Capsule reviews for May 18

Dark Crimes

Jim Carrey has shown ability as a dramatic actor, yet even if he seems a strange fit for this lurid and glacially paced murder mystery, he’s not the reason for its failure. It’s apparently based on a true story, with Carrey playing a Polish police detective known for his questionable tactics who becomes obsessed with the cold-case killing of a prostitute and his theory that a novelist (Marton Csokas) is the guilty party. The procedural storyline doesn’t provide much suspense, nor offer sufficient rationale for emotional investment. The moody, atmospheric visuals further trivialize a film whose haphazard treatment of violence against women borders on exploitation. (Rated R, 92 minutes).

First Reformed

Paul Schrader unpacks a lot of emotional baggage in his latest character study about isolation and rebellion, which feels like a throwback to his roots as the screenwriter of Taxi Driver. It chronicles a pastor (Ethan Hawke) at a rural New York church dealing with a dwindling congregation and financial crunch as it approaches its 250th anniversary. But when a parishioner (Amanda Seyfried) requests a favor, it sends him into a downward spiral. His resulting crisis of faith is meant to challenge our own beliefs in an ambitious and sharply written drama that’s deliberately paced yet never tedious, bolstered by Hawke’s powerfully understated performance. (Rated R, 112 minutes).

On Chesil Beach

Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird) against showcases her versatility in this quietly powerful British romance adapted from a novel by Ian McEwan (Atonement). It chronicles the ups and downs in the relationship between a young violinist (Ronan) from an aristocratic and her working-class husband (Billy Howle). The story begins on their 1962 wedding day and shifts backward and forward, examining how intimacy issues threaten to pull them apart. The deliberately paced film rewards patience with strong performances, picturesque scenery and a lovely classical soundtrack. But most of all, as the titular seaside sequence illustrates, it’s a subtle meditation on regret, societal expectations, and the fragility of love. (Rated R, 110 minutes).

Pope Francis: A Man of His Word

It’s obvious that venerable German filmmaker Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire) is a fan of the sitting pontiff, as evidenced by this hagiographic documentary that recounts his accomplishments without challenging either his progressive views or the wobbly reputation of the Catholic Church as a whole. Still, the film is persuasive in touting his influence as the first Jesuit pope, or the first from Latin America, and its interviews provide an intimate glimpse into his thoughtful and compassionate perspectives on socioeconomic equality and more. While it’s not exciting cinematically, in such divided times, the pope’s welcome message of peace, tolerance, and humility transcends spiritual and political ideology. (Rated PG, 96 minutes).

Sollers Point

Familiar themes are given a fresh twist in this evocative redemption drama about a young hothead (McCaul Lombardi) forced to live under house arrest with his father (Jim Belushi) after his prison release. As he subsequently tries to start over in the drug-ridden Baltimore neighborhood where he grew up — meeting resistance from both his ex-girlfriend (Zazie Beets) and potential employers — he winds up finding trouble with old acquaintances. The bittersweet screenplay by director Matthew Porterfield (Putty Hill) conveys authenticity in depicting its working-class setting, creating a vibrancy that compensates for some formulaic narrative elements. Meanwhile, Lombardi’s sharp portrayal generates sympathy for a well-meaning troublemaker. (Rated R, 101 minutes).