Capsule reviews for Aug. 19

Flypaper

Patrick Dempsey and Ashley Judd do their best to rescue a conventional screenplay in Flypaper, which features some clever twists on the bank-heist genre but ultimately feels like a short film that has been stretched to feature length. The two stars play a customer and a teller, respectively, who are locked inside a bank during two simultaneous robberies that create chaos. Director Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little), working from a script by the writers of The Hangover, keeps the pace moving despite the action being confined to one location. But it can’t sustain its momentum, comic or otherwise. It also stars Octavia Spencer (The Help), Mekhi Phifer and Jeffrey Tambor. (Not rated, 83 minutes)

The Hedgehog

The French charmer The Hedgehog doesn’t have much beneath the surface, but it does feature a winning romance between a Parisian apartment building’s frumpy concierge (Josiane Balasko) and a wise new neighbor (Togo Igawa) with a positive outlook on life. Less appealing is the suicidal 11-year-old (Garance LeGuillermic) who operates as the matchmaker but whose precocious pessimism comes off as spoiled and shallow. The trio generates some fine character-driven moments in this adaptation of a novel by Muriel Barbery, even if the film’s tendency toward cheap sentiment leads to a predictable resolution. Still, it’s funny and uplifting, even if it misses greater opportunities. (Not rated , 99 minutes)

The Smell of Success

The latest oddball comedy from twin brothers Mark and Michael Polish (The Astronaut Farmer) was originally called Manure when it debuted on the festival circuit more than two years ago. While that title might not quite fit for review purposes, this film about a turf war between fledgling fertilizer salesmen during the 1960s does have a bit of a stench. As with previous Polish films, it features a ambitious production design (including the extensive use of sepia tones), but the script hardly seems worth all the trouble. It’s arch and repetitive, focused mostly on obvious fecal puns and wordplay. Sharp cast includes Billy Bob Thornton, Tea Leoni and Ed Helms. (Rated PG-13, 91 minutes)