'Focus' among Dann Gire's weekend movie picks
Nothing is what it seems in Will Smith's new psychological con artist drama “Focus,” to be reviewed in Friday's Time-out! and online Thursday by Daily Herald film critic Dann Gire. “Wolf of Wall Street” beauty Margot Robbie co-stars. Also opening Friday: “The Lazarus Effect” and the Oscar-nominated “Wild Tales.”
Movie guide
Four stars: superior. Three stars: good. Two stars: average. One star: poor. D (drug use), L (language), N (nudity), S (sexual situations, references), V (violence). Ratings by Dann Gire, Daily Herald Film Critic, unless otherwise noted.
Picks
“Birdman” — Winner of best picture and best director Oscars, this original, moving and fascinating movie features a stellar performance by Michael Keaton as a former superhero movie star, now a Broadway actor/director attempting a major comeback to redeem his artistic soul. With Emma Stone, Edward Norton and Naomi Watts. (R) L, S, V. 119 minutes. ★ ★ ★ ★
“Black or White” — A young girl (Jillian Estell) becomes involved in a custody battle between her maternal grandfather (Kevin Costner) and her paternal grandmother (Octavia Spencer). Reviewed by Jordan Mintzner, Hollywood Reporter. (PG-13) D, L, V. 121 minutes. ★ ★ ★
“The Imitation Game” — Wonderfully wrought fact-based drama about brilliant British mathematician Alan Turing (cool chameleon Benedict Cumberbatch) and his mission to break the Nazi Enigma code and win World War II. Keira Knightley and Mark Strong star. (PG-13) S. 114 minutes. ★ ★ ★ ★
“Into the Woods” — Stephen Sondheim's musical chestnut finally gets an engaging big-screen redo by Rob Marshall, despite softening the stage show's adult elements of sex and violence. Fairy tale characters sing their hearts out while a giant menaces the land. Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick and Chris Pine lead the ensemble cast. (PG) 125 minutes. ★ ★ ★
“Kingsman: The Secret Service” — Matthew Vaughn directs a seriously violent but goofy parody of 007 movies with dapper Colin Firth as a spiffy agent bringing a promising street kid (newcomer Taron Egerton) in to fight a megalomaniac techie (Samuel L. Jackson) bent on destroying civilization. (R) L, N, V. 115 minutes. ★ ★ ★
“Paddington” — A delightful, witty family comedy about a lovable bear (voiced by Ben Wishaw) who moves in with a human family in London. Nicole Kidman plays a 21st century version of Cruella de Vil. Starring Hugh Bonneville. (PG) 95 minutes. ★ ★ ★
“Selma” — Ava DuVernay's portrait of the civil rights movement avoids mythmaking and steers toward focused realism and continued relevance. As Martin Luther King Jr., David Oyelowo leads Oprah Winfrey, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Tim Roth. Reviewed by Jake Coyle, Associated Press. (PG-13) L, S, V. 127 minutes. ★ ★ ★ ½
“The Theory of Everything”
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