Capsule reviews for May 26

Close to Vermeer

You don’t have to be an art history buff to appreciate this deep-dive into the work of enigmatic 17th century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. Although his small catalog of work remains renowned, little is known about his personal life, leaving experts to debate the authenticity of some paintings attributed to him. This intriguing documentary traces such an effort by an international group of Vermeer scholars leading up to an unprecedented 2023 exhibition at an Amsterdam museum. In the process, it spotlights the unique talent of the artist, the behind-the-scenes work of curators, and the ways in which Vermeer’s paintings still have a lasting impact centuries later. (Not rated, 78 minutes).

Kandahar

Despite authenticity in its setting and characters, this action thriller about the human toll along the Middle Eastern front lines from director Ric Roman Waugh (Greenland) feels more familiar than fresh. It follows an undercover CIA operative (Gerard Butler) whose mission involves sabotaging a nuclear reactor in Iran. Although he initially eludes detection and capture, he eventually becomes stranded behind enemy lines along with an Afghan translator (Navid Negahban) whose son was killed by Taliban forces. Together, they try to flee across the border to safety. Butler’s latest rugged action hero is within his comfort zone, although the film is less compelling between its set pieces. (Rated R, 119 minutes).

Unclenching the Fists

Its not exactly revelatory that many women in small-town Russia are living under systemic patriarchal oppression, but this evocative character-driven drama finds compelling hope amid the bleakness. It centers on Ada (Milana Aguzarova), who seeks to escape life with her abusive and alcoholic father (Alik Karaev) and enabling younger brother (Soslan Khugaev) in a southern mining village. When Ada’s rebellious prankster older brother (Khetag Bibilov) returns home, it might provide the shakeup the family needs to empower Ada’s freedom. This gritty and incisive portrait of fractured generational dynamics from director Kira Kovalenko (Sofichka) is rough around the edges yet quietly powerful without turning heavy-handed. (Not rated, 97 minutes).