Film Listings, 11/28/19 – 12/5/19 

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All theater listings are as of Friday, Nov. 29

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

What's it rated? PG

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10

Pick

Marielle Heller (The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Can You Ever Forgive Me?) directs this biopic drama that's based on the real-life friendship between beloved children's television host Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks) and journalist Tom Junod, renamed Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) in the film.

Fred Rogers may not think of himself as a hero, but the majority of the millions of children who grew up watching him still hold him to hero status today. He was the adult who understood the difficulties of being a child, who comforted you when you were sad—even wrote a song for you to sing about those feelings—and took you on all sorts of adventures when you visited his neighborhood.

Lloyd is a man in need of a little Mr. Rogers magic. He has a bitter relationship with his father who he refuses to see, a new baby he can't quite figure out how to connect with, and a job he both jumps into and hides behind. His reputation precedes him; no one wants to be interviewed by the guy who turns around and writes scathing portrayals of his subjects. Yet, when tasked with writing a short piece on heroes, Lloyd is assigned Fred Rogers, who happily agrees to meet with him.

Lloyd is inherently distrustful of Fred's goodness; no one can be truly that Saintlike, right? While Rogers states clearly that he certainly is no saint, he reveals over their time together the methodical and thoughtful approach he takes to the world, especially in regards to children.

The filmmakers bring us back to the magic of the studio where Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood was filmed, complete with the Land of Make Believe, Daniel Tiger, and the neighborhood trolley. For anyone who loved the show as a child, it's a magical moment to relive.

The storyline here is really Lloyd's—his journey to forgiveness with his father and closeness with his new son. Mr. Rogers is the guiding light that gets him there, ever kind and compassionate, open and eager to share his life, his love, and his prayers with his new friends, the Vogels.

This film has magic sprinkled all over it, and Tom Hanks captures the calm realness of Fred Rogers to a tee. He isn't a perfect man and he isn't trying to be, but he is a kind one and he works every day with the goal of kindness in mind. This is a perfect movie to start the holiday season on; it's just a feel-good film all around! (108 min.)

—Anna Starkey

CHARLIE'S ANGELS

What's it rated? PG-13

What's it worth? Matinee

Where's it showing? Galaxy, Park

Writer-director Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect 2) takes on the classic TV series (1976-1981) about a trio of crime-fighting women—Sabina Wilson (Kristen Stewart), Elena Houghlin (Naomi Scott), and Jane Kano (Ella Balinska)—who this time around must save humankind from a dangerous new technology.

Banks is up to the task and delivers an earnest and upbeat new installation with three winning leads who are giving it their all. The film clearly has respect for its source material but stops short of retrograde homage, instead injecting some freshness into the characters, who are a lot of fun, especially Stewart's Sabina. It also adds some feminist elements that help it transcend its "jiggle TV" origins, and as a simple action film, it does the job. (118 min.)

—Glen Starkey

FANTASTIC FUNGI

What's it rated? Not rated

What's it worth? Matinee

Where's it showing? The Palm

Pick

In this time-lapse filled nature documentary, director Louie Schwartzberg (Mysteries of the Unseen World, Wings of Life) dives into the world of mushrooms and all the potential held by our favorite fungal friends to regenerate, treat disease, and sustain life.

And because we humans only really care about ourselves, the film also delves into all the ways in which mushrooms are being used to improve human health. That includes research into the use of psilocybin mushrooms, aka magic mushrooms, aka shrooms, aka yes, finally! This is why we all came to this movie.

Psilocybin are proving to be effective in reducing end-of-life anxieties in terminally ill patients, according to the film, in regenerating damaged brain cells, and are thought to help fight symptoms caused by Alzheimer's. Some theorists even think magic mushrooms could have partially caused the rapid evolution of the human brain in prehistoric times. That's right. We were all just stoned apes once. (81 min.)

—Kasey Bubnash

FORD V FERRARI

What's it rated? PG-13

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? Bay, Downtown Centre, Fair Oaks, Galaxy, Park

Pick

James Mangold (Logan, 3:10 to Yuma, Walk the Line) directs this biopic about car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and race car driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale), who in 1966 team-up to try to beat a car designed by Enzo Ferrari (Remo Girone) in the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Tracy Letts stars as Henry Ford II and Jon Bernthal stars as Lee Iacocca.

What an amazing story! Even if you're not a motorhead, you'll find this tale of determination wholly engaging, largely due to the larger-than-life characters and their complicated relationships. Shelby and Miles definitely have a love/hate relationship, perhaps because they were competitors. In fact, the film opens with a reminder that Shelby—up to that point—was the only American to ever win at Le Mans in 1959. That's why after a failed attempt by Ford to buy the cash-strapped Ferrari company, Henry II orders Lee Iacocca to encourage Shelby to take on the challenge of designing a car for the famed 24-hour race—money is no object!

Iacocca likes Shelby, but he's caught between loyalty to his boss, the bombastic and insecure Henry II, and wanting to give Shelby the freedom he needs to win. Ford, Iacocca, and another Ford executive, Leo Beebe (the film's real villain played perfectly by Josh Lucas) are empty suits that know nothing about winning, and none of them are fans of Miles, who's something of a loose canon, but Shelby knows they'll need a driver like Miles to win. The interpersonal dynamics make for great drama. The film's heart and soul are Miles' relationships with his wife, Mollie (Caitriona Balfe), and his young son, Peter (Noah Jupe).

The casting is spot on, and the performances are all amazing. Maybe you saw the scene from the trailer with Henry II and Shelby test driving the Le Mans car? Letts is simply fantastic as Ford, a man desperate to get out of his famous father's shadows. All this and the inherently dramatic story of trying to beat the unbeatable cars designed by Ferrari! It's quite a ride!

American pride is certainly part of what's driving Shelby and Ford—they're both tired of Ferrari dominating racing. Miles is a British transplant to the U.S., so he's in it for personal glory and the thrill of the race. I don't know enough about the history to know where it was embellished for dramatic purpose, and I'm not sure I want to know. This is such pure filmmaking—just good old-fashioned Hollywood studio system storytelling, where it's plot- and character-driven—the truth be damned.

The race sequences are exciting as hell. You really get a feel for what a grueling feat it is to race for 24 hours, even as part of a team. As much as it's a story of Shelby, I think it's mostly Miles' story. He's the one we get to see interacting with his family, and he's the one taking all the risk, putting his life on the line to win.

This film clearly shows how racing is a sport—these drivers need to be fit, have endurance, and be incredibly focused. They're operating a machine that can break, overheat, or fall apart, so the drivers have to know when to push it, when to lay back, when to gamble and risk it all. As an examination of the sport, this depicts that balancing act. I don't think watching it made me into a race fan, but Ford v Ferrari reminded me of why I'm a movie fan. (152 min.)

—Glen

FROZEN II

What's it rated? PG

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10, Sunset Drive-In

See Split Screen.

THE GOOD LIAR

What's it rated? R

What's it worth? Matinee

Where's it showing? Galaxy, Park

Bill Condon (Kinsey, Dreamgirls, Beauty and the Beast) directs this drama about conman Roy Courtnay (Ian McKellen), who meets rich widow Betty McLeish (Helen Mirren) online. What should be a straightforward swindle becomes complicated as Roy begins to have real feelings for Betty.

The film is more a near-miss than a hit, but with McKellen and Mirren in the game, it's hard not to enjoy this story even when it devolves into deeper implausibility. With elements of David Mamet and Agatha Christie, there's plenty of sly caper action, though the ending might not quite satisfy. (109 min.)

—Glen

THE IRISHMAN

What's it rated? R

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? The Palm

Pick

Martin Scorsese directs this story about Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), who may have been responsible for the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). It's another worthy offering from the master of epic gangster drama as he revisits familiar themes in a film that's poignant, funny, and profound. At more than three-hours, the film takes its time, settling into the rhythms of conversation, yet it never drags and not a minute is wasted. Even though this will be showing up on Netflix beginning Nov. 27, it's worth seeing on the big screen. The performances will blow you away! (209 min.)

—Glen

JOJO RABBIT

What's it rated? PG-13

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? The Palm

Pick

Writer-director Tailka Waititi (Hunt for the Wilderpeople, What We Do in the Shadows) helms this adaptation of Christine Leunens' satirical novel about a young boy (Roman Griffin Davis) in Hitler's (Waititi) army who discovers his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their home.

I was really looking forward to this one and, sure enough, it's hilarious and heartbreaking. Waititi seems to have copied a page out of Wes Anderson's (The Royal Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom) director's handbook, creating a colorful, comical, absurdist world and a look at one young fanatic's coming-of-age story. (108 min.)

—Glen

JOKER

What's it rated? R

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre

Pick

Co-writer Todd Phillips (Old School, The Hangover, War Dogs) directs this character study and origin story of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), who after being rejected by society becomes Joker, Batman's future arch nemesis.

Like a mirror on contemporary society, Joker reflects our problems back to us—the widening gap between the haves and have-nots, paternalistic politician-"saviors" who believe they know best for the "misguided" underclass, and the dismantling of the social safety net by a government that abandons its marginalized. It's a dark and depressing film, and it reminds me of the old saying, "Society gets the criminal it deserves." (121 min.)

—Glen

KNIVES OUT

What's it rated? PG-13

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy, Park, Stadium 10

New

Writer-director Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper, Star Wars: Episode VIII—The Last Jedi) helms this whodunit about Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), who's investigating the death of Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). Did he commit suicide, or was he murdered by one of his eccentric family members? (130 min.)

—Glen

LAST CHRISTMAS

What's it rated? PG-13

What's it worth? Matinee (for romantics and Christmas lovers)

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre

Pick

Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, The Heat, A Simple Favor) directs this rom-com—co-written by Emma Thompson, who also co-stars—about Kate (Emilia Clarke), a young woman who's really good at making bad decisions. She works as Santa's elf at a year-round Christmas store, where she meets Tom (Henry Golding), taking her life in an unexpected direction.

This audience pleaser (81 percent on Rotten Tomatoes) hasn't faired as well with critics (48 percent), who found the story poorly conceived despite its likable leads. Maybe it's the big holiday sing-along to the song "Last Christmas" that has appealed to the masses. Critics have called the film formulaic, sedate, and unfunny. (102 min.)

—Glen

MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL

What's it rated? PG

What's it worth? Matinee

Where's it showing? Sunset Drive-In

Pick

Disney's reimagined black-horned villainess, potentially gone soft, graces the big screen once again. With director Joachim Ronning at the helm (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales), Maleficent: Mistress of Evil tells the story of how pending nuptials could tear not only Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) and her goddaughter Aurora's (Elle Fanning) lives apart, but the human and magical worlds as well.

While the film as a whole was entertaining, it just lacked a flow in the story. Not to mention the fact that it's predictable. There were too many side stories that of course somehow come together in the end. But I don't blame Jolie for a second; her portrayal of the character, down to the deep villainous voice she uses, is amazing. She was ruling the screen, and the other characters were peasants in comparison. (118 min.)

—Karen

MIDWAY

What's it rated? PG-13

What's it worth? Matinee

Where's it showing? Galaxy, Park

Pick

Roland Emmerich (Stargate, Independence Day, The Patriot, White House Down) directs this historical action-drama about World War II's Battle of Midway, told by those who fought it: Lt. Richard "Dick" Best (Ed Skrein), Edwin Layton (Patrick Wilson), Lt. Cmdr. Wade McClusky (Luke Evans), Adm. Chester Nimitz (Woody Harrelson), and Vice Adm. William "Bull" Halsey (Dennis Quaid). This pivotal June 4 through 7, 1942, battle between the American fleet and the Imperial Japanese Navy was the Pacific Theater's turning point.

Audiences are loving this film that presents the epic battle with modern special effects and a more balanced viewpoint than the 1976 film, but critics have labeled it loud and unemotional. (138 min.)

—Glen

PARASITE

What's it rated? R

What's it worth? Full price

Where's it showing? The Palm

Pick

South Korean director Bong Joon Ho plays with genre and societal commentary in this dark comedy thriller about a penniless family's unsavory but satisfying infiltration into a wealthy family's household.

We're all capable of being both the heroes and antagonists of our own stories from time to time—able to make healthy and rational decisions in some situations while at the same time perfectly adept at self-destruction in others. And in one way or another, we're all parasites too. That's the running theme in Parasite, the most recent foreign-language film brought to us by director Bong Joon Ho (Snowpiercer, The Host), which centers on Ki-taek Kim (Song Kang Ho) and his destitute family's scrappy struggle for easy money.

The Kims, a technically unemployed family of four, are living in a tiny semi-basement apartment when we first meet them. It's cramped, dirty, dingy, infested with stinkbugs, and worst of all, it lacks Wi-Fi. But things slowly start to turn around for the Kims when the son, Ki-woo (Choi Woo-sik), lands a high-paying job tutoring the daughter of an extremely wealthy businessman, Dong-ik Park. In the Parks' household, everything is completely opposite from the Kims': spacious, sparkling clean, and modern.

It quickly becomes clear, however, that exceeding wealth has made the Park family inept at most average daily tasks and thus totally reliant upon the help for meals, housework, and transportation. In that way the Parks are parasitic, and they're gullible, too. They're easily fooled when, one by one, members of the Kim family manage to push out longtime employees of the Park household and fill their vacated places, pretending to be more than qualified hires.

The scheme eventually goes horribly wrong for the Kims when a leech of another kind is uncovered. It's a violent ending both families face that feels on one hand tragic and on the other well deserved.

The Kims, though facing certain hardships that come with the cycle of poverty, are never portrayed as needing much sympathy. They face their situation with humor, and although it's satisfying to see them take advantage of the ultra-rich using nothing more than condescending wit, it's clear that they're experienced manipulators. They're confident con artists, and you never really feel bad for the Kims.

The Parks have their own less than desirable qualities as well—a drug addiction and an obvious hostility toward lower-income individuals, to name a few—which slowly trickle out behind closed doors. But, in general, they're nice. They're well-mannered, they pay their employees well, and you don't really want to see them scammed.

It's these complexities behind the Park and Kim families and the characters within them make navigating Parasite almost as difficult as real life. Who is the good guy when everyone makes mistakes? Who is the bad guy when everyone has redeeming qualities? Who is the parasite when everyone is feeding off of each other, when everyone is using someone to gain something and giving nothing in return?

You can never really be sure who to root for or who to trust, and that quality of reality is what makes Parasite so very unsettling. (132 min.)

—Kasey

PLAYING WITH FIRE

What's it rated? PG

What's it worth? Stream it

Where's it showing? Park

Andy Fickman (She's the Man, Race to Witch Mountain (2009)) directs this family comedy about a crew of firefighters who rescue three rambunctious kids. The film stars Judy Greer, Keegan-Michael Key, and John Cena. Very young kids might enjoy some of the film's antics, but parents will find nothing to recommend it. (96 min.)

—Glen

QUEEN & SLIM

What's it rated? R

Where's it showing? Galaxy

New

Melina Matsoukas directs this drama about a black couple's first date that goes terribly wrong when a police officer pulls them over for a minor traffic infraction. Daniel Kaluuya is Slim and Jodie Turner-Smith is Queen, who become symbols of the minority oppression. (132 min.)

—Glen

TERMINATOR: DARK FATE

What's it rated? R

What's it worth? Matinee

Where's it showing? Park

Pick

Tim Miller (Deadpool) directs this next installment into the Terminator franchise. This time around, Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and a "retired" T-800 Terminator going by the name Carl (Arnold Schwarzenegger) join forces with enhanced soldier, Grace (Mackenzie Davis), who's been sent from the future to protect Daniella "Dani" Ramos (Natalia Reyes), who, if she lives, will give birth to a Resistance leader who will stop an A.I. called Legion, who, like Skynet, hopes to destroy humankind. They're being pursued by Rev-9 (Gabriel Luna), an advanced Terminator that's able to split in two.

If it all sounds a little familiar, it's because it is, but it's also nice to see Hamilton and Schwarzenegger from the original 1984 film and the equally good sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) back together again. Yes, it's essentially the same plot about time travelers battling to either kill or save a future mother who will give birth to the leader who will save humanity, but it's a lot better than, say, Terminator Salvation (2009) and Terminator Genisys (2015).

Tripling down on the original, the film features not one but three strong female characters, who bring a lot of power to the story. It doesn't really surpass the first two films, but it definitely resets a franchise deeply in need of being reset. (128 min.)

—Glen

21 BRIDGES

What's it rated? R

What's it worth? Rent it

Where's it showing? Downtown Centre, Galaxy

In this action-packed drama, Chadwick Boseman stars as a temperamental NYPD detective who slowly uncovers a drug conspiracy during an investigation into the murder of several cops.

You can always tell a movie is bad when its title is hidden somewhere in the dialogue. Despite several red flags and a completely empty theater, midway through watching 21 Bridges, I was still holding onto a shred of hope that it would have some redeeming quality (even just one!) somewhere hidden under its many layers of blandness.

But then the unimaginable happened—the one dead giveaway that a movie can't be taken seriously, that it might as well be lumped in with Dude, Where's My Car (2000) and Hot Tub Time Machine (2010). It's the one Hollywood characteristic that I thought we all agreed to hate universally years ago, and yet here it is, alive and well in a contemporary film: The main character, detective Andre Davis (Chadwick Boseman), worked in the title of the movie.

"We've got 21 bridges in and out of Manhattan," Davis tells his fellow NYPD officers. "Shut 'em down."

UGH!! Why, Chadwick Boseman? Why would you agree to say something so stupid? You're a movie star now! You don't have to stoop to something Ashton Kutcher did in 2000.

Okay, to be fair, this really isn't the worst example of sneaking the title of a movie into the movie itself, and it's not always a deal breaker. But it is always weird and tacky and forced, and that's kind of how all of 21 Bridges felt. It's like a movie version of Law and Order SVU, except it's too well made to be funny or ridiculous, but also too poorly made to be exceptional in any way.

This is just like every other basic detective movie. Detective Davis is a cop because his dad died on duty, so it's in his "DNA," which everyone points out repeatedly. He's a little moody and potentially trigger happy, but he's good at his job. Very good. Troubled genius, anyone?

When two robbers kill a slew of cops during a cocaine burglary, Davis is the top man for the job. He quickly deduces that the suspects are in Manhattan, and he shuts the ol' concrete jungle down. Soon it becomes clear that the robbers stumbled upon a bigger conspiracy, which may involve crooked cops (Omg what?! No way!!), a scheme that slowly unravels throughout the film.

There's a whole lot of gun shooting and running and jumping and glass shattering, if you're into that sort of thing, and the ultra cool cop he is, Davis greets his cellphone callers by saying, "Talk to me." Because people totally do that.

Despite some pretty decent acting, a fun James Bond-esque score, and heart stopping action, 21 Bridges lacks any meaningful oomph. Aside from maybe noting that police officers aren't paid enough and that public service is a thankless job, the film doesn't take any kind of stance on police brutality or crime or drugs. The big "twist" was totally expected, the characters weren't really lovable or hatable or all that complex, and the storyline was solid but unoriginal.

One interesting question is posed, though: Money can buy happiness, but how much does it cost? (99 min.)

—Kasey Bubnash

WARREN MILLER'S TIMELESS

What's it rated? Not rated

Where's it showing? Wednesday, Dec. 4, in the Fremont Theater

New

Warren Miller's Timeless takes viewers on another skiing and snowboarding adventure "featuring ski legends like Glen Plake, alongside newcomers Caite Zeliff, Jaelin Kauf, and Baker Boyd," according to press materials."Road-trip with rippers from Arlberg to the Matterhorn, be immersed in the hometown hill of Eldora and discover a different side of Jackson Hole, plus much more." Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $15 presale at eventbrite.com or $18 at the door. (100 min.) Δ

—Glen

New Times movie reviews were compiled by Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey. Contact him at [email protected].