Capsule reviews for Sept. 28

All About Nina

Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s ferocious performance galvanizes this character-driven drama about a stand-up comic whose life isn’t so funny behind the scenes. That’s not exactly original, but this sharp debut for director Eva Vives is incisive with regard to gender politics in the #MeToo age. Winstead plays the title character, whose career is on the verge of a breakthrough when she meets Rafe (Common), a calming influence who eases her fear of intimacy and residual emotional trauma from an abusive past. The screenplay by rookie director Eva Vives suffers from contrivances along the way, but generates genuine sympathy for Nina beneath her fragile yet abrasive exterior. (Rated R, 99 minutes).

Bad Reputation

Plenty of female rock stars — and wannabes — owe a debt of gratitude to Joan Jett, the subject of this crowd-pleasing documentary from veteran music-video director Kevin Kerslake. It provides a straightforward look at her career and legacy, from her breakthrough as part of all-female teenage punk band The Runaways in the 1970s, to her rise to chart-topping stardom, to her subsequent influence as a pioneer who broke down gender barriers in the music business. The film lacks substance when probing Jett’s personal life, yet corrals an impressive roster of interviewees to shine a deserving spotlight on its subject, her independent spirit, and her enduring music. (Rated R, 92 minutes).

Black 47

Any movie taking place during Ireland’s Great Famine of the mid-19th century is bound to be bleak, so it’s appropriate that this drama is difficult to watch at times. However, the subject matter yields a compelling revenge saga that follows a British Army deserter (James Frecheville) who returns home to see the oppressive government regime’s toll on his Irish family. His pursuers include a disgruntled police inspector (Hugo Weaving), a cynical translator (Stephen Rea), and a determined Army ranger (Freddie Fox). While the screenplay by director Lance Daly (The Good Doctor) relies too heavily on genre tendencies, it sufficiently evokes its harrowing true-life historical setting. (Rated R, 99 minutes).

Cruise

Not a biopic, this nostalgic but formulaic romance from director Robert Siegel (Big Fan) transports us back to 1980s New York, centering on teenagers obsessed with classic muscle cars, beepers, electronic pop, and late-night rendezvous at the pizza joint. That evocative setting provides the only highlight amid a tepid drama involving a teenage street racer (Spencer Boldman) who steals car radios on the side, and his attempts to use his bad-boy persona in wooing an Ivy League student from Long Island (Emily Ratajkowski). Along the way, Siegel’s attempt to repurpose American Graffiti is undercut by narrative clichés and characters who don’t warrant emotional investment. (Not rated, 90 minutes).

Free Solo

Acrophobics might want to avoid this gripping documentary that follows Alex Honnold on his quest to become the first person to climb the 3,000-foot El Capitan rock formation in Yosemite National Park without a support rope. That footage is harrowing, presented with a “he slips, he dies” urgency. But it’s why, and how, he’s attempting such a daredevil feat that is of greater interest here, as we probe Honnold’s troubled upbringing, his place in the climbing community, and the girlfriend who has finally given his life some stability. The result is visually breathtaking and consistently compelling, even if it never quite reaches its emotional peak. (Rated PG-13, 97 minutes).

Monsters and Men

The simmering distrust between urban law enforcement and working-class minorities is illustrated with gritty authenticity in this provocative ensemble drama. Its intertwining stories follow the police shooting of an unarmed black man in a Brooklyn neighborhood. After a witness (Anthony Ramos) posts a video of the incident online, rippling tensions affect a beleaguered black officer (John David Washington), an aspiring baseball star (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), and others. Some powerful character-driven moments compensate for the rough patches in the meandering screenplay by rookie director Reinaldo Marcus Green. The well-acted result brings a fresh perspective to its subject matter, with evocative socioeconomic insight raising the emotional stakes. (Rated R, 95 minutes).