Baby Doe, directed by Jessica Earnshaw is a heartbreaking and well-edited documentary about Gail Ritchey, a woman who was arrested in 2019 for leaving her newborn baby out in the woods 30 years already. Earnshaw doesn't judge Ritchey; she merely presents the facts and lets the audience come up with their conclusions if they choose to do so. She includes some background information of what Ritchey's childhood was like and her mindset during the time of the crime. That info doesn't excuse her, but it does provide some context while also humanizing her. It's shocking that Ritchey's mother didn't realize that her daughter was actually pregnant when it's clearly evident in at least one of the photographs of her.  There are undoubtedly many other women who've abandoned their newborns as well. What, if anything, could and should be done to prevent those crimes?  Baby Doe's main flaw, though, is that it doesn't step back to provide some scope and look at the larger, complex issues that it raises like abortion laws which would've made it more illuminating rather than mostly appealing to the heart. At a running time of 1 hour and 40 minutes, it opens at DCTV's Firehouse Cinema.  

      Mao Zedong (Liu Ye) leads the Chinese Workers and Peasants' Red Army against the Republic of China led by Chiang Kai-shek (Wang Yaoqing) during the Battle of Chishui River in Crossing. Writer/director Xu Zhanxiong and screenwriter Liu Yi have made an action-packed, well-produced and occasionally thrilling, but often shallow and exhausting war movie. Set in 1935, the screenplay introduces too many characters within too little time while bombarding the audience with lazy exposition during the first thirty minutes. The plot is pretty simple, straight-forward and easy-to-follow, so at least the exposition isn't confusing. However, Zhanxiong doesn't slow down to let the audience rest or to get to know any of the characters. Zhanxiong also moves the pace too quickly more often, so he doesn't trust the audience's patience enough.

      What follows, though, feels like a Michael Bay movie where there's more emphasis on the spectacle of the many, many battle sequences---so many that they come with diminishing returns because they lead to tedium and feel less palpably thrilling. Everything from the cinematography to the set design, costume design and sound design are superb, but that's not enough to compensate for the vapid screenplay that doesn't give the audience a single character to connect with on an emotional level. At a running time of 2 hours and 2 minutes, Crossing opens in select theaters nationwide via Well Go USA.

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

        Do You Love Me is an experimental and unconventional, but underwhelming and frustrating portrait of Beirut throughout the past 7 decades. Director Lana Daher and her editor,  Qutaiba Barhamji, assemble a potpourri of clips from films, home movies, newsreels as well as photographs without that only have one thing in common: they take place in Beirut. The non-linear structure manages to be frustrating more often than not, and the lack of narration or any kind of analysis of the clips or images leaves a lot to be desired in terms of insights and revelations. It's as though Daher trusts the audience's intelligence too much while relying on them to come up with their own interpretations, but what if they're not familiar with the history of Lebanon, especially The 1982 Lebanon War? The film's greatest strength is its solid editing. However, that alone isn't not enough to make it a good documentary. A truly great documentary should find the right balance between entertaining the audience and provoking them emotionally as well as intellectually, so it's unfortunate that Do You Love Me doesn't strike that much-need balance and is, ultimately. less than the sum of its parts. At a running time of 1 hour and 15 minutes, it opens at The Metrograph via Icarus Films.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 4




 

       After her husband, Will (George Pullar), dies in a car accident, Alice (Souheila Yacoub) visits his family's home where each member turns into a Deadite in Evil Dead Burn. Will's family members include his mother, Susan (Tandi Wright), father, Edgar (Erroll Shand), grandmother, Polly (Maude Davey), brother, Joseph (Hunter Doohan), and his girlfriend, Thya (Luciane Buchanan). Writer/director Sébastien Vaniček and co-writer Florent Bernard have made an atmospheric, gritty and intense horror thriller that doesn't offering anything new, but it delivers the good for audiences looking for mindless entertainment, unflinching violence and creepiness with plenty of blood and guts. The plot involves the Deadites looking for something stored in an attic that would stop them from being Deadites. The MacGuffin, in this case, is a special dagger which, of course, Alice, will inevitably have to find and use when she needs it the most. The prologue takes place at a lake, much like in Evil Dead Rises, and foreshadows the horror elements as well as the very graphic gore. If you have a weak stomach or if you love dogs, this isn't the film for you, but if you love over-the-top gore that leaves nothing to the imagination, you'll find this to be a guilty pleasure. There's some dark humor albeit not a lot; the tone remains quite grim throughout the film. Suspension disbelief would help, though, because Alice and other characters in their human form get some serious injuries without believable consequences. Who's looking for realism in an Evil Dead, anyway?

      Everything from the set design to the cinematography which incorporates brief "Raimi-cam" to the makeup and visual effects provide the film with plenty of style, creepy images and palpable atmosphere. The performances are decent enough, and the pace moves at just the right speed without any scenes that overstay their welcome. Please be sure to stay through the end credits for a mid-credits scene and a post-credits scene. At a running time of 1 hour and 49 minutes, Evil Dead Burn opens in theaters nationwide via Warner Bros. Pictures.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

       Seo-jin (Shin Min-a), a photographer, investigates the suspicious suicide of her identical twin sister, Seo-in (Shin Min-a), a sculpture artist, with the help of a detective, Do-hyeok (Kim Nam-hee), in The Eyes. Like her sister, she's gradually losing her eyesight because of hereditary eye disease. Writer/director Yeom Ji-ho has made a spellbinding, intriguing and suspenseful crime thriller that's also a remake of the Spanish film Julia's Eyes.  Seo-jin has a gut feeling that Seo-in didn't commit suicide because she left behind unfinished sculptures and didn't leave behind a suicide note. The local police don't initially suspect foul play because there's no evidence of it--yet. Could Hyun-min (Lee Seung-ryong), Seo-jin's former model who's now stalking her, be the one responsible for Seo-in's death? Or perhaps it's someone else.

       The film's palpable suspense doesn't derive from cheap jump scares, but rather from a combination of stylish lighting and set design, great use of sound design and plot that effective incorporates just the right amount of exposition without confusing the audience too much or over-explaining. Most importantly, though, the audience knows just as much as Seo-jin does about Seo-in's death, so they're with her every step of the way.

        It's also worth mentioning the heartfelt dual performances of Shin Min-a who and the performance of the supporting cast including Kim Nam-hee, all of whom help to ground the film in authenticity. If you've seen the equally gripping original starring Belén Rueda, you'll still be in for an edge-of-your seat thrill ride because of some of the changes, especially in the third act which is filled with different twists and turns that won't be spoiled here. The twists work, though, in hindsight, and might make you tempted to rewatch the film after the twist. At a running time of 1 hour and 45 minutes, The Eyes opens at AMC Empire via JBG Pictures USA.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

        After getting kicked out of her rock band, Nomi (Jackie Tohn) starts working at Camp Daveed, the Jewish summer camp that she had attended during her childhood in The Floaters. She's tasked with mentoring a group of misfit campers  called "the Floaters" and to prepare them for a competition that has a $30,000 prize that would help the financially struggling camp if they win. Seth Green plays one of the camp's counselors, and Sarah Podemski plays the camp's director. Director Rachel Israel and her co-writers, Brent Hoff, Andra Gordon and Amelia Brain, have made an amusing, but unimaginative and only intermittently funny comedy. There's some tongue-in-cheek, outrageous and irreverent humor that occasionally lands. However, none of the jokes are laugh-out-loud funny---they're amusing and chuckle-inducing at most. Moreover, the film loses steam during the weak third act that's lazy and underwhelming while playing it safely with too many contrivances and no surprises. The screenwriters at least show that they're familiar with Jewish summer camps because they capture some elements of it that are true to life and relatable for anyone has has attended one of those camps, i.e. a traditional song that they sing. If only The Floaters were more irreverent, bold, witty and bonkers, it'd be a hilarious and refreshing comedy along the lines of Wet Hot American Summer, a cult classic. At a running time of 1 hour and 35 minutes, it opens at Quad Cinema via Brainstorm Media.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

       When Gail (Zooey Deutch) catches her fiancé, Tom (Michael Cassidy), having sex with his celebrity crush, Jennifer Aniston, she  embarks on a trip to LA  with her friend/co-worker, Otto (Miles Gutierrez-Riley), to find and have sex with her own celebrity crush, Jon Hamm, in Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass. Meanwhile, Ludovica (Sabrina Impacciatore), an organized crime leader, hunts her down because she accidentally took a briefcase containing sensitive documents. Writer/director David Wain and co-writer Ken Marino have made a darkly comedic satire that goes bonkers, but isn't very funny or witty. The campy done doesn't quite land, and the attempts to push the envelope with outrageous humor often falls flat. Some jokes, like a door getting slammed on John Slattery's foot goes on too long and isn't even that funny to begin with---you can watch that scene at the end of the film's trailer and decide for yourself if this film is for you. Like with the recent Scary Movie, there are many celebrity cameos that pop up which come across as desperate attempts to generate laughs. Does every film have to go completely batshit crazy when the plot itself already has enough craziness? The cast members seem to be having a great time on screen, but your enjoyment will depend on how much you can handle mean-spirited, repetitive low brow humor and how much you can tolerate lack of wit. There are at least 4 sex comedies this summer, so it's unfortunate that Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is the weakest, dumbest and least funny one thus far. At a running time of 1 hour and 33 minutes, it opens nationwide via Sony Pictures Classics.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

       Mackenzie Foy plays a caretaker who's in charge of guarding an isolate Union outpost during the Civil War in The Isolate Thief. She must defend the outpost when a group of outlaws show up to steal gold hidden there. Sean Bean plays the leader of the outlaws. Director John Suits and screenwriter Kevin Lefler have made a gritty and intense, but monotonous, uninspired and by-the-numbers Western action thriller. It offers nothing fresh or surprising in terms of the plot or its underwritten characters who are merely plot devices. The dull screenplay also sorely lacks much-needed levity. On a positive note, the cinematography and set designs are decent enough to add some visual style albeit not enough to compensate for the lack of substance. Unfortunately, none of the cast members, including the supporting ones like Odeya Rush, elevate the film above mediocrity. At a running time of 1 hour and 35 minutes, The Isolate Thief opens in select theaters nationwide via Radial Entertainment.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 3

      In Moana, Moana (Catherine Laga'aia) lives on the Pacific island of Motunai where a shortage of fish and coconuts has become a serious problem threatening everyone. Her grandmother, Gramma Tala (Rena Owen), tells her the tale of a demi-god, Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who had stolen the heart of Te Fiti, the mother island, which has the capabilities to create life. Moana defies her father, Chief Tui (John Tui) and finds the courage to sail into the ocean on a mission to find the coveted heart of Te Fiti. She eventually joins up with Maui on her quest, and the two go through a number of obstacles, including a battle with Tamatoa the crab (voice of Jemaine Clement), along their way to Te Fiti. Director Thomas Kail and his co-writers, Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, have made an uplifting, heartfelt, funny and exhilarating adventure with some lively musical numbers. The plot remains the same, so the filmmakers play it safe without any major changes or new spins. It's worth mentioning, though, that the screenplay allows for Moana to have some personality especially in her often witty and funny banter with Maui once they embark on their journey. Catherine Laga'aia gives a fine, but unremarkable performance; the stand-out here comes from Rena Owen who gives a warm and tender performance as Moana's loving grandmother.

      To be fair, though, the many cuts to visual gags for comic relief involving Heihei, a chicken that tags along with Moana and Maui, get tiresome after the 3rd cut. There are many CGI effects, some of which are less convincing than others. Those are minor flaws, though, in an otherwise enormously entertaining film for the whole family. At a running time of 1 hour and 55 minutes, Moana opens in theaters nationwide via Walt Disney Pictures.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

      Eleni (Cemre Paksoy), a night nurse at a retirement community, gets more than she bargained for when she helps one of the residents, Douglas (Bruce McKenzie), to scam the other residents through phone calls in Night Nurse. Writer/director Georgia Bernstein has made an initially intriguing psychological and erotic thriller with shades of David Lynch that morphs into an underwhelming, shallow and uneven mess. She knows where to take ideas from, but now where to take those ideas to. The amalgam of serious, creepy and campy tones don't manage to land in an effective way that would've allowed the film to become the kind of guilty pleasure that you'd find late at night on Skinemax (a.k.a. Cinemax). Or if she were to go more bonkers with the plot, the film would've at least been mindlessly entertaining.  

      Instead, Night Nurse is more along the lines of a mindless guilty displeasure with characters who are unpleasant, underdeveloped, annoying and forgettable. The witless, bland dialogue isn't even bad enough to be unintentionally funny, and the performances aren't lively enough to invigorate the film. If you want to see a more bold, funny, bizarre and wildly entertaining homage to David Lynch, see Knives and Skin.  At a running time of 1 hour and 55 minutes, it opens in select theaters nationwide via Independent Film Company.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 3




 

       Azar (Golshifteh Farahan), a college professor in Iran, gathers seven of her students to read forbidden books like Lolita, Madame Bovary, The Great Gatsby, and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, among others, in Reading Lolita in Tehran. Director Eran Riklis and screenwriter Marjorie David, have made a mildly engaging, but undercooked and sugar-coated drama that fails to pack an emotional punch. It's neither a thriller, despite the risks that Azar takes, nor a character study, despite being based on Azar Nafisi's memoir, nor does it explore its timely theme of freedom and democracy, especially for women who live in an oppressive, fascit society. The film is basically about women who come together to protest for freedom, democracy and human rights by reading banned books.   Riklis divides it into chapters with each chapter representing one of those books. The results are very mixed without nearly enough backstories of any of Azar's students nor of Azar herself, so they all remain at a cold distance from the audience while the plot just goes through the motions. Not a single scene feels emotionally resonating on a palpable level.

      That said, the performances are fine albeit not exceptional, and the film doesn't become a lethargic slog. However, it squanders too many opportunities to be provocative, unflinching, powerful and emotionally engrossing.  At a running time of 1 hour and  47 minutes, it opens at Angelika Film Center via Greenwich Entertainment.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 3

      Remake is a profound, unflinching, well-edited and engrossing documentary about director Ross McElwee's struggles to cope with the death of his son, Adrian. McElwee combines archival footage from home movies of him and Adrian, clips from his own films and footage that Adrian had shot as well. Through emotional maturity and candidness, he explores their relationship, what led to Adrian's drug overdose, and how he struggles with grief in the aftermath. A seemingly small and anecdotal detail like him watching footage of Adrian skiing in Colorado while sneezing turns out to be something very meaningful and even poignant for him through his grieving process. There's also some footage of him and his longtime friend, Charleen Swansea, who was featured in McElwee's documentary Sherman's March, but doesn't remember being in it because of her Alzheimer's.

      Remake manages to be an emotional journey filled with catharsis and epiphanies that's rewarding for audiences who are comfortable with looking at the universal, relatable topics of grief and memory head-on without any sugar-coating. The most important tool that McElwee uses, though, isn't his film camera, but rather his introspection as he shares with the audience his intimate thoughts and feelings. In turn, you, as a member of the audience, are asked not to judge Adrian or his father, but rather to understand them better and to use introspection to try to make sense of your own struggles and to, hopefully, find a way to heal from them to become a better gardener of your soul. As Pablo Neruda once wisely observed in a poem, "They can cut all of the flowers, but they can't stop the spring from coming." It's equally heartwarming and heartbreaking to watch director Ross McElwee share the garden of his soul, cut flowers and all, with the audience and to observe his garden growing and blossoming with flowers. This is the kind of documentary that can nourish one's heart, mind and soul for audiences who are open to observing and maintaining the garden of their soul. At a running time of 1 hour and 54 minutes, Remake, one of the best documentaries of the year, opens at Film Forum via Music Box Films.

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

      At a running time of 1 hour and 33 minutes, The Town That Takes, by writer/director Britt Bankhead and co-writer Jon Blaze, opens in select theaters nationwide via Atlas Distribution Company.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 3