Capsule reviews for Aug. 22

Love is Strange

While it deals in part with a hot-button political issue, the avoidance of politics lends significant appeal to this character-driven drama about Ben (John Lithgow) and George (Alfred Molina), longtime gay lovers whose marriage winds up getting George fired from his job as a music teacher. With no income to pay for their Manhattan apartment, they’re forces them to live apart with their respective families, where the relationship is tested. The two lead performances are superb, and the sensitively rendered screenplay by director Ira Sachs (Married Life) is more concerned with telling a universal tale of commitment and intimacy that’s neither defined nor constrained by preconceived notions. (Rated R, 94 minutes).

The One I Love

In its quest to sidestep clichés, this low-budget mix of romance and science fiction winds up too muddled and unfocused to have much of an impact. It’s a two-character piece about Ethan (Mark Duplass) and Sophie (Elisabeth Moss), who try to save their troubled marriage with a weekend at a remote getaway where a surprise awaits them in the guest house that has them both scratching their heads and reassessing their relationship. Duplass and Moss achieve a decent chemistry and offer some amusing comedic touches, but the thin premise (which has some twists best not revealed here) loses steam after you basically figure things out. (Rated R, 91 minutes).

The Possession of Michael King

Potentially intriguing questions about faith and organized religion are quickly jettisoned in favor of cheap scare tactics and formulaic gore in this low-budget thriller from rookie director David Jung. The title character is an atheist filmmaker (Shane Johnson) prompted by his wife’s tragic death to focus his next project on debunking tarot-card readers and supernatural myths. As you can guess, however, demonic powers don’t take kindly to his beliefs. Jung lacks the courage to follow through on his somewhat compelling concept, instead just relying on stale trickery — including the found-footage visual gimmick — and adherence to genre staples. Johnson’s effective performance is squandered in the process. (Rated R, 83 minutes).

The Prince

Originality, either in terms of writing or direction, in in short supply in this assembly-line vigilante thriller about Paul (Jason Patric), a former assassin whose retirement is interrupted when his daughter is kidnapped while in college, forcing him to return to the streets of New Orleans and confront some enemies from his past, including a criminal (Bruce Willis) who blames Paul for a family tragedy. The premise is pretty generic, and so is the series of accompanying shootouts and chase sequences. Plus, the visuals look cheap instead of gritty. The supporting cast, for some reason, also includes John Cusack and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. (Rated R, 93 minutes).

To Be Takei

The strategy behind this breezy documentary is simple: Turn the camera on former Star Trek cast member George Takei and the rest will take care of itself. That’s not a bad idea, considering Takei is a lively 77-year-old with a self-deprecating persona on screen that contrasts with his off-screen efforts as an activist for gay rights. The approach sometimes bogs down in showing the daily routine of Takei and his longtime husband, Brad. Yet while it’s too shallow and superficial in spots, the film is a charming look at a man whose charisma and optimism is infectious in his quest to live long and prosper. (Not rated, 93 minutes).