Capsule reviews for Aug. 23
Brittany Runs a Marathon
Like many amateur runners, this well-intentioned comedy finds its stride early before stumbling at the finish. Brittany (Jillian Bell) an overweight and unemployed late-20s New York theater usher seeking direction in her life. So she joins a running club with the goal of entering a marathon in a year. But her insecurities run deeper, making her challenge about more than changing herself on the outside. Bell’s nimble portrayal gives the title character a hard-earned sympathy to go with some scattered laughs. Yet while moviegoers can identify with Brittany’s plight, the earnest and emotionally calculated self-help screenplay predictably softens its edges, especially during the titular tacked-on climax. (Rated R, 103 minutes).
Burn
If you need to populate your film with a parade of creeps and weirdos, the graveyard shift at a rural gas station is a good place to start. Yet this low-budget thriller doesn’t sustain consistent tension in its solitary setting, where a socially awkward clerk (Tilda Cobham-Hervey) tries to compensate for her insecurities toward a flirtatious co-worker (Suki Waterhouse) by desperately turning the tables on a robber (Josh Hutcherson). Their mind games create some intriguing character dynamics and lead to violent outbursts. The concept by rookie director Mike Gan might have worked better as a short subject or one-act play, but feels thin at feature length. (Rated R, 88 minutes).
Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles
You don’t have to be a rich man to appreciate this glimpse into the global appeal and enduring legacy of the musical Fiddler on the Roof. From its creative roots in Jewish heritage, to its 1960s stage debut during a time of sociopolitical volatility, to the Oscar-winning film adaptation, to its popularity that transcends language and cultural barriers, the film includes dozens of interviewees who gush over their favorite songs or lines of dialogue. But they also help to illustrate how the play has become a relatable symbol of inclusion and working-class artistic freedom. Like those themes, the hummable tunes have stood the test of time. (Rated PG-13, 92 minutes).
Give Me Liberty
Gritty authenticity and freewheeling gusto propel this uneven examination of life on the socioeconomic margins. It follows Vic (Chris Galust), a contracted driver for a Milwaukee medical van who gets in way over his head with cargo including not only his usual clients, but a large group of feisty Russian seniors attending a funeral, and a woman with ALS (Lauren “Lolo” Spencer) who doesn’t tolerate lateness. As their collective journey endures absurd obstacles at every turn, the cast of newcomers is terrific. The multilingual screenplay strikes a balance between a deadpan sense of humor and a humane approach to compassionate coexistence that’s both sobering and uplifting. (Not rated, 110 minutes).
Hot Air
In the case of this misguided comedy from director Frank Coraci (The Waterboy), the title describes not only the protagonist, but the film itself. Lionel (Steve Coogan) is a pompous windbag who’s also the longtime king of conservative talk radio, eager to rile up his listeners for ratings. When his precocious teenage niece (Taylor Russell) shows up at his doorstep, however, Lionel is forced to confront his troubled past and insecurities about his future. Coogan strikes a balance between his character’s caustic wit and his vulnerability. Yet a screenplay that begins as a topical expose of polarizing media personalities eventually succumbs to predictably sentimental clichés. (Not rated, 103 minutes).
Jacob’s Ladder
The necessity of remaking the 1990 metaphysical thriller is debatable, but at least this slick if muddled effort from director David Rosenthal (The Perfect Guy) makes a legitimate attempt to update the concept. In this version, Jacob (Michael Ealy) is a surgeon at a VA hospital suffering from flashbacks after watching his brother (Jesse Williams) die during their military tour in Afghanistan. As he tries to sort through the hallucinations with his supportive wife (Nicole Beharie), Jacob’s strange encounters lead him to believe that his brother might still be alive. Ealy’s portrayal makes us care more than the screenplay, which turns into an incoherent mess. (Rated R, 89 minutes).
Ready or Not
An innocent childhood game is given a sadistic twist in this blood-soaked throwback thriller in which the posh labyrinthine mansion is the most compelling character. That’s where young bride Grace (Samara Weaving) discovers her wedding comes with a catch — that she must play a game of hide-and-seek with her eccentric in-laws before leaving. However an evil family secret turns Grace into a target and tests her resilience to stay alive. With style and attitude to spare, the film nevertheless struggles to balance its comedic and suspenseful elements. And since the screenplay seems to make up the narrative rules as it goes along, there are no winners. (Rated R, 95 minutes).
Tone-Deaf
Speaking of tones, there’s not a consistent one driving this scatterbrained gorefest that hints at sociopolitical satire but winds up mostly as a high-camp genre exercise. It begins when a millennial (Amanda Crew) decides to rent a rural house from a widower (Robert Patrick) as a quiet weekend getaway. While she’s there, the redneck owner begins having hallucinations about violent episodes from his past, triggering a transformation into a homicidal lunatic. As the nightmarish imagery intensifies and the twisted weirdness escalates, the screenplay by director Richard Bates Jr. (Trash Fire) doesn’t give us anybody to root for. The only redeeming quality is Patrick’s scenery-chewing performance. (Rated R, 86 minutes).
Vita and Virginia
Perhaps the progressive and outspoken spirit of its true-life protagonists translates better to the printed page than the big screen. This muddled biopic chronicles the scandalous 1920s love affair between celebrated author Virginia Woolf (Elizabeth Debicki) and androgynous socialite writer Vita Sackville-West (Gemma Arterton), whose attraction deepens over their shared desire to disregard conventional gender norms just as a creative power struggle threatens to tear them apart. Based on letters from both women, the emotionally flat screenplay positions them as icons of empowerment, yet lacks the persuasive spark of its subjects, who wouldn’t have played it so safe. It squanders two committed performances in the process. (Rated R, 110 minutes).