Brooklyn PG-13
In Brooklyn, adapted by Nick Hornby from the Colm Tóibín novel, Saoirse Ronan portrays Irish immigrant Eilis Lacey, a young woman sent to Brooklyn in 1951 to work as a department store sales clerk, a job arranged for her by an Irish priest from Brooklyn (Jim Broadbent). A small town girl fascinated by the big city, Eilis moves into a boardinghouse for women run by the comical Mrs. Kehoe (Julie Walters). Eilis longs for her family back home where her suitor (Domhnall Gleeson) has yet to give up, but before long she meets Italian-American Tony (Emory Cohen) at a dance and embarks on a new romance. Although Eilis has no special aspirations, when her old life comes a-calling, she finds there’s more to like about her new life than she expected. (Lisa Miller)
Creed PG-13
Sylvester Stallone once again plays Rocky Balboa, the character that made the actor a star, in this franchise spin-off written by Director Ryan Coogler. Rocky is retired from the fight game when Adonis Johnson—son of Rocky’s great boxing opponent and deceased friend, Apollo Creed—asks Rocky for help. Having demonstrated talent for boxing, Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) pleads with the former world heavyweight champion to train him. Rocky agrees and, sooner than anyone could have predicted, Adonis gets his title shot, complete with tense fight action filmed at close quarters. Exciting and sometimes humorous, four decades later, the Rocky franchise is successfully reborn. (L.M.)
Victor Frankenstein PG-13
In this twist on Mary Shelley’s classic monster tale, the saga of Dr. Frankenstein (James McAvoy) and his monster is told from the perspective of his assistant, Igor (Daniel Radcliffe). Although no “Igor” exists in Shelley’s novel, he has served as Frankenstein’s foil in numerous screen adaptations. This time, it’s Igor who attempts to prevent Dr. Frankenstein’s descent into madness. No screenings were allowed prior to the film’s release, but the trailer highlights something fresh in the humorous banter between Frankenstein and Igor. Expect doses of violence and gore along with a wistful recreation of the Victorian era. (L.M.)
The Good Dinosaur PG
Sixty-five million years ago a meteor hurtled toward Earth, caught fire in the atmosphere and—as the brontosauri looked up from their grazing—veered harmlessly into space. Pixar’s latest animated feature, The Good Dinosaur, imagines Earth as it might have developed had the cosmic catastrophe that wiped out the dinosaurs never occurred. The young protagonist, Arlo, is a dinosaur lacking courage and fortitude. He must learn to accept fear as a condition of life and to work with other species while affirming the value of family. It’s an endearing story, beautifully rendered in 3D and leavened with humor. (David Luhrssen)
