Capsule reviews for Aug. 12

Anthropoid

Even amid some melodramatic tendencies and historical embellishments, this World War II thriller conveys a worthwhile true-life story of heroism. It follows the buildup and aftermath of a covert mission — led by exiled soldiers Jan (Jamie Dornan) and Josef (Cillian Murphy) — to assassinate highly ranked Nazi officer Reinhard Heydrich, who was sent by Hitler to quiet resistance to the German occupation of Prague in 1942. Despite the annoying fake accents from the cosmopolitan cast, director Sean Ellis (Metro Manila) effectively builds suspense through a stylish visual approach while capturing the pertinent moral complexities, even for those who already know the basics of the outcome. (Rated R, 120 minutes).

Blood Father

Mel Gibson’s ferocious performance, likely influenced by personal demons, drives this otherwise formulaic revenge saga from French director Jean-Francois Richet (Assault on Precinct 13). Gibson plays the ex-con father forced to reunite with his estranged teenage daughter (Erin Moriarty) after she runs afoul of some violent drug dealers following a deal gone bad. The duo winds up on the lam from both the cartels and the authorities while trying to mend a relationship torn apart by alcohol and crime. It’s pretty familiar territory, enlivened somewhat by Gibson’s growly charisma and some gritty throwback visuals. The cast includes Diego Luna, Michael Parks and William H. Macy. (Rated R, 88 minutes).

Disorder

An example of a compelling character in search of a better story, this modest French thriller follows Vincent (Matthias Schoenaerts), a soldier returning home from the front lines with touches of PTSD, who takes a job as a bodyguard for Jessie (Diane Kruger), the socialite wife of a Lebanese businessman who might be involved in some shady political dealings. As he watches over Jessie and her young son, Vincent develops a subtle attraction to her while battling his own paranoia. Schoenaerts gives the film an emotional anchor, yet the screenplay by director Alice Winocour gradually stretches credibility, and the narrative twists become more tedious than suspenseful. (Not rated, 98 minutes).

Joshy

An accomplished cast boosts this uneven low-budget comedy that begins with Josh (Thomas Middleditch) still mourning the suicide of his fiancee a few months earlier. So when some old friends gather for what was supposed to be his bachelor party, it winds up as a combination of group therapy and sophomoric antics, with sometimes uncomfortable results. As some unexpected arrivals stir things up, the hit-and-miss script by director Jeff Baena (Life After Beth) at least feels mostly authentic with regard to the emotional gamut in such a gathering, and the way in which its characters tend to mute their feelings in a show of macho solidarity. (Rated R, 93 minutes).

Sausage Party

Beneath its sophomoric surface, this raunchy animated comedy about foul-mouthed, anthropomorphic supermarket goods is mildly inspired and ambitious, even if its thin concept from creators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (This Is the End) feels too stretched at feature length. To give you an idea, the main characters are a wiener (voiced by Rogen) and a hot-dog bun (Kristen Wiig) whose romantic plans are derailed when they realize they’re meant to be eaten by humans, prompting an adventure to save themselves and their consumable friends. Some ingredients are missing, although there’s a lively musical number and some clever sight gags and food puns along the way. (Rated R, 89 minutes).