Capsule reviews for Dec. 14

Any Day Now

This poignant if overly sentimental twist on the child-custody drama transcends some of its melodramatic trappings. It follows a 1970s gay couple — a flamboyant nightclub performer (Alan Cumming) and a closeted assistant district attorney (Garret Dillahunt) — that shelters a teenager with Down syndrome (Isaac Leyva) who has been abandoned by his drug-addicted mother, only to run into legal and bureaucratic difficulties once they try to adopt him. Heartfelt and bittersweet, the script is contrived in spots and indulges in some of the expected courtroom histrionics. However, it also features sharp performances and provocatively addresses issues regarding family bonds and gay adoption that still resonate today. (Rated R, 97 minutes).

Heleno

Brazilian striker Heleno de Freitas is well-known among soccer aficionados for being one of the greatest players in the history of one of the sport’s most passionate countries. But otherwise, his charismatic popularity conflicted with a private life filled with boorish womanizing during the 1940s. This biopic struggles to capture that dichotomy in his tragic life story, and as a result squanders a terrific performance by Rodrigo Santoro (Che) in the title role. Director Jose Henrique Fonseca keeps the focus off the field and captures the period with some striking black-and-white cinematography, yet the script rarely digs beneath the surface of its intriguing subject. (Not rated, 116 minutes).