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Movies: New and Noteworthy

COMING THIS WEEK By Steven Rea American Pastoral Ewan McGregor makes his directing debut, and stars as Philip Roth protagonist Seymour "Swede" Levov, in an adaptation of the 1997 novel about a man's world gone to ruin when his daughter (Dakota Fanning) is radicalized during the era of the Vietnam War. Jennifer Connelly is the ex-beauty queen Mrs. Levov. R

Lulu Wilson in "Ouija: Origin of Evil." JUSTIN M. LUBIN / Universal Pictures
Lulu Wilson in "Ouija: Origin of Evil." JUSTIN M. LUBIN / Universal PicturesRead more

COMING THIS WEEK

By Steven Rea

American Pastoral Ewan McGregor makes his directing debut, and stars as Philip Roth protagonist Seymour "Swede" Levov, in an adaptation of the 1997 novel about a man's world gone to ruin when his daughter (Dakota Fanning) is radicalized during the era of the Vietnam War. Jennifer Connelly is the ex-beauty queen Mrs. Levov. R

Jack Reacher: Never Go Back Tom Cruise returns as the totally buff, totally humorless ex-military-police guy from the Lee Child books. Cobie Smulders keeps her cool as a former Army cohort who now finds herself in a fix, and in prison, too. Let the pummeling begin! PG-13

Boo! A Madea Halloween Tyler Perry looks to scare up some box office with the cross-dressing return of his sassy septuagenarian matron, just in time for the creepy clowns and serial psychos of late October. The trailer may have given away the movie's best homage line: "I see white people." PG-13

Also Opening This Week

Ouija: Origin of Evil

In 1967 Los Angeles, a widowed mother and her two daughters add a new stunt to bolster their seance scam business and unwittingly invite authentic evil into their home.

Keeping Up With the Joneses A suburban couple find their lives endangered by their new neighbors.

Excellent (****)

Reviewed by staff critics Steven Rea (S.R.) and Tirdad Derakhshani (T.D.). W.S. denotes a wire-service review.

Hell or High Water Jeff Bridges is a soon-to-retire Texas Ranger teamed with his American Indian partner (Gil Birmingham) as they crisscross West Texas on the trail of two desperate bank-robbing brothers (Ben Foster, Chris Pine). A contemporary western that goes way beyond being simply satisfying genre fare. Written by Taylor Sheridan, directed by David Mackenzie, a soulful, jolting, sharp-eyed affair. 1 hr. 42 R (violence, profanity, adult themes) - S.R.

Very Good (***1/2)

American Honey

Road movie about a roving young magazine sales crew rolls out a bleak but still somehow hopeful vision of America, depicted with breathtaking honesty and raw beauty. With dreamy visuals, Shia LaBeouf, and a mesmerizing performance by newcomer Sasha Lane. 2 hr. 43 R (strong sexual content, graphic nudity, language throughout, drug and alcohol abuse - all involving teens)

- W.S.

The Birth of a Nation Nate Parker's Sundance sensation lives up to the hype: A powerful work of history and myth alike, it depicts Nat Turner's transformation from a preacher who taught his fellow slaves to submit to white ownership into a firebrand and rebel who led a bloody, if short-lived, mutiny in 1831. Parker, who wrote and directed, gives a rousing, controlled performance as Turner, and he's ably backed up by a terrific ensemble featuring Aunjanue Ellis, Aja Naomi King, and Armie Hammer. 2 hrs. R (disturbing, violent content, and some brief nudity) - T.D.

Command and Control A brilliant, terrifying PBS documentary about the mishaps and accidents that nearly led to the detonation of several nuclear weapons on American soil during the Cold War. Director Robert Kenner's adaptation of reporter Eric Schlosser's book skillfully uses archival material and interviews to provide an in-depth, minute-by-minute analysis of one such "broken- arrow" incident from 1980. 1 hr. 32 No MPAA rating (adult themes, footage of nuclear detonations, disturbing subject matter) - T.D.

Don't Think Twice A love letter to the art of improv comedy from writer, director, and actor Mike Birbiglia (Sleepwalk with Me). Featuring a superb cast of comics - including Key & Peele's Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs (Netflix's Love), Inside Amy Schumer writer Tami Sagher, and Garfunkel and Oates' Kate Micucci - the showbiz satire is about an improv group torn apart when one of the members wins a big TV role. 1 hr. 32 R (profanity and some drug use) - T.D.

Florence Foster Jenkins Meryl Streep is achingly good in director Stephen Frears' latest piece de resistance as Florence Foster Jenkins, a Wilkes Barre-born heiress and amateur vocalist who was dubbed the world's worst singer. Simon Helberg all but steals the show as her pianist, and Hugh Grant is lovely as her husband. Set in the 1940s, when Florence was in her mid-70s, the film follows her preparations to hold her first performance at Carnegie Hall. 1 hr. 50 PG-13 (brief suggestive material) - T.D.

Little Men The fast friendship between two New York City 13-year-olds is threatened when their parents start squabbling over a piece of Brooklyn real estate. Ira Sachs' follow-up to Love Is Strange is keenly observed, intimate, and anchored by the performances of newcomers Michael Barbieri and Theo Taplitz. With Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Ehle, and Paulina Garcia. 1 hr. 25 PG (adult themes) - S.R.

Sully Tom Hanks stars as veteran airline pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger in this deftly executed account of the dramatic emergency landing of a US Airways passenger jet in the middle of the Hudson River - the so-called Miracle on the Hudson. A true-life drama about heroism and people working in harmony under exceptional conditions, and a sobering deconstruction of the flight's aftermath: second-guessing, self-doubt, an administrative body - the National Transportation Safety Board - that appears on the hunt for a scapegoat. Clint Eastwood directs. 1 hr. 35 PG-13 (profanity, adult themes) - S.R.

Also on screens

The Accountant ***

Crime thriller specialist Gavin O'Connor (

Hope and Glory

), delivers a slick, well-paced actioner based on the most ludicrous premise. Ben Affleck stars as an autistic accountant who also happens to be an expert sniper and martial arts master who is targeted by assassins after he finds financial irregularities at a powerful tech firm. Anna Kendrick is terrific as a geeky junior accountant who falls for the heroic CPA. With John Lithgow, J.K. Simmons, and Cynthia Addai-Robinson. 2 hr. 8

R

(strong violence and profanity throughout)

- T.D.

The Battle of Algiers (Not previewed) This 50-year-old landmark work of political cinema, now digitally restored, tracks the three-year conflagration between French soldiers and North African freedom fighters in the streets of the Algerian capital. The newsreel-style film, nominated for three Oscars, deployed a cast of nonprofessional actors and seethes with energy and authenticity. 1 hr. 27 No MPAA rating (realistic war footage).

Blair Witch ** Writer Simon Barrett and director Adam Wingard, arguably the best filmmaking team in horror with a body of work that includes You're Next and The Guest, are wasted in this revisiting of the 1999 low-budget marvel The Blair Witch Project. It's 17 years after doc filmmaker Amanda Donahue and her crew of two disappeared in Black Hills Forest, victims of a witch. When a vid crops up suggesting she's still alive, her brother and a group of friends grab fancy film and tracking equipment and go after her. Will the witch get them, too? 1 hr. 29 R (profanity, terror, and some disturbing images) - T.D.

Bridget Jones's Baby *** The hot-mess Brit returns for the third installment with the same love-triangle high jinks that characterized the first film, this time with added morning sickness. After two unprotected hookups, Jones (Renee Zellwegger) finds out she's pregnant, but doesn't know who the father is: a tech billionaire (Patrick Dempsey) or longtime love (and now ex) Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). The film is not as good as the first go-round, but much better than the dreadful second. 2 hr. 2 R (language, sex, nudity) - M.E.

Deepwater Horizon *** One of the most effective action directors in the biz, Peter Berg recounts with rare grace and style the April 20, 2010, explosion that engulfed the massive Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Featuring Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Kate Hudson, and Gina Rodriguez, this is a film of great economy and elegance, a no-nonsense re-creation of a tragedy that's thrilling, suspenseful, heart-stopping. Yet one can't help but wonder whether the story would not have been better served with a more thoughtful drama that captured its long-term consequences. 1 hr. 47 PG-13 (prolonged intense disaster sequences and related disturbing images, and some profanity) - T.D.

Demon *** An eerie horror pic and a sharply funny satire at the same time, the last film by Polish director Marcin Wrona is a superb surrealist fable about the legacy of the Holocaust in Poland, which lost virtually its entire Jewish population. Israeli actor Itay Tiran plays a young groom invaded by the spirit of a dead woman on his wedding day. 1 hr. 34 R (Profanity, sexuality, some nudity) - T.D.

The Dressmaker *1/2 Kate Winslet plays a seamstress who returns to her hometown seeking revenge for wrongs done to her as a child. But there's no coherence to this story, and no reason for the repellent vignette of a marital rape played for laughs. 1 hr. 59 R (brief language and a scene of violence) - W.S.

Girl Asleep *** Australian coming-of-age comedy has shy kids, mean girls, a groovy '70s vibe, a monster, an ice queen, and a she-warrior who packs a mean punch. Think of it as Michel Gondry meets Wes Anderson, although it avoids quirk for the sake of quirk. 1 hr. 17 No MPAA rating (brief strong language) - W.S.

The Girl on the Train **1/2 Emily Blunt will set your teeth on edge as a self-hating alcoholic divorcée in this surprisingly enjoyable murder mystery with a quasi-feminist twist. Told entirely from the point of view of its three heroines (including Rebecca Ferguson and Haley Bennett), the thriller aspires to Vertigo-like perfection. But it's no Hitchcock classic. Costars Justin Theroux and Luke Evans provide a virile male element. 1 hr. 52 R (violence, sexual content, profanity and nudity) - T.D.

Kevin Hart: What Now? **1/2 Kevin Hart comes back home to Philly for his latest concert movie, which was filmed last year over a sold-out two-night stand at Lincoln Financial Field before crowds of 53,000 a night. Hart mocks James Bond pictures in a silly prologue costarring Halle Berry before taking the stage, where he dominates with sharp-edged jokes based on his daily life with his two kids and his fiancée. His surreal routines are less funny when they touch upon sex. 1 hr. 36 R (sexual material, profanity) - T.D.

The Lovers and the Despot (Not previewed) Documentary tells the bizarre true tale of a South Korean actress and her director ex-husband who were kidnapped by North Korea's Kim Jong-il to bring glory to his country's film industry. 1 hr. 38 No MPAA rating (violence discussed).

The Magnificent Seven ** Good turns by Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, and Vincent D'Onofrio can't save Training Day director Antoine Fuqua's star-studded remake of John Sturges' 1960 masterpiece. It's fun, exciting, and diverting enough. It's also entirely forgettable. 2 hrs. 12 PG-13 (extended and intense sequences of western violence, and historical smoking, some profanity, and suggestive material) - T.D.

A Man Called Ove *** Rolf Lassgård (Wallander) is brilliant in this heartwarming dramedy as a suicidal 59-year-old factory worker who finds life unbearable after his wife's death. A pitiless misanthrope who gets a kick out of showing up his neighbors as idiots, he finds his way back to humanity and love when he befriends a young family next door. Flashbacks feature the stunning Ida Engvoll as the young Ove's wife. With Bahar Pars, Tobias Almborg. In Swedish with English subtitles. 1 hr. 56 PG-13 (thematic content, some disturbing images, and profanity) - T.D.

Masterminds **1/2 Zach Galifianakis is wonderfully odd as a bumbling thief in the latest slapstick comedy from Napoleon Dynamite writer-director Jared Hess. Based on a real-life 1997 armored-car-company heist, the admittedly uneven film is filled with goofy turns by a terrific comic cast, including Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, Jason Sudekis, and Kate McKinnon. 1 hr. 34 PG-13 (crude and sexual humor, some profanity and violence) - T.D.

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life **1/2 Rafe (Griffin Gluck) has transferred into his third school of the year, this one with a rule-obsessed principal. Rafe summons a schoolwide rebellion to break every one of those rules. With Lauren Graham as the charming single mother, Rob Riggle as the dirtball would-be stepfather, and Andy Daly as the uptight principal. 1 hr 32 PG (rude humor throughout, language, thematic elements) - W.S.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children **1/2 Tim Burton's tween adventure fantasy tries to replicate the immensely successful mix of art-house cool and blockbuster power that made Alice in Wonderland such a huge hit. The effort backfires. Eva Green stars as the headmistress of a mysterious school for paranormally gifted kids who are hunted down by murderous monsters. Asa Butterfield is the misfit Florida teen who finds himself at the school, and Ella Purnell of Never Let Me Go is the remarkably charming girl he falls for. Samuel L. Jackson, Terence Stamp, and Judi Dench costar. 2 hrs. 07 PG-13 (intense sequences of fantasy action/violence and peril) - T.D.

Ordinary World (Not previewed) Billie Joe Armstrong, front man of the band Green Day, stars in a comedy about a punk rocker celebrating his 40th birthday with a big hotel bash, where his punk past comes up against his grown-up reality. With Selma Blair, Judy Greer, Chris Messina, and Fred Armisen. 1 hr. 27 No MPAA rating.

Snowden *** Oliver Stone's best political film, this fascinating, exciting biopic about NSA contractor-turned-whistle- blower Edward Snowden is a sober, serious affair that isn't hampered by the histrionics that hobbles earlier Stone efforts such as Platoon and JFK. While it features an large, amazing ensemble cast, including Melissa Leo, Tom Wilkinson, Zachary Quinto, and Shailene Woodley, the film belongs to star Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is mesmerizing as Snowden. 2 hrs. 14 R (profanity, sexuality, nudity) - T.D.

Storks ** The latest 3D, CGI, animated family adventure saga tries to combine the cuteness factor of newborn babies with the edgy humor of a Saturday Night Live skit. Featuring voices by Adam Samberg, Jennifer Aniston, Kelsey Grammer, Keegan-Michael Key, and Jordan Peele, it's about a rebellious stork that accidentally ruins the latest business venture of the world's storks - tired of delivering babies, they now make home deliveries for an online retailer. 1 hr. 29 PG ( mild action and some thematic elements) - T.D.

Suicide Squad **1/2 Superman is dead. To protect America, a Defense Department guru (Viola Davis) forces a group of condemned metahuman killers to join a special-forces team. Jared Leto and Margot Robbie steal the show as the Joker and his lover. A schizoid tale that's absurdly dark one minute, ridiculously funny the next, the movie also features Will Smith, Common, and Joel Kinnaman. 2 hrs. 03 PG-13 (sequences of violence and action throughout, disturbing behavior, suggestive content, and profanity) - T.D.

White Girl *** Before her freshman year in college, Leah (Morgan Saylor) moves to Queens and falls for a cocaine dealer. After her boyfriend's arrest, she goes to ever greater lengths to get him out of jail. Leah isn't a compelling heroine, but Saylor's performance is compelling, and the young lovers' desperate attempt to bridge the gap between their worlds makes the film deeply moving. 1 hr. 28 R (strong language, graphic sex, rape, drug use, violence) - W.S.