Capsule reviews for Jan. 11

Ashes in the Snow

The horrors of World War II are seen through a Lithuanian lens in this earnest adaptation of an acclaimed Ruta Sepetys novel that bogs down in formulaic melodrama. It centers on a teenage artist (Bel Powley) whose family is abducted by Soviet officials from the Stalinist regime. After being separated from her father, the group is sent to a Siberian labor camp, where they try to survive amid oppressive conditions. The bleak film means well, of course, but can’t decide whether it wants to be a character study about a young artist or a more comprehensive examination of wartime genocide. It’s not especially convincing either way. (Not rated, 98 minutes).

The Aspern Papers

This handsomely mounted but dramatically muddled adaptation of an obscure Henry James novella might have worked better on stage. But this stuffy period piece becomes tedious, following a troubled writer (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) who schemes to acquire some letters penned decades earlier by the titular poet. He traces their whereabouts to the poet’s ex-mistress (Vanessa Redgrave), who’s now an aging spinster living with her niece (Joely Richardson) in a Venice mansion. It turns out each of them has ulterior motives that lead to tragic consequences. However, the film never conjures much momentum, failing to translate either the intrigue or the passion from the source material. (Rated R, 90 minutes).

Buffalo Boys

The setting might be more exotic, but the clichés are straight out of Hollywood in this ultraviolent Western revenge saga set in 19th century Indonesia. That’s where siblings Jamar (Ario Bayu) and Suwo (Yoshi Sudarso) return home after being exiled to California as youngsters following the murder of their sultan father by a ruthless Dutch captain (Reinout Bussemaker) who brutally rules their village. Rookie director Mike Wiluan brings some visual flair to the action sequences, although overall the film seems too eager to copy its genre influences than carve its own niche. Plus, the bilingual screenplay doesn’t offer much dramatic texture amid the bloody chaos. (Not rated, 102 minutes).

A Dog’s Way Home

Whether moviegoers have two legs or four, they’ll lament the lack of subtlety and surprise in this aggressively schmaltzy tribute to the resilient bond between humans and canines. Specifically, it follows a mixed-breed puppy named Bella, rescued as a stray by a Denver VA therapist (Jonah Hauer-King). The two form a close bond before being separated, prompting Bella (whose internal monologue is voiced by Bryce Dallas Howard) to journey several hundred miles in hopes of reuniting. This spinoff from A Dog’s Purpose features plenty of cute and cuddly antics for animal lovers, although the emotional response feels more calculated the genuine. It’s more bark than bite. (Rated PG, 95 minutes).

Replicas

An intriguing high-tech concept is squandered in this ridiculous science-fiction thriller from director Jeffrey Nachmanoff (Traitor) that boils down to a familiar scenario about a man trying to reunite his family at all costs. A neuroscientist (Keanu Reeves) is grieving the loss of his wife (Alice Eve) and children in a tragic accident before experimenting with a controversial cloning technology to bring them back, leading to some obligatory side effects. Although the science is flimsy, the film skillfully navigates the moral complexity of its premise before a series of outrageous final-act twists completely derail the narrative momentum. It’s a replica, all right, of superior genre predecessors. (Rated PG-13, 107 minutes).

Sgt. Will Gardner

Heavy-handed clichés overwhelm the heartfelt intentions of this drama meant to salute veterans battling physical and emotional wounds as they return home. In this case, Will (Max Martini) is an Iraq War vet who’s homeless and suffering from a brain injury. Despite his internal demons, he takes a cross-country motorcycle trip hoping to reconnect with his family and start over. The film obviously is a passion project for Martini, who also wrote the script and directed. Yet despite some powerful sequences along the way, this earnest road to redemption veers off course into some contrivances and irrelevant tangents. The apolitical message is always worthwhile, however. (Not rated, 125 minutes).