Capsule reviews for April 30

About Endlessness

Like most of his work, Swedish director Roy Andersson’s latest existential rumination isn’t for all tastes. But for those on the same offbeat wavelength, this entrancing collection of sketches about everyday moments large and small runs the emotional gamut. The scattershot structure seems random at first, until you realize there’s an artistry to the visual composition and narrative mundanity of Andersson’s vignettes that often straddle the line between sarcasm and pessimism, such as crises of faith or visions of war. As a omniscient narrator (Jessica Louthander) guides us, the film sprinkles bits of dark comedy into the otherwise melancholy proceedings. The result is cumulatively powerful. (Not rated, 76 minutes).

The County

The plight of rural Icelandic dairy farmers in this evocative and sharply observed drama resonates across geographic boundaries. It follows Inga (Arndis Hronn Egilsdottir), a widow who learns of her late husband’s involvement in corruption within the local cooperative, which has had a monopoly on goods and services for decades without argument. However, Inga becomes galvanized amid her grief by rebelling against the system, even as it puts her livelihood at risk. The screenplay by director Grimur Hakonarsun (Rams) adeptly mixes bleakness with deadpan comedy. Meanwhile, Egilsdottir’s committed portrayal earns sympathy for Inga’s underdog cause, supplying a gritty urgency amid a familiar narrative arc. (Not rated, 92 minutes).

Eat Wheaties

Whether it’s the oblivious self-absorption, the overzealous name-dropping, or the desperate loneliness, it’s difficult to muster any meaningful sympathy for the sad-sack protagonist in this intermittently diverting comedy about the perils of viral infamy. Sid (Tony Hale) is a socially awkward marketing executive trying to organize a college reunion. It turns out he was classmates with actress Elizabeth Banks, but in trying to prove it, he posts some embarrassing letters on Facebook that attract scorn — and a restraining order. As his life unravels from there, the film becomes trapped between a half-hearted redemption story and an edgier satire of fame in the social-media age. (Not rated, 89 minutes).

Golden Arm

It’s easy to root for the two lead characters in this crowd-pleasing comedy, and not just because they can pummel you into a pulp. It takes place in the world of high-stakes female arm wrestling, where a tough-talking truck driver (Betsy Sodaro) is a national championship hopeful before an injury knocks her out of contention. So she recruits an old college roommate (Mary Holland), who’s now an unassuming pastry chef, to settle a grudge against a cheating rival (Olivia Stambouliah). The film adheres too closely to underdog formula. But it’s consistently amusing, Sodaro is a bona fide scene-stealer, and the freewheeling tough-girl energy is infectious. (Not rated, 91 minutes).

Limbo

The specifics might be fictional, but this sharply observed British immigration saga resonates with broader bittersweet truth. On a remote island off the Scottish coast, Omar (Amir El-Masry) is a Syrian refugee learning English with his fellow asylum seekers, desperate for work. A musician by trade, Omar’s isolation feeds his pessimism about whether leaving his troubled past will ensure a brighter future. Bolstered by multilayered characters and stylish visuals, the screenplay by director Ben Sharrock effectively uses quirky observational humor to keep the material from becoming as bleak as Omar’s perpetually chilly surroundings. The tender and compassionate film doesn’t settle for easy answers or cheap sentiment. (Rated R, 104 minutes).

The Outside Story

In a rare leading role, versatile actor Brian Tyree Henry (Godzilla vs. Kong) elevates this slight yet endearing absurdist comedy. Henry plays Charles, a reclusive video editor processing a bad breakup when he suddenly locks his keys inside his Manhattan apartment. The resulting quest for re-entry winds up as a life-changing adventure for Charles, who’s left shoeless as he navigates some eccentric neighbors, rambunctious kids, a pushy boss, an overzealous parking cop, and his own heartbreak. Although the heartfelt screenplay by rookie director Casimir Nozkowski is laid-back and inconsequential on the surface, it proves an incisive examination of humanity and a celebration of melting-pot diversity. (Not rated, 85 minutes).

Percy vs. Goliath

With endearing characters and abundant small-town charm, this true-life Canadian legal drama has the elements to become a crowd-pleasing underdog story, although the uneven result suffers from heavy-handed embellishments and a frustrating lack of urgency. Percy (Christopher Walken) is a canola farmer in Saskatchewan who is surprised with a lawsuit from an agrochemical conglomerate claiming patent infringement on its seeds. With help from an inexperienced lawyer (Zach Braff) and a pushy lobbyist (Christina Ricci), soft-spoken Percy maintains his innocence and is forced to fight for his family’s livelihood. Walken’s powerfully understated performance generates sympathy for Percy, even as a conventional approach compromises the emotional resonance. (Rated PG-13, 99 minutes).

Separation

A generic haunted-house thriller combines with an undercooked fractured-family drama in this lackluster horror saga that’s content to rehash genre tropes. Jenny (Violet McGraw) is a precocious 8-year-struggling to connect with her artist father (Rupert Friend) after the death of her mother (Mamie Gummer). While a bitter custody battle ensues, Jenny tries to find comfort in dad’s ghoulish assortment of puppets, before they spring to life and reveal a series of ghoulish intentions. A solid cast and some stylish visual flourishes from director William Brent Bell (The Boy) can’t save a screenplay that mostly jettisons its more high-minded ambitions for some formulaic child-in-peril nonsense. (Rated R, 107 minutes).

The Virtuoso

The first 20-plus minutes of this crime thriller could make a tightly wound short film, but as it transitions from a character study into a brooding cloak-and-dagger saga, the momentum wanes. It chronicles a methodical hitman (Anson Mount) who shares the complex details of his craft through monotonous second-person narration. When his boss (Anthony Hopkins) sends him to a small town with cryptic clues, he must execute a job quickly without becoming distracted by an alluring waitress (Abbie Cornish). Any noir-style aspirations are compromised by a lumbering screenplay that never sufficiently takes advantage of the compelling antihero at its core. Mount (Safe) and Hopkins are squandered. (Rated R, 109 minutes).