The Batman (Theatrical release on March 4)
After Ben Affleck and Warner Studios mutually agreed upon him leaving the “Batman” series, writer-director Matt Reeves signed on, insisting on taking the story in a different direction. He discontinued exploring the DC Extended Universe to chronicle Batman’s early crime-fighting days as a reclusive, conflicted caped crusader. In the first installment of a planned trilogy, Robert Pattinson’s Batman becomes acquainted with Catwoman (Zoe Kravitz), who attempts to help him identify the murderous Riddler (Paul Dano). Colin Farrell appears as The Penguin, wearing a fatsuit and six-piece facial prosthetic that renders the actor unrecognizable. Reeves sought to create a fearsome Batmobile with an animalistic design. Cut down from four hours to three, viewers get some bang for their bucks. (Lisa Miller)
Memory House (Film Movement DVD)
Cristovam is a black Brazilian working in a dairy. The company’s new foreign management promises “innovation” while “reducing expenses” by cutting jobs and wages. They decide to keep Cristovam, a longtime and uncomplaining employee, but at a lower wage. He’s already poor.
Brazilian director Joao Paulo Miranda’s Memory House (2020) is not a dull, realist diatribe shot on grainy digital. Artfully filmed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Benjamin Echazarreta, Memory House transpires at the methodical pace of ‘70s art house, focusing frame by frame, retraining our eyes to be still and carefully watchful. Cristovam listens impassively as his wages are cut but his eyes reveal the pain.
Cristovam is largely surrounded by the dairy’s Germany workers and suffers increasing levels of daily abuse by those who don’t recognize his full humanity (no micro-aggressions here). The old cow shot in the head for no longer producing milk is a metaphor of his workplace. Resentment turns hallucinatory, ultimately violent in this intriguing, disturbing, multi-layered film. (David Luhrssen)
Nightride (Limited theatrical release and streaming on AppleTV, March 4)
Director Stephen Fingleton’s Nightride is a real-time, one-shot thriller about soon to retire Irish drug dealer Budge (Moe Dunford). With his girlfriend’s (Joana Ribeiro) help, Budge sets up a huge final score that will allow him to go straight. He borrows the money needed to make it happen from a dangerous loan shark. His buy and sell are preplanned to go lickety-split, with a large profit allowing Budge to meet the loan shark’s stiff terms. Instead, Budge’s buy goes horribly wrong when he gets ripped off. Budge races through Belfast’s streets and locations to acquire his missing product—and secure a buyer—before the loan shark can find him. Prepare for a tense 97 minutes. (Lisa Miller)
