Capsule reviews for April 28

Buster’s Mal Heart

It’s part unsettling psychological thriller, part absurdist dark comedy, and part existential meditation. Yet for a film that skillfully weaves together so many elements, this muddled low-budget drama remains at an emotional distance. Told in flashback, the story is set amid Y2K paranoia and conspiracy theories, following a disheveled homeless man (Rami Malek) who has become a fugitive after a personal tragedy involving his wife and young daughter, the details of which are gradually revealed. Yet despite Malek’s haunting performance and the visually assured approach of director Sarah Adina Smith, the narrative puzzle pieces in her screenplay never quite fit together in the final act. (Not rated, 96 minutes).

How to Be a Latin Lover

The latest bilingual vehicle for Mexican comedian Eugenio Derbez is another uneven combination of slapstick and sentiment that might please his devotees without significantly expanding his fan base. Derbez plays Maximo, a scheming womanizer who is dumped by his octogenerian wife, who he married just for the money. So he moves in with his estranged sister (Salma Hayek) and forms an unlikely bond with his young nephew (Raphael Alejandro), only to return to his gold-digging ways with a plot to seduce a widowed billionaire (Raquel Welch). The life lessons about valuing family over money aren’t delivered with much subtlety, but there are a few solid laughs. (Rated PG-13, 115 minutes).

One Week and a Day

Adroitly balancing hilarity and poignancy, this bittersweet Israeli comedy puts a fresh spin on films about grief, taking place during 24 hours after Eyal (Shai Avivi) and his wife, Vicky (Jenya Dodina), finish sitting Shiva for a week to mourn their late son. Both struggle to restart their lives and begin acting erratically, with Vicky awkwardly returning to her job as a teacher while Eyal steals a stash of marijuana to enjoy with their obnoxious neighbor (Tomer Kapon). The uneven but amusing script by rookie director Asaph Polonsky captures the chaos, resentment and absurdity that comes with returning to the daily routine after a horrible tragedy. (Not rated, 98 minutes).

Rupture

Both illogical and incoherent, this psychological thriller feels like watching someone else navigate an escape room while knowing that you could get out much faster with a little common sense. In other words, it’s a frustrating experience watching Renee (Noomi Rapace), a single mother who’s abducted and taken to a top-secret lab, where she becomes the subject of experiments involving fear and genetics, with only cryptic clues to their purpose. Despite some creepy visual touches from director Steven Shainberg (Secretary), the resulting puzzle is more pretentious than suspenseful, filled with derivative contrivances that compromise much of the intrigue and originality in the unsettling concept. (Not rated, 102 minutes).

Voice from the Stone

There’s little substance beneath the atmospheric surface of this slow-burning thriller that takes place in 1950s Tuscany, where a sculptor (Marton Csokas) hires a nurse (Emilia Clarke) to care for his young son (Edward Dring) who has become mute while mourning the death of his mother. However, the newcomer soon finds out that dark family secrets lie within the walls of the castle. Rookie director Eric Howell supplies some evocative visual flair considering the limited budget, and the screenplay gradually develops some suspense before faltering in the final act with a payoff that doesn’t match the build-up. The result is more creepy than truly compelling. (Rated R, 94 minutes).