‘Their Finest,’ ‘Your Name’ and more critics’ picks for April 7-13
Movie recommendations from critics Kenneth Turan, Justin Chang and other reviewers.
After the Storm A sublimely simple family drama from the Japanese writer-director Hirokazu Kore-eda, a filmmaker assured enough to hide his mastery in plain sight. Nothing is overemphasized, and nothing escapes his attention. (Justin Chang) NR.
Donnie Darko A haunted miasma of youthful alienation, suburban malaise, cosmic upheaval and 1980s pop-cultural infatuation, writer-director Richard Kelly’s captivatingly strange 2001 debut, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, has returned to theaters just in time for our latest brush with the apocalypse. (Justin Chang) R.
Frantz Beautifully shot in black-and-white with the occasional warm burst of color, French writer-director François Ozon’s intricately layered post-World War I drama puts a feminist spin on Ernst Lubitsch’s 1932 anti-war film, “Broken Lullaby.” (Justin Chang) PG-13.
I Am Not Your Negro As directed by the gifted Raoul Peck, this documentary on James Baldwin uses the entire spectrum of movie effects, not only spoken language but also sound, music, editing and all manner of visuals, to create a cinematic essay that is powerful and painfully relevant. (Kenneth Turan) NR.
I Called Him Morgan Artistic, obsessive and intoxicating, this documentary on the tragic story of jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan has a creative soul, and that makes all the difference. Whether you care about jazz or not, the poetry of the filmmaking by Kasper Collin and the poignance of the story will win you over. (Kenneth Turan) NR.
La La Land Starring a well-paired Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, writer-director Damien Chazelle’s tuneful tribute to classic movie musicals is often stronger in concept than execution, but it’s lovely and transporting all the same. (Justin Chang) PG-13.
Personal Shopper Kristen Stewart gives her most accomplished screen performance to date in Olivier Assayas’ shivery paranormal thriller — a haunted-house movie, a murder mystery and, in many ways, Assayas’ most surprising film yet about the anxieties of modern life. (Justin Chang) R.
Their Finest Genial and engaging with a fine sense of humor, this story of making movies in World War II Britain stars Gemma Arterton and a marvelous Bill Nighy and makes blending the comic with the serious look simpler than it actually is. (Kenneth Turan) R.
The Women’s Balcony An Israeli box-office hit about a Jerusalem clash of religious cultures, this is an unapologetically warm-hearted comedic drama, a fine example of commercial filmmaking grounded in a persuasive knowledge of human behavior. (Kenneth Turan) NR.
Your Name. The highest-grossing anime of all time and winner of the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn.’s animated feature prize, Makoto Shinkai’s thrillingly beautiful film juggles an out-of-body farce, a time-traveling romance and a terrifying epic of survival. (Justin Chang) PG.
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