It’s a rather quiet week on the movie front — not a Kong or Godzilla to be found. Among the highest-profile entries is Netflix’s “Thunder Force,” a superhero comedy with Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer. You can’t argue with those two leads, but the film wasn’t available in time for us to review. And there’s Lionsgate’s futuristic “Voyagers” with Tye Sheridan and Colin Farrell (see below).
Meanwhile, there are some new indie releases that are not to be missed.
Here’s our rundown.
“Voyagers”: Director/writer Neil Burger must have loved his high school English assignment to read “Lord of the Flies,” because he’s done a fine job of cutting and pasting the classic tale it into his teen space/sex odyssey “Voyagers.” His film orbits the same power-tripping themes but it settles for PG-13 tameness when it should have gone for an R. “Voyagers” brings up issues like repressed lust and power but doesn’t do enough with them. Berger sets his rather obvious space opera some 40 years in the future. Earth is dying so a mission takes off for another world to colonize. But here’s the hitch: It’ll take 86 years to get to there, meaning this crew will be dead before they land. So our intrepid space travelers have the dirty job of procreating and raising children. When the crew members discover they’re being sedated, rebellion ensues, with a parent-like commander (Colin Farrell) the key target for their outrage. Tye Sheridan and Lily-Rose Depp play two more principled voyagers who fall for each other while the two sides form around them. The story is all over the map, and “Voyagers” never capitalizes on its intriguing premise. Details: 2 stars out of four, in select theaters April 9).
“Moffie”: To be a teen who is entering the military while questioning your own sexuality leads to an existence filled with shadows, lies, postures and fear of being found out for who you truly are. South African filmmaker Oliver Hermanus re-creates the inner turmoil of being a closeted male in the barracks with skill, sensitivity and sometimes savagery. “Moffie” — an offensive term for being gay — is a true story told from the perspective of 16-year-old Nicholas (Kai Luke Brummer), a do-gooder who knows he needs to fit in in order to survive. Like all male teens during that time in South Africa, he has to serve two years in the military during the Border War, another regretful chapter in Apartheid history. Hermanus and co-screenwriter Jack Sidey adapt André-Carl van der Merwe’s memoir with poetic eloquence, making the beautifully photographed drama that unfolds episodic yet cohesive. Often Hermanus adopts a cinema verite approach, eavesdropping on rowdy boys battering each other in the barracks and then asking the camera to play witness to the terrible fate that befalls gay soldiers who act on their feelings. The ending is poignant and emotionally truthful; not overblown. This is a gentle beauty of a film with impressive work from a young cast. Details: 3½ stars; in select theaters and available to stream April 8.
“Giants Being Lonely”: For another take on the destructive force of machismo, check out multimedia artist Grear Patterson’s debut feature, a stunner set in a small town in North Carolina, a sultry and sweaty place where the high school baseball season is pretty much the highlight of the year. Patterson’s elliptical, ethereal approach might appear aimless and wispy at the beginning but “Giants” coalesces as it goes on, casting a bewitching, unnerving spell. It centers around the actions of ace pitcher Bobby (Jack Irving), his less-talented teammate Adam (Ben Irving) — who’s son of the brutish coach — and Caroline (Lily Gavin), who’s caught in the middle and vying for both young men’s attention. “Giants” surprised me with its Raymond Carver unpredictability, particularly its shocking final scene. That it is based on a tragic event from Patterson’s past makes it all the more disturbing and painful. As Adam’s awful parents, Gabe Fazio and Amalia Culp are so believable you’ll want to call Child Protective Services halfway through. This is not for young kids. Details: 3 stars; available to stream on various platforms.
“Power”: What a nasty but clever bit of horror business this is from writer/director Corinna Faith. Set during a time in 1974 when Londoners were plunged into darkness nightly due to fractured union talks, “Power” socks it to the patriarchy while delivering a pretty impressive freak-out. Val (Rose Williams) encounters nightmarish corridors during her first night on the job as a nurse trainee in the East London Royal Infirmary. Rose is assigned to the ward for intensive care patients which she has to maneuver in the dark! But what’s really scary is her coworkers’ dirty little secrets. “Power” is smart, scary and angry as hell — a potent mix. Details: 3 stars, available April 8 on Shudder!
“Shiva Baby”: Raunchy and hilarious, writer/director Emma Seligman’s classic sex comedy, a frisky extended take of her 2018 short film of the same name, it’s a gem. Rudderless Danielle (Rachel Sennott) reluctantly agrees to attend a shiva (a Jewish mourning ceremony). She brings her clueless parents and runs into her very married hookup (Danny Deferrari) and her bitter ex-girlfriend (Molly Gordon). Seligman has a deft touch with this zippy material, making “Shiva Baby” a joy to watch as Rachel stumbles from one awkward conversation to the next. Details: 3 stars; available to stream on various platforms.
“Every Breath You Take”: High-gloss production values, a designer house and a proven cast can’t save this asinine thriller. It starts with promise as a mopey psychiatrist (played by Casey Affleck) invites into his home the brother of a former patient who committed suicide. Boneheaded moves like that one keep piling up until you’re ready to shout at the screen, but the biggest travesty is not steaming up this Cheez-Whiz material. So when that tortured brother (Sam Claflin) starts toying around with a vulnerable wife (Michelle Monaghan) and an ostracized college-age daughter (Emily Alyn Lind), director Vaughn Stein and screenwriters David Murray and Gabrielle Jerou hold back on the seduction and hone in on illogical surprises. If you’re going to make a potboiler like this, restraint isn’t the right way to go. Details: 1 star; available to stream on multiple platforms.
“At Eternity’s Gate”: If you enjoyed the “Immersive Van Gogh” exhibit, San Francisco’s hot ticket right now, how about going for a deep dive into the chaotic, troubled mind of the artist himself? Julian Schnabel’s impressionistic 2018 masterwork finds Willem Dafoe pulling off an acting tour de force as the deteriorating, emotionally and mentally unstable artist. Oscar Isaacs makes an ideal Gaugin while Oscar nominee Mads Mikkelsen lends strong support in a smaller role. Details: 4 stars; available on Netflix.
Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.
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April 08, 2021 at 06:00AM
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New movies: ‘Voyagers’ plays it safe; ‘Moffie’ is brilliant - The Mercury News
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