Capsule reviews for June 30

Anthem

While mostly sidestepping politics, this inspirational and insightful documentary from director Peter Nicks (Homeroom) is a celebration of American diversity through music. With “The Star-Spangled Banner” having become a polarizing cultural flashpoint, pianist and composer Kris Bowers accepts the challenge of creating a new and more inclusive national anthem. That premise is both ambitious and dubious, but the film finds its rhythm as Bowers (“Bridgerton”) and collaborator DJ Dahi travel the country to learn about disparate genres with an ear for representation and respect for all backgrounds. Whether their lovely tune ultimately is anthem-worthy becomes irrelevant alongside the film’s underlying message of inclusion and unity. (Rated PG, 97 minutes).

Confidential Informant

Actors and moviegoers alike are pummeled by genre cliches in this atmospheric noir thriller that takes itself much too seriously. It centers on cops Mike (Nick Stahl) and Tom (Dominic Purcell), who are investigating a case involving drugs and murder that prompts them to align with a junkie informant. However, their judgment threatens Tom’s wife (Kate Bosworth) and family while an ill-tempered internal affairs officer (Mel Gibson) becomes suspicious behind the scenes. Alternating between a brooding character drama and a more straightforward urban crime saga, the film never gains much traction in either case, with any suspense undermined by heavy-handed direction and pedestrian dialogue. (Rated R, 88 minutes).

In the Company of Rose

Although its audience appeal might be narrow, this documentary is both charming and insightful simply by enabling two interesting people to swap stories about their lives. It springs from a series of conversations over several years between filmmaker and writer James Lapine (Into the Woods) and close friend Rose Styron, widow of author William Styron and a poet and activist in her own right. Styron generously shares anecdotes about her marriage and social encounters with famous politicians and showbiz figures over several decades in fascinating detail. The result isn’t especially cinematic but it avoids self-indulgent trappings by giving its eponymous subject a deserving spotlight. (Not rated, 85 minutes).

The Man from Rome

Exotic locales add some visual appeal to an otherwise lackluster thriller about Catholic corruption that becomes progressively more absurd. When hackers alert Vatican authorities to a crisis at a church in Spain, the church dispatches an intelligence envoy (Richard Armitage) to compile a report. But danger mounts when he uncovers mysterious deaths, a shady takeover plan by developers, and a massive scandal with an internal cover-up. The film generates some mild intrigue while updating the Vatican for the high-tech age, although its central mystery loses steam as its twists yield far-fetched conspiracies and standard-issue confrontations. The cast includes Franco Nero, Fionnula Flanagan, and Paul Guilfoyle. (Not rated, 120 minutes).

Prisoner’s Daughter

A first-rate cast is stuck with a second-rate script in this well-intentioned drama from director Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight) about redemption and fractured family dynamics. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, Max (Brian Cox) is allowed to serve out the rest of his life sentence at the home of his estranged daughter, Maxine (Kate Beckinsale), and her precocious preteen son (Christopher Convery). Burdened by guilt and regret, he tries to make amends in his final days but finds his violent tendencies returning when confronted by Maxine’s junkie ex-boyfriend (Tyson Ritter). Cox shines as the disgraced patriarch, but melodramatic contrivances overwhelm the film’s moral complexity and emotional impact. (Rated R, 100 minutes).

Warhorse One

Sociopolitical complexities are downplayed in favor of generic front-lines combat in this low-budget war thriller that aims to salute military courage and heroism but lacks the storytelling skill to resonate. It’s set in Afghanistan shortly after the pullout of American troops in 2021. A family of missionaries is stranded behind enemy lines, and a Navy SEAL (Johnny Strong) is tasked with rescuing a frightened young girl (Athena Durner) targeted by hostile Taliban insurgents far from the extraction point. Struggling to generate much intrigue or insight from its real-life backdrop, the choppy film never feels convincing in either its setting or characters, despite its worthwhile intentions. (Rated R, 126 minutes).