Capsule reviews for Dec. 20

Clemency

Alfre Woodard’s richly textured performance galvanizes this prison drama, as she plays a warden contemplating retirement at a Death Row prison. As she prepares for the execution of a convicted murderer (Aldis Hodge) hoping for a last-minute reprieve, the process takes an emotional toll, beginning a downward spiral that threatens her marriage. The screenplay by rookie director Chinonye Chukwu offers a detailed glimpse behind the scenes on Death Row, and manages to be provocative without turning heavy-handed. The central narrative lacks the context to maximize its emotional engagement, although as a compelling character study, the film provides a fresh perspective amid its familiar setting. (Rated R, 113 minutes).

Invisible Life

Strong performances and a handful of clever twists propel this ambitious Brazilian melodrama about fractured family dynamics from director Karim Ainouz (Madame Sata). In 1951, impetuous Guida (Julia Stockler) returns to her family’s Rio home, only to be disowned by her stubborn father (Antonio Fonseca) after becoming impregnated out of wedlock. Her father also lies about the whereabouts of Guida’s sister, Euridice (Carol Duarte), a pianist starting a family of her own. The film tracks their diverging paths and struggles to find one another over the ensuing years, developing into a poignant tale of the bonds of sisterhood enhanced by an undercurrent of progressive feminism. (Rated R, 139 minutes).

Les Miserables

With only cursory connections to the Victor Hugo noel, this gritty police thriller provides an evocative snapshot of racial and socioeconomic discord on the streets of contemporary Paris. It follows a streetwise cop (Alexis Manenti), his partner (Djebril Zonga), and an idealistic recruit (Damien Bonnard) as they become embroiled in a scandal following a violent confrontation with disenfranchised teenagers. After gang members become involved during the cover-up, the situation escalates further. The screenplay by rookie director Ladj Ly puts a fresh twist on familiar themes, conveying a vivid urgency in portraying working-class distrust of police. The expressive cast of mostly acting newcomers adds to the authenticity. (Rated R, 103 minutes).

She’s Missing

The title adequately describes the plot, but doesn’t convey the muddled nature of this abstruse low-budget drama, which lacks sufficient narrative momentum to warrant emotional investment. It chronicles Heidi (Lucy Fry), a waitress in a small desert town from which several young women have recently disappeared. When one of them is her best friend (Eiza Gonzalez), Heidi embarks on a frantic search for clues to her whereabouts, meeting some creeps and weirdos along the way. The screenplay by Irish director Alexandra McGuinness (Lotus Eaters) seems more concerned with atmosphere than plot, exploring familiar themes of sisterhood and spirituality while wandering as aimlessly as its protagonist. (Not rated, 100 minutes).

The Song of Names

Although it plays a worthwhile tune, this earnest drama about a friendship that spans generations from Canadian director Francois Girard (The Red Violin) only sporadically finds an appealing rhythm. It starts in the 1980s, when a middle-aged British man (Tim Roth) becomes obsessed with finding a former Polish violin prodigy (Clive Owen) who vanished decades earlier, just before his recital amid World War II unrest in his homeland. From there, the story uses flashbacks to recount their childhood bond and the forces that drove them apart. Despite solid performances and a top-notch classical score, the intrigue remains mild as the film mostly settles for sentimentality. (Rated PG-13, 113 minutes).