Capsule reviews for Aug. 31

Boarding School More predictable than compelling, this psychological thriller from director Boaz Yakin (Remember the Titans) nevertheless contains some inspired and even thoughtful moments amid the familiarity. It centers on Jacob (Luke Prael), a cross-dressing 12-year-old sent away to a fledgling rural campus run by a rather heartless headmaster (Will Patton). There, he becomes classmates with a collection of misfits and outcasts, including a violent tomboy (Sterling Jerins), who make his quirks seem mundane by comparison. Yakin’s throwback visual approach generates some haunting imagery. As the weirdness escalates, most of the action remains internalized until a series of bloody contrivances that seem designed merely to lure horror aficionados. (Rated R, 111 minutes).   Destination Wedding Smugness suffocates any opposites-attract charm in this intimate romantic comedy that never feels authentic in either its words or actions. Frank (Keanu Reeves) and Lindsay (Winona Ryder) meet at the airport, revealing their misanthropic distaste for one another. Then they learn they are headed to the same wedding, are forced to sit next to one another on the plane, have adjacent rooms at the hotel—you get the idea. And of course, a spark develops through all the bickering. What’s meant to be quirky and sardonic is instead just contrived and predictable, featuring two aggressively unsympathetic characters that moviegoers can’t stand and the stars can’t redeem. (Rated R, 86 minutes).   In the Realm of Perfection The tennis skills and the notorious temper of tennis star John McEnroe receive equal attention in this bizarre yet engrossing documentary. It uses painstaking footage edited from the archives of Gil de Kermadec, who made instructional films for the France’s National Institute of Sport for many years. The institute’s 16-millimeter collection is overseen by director Julien Faraut, who became fascinated with McEnroe’s relentless quest for perfection that was sometimes overshadowed by his confrontational attitude. The result, set against the backdrop of McEnroe’s 1984 epic French Open final against Ivan Lendl, is a gift for tennis aficionados, although non-fans might find it too slow and repetitive. (Not rated, 95 minutes).   Let the Corpses Tan Not for all tastes, this French orgy of nihilistic gun violence and retro visual excess is the ultimate exercise in style over substance. Although the plot takes a backseat to all of the technical gimmickry and bloody high-octane shootouts, it does follow a gang of armored-car robbers who retreat to a seaside house belonging to a fledgling writer (Marc Barbe) and his muse (Elina Lowinsohn). Then the cops show up, along with a few unexpected interlopers, and all hell breaks loose. There’s not enough narrative material here to sustain a feature, so Belgian filmmakers Bruno Forzani and Helene Cattet test your tolerance of frivolous over-the-top flash. (Not rated, 92 minutes).   Pick of the Litter There are plenty of cute canine shots, although this charming and insightful documentary is more substantive in its examination of how service dogs are trained and matched with their human companions. Specifically, it follows five Labrador retriever puppies from birth through a their formative years filled with specialized training and behavioral scrutiny over their potential to join the nonprofit group Guide Dogs for the Blind. Even if it lacks depth in spots and tugs too aggressively at the heartstrings, the film provides an enlightening glimpse into the process, including the hopeful trainers and handlers who nurture these pups, hoping they will eventually make the cut. (Not rated, 81 minutes).   Reprisal Thoroughly uninspired and laughably incoherent, this low-budget parade of cops-and-robbers clichés is an embarrassment for all involved. After a robbery at a Cincinnati bank, its manager (Frank Grillo) decides to avenge the death of a colleague by tracking down the gunman (Johnathan Schaech) responsible for the attack. Thus the title, apparently. Fortunately, he happens to live next door to an ex-cop (Bruce Willis) who agrees to assist. At it builds to the inevitable climactic shootout, the actors can’t help but sleepwalk through such ridiculous material, while the film emphasizes bullets and brawn without any regard for narrative logic, character depth, or meaningful emotional impact. (Rated R, 89 minutes).