, as is Oscar nominee John Hawkes as the cult leader, but the uneven script seems defiant toward building sustained tension, preferring to watch things unfold from a frustrating distance. (Rated R, 102 minutes).

Oranges and Sunshine

The true story at the heart of this drama, which marks the feature debut of British television director Jim Loach, is compelling even if it leaves some unanswered questions. It’s based on the book by Margaret Humphreys (Emily Watson), a social worker during the 1980s who tried to reunite adult children with their parents affected by a kidnapping and child-deportation scheme that might have been organized by the British government years ago. Boosted by Watson’s commanding performance, the film has some poignant moments in spite of a screenplay that keeps its character motivations cloudy and lacks many key historical details regarding the scandal. (Rated R, 106 minutes).

The Reunion

Contrivances and clichés abound in the latest low-budget action-comedy from the folks at WWE Films, showcasing a mildly amusing performance from pro wrestler John Cena (The Marine) as part of a trio of bickering brothers brought together for the reading of their father’s will, only to learn they must go into business together in order to claim their inheritance. That leads to the hunt for a parole violator in Mexico, along with drug lords and a kidnapping scheme. The concept isn’t as dumb as it sounds, but the execution sure is, with director Michael Pavone refusing to inject any subtlety amid all the chases and explosions. (Rated PG-13, 96 minutes).