Capsule reviews for March 5

The Affair

Despite some lovely architecture and solid performances, this tedious and uninvolving period romance can’t fulfill its epic aspirations. The story spans decades but starts in the 1930s, chronicling a love triangle among best friends Liesel (Hanna Alstrom) and Hana (Carice van Houten), and Liesel’s husband, Viktor (Claes Bang), who commissions the construction of a modernist seaside house in Czechoslovakia prior to the onset of World War II. As they raise families and grow apart over the years — still haunted by repressed desires — the film lacks sufficient intrigue to work as a wartime thriller, and the emotions are too muted to generate sparks as a tawdry melodrama. (Not rated, 104 minutes).

Boss Level

Playfully tweaking the familiar videogame adaptation concept, this ultraviolent science-fiction thriller from director Joe Carnahan (The A-Team) nevertheless is an exercise in style over substance. Our hero is a special forces expert (Frank Grillo) whose life plays out as a time loop in which he’s forced to relive the circumstances leading to his murder at the hands of a colonel (Mel Gibson) heading a secret government research project. While the film strings together some taut action sequences, it suffers from the same low-stakes emotional detachment that you’d get from playing a game rather than experiencing it. This mildly amusing concept doesn’t deserve a bonus round. (Rated R, 100 minutes).

Keep an Eye Out

The playful absurdist sensibilities of French provocateur Quentin Dupieux inform this breezy dark comedy that lacks depth but provides consistent laughs. It takes place primarily in a 1970s police station, where an eccentric chief (Benoit Poelvoorde) keeps getting interrupted during a late-night interrogation of an exasperated murder suspect (Gregoire Ludig) who maintains his innocence. As they rehash the details of the alleged crime, a young one-eyed deputy (Marc Fraize) experiences an unfortunate fate and lines begin to blur between fantasy and reality. Dupieux (Deerskin) keeps the pace lively with some clever wordplay and narrative misdirection in this amusing lark, even if the ending isn’t fully realized. (Not rated, 73 minutes).

My Salinger Year

Despite the title, it’s doubtful that the emotional aloofness is intentional in this true-life coming-of-age drama, which struggles to modulate overlapping elements depicting creative inspiration, the legendary reclusion of author J.D. Salinger, and the volatile relationship between an author and his most devoted followers. Set in 1990s New York, it centers on a college student (Margaret Qualley) who takes a job as an assistant for a literary agent (Sigourney Weaver) responsible for protecting Salinger’s privacy and coordinating his fan mail. The screenplay by Canadian director Philippe Falardeau (The Good Lie) adequately captures the literary scene of the era, although depth and nostalgic charm remain elusive. (Not rated, 101 minutes).

Pixie

Too often relegating its title character to the background, this Irish crime thriller seems cobbled together with spare parts from other Tarantino knockoffs. Pixie (Olivia Cooke) is a scheming femme fatale who plans to avenge a family tragedy by stealing a narcotics stash. She winds up hitting the road with two small-time smugglers to combat some vicious gangsters and corrupt priests in hopes of outsmarting them all. Although it boasts style and attitude to spare, the film’s overlapping subplots limit the suspense. We’re left with Cooke’s scrappy performance, a few decent one-liners, and some derivative confrontations. The supporting cast includes Alec Baldwin and Colm Meaney. (Rated R, 93 minutes).

Son

Providing only the slightest of variations on possessed children and the mothers who risk everything to protect them, this supernatural thriller indulges in gory genre tropes while lacking subtlety and surprise. It follows Laura (Anti Matichak), a suburban single mother whose young son (Luke David Blumm) comes down with a mysterious life-threatening illness. As she finds an comforting ally in a police detective (Emile Hirsch), Laura suspects foul play and connections to her own past that might involve sinister forces passed through the generations. Despite some mild suspense, the  twists in the screenplay by Irish director Ivan Kavanagh (Never Grow Old) feel more manipulative than chilling. (Not rated, 98 minutes).

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run

The latest big-screen adventure for everyone’s favorite pineapple-dwelling sea sponge retains the silly charms of the original cartoon while transitioning it to CGI animation. Unfortunately, it’s also got a threadbare story that’s hardly worth the effort. After his pet snail is abducted by the evil king of the Lost City of Atlantic City, SpongeBob and starfish Patrick embark on a road trip to find him. Then their lonely friends set out after them. Children and fans of the source material will appreciate the fast-paced antics and gentle lessons of friendship. Yet outside of some scattered throwaway gags and amusing cameos, there’s not much to absorb. (Rated PG, 91 minutes).

Stray

Due to protective regulations, Istanbul is overpopulated by stray dogs. Three of them are the subjects of this evocative and non-judgmental documentary, which is about more than just cute canine closeups. Rather, rookie director Elizabeth Lo provides a method of touring the city through their eyes, capturing both the beauty and the oppression inherent in its urban milieu. As we get to know the personalities of the three pooches — treated as a makeshift by companion by some humans and a nuisance by others — the film evolves into a uniquely compassionate look at coexistence and belonging through the eyes of outsiders. It resonates regardless of species. (Not rated, 72 minutes).

The Truffle Hunters

A rare, edible fungi and a gourmet delicacy, truffles are an acquired taste. This breezy documentary, however, has a more universal appeal. It follows a handful of aging truffle harvesters in northern Italy who have become experts in their obscure, and often lucrative, field. Along the way, we learn about their passion for truffle “hunting,” their fierce protection of their secrets, their thoughts on mortality and how commercialization has influenced their enjoyment (and their bank account), and their loyalty to their canine sidekicks. The film takes a strictly observational approach, smartly allowing the quirky subjects to command the spotlight. The result is both hilarious and insightful. (Rated PG-13, 84 minutes).