Capsule reviews for June 7

Framing John DeLorean

You don’t have to be a gearhead to appreciate this hybrid documentary chronicling the rise and fall of the auto industry mogul with a narrative engine to match its subject’s iconic sports car and charismatic swagger. The film blends together traditional documentary elements such as interviews and archival footage, with re-enactments featuring Alec Baldwin as DeLorean to fill in the gaps. Such an approach is awkward, yet the cumulative effect is breezy and amusing as it tracks his troubled tenure at General Motors, building his eponymous company during the 1970s, and eventually becoming caught up in an FBI drug sting that fueled his incarceration and bankruptcy. (Not rated, 109 minutes).

Katie Says Goodbye

The scrappy title character in this gritty drama is trying to start over, and the best way to do that would be with a better script. Katie (Olivia Cooke) is an Arizona teenager working as a truck stop waitress and a prostitute on the side, saving up money to enroll in beauty school in California. But socioeconomic circumstances are holding her back, including a hopelessly needy mother (Mireille Enos) and a boyfriend (Christopher Abbott) with anger issues. The film generates sympathy for its hard-luck protagonist, due mostly to Cooke’s powerful performance. However, there aren’t many fresh angles to a familiar story of emotionally wounded loners. (Not rated, 87 minutes).

The Last Black Man in San Francisco

Deliberately paced yet quietly powerful, this contemplative character study spotlights a side of the titular city we don’t often see. It views gentrification and cultural heritage through the eyes of a handyman (Jimmie Fails) who rides around on a skateboard and doesn’t own a phone. Along with an artist friend (Jonathan Majors), he becomes involved in a real-estate battle over a historic house tied into his family legacy. The richly textured screenplay by rookie director Joe Talbot emphasizes evocative mood over traditional plot, conveying an elegiac attitude toward subtle generational shifts in social fabric. Fails, whose own story inspired the film, likewise makes a striking debut. (Rated R, 121 minutes).

Leto

A confident sense of style and attitude propel this glimpse into the Leningrad rock scene in the early 1980s. The latest from Russian filmmaker Kirill Serebrennikov (The Student) is based on the true-life exploits of a couple of actual pop stars from the era (whose lives incidentally ended in tragedy). It chronicles a musician (Roma Zver) and his wife (Irina Starshenbaum) as they meet a rival rocker (Teo Yoo) trying to make his mark during a time of sociopolitical upheaval before the onset of perestroika. Emphasizing atmosphere over story, the well acted film benefits from intriguing character dynamics in vibrantly capturing an influential time and place. (Not rated, 126 minutes).

Papi Chulo

Whether the intentions were admirable or misguided, this story of an unlikely friendship takes a step backward in terms of multicultural relations. It follows a Los Angeles meteorologist (Matt Bomer) taking time off after an on-air breakdown. With his personal life in turmoil, he hires a day laborer (Alejandro Patino) to repaint his deck, but instead employs him as a therapeutic sidekick while he sorts out his feelings. The film isn’t as tone-deaf as it sounds, but any intended laughs and poignancy are nevertheless obscured by a general feeling of discomfort. Any worthwhile messages about immigrant rights and socioeconomic disparity are muddled in the process. (Rated R, 98 minutes).

Pavarotti

The legendary tenor’s life and career are celebrated in this straightforward documentary from director Ron Howard that hits the highlights even if it borders on hagiography. From his Italian upbringing to his breakthrough on the European opera scene to his worldwide fame as part of the Three Tenors to his philanthropic legacy, the film generously includes plenty of examples of Pavarotti’s resonant voice. Howard assembles an impressive collection of archival footage and revealing interviews with family members and fellow musicians. However, it doesn’t focus as much behind the scenes, and suffers from a lack of depth that ultimately doesn’t yield much new insight for fans. (Rated PG-13, 114 minutes).