Capsule reviews for Aug. 30

Angel of Mine

There’s some juicy melodrama buried beneath the morally bankrupt surface of this Australian thriller about maternal instincts run amok. Lizzie (Noomi Rapace) has been in a downward spiral ever since her infant daughter apparently died in a hospital fire. With her erratic behavior alienating everyone around her, Lizzie befriends a more stable mother (Yvonne Strahovski) with a young daughter. Eventually, Lizzie becomes convinced that the youngster is actually her own, and she’s willing to risk everything to prove it. In its flimsy exploration of grief, the ensuing parental power struggle defies logic from the get-go, which might not matter if moviegoers could empathize with either side. (Rated R, 98 minutes).

Before You Know It

Amid some clichés and contrivances, empowered women find a fresh perspective in this sharply observed and consistently amusing saga of family dysfunction from director Hannah Pearl Utt. She also stars as the stage manager at a fledgling New York theater belonging to her overbearing actor father (Mandy Patinkin). When dad passes away suddenly, she and her sister (Jen Tullock) must navigate their grief while dealing with personal issues and confronting some family secrets involving a washed-up soap-opera star (Judith Light). Both the setting and the concept feel familiar, yet the character dynamics are intriguing and these two engaging leads make another story of millennial self-discovery worthwhile. (Not rated, 98 minutes).

The Fanatic

John Travolta’s committed performance can’t salvage this ridiculous low-budget thriller about a dangerous relationship between a movie star and a devoted fan. Travolta plays Moose, a mentally challenged Hollywood street performer who misses a chance at an autograph from his favorite actor (Devon Sawa). Moose channels his disappointment into persistence and eventually obsession when he finds the action hero’s home address. Inspired by real events involving director Fred Durst (The Longshots), a former rock star himself, the story is an unsettling probe of fan engagement, paparazzi, privacy, and more. Yet it also lacks deeper ethical and psychological insight, settling for contrivances and stalker clichés instead. (Rated R, 88 minutes).

Killerman

This throwback crime thriller marks just about every box on the genre cliché checklist. It follows Moe (Liam Hemsworth), a Manhattan money launderer caught up in a drug deal gone awry, after which a car accident leaves him with amnesia. So he’s forced to weed through a predictable maze of corrupt cops, Russian mobsters, and bags filled with cash, while trying to keep his partner (Emory Cohen) and his pregnant girlfriend (Diane Guerrero) out of harm’s way. There’s a visceral excitement to some of the gritty action sequences, although the screenplay by director Malik Bader suffers from derivative dialogue and strains credibility at every turn. (Rated R, 112 minutes).

Raise Hell: The Life and Times of Molly Ivins

We need the firebrand wit and wisdom of Ivins now more than ever, argues this documentary about the iconoclastic liberal columnist who died of cancer in 2007. The film chronicles her prolific career based mostly in her home state of Texas, her relentless teardowns of political corruption (usually on the right), and her abundant personal demons and insecurities. Along the way, it captures the spirit of its subject, spotlighting Ivins’ acerbic sense of humor alongside her pointed criticisms of politicians — on both sides of the aisle — and the system they inhabit. It’s both a timely examination of political journalism and a tribute to Ivins’ enduring legacy. (Not rated, 93 minutes).

Spider in the Web

Ben Kingsley’s character is worthy of a better film than this lackluster espionage thriller from Israeli director Eran Riklis (The Syrian Bride). So is his richly textured performance. Kingsley plays Adereth, a Mossad operative near retirement whose superiors have questions about his integrity. So they dispatch a younger agent (Itay Tiran) to keep an eye on Adereth and also assist his investigation of Syrian weapons smugglers. The screenplay manages a fair amount of sociopolitical intrigue along with the usual doses of betrayal and deception. But the narrative momentum too often stalls, which prevents the film from maintaining consistent tension. That’s a problem even Kingsley can’t solve. (Not rated, 113 minutes).