Film Focus – Week of April 11-17: ‘The Amateur,’ ‘The Ballad of Wallis Island’ and more openings
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Film Focus – Week of April 11-17: ‘The Amateur,’ ‘The Ballad of Wallis Island’ and more openings

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By M. Faust
(Image: “Ballad of Wallis Island”)

OPENING THIS WEEK: AKAAL: THE UNCONQUERED (NR) Punjabi action drama about Khalsa warriors in the 1840s. Starring Gippy Grewal, Nimrat Khaira, and Apinderdeep Singh. Directed by Gippy Grewal. Regal Elmwood

THE AMATEUR (PG-13) Rami Malek as an introverted CIA coder who goes rogue to avenge the death of his family. Co-starring Rachel Brosnahan, Laurence Fishburne and Caitríona Balfe. Directed by James Hawes (One Life). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw

THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND (PG-13) British comedy-drama about a lottery winner living on a secluded island who contrives a reunion between the two feuding members of his favorite band. Starring Tom Basden, Tim Key, Sian Clifford and Carey Mulligan. Directed by James Griffiths. Dipson Amherst

DROP (PG-13) In this Blumhouse production, a widow (Meghann Fahy) goes out on a date only to have the evening disturbed by threatening text messages. With Brandon Sklenar and Violett Beane. Directed by Christopher Landon (Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In

EEPHUS (NR) Independent comedy-drama about a longtime group of friends playing their final baseball game on a diamond that is about to be demolished. Starring Keith William Richards, Cliff Blake and Ray Hryb. Directed by Carson Lund. North Park

GOOD BAD UGLY (NR) Don’t expect Clint Eastwood in this Tamil-language action comedy about a retired gangster who returns to his old ways when his son is arrested. Starring Ajith Kumar, Trisha Krishnan and Arjun Das, Directed by Adhik Ravichandran. Regal Elmwood

HOLY COW (NR) From France, a rural coming of age drama about a hot-headed teen who must learn to provide for himself and his young sister after the sudden death of their father. Starring Clément Faveau, Maïwène Barthélemy, and Luna Garret. Directed by Louise Courvoisier. North Park

I KNOW CATHERINE, THE LOG LADY (NR) If you’re still mourning David Lynch, you’re the market for this documentary about Catherine Coulson, who worked her way up from assistant director on Eraserhead to the “Twin Peaks” character of this film’s title. Directed by Richard Green. North Park

JAAT (NR) Hindi-language action thriller about a wandering soldier who tries to help a small village beset by a criminal gang. Starring Sunny Deol, Randeep Hooda and Vineet Kumar Singh. Directed by Gopichand Malineni. Regal Elmwood

JACK (NR) Telugu spy action comedy starring Sidhu Jonnalagadda as an anti-terrorist operative who finds himself pitted against his own employers to save his country. With Vaishnavi Chaitanya and Prakash. Directed by Bommarillu Baskar. Regal Elmwood

ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO (R) Documentary recreating the mood of 1971 when John Lennon performed his only post-Beatles concert, a charity event for special needs children. Directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) and Sam Rice-Edwards. Regal Transit (Fri-Sun only)

WARFARE (R) Former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza co-wrote and directed this immersive drama set in real time about a sniper unit in an Iraqi household. Starring Joseph Quinn, Charles Melton, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis and Kit Connor. Co-directed by Alex Garland (Civil War). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

NOW PLAYING:

THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP: A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE (PG) Another attempt to revive the greatest cartoon characters of all time. With the voices of Eric Bauza, Candi Milo, and Peter MacNicol. Directed by Peter Browngardt. Regal Quaker, Transit Drive-In 

DEATH OF A UNICORN (R) From A24, a horror satire starring Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega as a father and daughter caught up in a pharmaceutical company’s efforts to monetize the curative qualities of the mythic horned horses. With Will Poulter, Téa Leoni, and Richard E. Grant. Directed by Alex Scharfman. Regal Quaker, Regal Walden Galleria

THE FRIEND (R) After the death of her best friend, a Manhattan writer is left with an unwelcome inheritance: his Great Dane. Starring Watts, Bill Murray, Sarah Pidgeon, Carla Gugino, and Tom McCarthy. Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel (Bee Season). Dipson Amherst, Dipson Capitol, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit Read M. Faust’s review here. 

HELL OF A SUMMER (R) Slasher movie parody. Starring Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn, Billy Bryk, and Finn Wolfhard, who co-directed with Billy Bryk. Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria

A MINECRAFT MOVIE (PG) Video game adaptation. Starring Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Sebastian Hansen, and Jennifer Coolidge. Directed by Jared Hess (Nacho Libre). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Aurora, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Hamburg Palace, Joylan, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Spotlight Theater of Warsaw, Transit Drive In

THE MONKEY (R) Horror comedy adapted from a Stephen King short story. Starring Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Christian Convery, Adam Scott, and Elijah Wood. Directed by Oz Perkins (Longlegs). Transit Drive-In 

MUFASA THE LION KING (PG) Animated sequel, or prequel or whatever. With the voices of Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Tiffany Boone. Directed by Barry Jenkins (If Beale Street Could Talk). Transit Drive In

SNOW WHITE (PG) Another Disney live action remake of an animated feature. (Although in these days of CGI, “live action” doesn’t mean what it once did.) Starring Rachel Zegler, Gal Gadot, and Andrew Burnap. Directed by Marc Webb (The Amazing Spider-Man 2). AMC Maple Ridge, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dipson McKinley, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In 

THE WOMAN IN THE YARD (PG-13) In this Blumhouse horror entry, a woman (Danielle Deadwyler) living with her children in an isolated farmhouse faces a mysterious and malign presence. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Black Adam). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive-In

A WORKING MAN (R) This year’s Jason Statham thriller. With Jason Flemyng, Merab Ninidze, Maximilian Osinski, and Michael Pena. Directed by David Ayer (The Beekeeper). AMC Maple Ridge, AMC Market Arcade, Dipson Capitol, Dipson Flix, Dunkirk Multiplex, Regal Elmwood, Regal Quaker, Regal Transit, Regal Walden Galleria, Transit Drive In

ETC.

AXCN: VAMPIRE HUNTER D (1985)—Anime. Presented in Japanese with English subtitles. Sun 9:10 pm. North Park. 

CLUE: THE MOVIE (1985)—The first film adapted from a board game was this enjoyable ensemble comedy written by John Landis. Starring Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, and, because it was the 1980s, cameos from Lee Ving and Jane Wiedlin. Directed by Jonathan Lynn (Nuns on the Run). Fri 7:30 pm, Sat 1 pm. Screening Room

HUNGER (1981)—Director Steve McQueen’s grueling detailed imagination of the experiences of jailed Irish republican Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender) during the hunger strike that eventually killed him. Sat-Sun 11:30 am. North Park

THE HITCH-HIKER (1953)—Women had their place in the world of film noir, and it most definitely was not behind the camera. The exception was actress-turned-director Ida Lupino. This crackling suspense drama about two California businessman (Edmond O’Brien, Frank Lovejoy) on a camping trip who contend with a psychotic escaped convict (William Talman) may not be her most personal film, but it’s her most technically accomplished. Tues 7:30 pm. Screening Room

KAIJU NO. 8: MISSION RECON—Anime. English dubbed version Sun 1:45 pm, Weds 7 pm. Original Japanese version with English subtitles Mon 7 pm. North Park

THE PEE PEE POO POO MAN—Canadian comedy about a disturbed young man (Rishi Rodriguez) who launches an unusual crime wave against the citizens of Toronto. The cast includes Kids in the Hall adjunct Paul Bellini and a cameo appearance by Reg Hartt, a name you will certainly recognize if you’ve ever spent any time wandering the streets of our northern neighbor. Directed by Braden Sitter Sr. Tues 9:40 pm. North Park

THEATER LOCATIONS AND WEBSITES

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