Reel-View Ratings: The Bigger The Beard, The Better The Movie

BREATHE

Girls know that the betrayal of a best friend is even worse than the betrayal of a lover. Director Melanie Laurent knows, too, and she demonstrates it ably in Breathe. Quiet, retiring Charlie and vivacious, worldly Sarah become fast, intense friends, forsaking all other company for the enthrallment of one another. The two high-schoolers are on the verge of blossoming — literally, metaphorically, sexually. But flames that burn too bright turn quickly to ashes, as Charlie realizes Sarah isn’t all she claims to be. While some plot points fall flat and feel telegraphed, the ferocious decoupling of the two girls is visceral and painful, dripping with venomous cruelty. It feels real. Plays at 4 p.m. Dec. 13, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 22 and 1 p.m. Dec. 30 at Doris Duke Theatre

THE FIFTH WHEEL

A bumbling Italian man inadvertently finds himself entangled (or at least just vaguely physically near) a number of significant moments in Italy’s history over the last half-century. (Kind of like Forrest Gump, except … Italian.) Hijinks, laughs, romance and some nepotism ensue. It sounds … clich . It is. There’s little funny, original or even very interesting about this comedy, which largely fails to amuse or engage its audiences — even the ones who keep up with their modern Italian politics and history. Oh, there are moments of genuine interest, individual characters that stick out and shine for one sparkling moment. But you need more than sparks to start a fire. 


Plays at 12:30 and 7 p.m. Dec. 11 at Movie Musuem

MACBETH

At once faithful and divergent, Justin Kurzel’s take on that Scottish play captures the furious red animalistic violence and bloodlust of Macbeth (Michael Fassbender) and his wife (Marion Cotillard) while also paring down the dialogue to a mostly-just-whispered minimum. The Bard’s words are not what is coveted here — this is no Laurence Olivier production — but instead sound and fury are set aside in favor of pained looks and loaded silences. Kurzel makes a few key, unvoiced changes to the story that explain and enrich the source material, and Fassbender and Cotillard offer definitive performances for the Shakespearian library. But the secondary dialogue may rankle too much for purists. Opens Dec. 11 at Kahala Theatre