Capsule reviews for May 25

Chernobyl Diaries

The ideas are familiar in this ill-conceived and exploitative horror movie about a handful of American and European tourists in Ukraine who take a side trip to the abandoned town of Pripyat, down the road from the nuclear reactor disaster site at Chernobyl. When the tour guide’s van breaks down, the group becomes subject to dangers including wild dogs, radiation and much worse. The hand-held documentary-style visual approach ratchets up the tension somewhat, but the characters lack basic common sense and the script co-written by Oren Peli (Paranormal Activity) takes itself way too seriously. The whole thing feels more contrived than genuinely scary. (Rated R, 88 minutes).

The Intouchables

There’s a fine line between crassness and sensitivity that is navigated successfully by this well-acted French comedy about a millionaire quadriplegic (Francois Cluzet) and the unrefined ex-con (Omar Sy) he hires as his caretaker. The men develop an unlikely friendship while bridging their cultural and socioeconomic gaps. The characters and jokes evolve realistically, even if the premise feels contrived and the script sometimes descends to a sitcom level. Still, it’s a funny yet humane crowd-pleaser, based on a true story, which sidesteps clichés about race and illness in a breezy comic treatment of subject matter that is usually quite dramatic. An American remake can’t be far behind. (Rated R, 112 minutes).

Oslo, August 31st

A powerful and harrowing glimpse into one man’s chance at redemption, this low-budget Norwegian character study tracks one day in the life of a drug addict (Anders Danielsen Lie) who has gotten clean and exits rehab trying to start a new life. But when he spends a day visiting old friends and examining his bleak job prospects, he becomes deeply despondent. Director Joachim Trier (Reprise), whose screenplay is adapted from a 1930s French novel, combines with his lead actor to create a gritty and authentic portrait of the unseen post-abuse perils that addiction creates, battling issues such as acceptance and reconciliation in mainstream society. (Not rated, 95 minutes).