Capsule reviews for July 13

Dark Money

There’s something vaguely disheartening about a documentary, however well done, that leaves you furious and hopelessly frustrated with the state of humanity. This thoughtful and persuasive example from director Kimberly Reed (Prodigal Sons) is a plea for nonpartisan campaign finance reform in the face of overwhelming bureaucratic obstacles. The title refers to the widespread practice of corporations and special interests funneling untraced money into campaigns to assert political control, something the film argues is worse today than it’s ever been, at both the federal and state levels. Corrupt donors have all the leverage, with legislators as their puppets and constituents left out in the cold. (Not rated, 97 minutes).

Eighth Grade

You thought middle school was bad? Apparently today’s eighth graders have it much worse, according to this perceptive and frequently hilarious directorial debut from comedian Bo Burnham. Kayla (Elsie Fisher) is an introverted and socially awkward suburban teenager struggling to keep up during an age when popularity is defined by social-media profiles. That sounds like familiar coming-of-age territory, except Burnham’s screenplay is loaded with sharp dialogue and insightful subtext that captures the awkwardness of contemporary childhood without feeling watered down. Although contrivances creep into the final act, impressive newcomer Fisher offers an endearing and authentic portrayal that often leaves you laughing and cringing simultaneously. (Rated R, 94 minutes).

Gauguin: Voyage to Tahiti

Historical facts don’t jive with the romantic vision of this embellished biopic of the post-Impressionist French painter. It takes place in the late 19th century, when Paul Gauguin (Vincent Cassel) is struggling and has become disillusioned with the Paris art scene, so he abandons his family and friends for French Polynesia, hoping for inspiration and creative rebirth. He endures health problems before seducing a native teenager (Tuhei Adams) as his lover and muse. The film benefits from its lush tropical scenery and Cassel’s committed performance. Yet it glosses over Gauguin’s character flaws as an apparent sympathy ploy, and also lacks sufficient insight into the creative process. (Not rated, 102 minutes).

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Transposing Shakespeare’s text into contemporary settings is always a tricky proposition, and this pretentious adaptation of one of the Bard’s most popular comedies is another frustrating example. It moves the action from 16th century Greece to 21st century Los Angeles, where the romantic interludes and mischievous fantasies play out amid a Hollywood backdrop. The ambitious debut of filmmaker Casey Wilder Mott features some clever touches in scaling the material for the social-media age — and benefits from some playfully engaging performances — although the film ultimately can’t reconcile the distracting awkwardness that comes with placing these characters and dialogue into this setting. The result feels lost in translation. (Not rated, 105 minutes).

Milford Graves Full Mantis

For those who are familiar, the work of New York jazz percussionist Milford Graves is an acquired taste — often sounding more like random out-of-sync noise than coherent music. This avant-garde documentary might be similarly polarizing, but at least it captures the man and his art, however bizarre. It traces Graves’ eccentric life through his own rambling words, and mixes in snippets of archival footage, images in nature, and shots of his home to illustrate influences ranging from martial arts to gardening to herbal medicine. Along the way, you realize there might be a method to his madness. The same can be said for the film. (Not rated, 91 minutes).

The Night Eats the World

A potentially suspenseful short-film concept is detrimentally elongated in this French zombie thriller from rookie director Dominique Rocher. The story begins with the obligatory apocalypse, after which a musician (Anders Danielsen Lie) awakens in a Paris apartment building, realizes that everyone else has been killed, assembles his resources, and prepares for a solo fight against the undead intruders just outside the door. The resulting claustrophobic isolation creates some mild tension, but without sufficient action or conflict, it just becomes repetitive — a battle as much against boredom as versus the end of the world. In avoiding genre clichés, the filmmakers forgot to replace them with anything else. (Not rated, 93 minutes).

Path of Blood

Although some of its structural manipulations seem a little dubious, this even-handed documentary remains a chilling examination of contemporary terror networks through the eyes — or camera lens, in this case — of their own members. The film assembles decade-old footage shot by young Al-Qaeda members plotting attacks in Saudi Arabia, revealing their dedication to martyrdom and blind loyalty to Osama bin Laden, their strong anti-American sentiment, and a haunting nonchalance about killing innocent “infidels” for their misguided cause. Such insight might not seem revelatory, and it generally lacks a broader context. But the intimacy of this firsthand, nonjudgmental approach provides a unique window into the perpetrators. (Not rated, 92 minutes).

Siberia

A formulaic premise is saddled with perfunctory execution in this character-driven thriller from director Matthew Ross (Frank and Lola) that should have remained buried in the snow. Keanu Reeves stars as an American diamond trader sent to the titular wintry wasteland to find his missing Russian partner (Boris Gulyarin), only to fall for a local businesswoman (Ana Ularu) while running afoul of some gangsters. Along the way, there’s more talk than action, a strategy that perhaps gives the violent confrontations a greater impact. Yet the film overall is more tedious than thrilling, despite an understated bilingual performance by Reeves that’s better than the material. (Rated R, 104 minutes).