Capsule reviews for March 7

Eephus

You don’t need to be a baseball fan to appreciate the bittersweet nostalgia and heartfelt affection in this quietly profound drama, but you might become one. More about hitting singles than slugging home runs, the story takes place in a New England community where the decades-old community baseball diamond is set for demolition. But first, the beer-league regulars gather for one final day of fellowship and trash talk during a half-friendly, half-competitive game for the ages. Rookie director Carson Lund evokes an elegiac mood that hits at the heart of baseball’s grassroots appeal through a quirky set of middle-aged characters with an authentic camaraderie and self-awareness. (Not rated, 98 minutes).

The Empire

There are enough genuine laughs to fill a sketch or two in this unwieldly lampoon of Star Wars and other science-fiction epics from French provocateur Bruno Dumont (Twentynine Palms), but at feature length it becomes significantly more tedious than amusing. A quiet fishing village in northern France provide the unlikely backdrop for an intergalactic battle between good and evil complete with spacecraft, lightsabers, gallant heroes and scowling villains — with the future of humanity at stake. Unless you’re specifically attuned to Dumont’s goofy sense of humor, the cartoonish result quickly becomes labored and lumbering, uncertain whether it’s showing appreciation or striking back at its satirical targets. (Not rated, 110 minutes).

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

Confronting universal themes with rich cultural specificity, this contemplative drama carries universal resonance with its offbeat examination of grief, traditions, and troubling family secrets. Shula (Susan Chardy) discovers her uncle’s dead body in the middle of a rural road but is reluctant to share the news with her middle-class Zambian family. As eccentric relatives gather and Shula is obligated to be at the center of drawn-out funeral proceedings, we learn the reason for her reluctance. The deliberately paced screenplay by director Rungano Nyoni (I Am Not a Witch) unspools an atmospheric and quietly powerful mystery, peppered with dark humor, that avoids turning predictable or heavy-handed. (Rated PG-13, 99 minutes).

Queen of the Ring

Perhaps it’s appropriate that a film about professional wrestling lacks subtlety and nuance, and in the case of this biopic about a female pioneer, instead emphasizes its crowd-pleasing charms and larger-than-life exaggerations. It chronicles Mildred Burke (Emily Bett Rickards), a stenographer who began wrestling men as a carnival sideshow, married her promoter (Josh Lucas), and later broke barriers for women both inside and outside the ring. Even if the film lacks depth, the screenplay by director Ash Avildsen (American Satan) makes it easy to sympathize with the feisty and charismatic Mildred. It affectionately portrays a bygone era, though its appeal is not restricted to fans. (Rated PG-13, 130 minutes).

The Rule of Jenny Pen

What it lacks in narrative logic and coherence, this consistently creepy psychological thriller compensates with an amusing go-for-broke audacity. Plus, it benefits from having two esteemed actors willing to play along. It’s set in New Zealand, where an irascible judge (Geoffrey Rush) is confined to a rest home while exhibiting symptoms of dementia following a stroke. His cantankerous behavior leads the staff to doubt his claims that he’s being terrorized by a fellow patient (John Lithgow) with an evil hand puppet. Are the ailments of the elderly protagonists mere plot devices? That’s fair, but at least the film embraces the absurdity during its battle of wits. (Rated R, 103 minutes).

Seven Veils

A committed portrayal by Amanda Seyfried (Chloe) anchors this ambitious yet abstruse character study from Canadian auteur Atom Egoyan (The Sweet Hereafter), which is wildly uneven as an introspective glimpse into artistic pressure and inspiration. The story is basically an offshoot from Egoyan’s recent staging of the opera Salome, with Seyfried playing a fictional stage director battling past traumas as she prepares her latest production. As opening night looms, overlapping personal and professional obstacles trigger a surreal downward spiral. The result is visually striking, although Egoyan’s deeply personal screenplay doesn’t resonate as powerfully for moviegoers, who are more likely to feel confusion rather than catharsis. (Not rated, 107 minutes).

There’s Still Tomorrow

Evocative throwback visuals outshine the emotional impact of this Italian period drama that lacks the narrative dexterity to match its stylistic ambitions. It’s a lovingly crafted tribute to neorealist filmmaking from a bygone era in its homeland, it’s set against a volatile sociopolitical backdrop in the aftermath of World War II. That’s when a wife (Paola Cortellesi, who also directed) tries to chart a brighter future for her family by seizing an opportunity to flee her abusive husband (Valerio Mastandrea). Navigating heavy subject matter with a lightweight touch, the result is charming and occasionally moving, even as it lacks the depth of its cinematic forebears. (Not rated, 118 minutes).