Dumbo
The Aftermath (Rated: R)
The guidebook she was given warned against fraternizing with the Germans, but despite being smug in her bitterness and superiority, Rachel (Keira Knightley) will fall to temptation. Set in the rubble of post-World War II Hamburg, a city that suffered special devastation from British air raids, The Aftermath follows the classic pattern of golden age Hollywood. All of the emotional, romantic pieces snap neatly together before veering toward melodrama. The cast renders it almost believable. Alexander Skarsgård costars as the German she falls for. Jason Clarke plays Rachel’s hard-put husband, a British officer with the occupation forces responsible for ferreting out Nazis from ordinary citizens. The scenes are beautifully furnished in a production of “Masterpiece Theatre” level. (David Luhrssen)
Dumbo (Rated: PG)
Tim Burton's penchant for the visually unusual makes him a natural choice to direct Disney's live-action Dumbo update. One CGI element is a baby circus elephant with oversized ears. Considered worthless by the circus' owner (Danny DeVito), all that changes after the children of an employee (Colin Farrell) discover that Dumbo's big ears allow him to fly. Michael Keaton portrays entrepreneur Vandevere, determined to acquire the show-stopping elephant. Eva Green appears as a French trapeze artist taking a considerable interest in the young pachyderm. This film eliminates talking animals from the 1941 version, scripting story-lines for its human characters instead.
Hotel Mumbai (Rated: R)
A movie to be appreciated in lieu of enjoyed, the true events shown here center around a cluster of 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. With hundreds of guests staying at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, heavily armed terrorists are intent on killing everyone. It falls to the hotel's Indian staffers to guide survivors out through secret exits. Well-acted, the screenplay rattles about before coming to life during the savage attacks, thrusting ordinary people into extraordinary circumstances. The script also suggests how the young terrorists become vulnerable to recruitment and brainwashing.
