Freeze Frame

As our local cinemas are still temporarily closed, this week’s Freeze Frame will concentrate on new movies that can be streamed at home.   “Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always” now available through video on demand platforms like Amazon Prime, is one of those quiet human dramas that critics rave about and general audiences often scratch their heads over. This low-key, hyper-realistic film is a heartbreaking account of an all-too common experience that many teenage girls share.   Newcomer Sidney Flanigan plays Autumn a troubled 17-year-old from a small Pennsylvania town. When she discovers that she’s pregnant, she and her empathetic but naïve cousin Skylar, played by Talia Ryder, embark on a surreptitious road trip to New York City.   The movie’s low budget approach only enhances its documentary-like realism. Don’t expect catharsis or melodrama, just a series of small, sensitively acted moments.   Regardless of which side you fall on regarding the reproductive rights issue, you can’t help but suffer with this young girl who finds herself in one of the most difficult positions imaginable. Skillfully written and directed by Eliza Hittman, “Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always” probably won’t change anyone’s mind on this sensitive matter, but it serves as a thoughtful…

As our local cinemas are still temporarily closed, this week’s Freeze Frame will concentrate on new movies that can be streamed at home. The raunchy Netflix original comedy “Coffee & Kareem” is shamefully wrong-headed and beneath the talent and dignity of its able cast. Ed Helms plays Officer James Coffee, a bungling Detroit cop who’s dating a nurse, played by Taraji P. Henson. The merry mix-ups occur when Officer Coffee tries to impress her son Kareem, played by the precociously foul-mouthed 12-year-old Terrence Little Gardenhigh. When on a spin in the patrol car, the duo witnesses a gangland murder. Young Gardenhigh shows promise, but the obscene dialogue he’s asked to do deliver is contemptable. Here’s hoping that “Coffee & Kareem” is the worst film of the year. The touching Netflix original “Uncorked” is an uplifting and involving comic drama. Mamoudou Athie plays Elijah, a young man who is introduced to the world of wine when he takes a job at a local liquor store. Things get complicated when decides to leave his family’s barbecue restaurant to become a sommelier. Courtney B. Vance plays his disapproving dad and Niecy Nash is his supportive mom. “Uncorked” is heartfelt, realistic and offers characters…

Since most of our local cinemas are temporarily closed, this week’s Freeze Frame will focus on three “feel good” films currently available to stream at home, ones that can provide some uplift in trying times.   Available on Amazon Prime, “The Big Sick” might, at first blush, sound like something from the Lifetime Network, but it’s so much better. Pakistani-American standup comic Kumail Nanjiani plays himself in the true story of his romance with a white, non-Muslim girl, played by Zoe Kazan. The initial cultural conflicts take a back seat when she suffers a serious health crisis. Yes, it earns its R-rating thanks to adult themes, but "The Big Sick" is smart, hilarious, touching and has a terrific supporting cast. If it doesn't move you, maybe YOU need to check into the hospital. “The Big Sick” was my pick as the best film of 2017.   “Fighting With My Family” is a pleasant PG-13 surprise that’s currently streaming on Hulu. This funny and heartfelt comedy tells the true story of Raya Knight, a British teenage girl who became WWE Superstar, Paige. Florence Pugh plays Paige, the young girl mentored by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and trained by Vince Vaughn.  …

“The Hunt” is an ultra-violent, pitch black satire that’s trying to tap into the zeitgeist. In a contemporary reworking of “The Most Dangerous Game,” a group of wealthy liberal elites entrap citizens with hard right political beliefs and then hunt them down like game. Betty Gilpin from “GLOW” leads the cast as an Afghan War vet who gives her captors more than they bargained for. “The Hunt” is decadent and utterly shameless but is a skillfully made, well-paced thriller that many will consider a guilty pleasure.   “Wendy” is an arthouse reworking of the “Peter Pan” story. Writer/director Benh Zeitlin’s arty style will be immediately recognizable for anyone who saw his first feature, “Beasts of the Southern Wild.” Unfortunately, the tone of “Wendy” is so dour that it overwhelms and suffocates its occasionally magical moments.   The tragic true story of Christian music star Jeremy Camp’s first marriage provides the basis for the romantic drama “I Still Believe.” KJ Apa and Britt Robertson star in this sweet-natured tearjerker that goes through very familiar paces but manages to push viewers’ emotional buttons.   “And Then We Danced” is a film from Georgia about the sexual awakening of a young dancer in…

Second-rate Pixar movies are still better than most of their animated rivals. “Onward” is a likable comic fantasy aimed at boys in the same way that “Frozen” was aimed at girls. Chris Pratt and Tom Holland provide the voices for brother elves from an otherworldly suburbia who embark on a magical quest. It’s funny and sweet-natured, but the movie magic in “Onward” is limited.   Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson star in “The Banker,” a well-meaning true story about two African American men who get into trouble when they use a white front man to help them open a bank in Texas in the 1960s. This movie should have been riveting, but its impact is limited by a meandering pace.   Counting “Clueless,” “Emma.” marks at least the sixth adaptation of Jane Austin’s classic 1815 novel. Anya Taylor-Joy is fine in the title role of the bright but naïve young woman whose social manipulations sometimes backfire. This stylish version takes a while to establish emotional momentum, but “Emma.” ultimately hits the right notes.   Ben Affleck stars in “The Way Back,” a sports drama about an alcoholic who attempts redemption by becoming the coach of the flailing high school…

A riveting, Oscar-caliber performance from Elizabeth Moss anchors an effective and scary reimagining of the horror chestnut, “The Invisible Man.” Flipping the script to make the victim the focus instead of the title character, this update works as a full-blooded horror film as well as an effective commentary on social issues like bullying and the “Me Too” movement. Yes, “The Invisible Man” is worth seeing.   Oscar nominee “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” is a beautifully filmed and sensitively acted period drama, set in 1760s France. A female artist is commissioned to paint a portrait of a young woman who is about to be married against her will. Things get complicated when unexpected romantic sparks develop between them. This edgy drama avoids exploitation and sensationalism. “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” is warm even if it never quite catches fire.   Kristen Stewart stars in “Seberg,” the tragic true story of the all-too brief life of actress Jean Seberg, a social activist who made enemies when she supported the Civil Rights movement in the 60s. This should have been a fascinating and troubling movie but sputters due to lackluster execution.   Also opening this week, “Once Were Brothers: Robbie…

“The Call of the Wild” is at least the ninth adaptation of the classic Jack London novel about the adventures of a dog named Buck, set during the Yukon Gold Rush iof the 1890s. Harrison Ford plays John Thornton, the gruff prospector who becomes one of Buck’s multiple masters. It’s a rousing story and Ford’s presence is a big help, but the filmmakers use unconvincing computer-generated imagery to create all the animals and most of the environment. This approach undermines London’s story, giving “The Call of the Wild” has a sheen of artificiality when it should be a celebration of the natural world. The under 10 set may enjoy it, but for the rest of us, this dog has no bite.   If you think your boss is bad, check out “The Assistant.” Julia Garner, best known from her role as the hillbilly gangster Ruth Langmore from Netflix’s “Ozark,” shows her range in an excellent performance as Julia, an exploited gofer for a nasty, unseen film executive. Any resemblance to Harvey Weinstein may or may not be coincidental. This slice-of-life character study takes place over one grueling day as Julia, a recent college grad pining to break into the film…

“Downhill” is an American remake of “Force Majeure,” a critically acclaimed Swedish film from 2014. Will Farrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus star in the story of a family on a ski vacation in the Alps. Their marriage is strained to the breaking point when Ferrell’s character engages in an act of cowardice during an avalanche. There are few laughs in this version that seems a bit watered down from the original. Louis-Dreyfus gives a strong, believable performance, though. However, her efforts can’t keep this 85-minute movie from seeming longer than it is. “Downhill” is not a bad film by any means but just doesn’t live up to its potential. It’s a bunny slope version of “Force Majeure.”   Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we’re offered the romantic drama, “The Photograph.” Issa Rae and LaKeith Stanfield star in the story of a romance sparked by a photo that sends a woman on a quest of discovery. Rae plays a museum curator whose path crosses with journalist Stanfield when she seeks answers about her mother’s life. Do these actors have chemistry? You bet. This romance is grounded in reality and manages to avoid many of the pitfalls that commonly haunt romantic dramas.…