Capsule reviews for March 23

Elis

The life of a unique musical talent is given a generic biopic treatment in this straightforward rags-to-riches story of Brazilian singer Elis Regina (Andreia Horta). It chronicles her modest upbringing, gradual rise to fame on stage and television during the 1960s while overcoming anxiety, eventual struggles with fame and drug-related health issues, and transition to motherhood. The film seems content to hit the crowd-pleasing highlights — accompanied by a generous number of songs — instead of providing depth or context. However, it works best when portraying its subject as a strong-willed feminist pioneer in Brazilian pop culture. The result is only mildly insightful for Elis newcomers. (Not rated, 114 minutes).

Final Portrait

The latest examination of eccentric artists and their process is this modest yet insightful character study from director Stanley Tucci (Big Night), about painter and sculptor Alberto Giacometti (Geoffrey Rush). It’s told through American writer James Lord (Armie Hammer), who agrees to pose for a 1964 portrait that he’s told will take one afternoon in a Paris studio, only to see Giacometti’s misanthropic fussiness turn the session from days into weeks. Lord’s impatience eventually yields fascination with the artist’s obsessive quirks. Tucci’s screenplay lacks depth yet captures some intimate surface details about his subject, while Rush’s performance brings sympathy to a mercurial figure who’s otherwise off-putting. (Rated R, 90 minutes).

I Kill Giants

Situated somewhere between the recent adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time and a gender-reversal version of A Monster Calls, this coming-of-age drama could use a lighter touch while targeting its mix of fantasy and reality at teenagers. It centers on Barbara (Madison Wolfe), a young social outcast dealing with plenty of emotional issues that her older sister (Imogen Poots) and school counselor (Zoe Saldana) can’t crack. So she retreats into a mythological world where she battles the titular monsters. This adaptation of a graphic novel is visually striking throughout. Yet although Wolfe’s performance is appealing, the film overall too often meanders and loses dramatic momentum. (Not rated, 106 minutes).

Madame

Part labored farce about socioeconomic class, and part Cinderella story, this one-joke comedy stretches a thin premise to feature length. It takes place in Paris, where social climber Anne (Toni Collette) and her American husband (Harvey Keitel) throw a dinner party at their mansion for high-society friends. But an empty place setting causes a panicked Anne to recruit her Spanish housemaid (Rossy de Palma) as a disguised guest. The plan backfires when she develops feelings for a London art dealer (Michael Smiley). The flat characters are either stupid or relentlessly mean-spirited, which compromises any satirical insight. De Palma’s charming performance can’t rescue the subpar script. (Not rated, 91 minutes).

Midnight Sun

Although its two photogenic teenage leads generate some decent chemistry and charm, that alone can’t save this aggressively sentimental romance, which is a remake of a 2006 Japanese film. Aspiring musician Katie (Bella Thorne) was born with a rare disease that essentially makes her allergic to sunlight and relegates her to a sheltered life of isolation. That causes complications when she falls in love with Charlie (Patrick Schwarzenegger), her longtime crush from afar, after a series of awkward meet-cutes in which she’s reluctant to reveal her condition. From there, everything plays out in predictable fashion leading toward an eye-rolling finale targeted at the least discerning moviegoers. (Rated PG-13, 91 minutes).