Capsule reviews for Jan. 12

Driving Madeleine

Rarely has oversharing felt quite as charming as in this modest, bittersweet French two-hander from director Christian Carion (Joyeux Noel) about an unlikely friendship between a cranky cabbie and his elderly passenger. Madeleine (Line Renaud) is being relocated from her suburban house to an assisted living facility on the other side of Paris. That necessitates a lengthy ride from Charles (Dany Boon), who initially recoils when the woman begins sharing her fascinating 92-year life story. As they bond and make some stops along the way, themes emerge that change Charles’ perspective. Excellent performances provide emotional depth, keeping the gentle poignancy from evolving into aggressive sentimentality. (Not rated, 91 minutes).

Inshallah a Boy

Exploring familiar themes through a fresh cultural lens, this powerful Jordanian drama about systemic oppression and patriarchal bureaucracy resonates across geographic boundaries. It follows Nawal (Mouna Hawa), a 30-year-old widow left to grieve and care for her young daughter. Even worse, without a male in the household, she faces obstacles at every turn — particularly in relation to Jordan’s antiquated inheritance and property rights laws — while seeking a fresh start, prompting a desperate scheme to avoid losing everything. With gritty social realism, rookie director Amjad Al Rasheed scrutinizes inequalities in his homeland with an impassioned call to action that builds suspense and dramatic texture without turning heavy-handed. (Not rated, 113 minutes).

Role Play

A pair of committed central performances bring depth to this otherwise contrived action-comedy that feels more familiar than fresh. Emma (Kaley Cuoco) is hiding a secret from her husband Dave (David Oyelowo) and two children. Aside from a loving suburban mother, she’s been living a double life as an assassin. When the couple celebrates their anniversary with a night out, they meet a stranger (Bill Nighy) who brings Emma’s past into the present, eventually threatening the entire family — and not just from learning the truth. Through twists driven more by convenience than reality, they seem more committed to their marriage than moviegoers will be. (Rated R, 100 minutes).

Self Reliance

An offbeat satire about the allure of fame and reality TV voyeurism, the directorial debut of actor Jake Johnson (“New Girl”) balances its quirky laughs with underlying suspense. Johnson plays Tommy, a desperate loner who is offered $1 million if he avoids death on a contest on the dark web. He finds a loophole but can’t get any of his family and friends to play along, which triggers a surreal odyssey of paranoia and personal reflection. Taken to amusing extremes, the scenario is just believable enough to keep you invested, thanks to Johnson’s appealing lovable loser. The cast includes Anna Kendrick, Andy Samberg, and Christopher Lloyd. (Rated R, 85 minutes).

The Settlers

The rugged beauty of its frontier landscapes provides the backdrop for some brutal violence and ugly racism among colonialists in this powerful Chilean period drama. It begins in 1901, when a British officer (Mark Stanley) and a Texas horseman (Sam Spruell) recruit an indigenous sniper (Camilo Arancibia) for a mission to protect the property of a landowner in rural Tierra del Fuego. But the dynamics between them shift amid cloudy motives and loyalties. The deliberately paced debut for director Felipe Galvez gradually escalates the tension and the stakes, using a traditional Western framework to scrutinize a true-life episode of capitalist greed run horribly amok. (Not rated, 97 minutes).

T.I.M.

Technologically Integrated Manservant spells out the titular acronym in this formulaic high-tech cautionary tale, which is a mildly amusing but ultimately predictable British thriller about deepfakes and artificial intelligence run amok. When she relocates to a secluded home in the countryside, robotics engineer Abi (Georgina Campbell) is given a cyborg butler (Eamon Farren) from her employer. But her husband (Mark Rowley) is skeptical as the humanoid’s arrival triggers a downward spiral in their relationship of mistrust and jealousy. Rookie director Spencer Brown keeps the tone light as Tim’s behavior grows more sinister, although the malfunctioning screenplay feels like a lesser “Black Mirror” episode with few surprises. (Not rated, 101 minutes).