Reel-View Ratings: The Bigger The Beard, The Better The Movie
EYE IN THE SKY
British Col. Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren) dispatches an American military drone pilot (Aaron Paul) to attack potential terrorists in Kenya — but when a civilian walks into the war zone, the ethics of the call get much murkier. A star-studded ensemble turns the question of remote warfare and its sacrifices over and over, offering perspectives from presidents and soldiers without condemning or condoning any standpoint (all of it conveyed in accurately labyrinthine political doublespeak). That its entire cast rises above caricature is commendable; that it also falls just short of dramatic closure seems entirely appropriate, if disappointing. Also of note: Alan Rickman’s last screen performance here as a jaded general.
Plays at 1:30, 5:15 and 9 p.m. July 8 at the Movie Museum
THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS
If this reviewer might be honest, her weakness for adorable animals may skew her judgment of this joke-a-minute machine of animal hijinks. But, as it were, the story nominally focuses on Max (Louis C.K.), a dog who gets lost one day with new housemate Duke (Eric Stonestreet) and must find his way back to his beloved owner. But that plot isn’t really important because it is only there to string together all these disconnected jokes about headbanger poodles, angry bunnies and devious cats that are rendered in beautiful, flawless CG. If you loved the trailers, you’ll love this. If you thought they, well, lacked that Pixar emotional touch, then you were right. But it’s still funny.
Opens July 8 in wide release
WEINER-DOG
Who would have guessed that a movie starring an adorable dachshund would be so depressing? The hard-luck pup gets shuffled between owners, all of whom have a gloomy story to tell — from the indifferent, selfish parents (Tracy Letts and Julie Delpy) of his first kindly owner to a lonely old woman (Ellen Burstyn) whose granddaughter manipulates her for money. Nothing really connects these anecdotes aside from the eponymous Weiner-Dog … oh, and a general nihilism towards humanity. Director Todd Solondz is well known for his gloomy features, but this takes the cake for a new low. Without an overarching theme to give all this suffering purpose, it’s a hard film to watch.
