Loveless R
Loveless addresses the inability to love, the damage this causes and the legacy of bitterness passed down between generations. Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev’s story concerns a 12-year-old who disappears from a home torn by divorce and recrimination. The setting is today’s Russian middle class of spacious, well-furnished apartments, elegant restaurants with jazz purring in the background and the selfie vacuousness of contemporary materialism. Zvyagintsev composes Loveless with the elegance of ’70s’ art house cinema in its measured pace and careful framing. (David Luhrssen)
Isle of Dogs PG-13
Wes Anderson writes and directs this odd film for dog lovers. Set in Japan, dogs are blamed for a flu epidemic and are subsequently banned to Trash Island. Atari (voiced by Koyu Rankin) is a 12-year-old orphan who steals a small plane and flies to the island where he searches for his beloved dog, Spots (voiced by Liev Schreiber). He meets a quartet of dogs promising to help (Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum and Bob Balaban). Atari’s story touches American exchange student Tracy (Greta Gerwig), who wants her Japanese peers to rise up against a terrible government policy. The film’s unusual story and unique brand of stop-and-go animation put it firmly in the range of weird, wonderful and wacky. (Lisa Miller)
Midnight Sun PG-13
There is simply no end to the romantic suffering of teenage girls. Example: Katie (Bella Thorne) has a rare disorder that renders her unable to tolerate sunlight. Raised by her single dad (Rob Riggle), Katie plays the guitar—exploring the street music scene under cover of darkness. Here she meets Charlie (Patrick Schwarzenegger), a neighbor she has long coveted from her bedroom window. Finally capturing the heart of her dreamboat, Katie hides her condition, risking dire physical and emotional consequences. We can put a man on the Moon, but we can’t make an effective sunblock? Sigh. (L.M.)
Pacific Rim: Uprising PG-13
In Pacific Rim, Earth’s Jaeger pilots eventually defeated the monstrous Kaiju, even though two pilots must work in tandem and mind meld to control fighters. Set 10 years later, the sequel introduces a new generation of pilots who are somewhat dispirited after learning a rogue Jaeger has been helping the Kaiju. Their skill must evolve to match that of their constantly evolving enemy. In China, Pacific Rim was the sixth-highest-grossing American film of all time. Made by Legendary Pictures, this sequel got greenlit after Legendary was sold to China’s Wanda Group. Budgeted at $150 million, the second chapter is released in IMAX 3D, suitable both for viewing its enormous CGI creations as well as for maximizing ticket prices. (L.M.)
Sherlock Gnomes PG
In the heart of London, garden gnomes are going missing. Gnomeo (voiced by James McAvoy) and Juliet (Emily Blunt) join forces with the great Sherlock Gnomes (Johnny Depp) and Watson to solve the mysterious disappearances. The jokes seem to grow on trees. Fart gags for the rug rats and, for adults, witticisms such as “No Ship, Sherlock.” Like Gnomeo and Juliet (2011), this sequel is produced by Rocket Pictures, a British film company founded by Elton John, “to make family-friendly and music-themed projects.” Evidently, the latter provides a forum for John’s original song soundtrack. If sales live up to the first film (which earned an impressive $194 million on a $36 million budget), it’s safe to say John will never be “Gnome Alone.” (L.M.)
Unsane R
Feeling the pressures of working in what she perceives to be a man’s world, executive Sawyer Valentini (Claire Foy) becomes increasingly paranoid after finding herself stalked (mainly on her cell phone) by a mysterious man called David. Determined not to become a grim statistic, Sawyer moves to a new town; however, she is unable to shake the trauma of her experience and seeks therapy. Next thing Sawyer knows, she has been involuntarily committed to a mental institution and is unable to leave. Sawyer’s mother (Amy Irving) ineffectively attempts to help, but ultimately, neither the viewer nor Sawyer are certain as to what’s real and what isn’t. Assuming you’re up for director Steven Soderbergh’s grimy visuals, the effects of this puzzler are hard to shake. (L.M.)
