Capsule reviews for May 8

Bravetown

While it hints at something deeper, this slick coming-of-age drama about redemption and reconciliation instead chooses a more formulaic path to catharsis. It follows Josh (Lucas Till), a teenage New York deejay whose bust on drug charges gets him sent to a small military town in North Dakota to live with his estranged father (Tom Everett Scott). Both his court-appointed counselor (Josh Duhamel) and the head of the high school dance team (Kherington Payne) eventually get him to open up. The result is filled with worthwhile intentions — oddly mixing tributes to fallen soldiers with the underdog dance-team competition shenanigans — yet lacks meaningful insight or impact. (Rated R, 112 minutes).

The D Train

The legacy of high-school reunion movies won’t get much of a boost from this “bromantic” comedy about a suburban father (Jack Black) who sees his 20-year reunion as a chance to finally become popular, if only he can devise an outrageous scheme to lure a fledgling actor (James Marsden) from his graduating class to attend the party. Naturally, things backfire, threatening his job, his family and his dignity. Black captures an amusing mix of awkwardness and paranoia as the script twists in predictably raunchy and far-fetched ways. But ultimately the laughs are sporadic and the concept is too detached from reality to yield any nostalgic resonance. (Rated R, 97 minutes).

Five Flights Up

A heartfelt tribute to marital longevity and domestic stability, this romantic trifle from British director Richard Loncraine (Wimbledon) benefits from having esteemed pros Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton along for the ride. He plays a painter, and she’s a retired schoolteacher, and their quiet routine gets thrown into turmoil during a weekend in which they contemplate moving out of their apartment after four decades, their dog suffers a spinal injury, and a terrorist might be on the loose in Manhattan. There are some half-hearted observations about the cutthroat New York real-estate scene, but despite some touching moments, the overall impact is slight and forgettable. (Rated PG-13, 92 minutes).

Playing It Cool

A strong cast is squandered in this clichéd romantic comedy that feels strained in its stabs at both romance and humor. It follows a screenwriter (Chris Evans) struggling with ideas for a romantic comedy because, he figures, he’s never truly been in love. Then he meets a woman (Michelle Monaghan) who’s engaged but nevertheless strikes up a friendship, and before long his life turns into a romantic comedy so, you know, art imitates life and all that. Despite a few amusing diversions, the film consists of endless relationship discussions without any meaningful insight to show for it. The ensemble includes Topher Grace, Anthony Mackie, and Luke Wilson. (Rated R, 94 minutes).