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Deadpool & Wolverine
The Atlantis Puzzle
(Streaming on Amazon)
The fantasy of the lost continent of Atlantis has fascinated fringe thinkers for centuries and more recently triggered a flood of pop culture content. Documentary filmmaker Jack Kelley looks into the legend of Atlantis with the help of Greek researcher George Sarantitis and traces its history to ancient Egypt. It was from the Egyptians that the ancient Greeks learned of Atlantis, and both civilizations imposed their own preconceptions on a tale that may be rooted in cultural memories from early times.
The first surviving references to Atlantis appear in the writings of Plato. With a careful reading of his work, aided by specialists in the ancient Greek language, Sarantitis finds that the philosopher has been mistranslated. Atlantis wasn’t a continent or an island, and the legendary Pillars of Heracles weren’t Gibraltar, but the Gulf of Gabes in Tunisia, which once opened onto a network of long extinct rivers and lakes. Ten thousand years ago, the Sahara was green, and as time moved on, lost civilizations were covered by sand, not water.
The archeological support for the theory is spotty but intriguing. Plausibly, the Atlanteans may have been an aggressive tribe of hunter-gatherers who spread across North Africa and invaded Egypt at an early date. Plato probably employed Atlantis as metaphor on the hubris of empire and the loss of cultural memory. If Sarantitis’ theory is correct, Atlantis is also a lesson on the results of drastic climate change. The Atlantis Puzzle is an enjoyable deep dive into one of humanity’s enduring myths. (David Luhrssen)
Deadpool & Wolverine
(In Theaters July 26)
The wisecracks frequently hit their targets in Deadpool & Wolverine, a superhero flick following the buddy-movie formula. When Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds), goes searching for Wolverine (Hugh Jackman)—killed in our universe—he visits numerous multiverses. Deadpool’s mission is to save our own universe, scheduled for decommission as part of a multiverse maintenance plan. Finding Wolverine, Deadpool seeks to be best pals while demanding everything be done his way. Squaring off against one another repeatedly, the pair finally join forces in an effort to stop timeline-manipulator Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen). Deadpool’s snarky antics provide counterbalance to Wolverine’s serious tone. Based on the Marvel Comic book characters with Shawn Levy at the helm, the two-hour film doesn’t aspire to greatness beyond pleasing its fanbase. (Lisa Miller)
The Fabulous Four
(In Theaters July 26)
When Marilyn (Bette Midler), decides to marry a mere few months after her husband’s death, she yearns to share her happiness with estranged college best friend Lou (Susan Sarandon). Marilyn lives in the Florida Keys, while Lou, who felt wronged by Marilyn shortly after college, resides in New York City. The pair haven’t spoken in decades, so Marilyn’s friends, Kitty (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and Alice (Megan Mullally), concoct a scheme to get Lou to the Keys for a bachelorette party weekend. Both Lou and Marilyn are caught off guard, but time hasn’t much dampened Lou’s anger. During her stay, Lou meets bar owner Ted (Bruce Greenwood) and Hemingway-quoting ship captain Ernie (Timothy V. Murphy), both competing for her attention. What seems like a loose series of sketches, finally gels during the final act. Directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse, this celebration of women of a certain age includes some clever gags, along with heaps of more pedestrian comedy. (Lisa Miller)
Io Capitano
(Cohen Media Blu-ray)
Dakar, Senegal, is crowded, dirty and falling apart, alive with music but poor in opportunity. Seydou’s family is scraping by, but he’s a drummer dreaming of success in Europe. With his cousin Moussa, they work construction, burying their pay in the dirt floor, saving their money for their escape to the continent of hope, Europe.
Many stories have been in the news about migrants who drown in the Mediterranean after setting forth in overcrowded boats from Libya. But to get to Libya, Seydou and Moussa must buy fake passports, bribe border guards, endure a dangerous odyssey across the Sahara (past the bodies of the dead), only to be seized by Libyan militia-mobsters who rob them and hold them for ransom.
Italian director Matteo Garrone filmed Io Capitano on several African locations with nonprofessional actors. The Oscar-nominated film dramatizes the plight of African migrants and follows their long journey at an economic pace in a story of suffering and hope. (David Luhrssen)
