Movie guide: Time to catch a flick (or two) before awards season
Now's a good time to catch that movie that you just haven't time to see yet. From “The Big Short” to “Carol” to “The Force Awakens” (for the second or third time), there are lots of options available at your local multiplex.
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
“The Big Short” — Former Second City performer Adam McKay's bold and innovative, anger-fueled comedy dissects the corpse of the 2008 mortgage market meltdown to see what almost killed the American economy. A wondrous work of cinematic journalism using the fiction of drama to nail the truth. Steve Carell and Christian Bale star. (R) L, N, S. 130 minutes. ★ ★ ★ ★
“Bridge of Spies” — Steven Spielberg directs Tom Hanks in the fact-based story of a Brooklyn attorney who negotiates for the Soviet release of captured U.S. spy plane pilot Francis Gary Powers during 1962. A splendid drama emulating the spirit of Frank Capra and exploding with 1960s vibes. (PG-13) L, V. 141 minutes. ★ ★ ★ ★
“Brooklyn” — Sincere, unabashedly tender coming-of-age tale that never gives in to sentimentality or theatrics. An Irish woman (Saoirse Ronan) leaves home for a job in Brooklyn. Reviewed by Ann Hornaday, Washington Post. (PG-13) L, S. 111 minutes. ★ ★ ★ ★
“Carol” — Superb performances by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara highlight Todd Haynes' meticulously detailed, leisurely paced romance between women of different social classes in 1952. (R) L, N, S. 118 minutes. ★ ★ ★ ½
“Concussion” — Will Smith transforms himself into a Nigerian doctor, now in America, who takes on the NFL after he discovers that traumatic head injuries are being covered up. A weak, formulaic, sports underdog drama, but a strong take on how American ideals are respected more by outsiders than our own institutions. With Albert Brooks and Alec Baldwin. (PG-13) L. ★ ★ ★
“Creed” — Retired boxer Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) mentors the talented but inexperienced son (Michael B. Jordan) of his late rival Apollo Creed in a touching, affectionate and undeniably thrilling continuation of the almost 40-year-old saga. Reviewed by Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post. (PG-13) L, S, V. 133 minutes. ★ ★ ★ ½
“The Danish Girl” — Eddie Redmayne's superb performance as transgender artist Einar Wegener (Lili Elbe) highlights Tom Hooper's otherwise tepid biopic set in 1926 Copenhagen. With a stellar performance by Alicia Vikander as his exceptionally supportive wife. At the River East 21 and Century Centre theaters in Chicago, plus the Evanston Century 12 Theater. (R) N, S. 120 minutes. ★ ★ ★
“The Good Dinosaur” — Pixar's 3-D animated comic drama isn't exactly in the “Inside Out” track, but its gorgeous, hyper-realistic landscapes are eye-boggling and the story is sentimental if not shopworn. A lovable dino named Arlo (Raymond Ochoa) teams with a canine-like boy (Jack Bright) to find his family and home after a devastating flood. (PG) 100 minutes. ★ ★ ★ ½
“The Hateful Eight” — Quentin Tarantino's gory, horrific black comedy/Western/murder mystery is counter programming for the festive yuletide season. Eight bad people gather in a snow-encased, isolated haberdashery in post-Civil War Wyoming where they chew up and spit out juicy dialogue before the shootin', stabbin' and poisonin' start. Shown using 70 mm prints now. Digital versions will be released next month. With Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Bruce Dern. (R) L, N, V. 183 minutes. ★ ★ ★ ½
“The Martian” — Ridley Scott's fact-based science-fiction space survival thriller blasts off, pushing us down with tremendous G-force, and never lets up until the end. An astronaut (Matt Damon), presumed dead and left behind on Mars, is still alive. How can he survive on 31 days worth of food and oxygen when it will take four years to rescue him? With Jessica Chastain and Jeff Daniels. (PG-13) L, N. 134 minutes. ★ ★ ★ ★
“The Peanuts Movie” — Charles Schulz's adored characters empower this 3-D, computer-generated animated comedy that recycles many scenarios from the original comic strip and 1960s TV shows, movie and musical. Diversity-wise, the movie doesn't bother to keep up with the times. (G) 85 minutes. ★ ★ ★
“Room” — A taut, engrossing drama about the resilience of the human spirit, exemplified by a young mother (Brie Larson) caring for her 5-year-old son (Jacob Tremblay) while trapped in a single 10-by-10 room. (R) L. 113 minutes. ★ ★ ★ ★
“Sisters” — Siblings (Tina Fey and Amy Poehler) learn that their parents' house is up for sale, so they put on a final party in the home where they grew up. With Maya Rudolph and James Brolin. Reviewed by Ann Hornaday, Washington Post. (R) D, L, S. 118 minutes. ★ ★ ★
“Spotlight” — True story of how Boston Globe reporters uncovered the Catholic Church's systemic harboring of pedophile priests. An electric and lively investigative reporter procedural that's now the gold standard for journalism dramas. Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Mark Ruffalo star. (R) L. 127 minutes. ★ ★ ★ ★
“Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens” — The Star Wars-iest movie since “Return of the Jedi.” Nostalgic sets and plot devices mix with cutting-edge visual effects as two Rebel fighters (John Boyega and Daisy Ridley) search for the last Jedi, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). With Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. (PG-13) V. 136 minutes. ★ ★ ★ ½
“Trumbo” — Bryan Cranston's sharp performance highlights this biopic about Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, blacklisted during the 1940s and '50s for being a communist. Shaky and simple in spots, but still politically relevant. With John Goodman, Diane Lane and Helen Mirren. (R) L. 124 minutes. ★ ★ ★
Passables
“Daddy's Home” — Occasional surprises lift this silly formula comedy about two dads — a macho biological father (Mark Wahlberg) and a sensitive, highly emo stepfather (Will Ferrell) — battling for the affections of their kids. Bolstered by hilarious character actor Thomas Haden Church. (PG-13) L. 96 minutes. ★ ★
“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2” — Jennifer Lawrence's stellar performance as Katniss keeps this long, meandering last chapter afloat as she vows to assassinate the evil President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and make rebel leader Coin (Julianne Moore) the new boss of Panem. (PG-13) V. 135 minutes. ★ ★ ½
“In the Heart of the Sea” — Inspired to write his book “Moby-Dick,” novelist Herman Melville (Ben Whishaw) hears the true story of the Essex whaling ship destroyed by a rogue great white whale. CGI effects dominate this disappointing, lackluster tale from Ron Howard. Starring Chris Hemsworth and Cillian Murphy. (PG-13) V. 121 minutes. ★ ★
“Joy” — Not much of it in David O. Russell's squelched, fact-based comic drama about a struggling wife/mother/daughter (Jennifer Lawrence) who invents the Miracle Mop and becomes a sensation on the QVC shopping network. With Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro and Diane Ladd. (PG-13) L. 120 minutes. ★ ★ ½
“The Night Before” — Gross, derivative arrested development comedy about three guys (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anthony Mackie and Seth Rogen) who party hardy every Christmas Eve until the metaphorical ghost of growing-up arrives. Reviewed by Stephanie Merry, Washington Post. (R) D, L, N, S. 101 minutes. ★ ★ ½
“SPECTRE” — Daniel Craig's fourth tour of duty as 007 feels dramatically inert despite a spectacular opening sequence and slavish adherence to Bondian conventions. Bond tracks down a shadow international organization run by a mystery man (Christoph Waltz) with ties to the agent's past. A waste of Monica Bellucci and Waltz. (PG-13) L, S, V. 130 minutes. ★ ★ ½
Pits
“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip” — The Chipmunks try to stop Dave (Jason Lee) from proposing to his new girlfriend (Kimberly Williams-Paisley). Contaminated fast-food comedy for kids. (G) 86 minutes. One-half star.
“Point Break” — Ericson Core's remake of the 1991 cult drama is a yawner cavalcade of extreme sports. FBI agent Johnny Utah (Luke Bracey) gets starry-eyed after meeting brawny, mystical anarchist Bodhi (Edgar Ramirez), leader of adrenaline junkie bank robbers. Reviewed by Stephanie Merry, Washington Post. (PG-13) D, L, S. 113 minutes. ★
Unpreviewed
“Bajirao Mastani” — A tale of romance between an Indian general and his second wife. In Hindi. (NR) 150 minutes.
“Dilwale” — A comedy about kids from competitive families meeting after being apart for 15 years. In Hindi. (NR) 158 minutes.
“Krampus” — A good cast (Toni Collette, Adam Scott) stars in this horror tale about a dysfunctional family attacked by a demonic force of ancient evil out to punish those who fail to catch the Christmas spirit. Not screened for critics, so caveat emptor. (NR) 98 minutes.