Capsule reviews for Nov. 4

Dog Eat Dog

Veteran filmmaker Paul Schrader (American Gigolo) returns to his gritty roots with mixed results in this ultraviolent crime thriller about desperation and dishonor among thieves. It takes place in Cleveland, where a trio of ex-cons including Troy (Nicolas Cage), Mad Dog (Willem Dafoe) and Diesel (Christopher Matthew Cook) reunite for a potentially lucrative kidnapping job for a mobster, only to encounter complications that threaten their loyalty and freedom from incarceration. The loopy performances, character quirks and throwback visual gimmicks help to disguise the more formulaic genre elements in the script, although the film never finds an emotional entry point amid its onslaught of bloody nihilism. (Not rated, 93 minutes).

My Dead Boyfriend

If you think your life sucks, consider the plight of the protagonist in this horribly titled comedy directed by actor Anthony Edwards. It follows Mary (Heather Graham), an aspiring writer working temp jobs who returns home one day — as the title suggests — to find her slacker boyfriend (John Corbett) deceased in a recliner. Mayhem ensues when she’s tasked with caring for the ashes, which causes her to learn more about him than she ever cared to know. The ridiculous concept manages a few broad laughs, but the characters are consistently more obnoxious than endearing. So is the uneven screenplay, which piles on the forced quirks. (Rated R, 94 minutes).

Rainbow Time

This low-budget comedy is audacious in the way it portrays a developmentally challenged adult as an insensitive jerk without seeming insensitive itself. Shonzi (Linas Phillips) is sent to stay with his brother (Timm Sharp), who’s just getting serious with his girlfriend (Melanie Lynskey). Shonzi’s awkward intrusion — a combination of childlike innocence and inappropriate sexual remarks — causes some issues of intimacy and jealousy that threaten the relationship. Phillips, who also wrote and directed, creates some fascinating if unsettling character dynamics driven by Shonzi, who’s both off-putting and sympathetic. Along the way, some awkward contrivances are offset by a winning mix of dark humor and tenderness. (Not rated, 91 minutes).

Trash Fire

At least they got the title right for this aggressively unpleasant redemption story that follows Owen (Adrian Grenier), whose rampant cynicism and abusive attitude toward his girlfriend (Angela Timbur) is traced to a tragedy within his own family and particularly to his sadistic grandmother (Fionnula Flanagan), to whom they pay a visit in a misguided attempt at healing. The misogynistic screenplay by director Richard Bates Jr. audaciously tries gallows humor to lighten the mood while offering half-hearted critiques of intergenerational strife and organized religion, with mixed results. But the characters are so abrasive and unsympathetic that you wish they’d all just crash and burn. (Rated R, 91 minutes).

Trolls

Skyrocketing toy sales might be the primary motivation behind this relentlessly cheerful animated adventure based on the ubiquitous Danish dolls. They’re anthropomorphic here, inhabiting an underground world of rainbows, glitter, hourly hugs and peppy pop songs. Their optimism isn’t shared, however, by the ogre-like Bergens, who eat the trolls in order to become happy themselves. When a group of trolls is kidnapped, others must summon the courage to challenge the Bergens and restore harmony. The splashy 3D visuals and frenetic pacing might captivate small children, even if the slapstick result is shallow and forgettable. The voice cast includes Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick and Zooey Deschanel. (Rated PG, 92 minutes).