OPENING TODAY
Liway
Directed by Kip Oebanda; stars Glaiza de Castro, Dominic Roco, Kenken Nuyad, Soliman Cruz
Rebel gives birth and raises a son while in detention. Oebanda, who based this Cinemalaya hit on his own childhood, says: “The personal and national history of martial law and its victims is systemically getting revised or discredited. What we offer is a simple true story that resonated well with the people who have seen it.”
Derrick Monasterio and Sanya Lopez in “Wild & Free”
Wild & Free
Directed by Connie Macatuno; stars Derrick Monasterio, Sanya Lopez, Cheska Diaz, Ashley Ortega, Juancho Triviño
Lady driver picks up a boy from her past, rekindling the flames of desire. Macatuno admits: “It brought me back to my early 20s and how physicality was explored: sensuality/anger/relationships.” Working with the two leads was “easy and challenging. Sanya is cut rough, while Derrick is refined,” she recalls.
Olga Kurylenko (left) and Rowan Atkinson in “Johnny English Strikes Again”
Johnny English Strikes Again
Directed by David Kerr; stars Rowan Atkinson, Emma Thompson, Olga Kurylenko
When a cyberattack threatens to expose the identity of undercover agents, a top spy comes out of retirement. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman quips: “This series has a leftover-goods, what-is-this-movie-doing-here? quality.” The Herald’s Chris Wasser exclaims: “Jokes are signposted from a mile away . . . ham-fisted.”
Mile 22
Directed by Peter Berg; stars Mark Wahlberg, Lauren Cohan, Iko Uwais, Ronda Rousey
Operative must recover and transport an asset targeted by criminals. The Boston Globe’s Ty Burr remarks: It “caters to fans of gonzo brutality and turbo-charged machismo.” Screen International’s Tim Grierson agrees: “Superficially kinetic . . . [it] attempts to be a politically savvy, ultramacho shoot-’em-up.”
Brothers of the Wind
Directed by Gerardo Olivares and Otmar Penker; stars Jean Reno, Tobias Moretti, Manuel Camacho
Boy adopts, takes care and raises an abandoned eaglet to adulthood. Cinemania’s Carlos Marañón thinks it “underlines the myth of Cain and Abel.” Eye for Film’s Jennie Kermode notes: “It’s repetitive in places and . . . the dialogue is twee, but there’s more than enough visual brilliance to make up for that.”
“Hell Fest”
Hell Fest
Directed by Gregory Plotkin; stars Amy Forsyth, Reign Edwards, Bex Taylor-Klaus
Masked serial killer terrorizes a group of college kids in a creepy theme park. Aisle Seat’s Mike McGranaghan relates: “If you like Halloween, amusement park spook houses, and haunted hayrides, [this] is the movie for you.” Daily Dead’s Staci Layne Wilson concurs: It is “a solid, workmanlike horror flick.”
Brother of the Year
Directed by Witthaya Thongyooyong; stars Sunny Suwanmethanont, Urassaya Sperbund, Nichkhun
Girl keeps her beau a secret from meddling brother. South China Morning Post’s Edmund Lee asserts: “For all its silly gags and melodramatic plotting, [it] does surprise with a poignant second half.” The Straits Times’ Yip Wai Yee states: “For all the ridiculous pranks . . . there is still a sense of realism to their kinship.”
A Star Is Born
Directed by Bradley Cooper; stars Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Sam Elliot, Dave Chappelle
Has-been country singer helps novice attain stardom. The New Yorker’s Anthony Lane opines: “Result is pure Saturday-night movie going . . . then you wake up on Sunday morning without a scratch.” Time Out’s Joshua Rothkopf compares it to “a hot French kiss . . . filled with passion, tears and a staggering amount of chutzpah.”
