Freeze Frame

Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle goes from “La La Land” to outer space with “First Man.” Ryan Gosling plays the ultra-reserved astronaut Neil Armstrong and Claire Foy is his devoted wife, Janet. It’s beautifully produced, but like Armstrong himself, “First Man” …

Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle goes from “La La Land” to outer space with “First Man.” Ryan Gosling plays the ultra-reserved astronaut Neil Armstrong and Claire Foy is his devoted wife, Janet. It’s beautifully produced, but like Armstrong himself, “First Man” is emotionally aloof.   “Bad Times at the El Royale” is half of a great movie. This slick and violent grindhouse exploitation flick is involving and features a great cast, but it wears out its welcome in the bloated second half. It’s overdone and overlong but will be a guilty pleasure for some.   Amandla Stenberg gives a star making performance “The Hate U Give,” a YA offering about an African American teen walking a tightrope between her poor black neighborhood and the upscale white prep school she attends. This social drama has a lot more meat on its bones than most teen movies.   “Colette” is a decadent biopic about the infamous French writer. Keira Knightley plays the author of the semi-autobiographical novels about her bohemian lifestyle that scandalized early 20th century Paris. “Colette” may lack inspiration, but it’s never dull.   “Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween” is a sequel to the 2015 hit horror movie for kids inspired by…

There are two words that best describe the fourth big screen version of the old Hollywood chestnut, “A Star is Born”: Oscar bait. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga are impressive in this tragic romance about an alcoholic musician on the …

There are two words that best describe the fourth big screen version of the old Hollywood chestnut, “A Star is Born”: Oscar bait. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga are impressive in this tragic romance about an alcoholic musician on the downslide and his protégé who’s on the rise. Cooper directed and co-wrote this update, his first foray behind the camera. He also provides his own songs. In her movie debut, Lady Gaga displays solid acting chops to go along with her radio-ready original music. Even though you know the outcome, the story is still affecting thanks to the realistic treatment and the chemistry between the stars. “A Star is Born” doesn’t just refer to Lady Gaga, it also refers to Cooper as a talented budding filmmaker.   A Spider-Man supervillain gets his own feature film in Marvel’s “Venom.” Tom Hardy plays an investigative reporter who becomes the unwitting host for an alien parasite that provides him with amazing shape-shifting abilities, super strength and an intense hunger for human organs. When the Venom parasite starts making small talk with his host, however, the movie becomes unintentionally funny. The tone of this movie shifts shape more often than the title character. While…

The themes in the animated goof “Smallfoot” may be a bit heavy-handed, but it’s still a modestly amusing musical lark. Channing Tatum provides the voice of Migo, a giant yeti living in an isolated village atop a hidden mountain in …

“The House with a Clock in its Walls” is an atmospheric PG-rated horror movie for kids based on John Bellairs’ novel. Jack Black and Cate Blanchett star in this story about witchcraft, a young kid and a particularly spooky house. …

The themes in the animated goof “Smallfoot” may be a bit heavy-handed, but it’s still a modestly amusing musical lark. Channing Tatum provides the voice of Migo, a giant yeti living in an isolated village atop a hidden mountain in Nepal. He’s banished when he claims to have seen a smallfoot…that is, a human… which is believed to be mythical. The voice cast includes Common, Zendaya, LaBron James and James Cordon. The mixture of slapstick humor and social commentary doesn’t always work, but “Smallfoot” has its small charms.   If you think actress Emma Thompson can do no wrong, you’ll find more ammo for your argument in “The Children Act.” This sturdy British drama is about a judge, played by Thompson, whose marriage to professor Stanley Tucci is on the rocks. At the same time, she’s presiding over a touchy trial that pits the healthcare of a minor against the concept of religious freedom. The story has an air of artificiality, particularly in the pivotal relationship between the judge and a 17-year-old boy involved in the case. But Thompson ably carries the film on her very British shoulders.   The potentially incendiary comic combo of Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish…

“The House with a Clock in its Walls” is an atmospheric PG-rated horror movie for kids based on John Bellairs’ novel. Jack Black and Cate Blanchett star in this story about witchcraft, a young kid and a particularly spooky house. Fans of “Harry Potter,” “Goosebumps” and “Lemony Snicket” will find much that’s familiar here, but this adaptation isn’t quite as successful as any of them. Plus, “The House with a Clock in its Walls” is likely too scary for very young kids. Blanchett and Black are fun together, though.   Are you in the mood to be hammered with bubblegum philosophizing in an emotionally manipulative multigenerational drama? When then, “Life Itself” is the four-hankie weeper for you. Written and directed by Dan Fogelman, the creator of TV’s tearjerker, “This is Us,” “Life Itself” has an outstanding cast that includes Oscar Isaac, Olivia Wilde and Anette Bening in a tale about love, loss and the human condition. These fine actors lend some gravitas to the proceedings, but the story is so packed with tragedy that it seems downright sadistic. Also, one of the characters drones on about her thesis on “The Unreliable Narrator.” It’s as if Fogelman were going for self-parody,…

“The Predator” is the fifth entry in the popular alien huntsman series. Writer/director Shane Black offers lots of chaotic violence as well as a good deal of jokey humor. Jacob Tremblay, who may be the best child actor working today, …

“The Predator” is the fifth entry in the popular alien huntsman series. Writer/director Shane Black offers lots of chaotic violence as well as a good deal of jokey humor. Jacob Tremblay, who may be the best child actor working today, plays a kid genius who becomes an alien target. Fans of the series, yes. Others, no.   A highly controlled and nuanced performance by Glenn Close is the main attraction of “The Wife.” Jonathan Pryce plays an author who is invited to Sweden to accept the Nobel Prize. On the trip, his relationship with his wife hits the skids when a biographer threatens to expose the truth about their relationship. A great cast makes the most from an iffy premise.   Also opening this week, “A Simple Favor” is a modern film noir entry about a mommy blogger, played by Anna Kendrick, who tries to discern why her friend, played by Blake Lively, has disappeared.   “White Boy Rick” tells the strange but true story of a teenager, played by Richie Merritt, who gets mixed up with crack in the 1980s, first as an informant and then as a dealer. Matthew McConaughey plays Rick’s dad.   “Pick of the Litter”…