Capsule reviews for June 27

The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz

You don’t need to be a computer nerd to appreciate this insightful documentary about Swartz, the Internet prodigy and political activist who committed suicide in 2013 at age 26 while facing federal prosecution. The film celebrates his achievements, including assisting in the development of the RSS protocol and the social-media site Reddit as a teenager, and his persistent advocacy for online public access to information in his final years that got him into trouble with the government. While director Brian Knappenberger (We Are Legion) struggles to find conflicting viewpoints, the film is a provocative examination of the ongoing issues that Swartz made his legacy. (Not rated, 105 minutes).

La Bare

This tedious documentary about the titular male strip club in Dallas fails to deliver the goods. It marks the directorial debut of actor Joe Manganiello (Magic Mike), who tries to piggyback upon the success of that film with a nonfiction glimpse into the lives of the dancers, customers and behind-the-scenes personnel at one of the country’s most enduring and successful clubs. Yet ultimately this unfocused treatment isn’t very insightful or provocative, failing to address obvious questions as it examines the checkered history and subsequent reinvention of the business with a casual reverence. The result throws a mix of lively personalities into a glorified feature-length infomercial. (Rated R, 90 minutes).

Siddharth

The title character is glimpsed only briefly in this haunting and evocative tale of child abduction set in contemporary India. It follows a Delhi father (Rajesh Tailang) who sends his 12-year-old son off to work for a month to help his struggling family. When the son never returns, he uses his limited resources to begin a frantic search that threatens to tear apart his family with guilt and leaves everyone scrambling for answers. The script by director Richie Mehta taps into various socioeconomic troubles within his setting while not compromising the emotional stakes for the characters. It’s suspenseful and heartbreaking, and doesn’t provide easy answers. (Not rated, 96 minutes).

They Came Together

Despite its broad target, this parody of cheesy romantic comedies from director David Wain (Role Models) isn’t much funnier than the films it attempts to lampoon. It follows Joel (Paul Rudd) and Molly (Amy Poehler) through the meet-cutes, break-ups and other relationship pitfalls only seen in movies, only to have it lead to an inevitable happy ending. There are some scattered big laughs along the way, along with some amusing performances, but most of the jokes fall flat. More troubling, however, is that the approach is sketchy instead of edgy, giving the impression that the film is indulging in the very cliches it’s trying to mock. (Rated R, 83 minutes).

Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger

The latest thought-provoking documentary from director Joe Berlinger (Metallica: Some Kind of Monster) probes the story of the notorious Boston gangster, using his trial as a segue into a tough but even-handed exploration of police corruption, and specifically what relationship he had with the authorities that might have allowed him to escape persecution for his crimes. Of course, by the end, both sides seem more interested in covering their tracks than pursuing justice. Even for those familiar with Bulger’s story, Berlinger offers some new angles amid his thorough yet straightforward approach, and the film’s refusal to offer easy answers can be infuriating — in a good way. (Rated R, 107 minutes).