Capsule reviews for Dec. 9

I Melt With You

It’s doubtful many middle-aged men will be able to relate to the quartet featured in this pretentious drama from director Mark Pellington (Henry Poole Is Here) about four longtime friends gathering for an annual reunion of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll when things get out of control and past secrets threaten their relationships with each another. The premise is solid enough, but the execution is shabby and ill-conceived, from the pulsating soundtrack to the disorienting cinematography. The film also misses the mark in its clumsy attempt to generate sympathy for these losers. The cast includes Thomas Jane, Jeremy Piven, Rob Lowe and Christian McKay. (Rated R, 122 minutes)

Knuckle

Give this gritty low-budget documentary credit for taking viewers inside a world few have ever experienced, that of two Irish traveler clans who have been at odds for decades. So they settle their differences with raw bare-knuckle fights between male combatants in secret locations. Director Ian Palmer spent about 12 years chronicling the Quinn McDonagh clan and its disputes with the rival Joyces that culminates in one brutal confrontation after another. The fight footage is plentiful if repetitive, yet although the film struggles to explain the logic behind the phenomenon, its approach is vivid and compelling, and its quirky subjects have a refreshing candor. (Rated R, 92 minutes)