Capsule reviews for Jan. 7
Amir Jadidi stars in A HERO. (Photo: Amazon Studios)
A Hero
The idea seems simple, but the latest character-driven drama from Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi (A Separation) is a powerful and multilayered glimpse into the way we view justice and morality. After being jailed for failure to repay a debt, Rahim (Amir Jadidi) is granted a two-day leave, during which he intends to negotiate payment with his creditor and find a job to begin rebuilding his life. But then fate intervenes, thrusting Rahim into the media spotlight for better and worse. Through a unique cultural lens, the well-acted film offers a perceptive look at the fickle nature of redemption and public perception in the social-media age. (Rated PG-13, 127 minutes).
June Again
For those who buy into its far-fetched premise, which might be a minority, this bittersweet Australian drama provides an offbeat yet compassionate look at a family coping with dementia. Confined to a nursing home five years after a stroke, June (Noni Hazlehurst) suddenly and temporarily becomes lucid. She uses the good fortune to try and boss around her dysfunctional family, before later seizing an opportunity to repair her legacy, not knowing when her affliction will return. Despite a charming portrayal by Hazlehurst, this lightweight examination of aging and memories is so contrived it’s almost fanciful, which prevents an otherwise grounded story from becoming more impactful. (Not rated, 98 minutes).
See for Me
Despite a contrived concept reliant on familiar genre tropes, this taut Canadian home-invasion thriller is bolstered by a spirited performance from visually impaired actor Skyler Davenport. She plays Sophie, a teenage adaptive skier working as a house-sitter at a lavish mountain retreat. She’s stubbornly independent and reluctant to accept any assistance with her mobility. But when three robbers break in, her blindness creates both an obstacle and an unexpected benefit in her fight for survival. The film doesn’t always withstand logical scrutiny. Yet rather than exploiting Sophie’s disability, it generates suspense through shifting power dynamics and by using its claustrophobic setting as an additional character. (Not rated, 92 minutes).