Capsule reviews for May 5

Burden

Some might find it difficult to take Chris Burden seriously as an artist, but even if you don’t like or respect his work, he’s a fascinating figure. So even those who dismiss him can still admire this straightforward documentary that chronicles his life and career as a sculptor and avant-garde performance artist whose installations in the 1970s bordered on sadomasochism — including instances in which he had himself shot, locked himself in a locker for days, and set himself on fire. The film combines interviews with abundant archival footage to capture a man who might be a mentally unstable daredevil, yet whose bizarre antics are perversely compelling. (Not rated, 88 minutes).

 

Chuck

Best Picture winner Rocky was inspired by Chuck Wepner, and so is this bittersweet biopic that’s more directly based on his rise and fall on the fringes of prizefighting fame. Chuck (Liev Schreiber) is a proud native of working-class Bayonne, New Jersey who was plucked from obscurity for a heavyweight title shot against Muhammad Ali in 1975. Although he lost, Chuck became a folk hero in his hometown as his personal life fell apart from drugs and infidelity. Schreiber is terrific, and director Philippe Falardeau (The Good Lie) employs a gritty and evocative throwback visual style. The cast includes Elisabeth Moss, Naomi Watts and Ron Perlman. (Rated R, 101 minutes).

 

Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait

This hagiographic documentary provides modest insight into the life of the New York-based artist and filmmaker behind Basquiat and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. And if you don’t believe he’s talented, just ask Italian director Pappi Corsicato, whose approach glosses over any significant difficulties in Schnabel’s life in favor of empty anecdotes and unabashed praise. There are some worthwhile moments along the way, mostly courtesy of interviews with friends such as Al Pacino, Bono and Willem Dafoe. And there’s an intimacy to sequences the film’s subject painting and reflecting on his childhood. Perhaps Schnabel could have assembled a more revealing look at his own life. (Not rated, 87 minutes).

 

Risk

Whether you agree with him or not, Julian Assange is a complex character who commands attention. So this documentary from director Laura Poitras (Citizenfour) takes on the same qualities, even if it feels more recycled than revelatory for those who’ve already been following the true-life saga of its subject. The film captures some impressively candid footage of Assange during the rise to prominence of WikiLeaks circa 2010, the various controversies that followed, and the ongoing personal scandal involving sexual-assault allegations. Along the way, Poitras provides an intriguing perspective on confidentiality, whistleblowing and government secrets in recent history, although its steadfast ambivalence can be frustrating. (Not rated, 95 minutes).

 

Take Me

Caught somewhere between a dark comedy and a creepy thriller, the mildly amusing directorial debut of actor Pat Healy (Cheap Thrills) doesn’t succeed either way. Healy stars as a fledgling entrepreneur whose clientele consists of high-end thrill seekers who want to experience an abduction for a fee. Ignoring the legal ramifications of such an enterprise, problems arise on a potentially lucrative job involving an executive (Taylor Schilling) whose identity comes into question. The uneven result features enough playful twists to keep you guessing until the end, although the banter becomes tiresome and the emotional investment dwindles as the thin concept is stretched to feature length. (Not rated, 83 minutes).