Now Playing: ETERNITY Romance, HAMNET Grief, WAKE UP DEAD MAN Mystery
In the U.S., our work week is shortened by tomorrow's celebration of American football, excessive offering of food, and death (of turkeys) -- oddly known as "Thanksgiving" -- which means that distributors are opening four new films today, rather than the more customary Friday.
One more film, however, will bow Friday, I suppose to avoid the crowds? In any event, here is our quick summary, along with links to our reviews
Eternity
Visit A24 Films' official site for more information.
Synopsis: Or, "Torn Between Two Lovers." Elizabeth Olsen must choose between her two her great loves in the afterlife: Will she pick Miles Teller or Callum Turner? Da'Vine Joy Randolph tries to help.
Our review by Maxwell Rabb: "The kind of film that could've gone sideways fast. ... But it's shockingly assured, never straying far from its genuinely heartfelt purpose. Its bits of ridiculousness are grounded by thoughtful scenes and some complicated emotions."
Hamnet
Visit Focus Features' official site for locations and showtimes.
Official synopsis: "From Academy Award® winning writer/director Chloé Zhao, Hamnet tells the powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare's timeless masterpiece, Hamlet."
Our review by Mel Valentin: "Hamnet is both singular in its keenly observed depiction of a loving marriage roiled by loss, grief, and despair, and universal as a standalone narrative intimately familiar to the audience on the other side of the screen."
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.
Official synopsis: "Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns for his most dangerous case yet in the third and darkest chapter of Rian Johnson's murder mystery opus. Starring Daniel Craig, Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church."
Our review by Ankit Jhunjhunwala: "He is the single auteur, and it shows sometimes in that no one can tell him 'No'. Wake Up Dead Man takes a while to get going, and Benoit Blanc enters nearly an hour into a lengthy movie. Wake Up Dead Man will have several recommendations, but brevity won't be among them."
Zootopia 2
Visit Disney's official site for more information.
Official synopsis: "Detectives Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) find themselves on the twisting trail of a mysterious reptile who arrives in Zootopia and turns the mammal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before."
Our review by Mel Valentin: "Once again overflowing with hilarious sight gags, rapid-fire verbal puns, and frenetic set pieces, Zootopia 2 cleverly builds on the first film's winning formula, all the while using surface-deep pleasures to thoughtfully explore how different forms of propaganda, national -- or, in this case, city-state -- myth-building, and unimpeded territorial expansion can lead to a corrupted, undemocratic political structure and politicians who serve elites and not the people who voted for them. Heady stuff for an animated film ostensibly aimed at children."
The Thing With Feathers
Visit Briarcliff Entertainment's official site for locations and showtimes.
Official synopsis: "An emotional gut punch wrapped in a dark, fantastical nightmare, starring Benedict Cumberbatch."
Our review by Olga Artemyeva: "As a Russian literary classic once proclaimed, generalization can only work when it comes to happiness. To really, truly explore grief, one must dig deep into the gritty details, no matter how unpleasant that might be for all participants, including the audience."
Now Playing covers international and indie genre films that are available in movie theaters.
