Capsule reviews for Sept. 23

The Dressmaker

A runway fashion show invading the Australian outback sounds more amusing than it plays out in this highly uneven and excessively quirky comedy from director Jocelyn Moorhouse (A Thousand Acres) about redemption and staying true to your roots. Kate Winslet boosts the lackluster script with a charismatic performance in the title role, as a Parisian fashion designer who turns heads when returning to her small-town home, still haunted by a tragedy from her past. Her alcoholic mother (Judy Davis) and athletic new beau (Liam Hemsworth) only complicate things. Through it all, it’s difficult to sympathize with any of these characters through the awkward shifts in tone. (Rated R, 118 minutes).

Goat

You might not vomit, even when this moderately insightful skewering of fraternity hazing rituals punches you in the gut. It’s based on a memoir of Brad Land (Ben Schnetzer), who’s still reeling from a traumatic assault and robbery when he pledges the fraternity of his older brother (Nick Jonas). But the ensuing initiation tests their bond and causes Brad to wonder whether the punishment fits the eventual reward. The film explores in convincing detail the legacy of unabated white privilege and sadistic macho posturing that pervades such organizations, even if the timid script too often lacks the courage to follow through on its cynical convictions. (Rated R, 102 minutes).

I.T.

There’s little intelligence, artificial or otherwise, in this predictable thriller from director John Moore (A Good Day to Die Hard) that feels hopelessly dated considering its high-tech subject matter. It follows a corporate mogul (Pierce Brosnan) whose misplaced trust in a tech consultant (James Frecheville) leads to the hacking of his smart-home system and the stalking of his teenage daughter (Stefanie Scott). As his life and his business start falling apart, he desperately seeks revenge. Brosnan captures the oblivious attitude that many middle-aged adults take with regard to new technology, but the eye-rolling twists and formulaic storytelling compromise any suspense in this uninspired cautionary tale. (Not rated, 95 minutes).

The Lovers and the Despot

If you don’t believe that truth can be stranger than fiction, check out this intriguing if somewhat sketchy documentary about the kidnapping of a famous actor and director from South Korea in 1978. The perpetrator was North Korean dictator and movie aficionado Kim Jong-il, who forced the couple to make films under his direct supervision for almost a decade before they plotted a perilous escape. The result is fascinating even if you don’t know about the subjects or their work. And the film remains compelling even as the filmmakers squeeze the material into a melodramatic framework rather than just letting the story tell itself. (Not rated, 98 minutes).

My Blind Brother

Although the concept requires a significant buy-in, this romantic comedy sharply mixes humor and poignancy without being afraid to challenge our instincts to automatically sympathize with the title character (Adam Scott), an adored athlete aggressively raising money for charity while acting like a prick behind the scenes to the brother (Nick Kroll) who works tireless to help him. They’re forced to confront their hostilities when a vulnerable woman (Jenny Slate) comes between them. The uneven screenplay by rookie director Sophie Goodhart breaks down taboos with sardonic wit and surprising tenderness, and the result is both mischievous and heartfelt in its examination of sibling rivalry. (Rated R, 85 minutes).