Capsule reviews for March 30

All I Wish

Despite plenty of on-screen parties, there’s little to celebrate regarding this predictable romantic comedy about a midlife crisis, with a central narrative gimmick. It’s set on the same day each year — the birthday of aspiring fashion designer Senna (Sharon Stone), whose impetuous bachelorette lifestyle is tested when she meets straitlaced lawyer Adam (Tony Goldwyn). As other circumstances in Senna’s life change through the years, they discover that opposites attract, even as they struggle to make things more permanent. Some amusing throwaway lines and a charismatic Stone portrayal can’t compensate for a predictable screenplay by rookie director Susan Walter that lacks surprise or relationship insight. (Not rated, 94 minutes).

Back to Burgundy

While the scenery is sweet, the formulaic script leaves a sour aftertaste in this drama that takes place in the titular region of France. Specifically, it follows Jean (Pio Marmai), who returns home to the family vineyard to care for his ailing father after a decade of traveling. But squabbles over sorting through his affairs reopen old wounds with Jean’s siblings, who are set to inherit the wine business. As they try to find common ground, director Cedric Klapisch (Chinese Puzzle) makes a strained attempt to draw parallels between winemaking — the details of which are lovingly captured to at least please oenophiles — and relationships. (Not rated, 113 minutes).

The China Hustle

Perhaps it’s no surprise that the recent proliferation of Chinese companies listing on American stock exchanges has a corrupt underbelly. Yet that doesn’t reduce the impact of this documentary from director Jed Rothstein, which probes the unscrupulous behavior of U.S. hedge funds and investment banks in the aftermath of the 2008 financial downturn, when they exploited loopholes such as reverse mergers and short sales to fraudulently manipulate domestic markets. The film’s broader scrutiny of capitalism and the American financial system are less compelling, but Rothstein’s expose assembles some persuasive and detailed evidence. Unfortunately, he doesn’t provide much hope for meaningful change. Might as well buy now. (Rated R, 82 minutes).

Finding Your Feet

There’s plenty of toe-tapping charm to compensate for the contrived plotting in this bittersweet British comedy from director Richard Loncraine (Wimbledon) about aging, relationships, and starting over. Sandra (Imelda Staunton) is a snobby social climber whose high-society husband is unfaithful, causing her to move in with her estranged sister (Celia Imrie) in a working-class apartment. After reluctantly joining a senior dance troupe and befriending a handyman (Timothy Spall), she starts to reset her priorities and rediscover some joys in life. While it’s just mischievous enough for the target demographic, the terrific ensemble cast elevates some predictably lightweight material, generating a crowd-pleasing mix of laughs and poignancy. (Rated PG-13, 111 minutes).

Gemini

An examination of the darker side of fame filled with paparazzi, tabloids, and blogger clickbait, this taut low-budget thriller goes beyond the glamour in telling the story of a Hollywood starlet (Zoe Kravitz) whose personal assistant (Lola Kirke) is thrown into the middle of a violent crime as both a suspect and a key witness to the investigation. Although the resulting mystery is less intriguing than the unsettling atmosphere that surrounds it, the screenplay by director Aaron Katz (Land Ho) probes the aftermath of tragedy in fresh ways, while Kirke and Kravitz each find a balance between exterior strength and internal vulnerability in their respective characters. (Rated R, 93 minutes).

Ismael’s Ghosts

A first-rate cast helps to elevate this otherwise muddled if intermittently compelling drama from French director Arnaud Desplechin (My Golden Days) that’s ambitious maybe to a fault. It follows a filmmaker (Mathieu Amalric) whose relationship with an astrophysicist (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is complicated by the eerie arrival of his ex-wife and muse (Marion Cotillard) who was presumed dead many years earlier. It feels like a personal project for Desplechin, who perhaps tossed some autobiographical elements into the screenplay while exploring some familiar thematic and stylistic territory. The rich characters and sharp dialogue help to overcome some of the more confusing detours and dense melodramatic segments. (Rated R, 114 minutes).

Journey’s End

Focusing more on the psychological than the physical toll of trench warfare, this harrowing drama from director Saul Dibb (The Duchess) takes place along the front lines in France during World War I. That’s where a company of British troops — including an ill-tempered officer (Sam Claflin) and a wide-eyed newcomer (Asa Butterfield) — has rotated into position, hoping to avoid inevitable destruction should the Germans decide to attack. The gritty visuals mostly liberate the material from its confined roots as a stage play, while still deriving claustrophobic tension. And although it lacks context, the sharp ensemble cast ensures that the emotional impact still resonates a century later. (Rated R, 107 minutes).

The Last Movie Star

An audaciously self-referential performance by Burt Reynolds highlights this otherwise forgettable examination of fame and aging. Reynolds plays a fictionalized version of himself, a former Hollywood star whose glory days are well past when he reluctantly agrees to accept a lifetime-achievement award from a fan (Clark Duke) at his fledgling Nashville film festival. After plenty of get-off-my-lawn whining about his accommodations, he confronts his past and future following a road trip with a millennial driver (Ariel Winter). The screenplay by director Adam Rifkin (Detroit Rock City) is heartfelt and occasionally amusing, but stumbles through clichés about big-screen heroes and generation gaps that never signal anything more profound. (Rated R, 103 minutes).

Love After Love

While it explores familiar themes, this incisive low-budget drama about grief and resulting family dysfunction is sharply observed and quietly powerful. Among those trying to move on after the death of their family patriarch are a widow (Andie MacDowell) whose emotional outbursts are calmed as she cautiously dates a single father (Matt Salinger). Meanwhile, her oldest son (Chris O’Dowd) is having marital issues and her youngest (James Adomian) has turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism. The screenplay is tender and heartfelt without resorting to life-affirming clichés. The film is a bit messy at times, but considering the circumstances on screen, that seems appropriate. (Not rated, 91 minutes).

Outside In

Troubled characters forge a bond during tricky circumstances in the latest intimate low-budget drama from director Lynn Shelton (My Sister’s Sister). Committed performances bolster this story of an ex-con (Jay Duplass) spared a full 20-year sentence by his former high school teacher (Edie Falco) who believes him innocent and fights to free him. The film follows the development of their relationship afterward, including their attraction to one another and the potential moral consequences of their fragile small-town romance. The result is a sensitive and character-driven examination of life on the fringes, providing small yet rewarding narrative surprises instead of settling for cheap emotional payoffs. (Rated R, 109 minutes).