Capsule reviews for April 7

How to Blow Up a Pipeline

Skillfully embedding moviegoers with a collection of brazen environmental activists without turning heavy-handed itself, this thriller is both relevant and insightful. It centers on a collective of young eco-terrorists, led by an outspoken college student (Ariela Barer), who hatches a scheme to rig explosives to a section of West Texas oil pipeline, with the goal of driving up fossil fuel prices and promoting climate change awareness. Overcoming some structural gimmicks that don’t deliver the intended character depth, the film focuses more on building suspense than ideological lecturing or passing judgment. It also benefits from a committed ensemble cast including Marcus Scribner, Kristine Froseth, and Lukas Gage. (Rated R, 103 minutes).

The Innocent

Both playfully subversive and excessively contrived, this breezy caper comedy from French director Louis Garrel (A Faithful Man) supplies some heartfelt wit beneath its silly surface. Garrel also stars as Abel, an aquarium guide who’s fiercely protective of his mother (Anouk Grinberg), only to realize that her latest fiancé (Roschdy Zem) is an ex-con planning a seafood heist to help support his future wife’s business. In an ethical quandary, Abel turns to an old friend (Noemie Merlant) for advice. Garrel tweaks genre conventions in amusing fashion while juggling disparate tones, although the family dynamics don’t resonate as deeply as intended. Still, it’s a clever throwback farce. (Not rated, 99 minutes).

Joyland

Balancing cultural specificity with universal emotions, this bittersweet Pakistani romantic drama infuses genuine humor and pathos into a compassionate plea for acceptance and inclusion. Needing a job to support his family, Haider (Ali Junejo) begins working at a burlesque theater as a backup dancer for a transgender club owner (Alina Khan). As he lies to his family because of perceptions and societal conventions, Haider’s relationship deepens, causing strain in his family life as he ponders his true happiness. Rookie director Saim Sadiq brings visual flair and a fresh perspective to familiar themes, offering a tender yet assertive look at repression and the pressure of expectations. (Not rated, 126 minutes).

On a Wing and a Prayer

Like Airplane! except with unintentional humor, this faith-based chronicle of real-life airborne heroism from director Sean McNamara (Soul Surfer) never gets off the ground. It’s set in 2009, when Doug (Dennis Quaid) and his family are flying from Florida to their Louisiana home on Easter after a funeral for his brother. When their pilot dies mid-flight, Doug takes the controls as air-traffic controllers try — with storms bearing down and his daughter’s peanut allergy flaring up — to steer him out of harm’s way and land safely. Heavy-handed schmaltz overwhelms any attempt to sincerely salute Doug and his lifelines. The cast includes Heather Graham and Jesse Metcalfe. (Rated PG, 102 minutes).

One Day as a Lion

Amid its collection of rogues and scoundrels, this pulpy crime thriller from director John Swab (Candy Land) lacks an emotional anchor for its redemption saga. It chronicles a fledgling hitman (Scott Caan, who also wrote the script) sent by a ruthless criminal (Frank Grillo) to collect a debt from a rancher (J.K. Simmons). After his effort backfires, he falls for a wayward waitress (Marianne Rendon) in a desperate attempt to free his incarcerated teenage son (Dash Melrose). Tying together its subplots in the final act, this mishmash of genre tropes and eccentric periphery characters occasionally sparks to life but overall feels more familiar than fresh. (Rated R, 87 minutes).

One True Loves

“Do you think you can be in love with two people at the same time?” That’s the lament of New England bookstore owner Emma (Phillipa Soo) in this shallow romantic melodrama from director Andy Fickman (The Game Plan), based on the Taylor Jenkins Reid novel. Her dilemma stems from her adventurer husband (Luke Bracey) suddenly resurfacing after being lost at sea and presumed dead. Emma has since become engaged to a charming music teacher (Simu Liu), but now finds her heart torn. Perhaps the cast deserves credit for maintaining straight faces for the duration of this outrageously contrived dissection of love straight from the Hallmark playbook. (Rated PG-13, 100 minutes).

Praise This

A great soundtrack in search of a better movie, this predictably crowd-pleasing comedy from director Tina Gordon (Little) probes the world of youth-choir “praise teams” predominantly in Black churches. Specifically, it follows an aspiring musician (Chloe Bailey) who reluctantly moves from Los Angeles to live with relatives in Atlanta, where her experience with a fledgling praise team alongside her upbeat cousin (Anjelika Washington) changes her perspective on faith and her future. Infusing gospel with hip-hop and R&B, the performance and competition sequences convey an infectious upbeat energy, but by adhering so intently to underdog formula, the earnest film otherwise struggles to find its narrative rhythm. (Rated PG-13, 112 minutes).

Roise and Frank

More cutesy than cathartic, this heartwarming Irish crowd-pleaser is a slight yet modestly affecting examination of grief, loneliness, and coping mechanisms. Roise (Brid Ni Neachtain) is still mourning her husband’s death when she becomes attached to a stray terrier who shows up on her doorstep. Her spirits are boosted to the extent she names the dog Frank after her late husband and even talks of reincarnation, which concerns her adult son (Cillian O’Gairbhi). Meanwhile, the pooch also reverses the fortunes of the local youth hurling team. As a salute to canine companionship, the Irish-language film offers a winning combination of quirks and small-town charms. (Not rated, 88 minutes).

Showing Up

The latest collaboration between director Kelly Reichardt (Certain Women) and actress Michelle Williams is an unassuming yet quietly perceptive tweaking of the art world that pays tribute to creators and their creations. Williams plays an Oregon sculptor preparing to open a gallery show when her life is thrown into turmoil, primarily after her neighbor (Hong Chau) rescues a pigeon that causes an unexpected rift in their friendship. Despite its muted emotions, the deliberately paced yet playful film generates hard-earned sympathy for artists navigating the commercial aspects of their craft while maintaining their freedom. The strong ensemble cast includes Andre Benjamin, Amanda Plummer, and Judd Hirsch. (Rated R, 108 minutes).