Charles (Rami Malek), a CIA cryptographer, takes the law into his own hands by seeking revenge against the terrorists who killed his wife, Sarah (Rachel Brosnahan), in The Amateur. Based on the novel by Robert Littell, the screenplay by Ken Nolan and Gary Spinelli is contrived, by-the-numbers and increasingly preposterous with stilted, on-the-nose dialogue and underwritten characters. Within the first ten minutes, Charles already learns that his wife had been killed in a terrorist attack. He uses highly classified information that he managed to access at work in order to blackmail his bosses to let him go on a mission to hunt down his wife's killers. The entire setup lacks plausibility because why would the CIA cave into the demands of just one man without using lawyers to silence him, i.e by offering him money and getting him to sign NDAs? They don't even argue with him, so, before you know it, Charles embarks on his mission with the help of Robert (Laurence Fishburne).  Rami Malek gives a decent performance, but he's not given much to do on an emotional level that would allow him to breathe life into his role. The same goes for the always-reliable Julianne Nicholson who deserves a bigger role here. That said, it's refreshing to see Michael Stulbarg in the role of the villain, although he, like Nicholson, gets too little screen time in the movie's only provocative scene. With a smarter, bolder and tighter screenplay, this could've been as gripping, elliptical and provocative as The Parallax View or as thrilling as Enemy of the State or the recent Black Bag.  At 2 hours and 3 minutes, The Amateur, directed by James Hawes, opens nationwide via 20th Century Studios.

      In Drop, Violet (Meghann Fahy) goes on a first date to a restaurant with Henry (Brandon Sklenar) while her sister, Jen (Violett Beane), babysits her young son, Toby (Jacob Robinson). She receives mysterious messages on her iPhone from someone who threatens to kill Toby and Jen if she tells anyone about the messages and doesn't kill Henry. The screenplay by Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach has a concept that sounds like it could have been a taut Hitchcockian thriller. Instead, it quickly turns into a tonally uneven, asinine and preposterous mess that requires too much suspension of disbelief. Only someone within close proximity at the restaurant must be sending her the messages because he or she uses AirDrop to send them. Is it the waiter, Matt (Jeffery Self), a creepy guy on a blind date, RIchard (Reed Diamond), the bartender, Cara (Gabrielle Ryan Spring) or someone else? What's his or her motive? Don't worry, everything will be spoon fed to you at the end with dialogue that over-explains the motive so that nothing is left to interpretation. Drop treats the audience as though they were dumb. Any perceptive audience member will be able to easily guess who's sending her the messages and who's terrorizing Jen and Toby. The blend of thriller, dark comedy, drama, romance and campiness doesn't work. Hitchcock is rolling in his grave.

      Matt, a waiter who's on his first day on the job and also does improv, provides much of the campy comedy, but he eventually becomes grating and over-the-top as though the film were trying too hard to be funny. Subtlety isn't among its strengths. Also, Violet gets introduced as a therapist in the first scene, but her profession doesn't serve any relevance to plot, so what's the point of her being a therapist? The ending feels both clunky and cheesy. The production design looks slick, though, while Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar give charismatic performances. If only the movie itself were as good as the delicious food that they eat. At 1 hour and 35 minutes, Drop, directed by Christopher Landon, opens nationwide via Universal Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3

      Thomas Keller (Stephen Dorff), an outlaw, seeks refuge in the town of Redemption, but gets more than he bargained for when bounty hunters including his brother, Robert (Jeremy Kent Jackson), arrive in town in Gunslingers. Writer/director Brian Skiba has made an anemic, uninspired and lackluster Western that lacks palpable thrills, suspense and excitement. The dialogue is often either stilted, on-the-nose or cringe-inducing while the characters, including Val (Heather Graham), Thomas' ex-girlfriend, are underwritten. Very little happens that generates anything along the lines of exhilaration, even on a visceral level. That would've been forgivable if the film were at least mindlessly entertaining, but it falls short of that feat by a long shot. Nicolas Cage gives his usual over-the-top performance in a small role as Ben who comes across more as irritating than funny. The action sequences are poorly shot and the editing, lighting and camerawork are mediocre. At 1 hour and 44 minutes, which feels more like 3 hours, Gunslingers opens at Cinema Village and on VOD via Lionsgate.

Number of times I checked my watch: 5




 

       In King of Kings, Charles Dickens (voice of Kenneth Branagh) tells his young son, Walter (voice of Roman Griffin Davis), about the life of Jesus (voice of Oscar Isaac). Writer/director Seong-ho Jang has made a kid-friendly story of Jesus Christ that will captivate younger audiences. Older audiences might not be as engaged, though, but it will serve as a solid introduction to the life of Jesus and might spark some interesting discussions afterward. The wrap-around story of Charles Dickens reading to his son is sweet and amusing, but it would've been more effective if it were merely bookending the film instead of interrupting the story of Jesus every now and then. Perhaps the way it's written might be better for kids, though, who have short attention spans, but why not trust the patience of kids a little more by just focusing on Jesus' story without switching back and forth to the wrap-around story? The CGI animation is superb, though, and provides the film with some dazzling visual style. Pierce Brosnan serves as the voice of Pontius Pilate, Ben Kingsley lends his voice to High Priest Caiapas, Mark Hamill does the voice of King Herod, and Uma Thurman lends her voice to Charles Dickens' wife, Catherine. At 1 hour and 41 minutes, King of Kings opens nationwide via Angel Studios

Number of times I checked my watch: 2




 

       Morgan (Kue Lawrence), a young kid who's grieving the death of his grandfather, Roy (Corbin Bernsen), gets sent to a summer camp where he experiences bizarre apparitions in Marshmallow. The less you know about the plot beforehand, the better because the screenplay by Andy Greskoviak has many surprises and twists that shouldn't be spoiled. Just when you think the film is going in one direction, it subverts your expectations and goes in another. Screenwriter Andy Greskoviak and director Daniel DelPurgatorio not only have a suspenseful and intriguing story, but also characters who are grounded in humanity. This isn't a B-movie that merely goes through the motions. Be prepared for a wild roller coaster ride of emotions.

      Fortunately, the filmmakers have a great command of tone and avoid clunkiness as well as tonal unevenness. Many films these days start out promisingly and hook the audience, but take a nosedive eventually (I'm looking at you, Drop). That doesn't happen here, though, because the big twist works effectively to enrich the story with layers of emotional depth. It doesn't feel gimmicky, lazy or undercooked. A lot of thought and heart has been put into Marshmallow, so kudos to the filmmakers for leaving the audience with an emotional impact and some provocative themes for them to contemplate. It's kindred spirits with another equally smart, surprising and moving sci-fi movie, Donnie Darko. At a running time of 1 hour and 33 minutes, Marshmallow is refreshingly unpredictable, exhilarating, provocative and genuinely heartfelt.  It opens at AMC Jersey Gardens 20 in Elizabeth, NJ via Amor Media.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1

      One to One: John & Yoko is a mildly engaging music documentary with great music, but often meandering and only intermittently illuminating. Co-directors Kevin Macdonald and Sam Rice-Edwards assemble concert footage, never-before-seen footage of John and Yoko, as well as audio tapes. What ensues is a potpourri of moments from John and Yoko's experiences in the US including their human rights protests activism, i.e. through their song "Attica State" and for organizing a free concert in MSG to benefit children with special needs. Thematically, One to One: John & Yoko is all over the place while offering too much potatoes and not enough meat on its bones. The filmmakers are lucky to feature iconic songs like "Come Together" because it's during those scenes that the film feels truly exhilarating. Everything else either falls flat with dullness or just manages to be amusing at best, i.e. a bizarre poem that Allen Ginsberg reads. At 1 hour and 40 minutes, One to One: John & Yoko opens in select theaters nationwide via Magnolia Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

       Basem (Saleh Bakri), a teacher in the West Bank, mentors a student, Adam (Muhammad Abed El Rahman), who's seeking to avenge the murder of his brother in The Teacher. Meanwhile, the American soldier who shot Adam's brother gets held hostage and his parents arrive to pressure the Israeli government to get him freed. A romance soon blossoms between Basem and Lisa (Imogen Poots), a social worker who has arrived from the UK. The screenplay by writer/director Farah Nabulsi is occasionally provocative, but mostly unfocused, overstuffed and undercooked as it juggles too many subplots, too many characters and not enough focus on its titular character. Why call it "The Teacher" when it's really about much more than just the teacher? Despite the intriguing premise that sounds like it could lead to a gripping psychological thriller, the film suffers from many scenes that feel dramatically inert. Why not allow the audience to get to know Basem, Adam, Lisa and perhaps even the American soldier and/or his parents? The shallow screenplay treats them like plot devices rather than fleshing them out as complex human beings.

      Basem, especially, has a lot going on inside of him because of his moral dilemma of seeking justice for Adam's murdered brother and also preventing Adam from avenging his death with violence. Two wrongs don't make a right, but then what would be the right thing to do? Perhaps a better title for this film would be "Do the Right Thing", but then the question would be, "the right thing according to whom?" Adam has the moral right to feel indignant over his brother's death, but he shouldn't turn that anger into hate. The American soldier who killed his brother was captured and held hostage, but is that justice? If the soldier dies, would an "eye for an eye" make it just? In the few scenes with the soldier's parents, it says a lot when they don't even acknowledge that their son is a murderer who killed someone innocent. All that Adam's brother did was protest the burning of the Palestinian village's olive trees. He didn't deserve to die. Unfortunately, The Teacher teases the audience with its many complex issues without delving into them with enough depth, so it's not nearly as powerful, bold, moving or profound as it could've been. At 1 hour and 58 minutes, The Teacher opens at Angelika Film Center via Watermelon Pictures.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 3

      Joe (Barry Ward) and his wife, Kate (Anna Bederke) leave the hustle and bustle of London to the Irish countryside where he had grown up in That They May Face the Rising Sun. Based on the novel by John McGahern, the screenplay writer/director Pat Collins and his co-writer, Eamon Little, is an understated, melancholic and gently moving slice-of-life. There's not much that happens in terms of plot, but a lot goes on beneath the surface on an emotional level. Exposition is kept to a minimum as the audience gradually learns about Joe's past as well as the past of a grumpy elderly man, Patrick (Lalor Ruddy), who has more to him than meets the eye. The film pretty eschews a first act because it begins when Joe and Kate have arrived in Ireland. What was their life like back in London? There are no flashbacks, but it's clear that they weren't very happy there and could use a break. Will they go back or stay in Ireland? Kudos to the filmmakers for trusting the audience's emotions, patience and intelligence. Patient audience members will be rewarded with a film that becomes increasingly dark and profound as it progresses and tackles issues like death. Each character feels true-to-life. There's nothing contrived, maudlin, schmaltzy or Hollywood here. Moreover, the natural performances from the entire ensemble help to further enhance the authenticity.The only flaw, albeit a minor, systemic one, is that there's not enough comic relief. Perhaps it would be best to watch Waking Ned Devine afterward for some levity. If you're curious about the significance of the film's title, you'll have to wait until the very end. At 1 hour and 51 minutes, That They May Face the Rising Sun opens at Quad Cinema via Juno Films.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2




 

       In The Uninvited, Rose (Elizabeth Reaser), an actress, and her husband, Sammy (Walton Goggins), an agent, host a party at their Hollywood mansion with Sammy's most important client, Gerald (Rufus Sewell), Delia (Eva De Dominici), Lucien (Pedro Pascal), Rose's ex-lover. Conflicts arise when Helen (Lois Smith), a mysterious elderly woman, crashes the party and claims that she lives in the mansion. Writer/director Nadia Conners has made a heartfelt, profound and refreshingly unpredictable film with shades of Buñuel. No, none of the guests get stuck inside a room like in The Exterminating Angel, but there's a sense of unease, a dash of surrealism, and some social commentary. Never does the film get heavy-handed, preachy or melodramatic, though. To be fair, it takes a while for the plot to get going as Conners spends time introducing the characters before Helen arrives, but it's good that it doesn't try too hard to hook the audience right away because when that happens, often the film loses that hook eventually. Once Helen arrives, she serves as catalyst for all of the guest's conflict to rise to the surface and for some of them to experience epiphanies while looking themselves in the mirror, so-to-speak, through introspection. Kudos to Conners for trusting the audience's patience, emotions and intelligence, and for creating characters who are compelling, complex and flawed which makes them all the more relatable. The ending, which won't be spoiled here, feels beautiful, tender and haunting. At 1 hour and 37 minutes, The Uninvited opens at IFC Center via Foton Distribution.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1

      A US NAVY SEALs platoon goes on a dangerous mission in Iraq during 2006 in Warfare . The members of the platoon include Ray Mendoza (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), Elliott (Cosmo Jarvis), Erik (Will Poulter), Sam (Joseph Quinn), and Lieutenant MacDonald (Michael Gandolfini). Co-writers/directors Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland have made a gritty, intense and unflinching war film that wastes no time with exposition as it jumps right into the action Iraq and doesn't hold back on the violence or gore. Many scenes might make audiences squeamish, exhausted and uncomfortable, but that's the point. There's no backstories about any of the soldiers or any visual poetry like in 1917 and The Thin Red Line, so Warfare just serves as a straightforward, lean and thoroughly immersive experience. Mendoza and Garland don't include a music score, so they clearly trust the audience's emotions. That makes the screams of a wounded soldier even more shocking, although the film does go completely silent during a portion of the screams. Bravo to the filmmakers for not resorting to shaky cam to generate tension. At times, Warfare feels like a documentary because it seems so real. That's a major triumph. At an ideal running time of 1 hour and 35 minutes, Warfare opens nationwide via A24. It's one of the most powerful and gripping war films since The Hurt Locker.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1

      Worth the Fight is an inspirational and illuminating documentary about Steve Canton, a professional boxer, coach and promoter who founded SJC Boxing Gym in Fort Myers, Florida 36 years ago. Director John Biffar focuses more on how Canton motivates the young boxers at his gym. There are many testimonies from the boxers themselves who explain how Canton and SJC Boxing Gym affected their lives positively. Those scenes feel especially heartwarming. To be fair, much of Worth the Fight feels like a hagiography and an infomercial for SJC Boxing Gym. There's not enough focus on Steve Canton beyond his work in the world of boxing. Clearly, he has accomplished a lot which is great, but the film doesn't feel cinematic enough without digging deeper. Perhaps it could've reduced the number of testimonies and expanded each interview with the young boxers to get to know them more. Just when you start to get to know one of them, the film moves on to the next testimony. It becomes repetitive after a while. That said, Worth the Fight is a fine introduction to Steve Canton and his boxing gym, but it's ultimately incomplete. It would be an interesting double feature with Frederick Wiseman's documentary Boxing Gym. At only 1 hour and 15 minutes, Worth the Fight, opens at Village East by Angelika via Dreamtime Entertainment.

Number of times I checked my watch: 2