“Tully” (Drama: 1 hour, 52 minutes)

Starring: Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis and Ron Livingston

Director: Jason Reitman

Rated: R (Profanity, sexuality and nudity)

 

Movie Review: When a movie fools an audience, the act is nominal. It is another when a movie fools itself. 

This screenplay by writer Diablo Cody (“Juno,” 2007, which Jason Reitman directed) does just that. This is uninspiring considering Theron is superb and carries the movie, the movie’s philosophy on the treasures and tribulations of parenthood, especially motherhood, are engaging, despite its less than pivotal conclusion.

New York suburbanite Marlo (Theron), a struggling married mother of three, feels her three children are more taxing she can handle. This is especially true when her busy husband, Craig (a tangible Livingston), is at work. Marlo hires Tully (a talented Davis), an inspiring night nanny, to help with her newborn. Marlo and Tully form a strong friendship that helps Marlo through a rough period.

“Tully” is a nod to mothers. It boldly shows motherhood is a job, an important one.

Theron plays a pivotal role. Her role is gratifying as Marlo. Her scenes with Davis and Livingston are part of her character’s evolution. Theron makes the most of scenes making her character one of the most realistic portrayals on the big screen. Her performance is noteworthy. 

The rest of the photoplay is not as impressive. Cody’s screenplay plays with the mind to the point that one has to question everything in previous scenes after a major reveal. At its apex, one questions why sitting through this is worth it when it is not the reality one might visualize.

The appearance is a modern “Mary Poppins”-like movie, except “Tully” is a hard drama. It is not a fantasy. However, it plays its audience in a fantasy manner.

Grade: C+ (Tully puzzles as much as prevails.)

“Kings” (Drame: 1 hour, 32 minutes)

Starring: Halle Berry, Daniel Craig, Lamar Johnson, Kaalan Rashad Walker and Rachel Hilson

Director: Deniz Gamze Ergüven

Rated: R (Profanity, sexual content, nudity, violence and thematic elements)

 

Movie Review: “Kings” has a timely narrative — human rights — that overwhelms other parts of the drama. The script uses past events as a setting. The place and time overshadow the uneven story that boasts feeble portrayals. 

Halle Berry plays Millie Dunbar, a foster mother to eight children in South Central Los Angeles. The family’s life is good considering the city will change in just a few days. Following the verdict of the Rodney King trial, April 29, 1992, Los Angeles erupts in violence. Dunbar and her erratic neighbor, Obie Hardison (Craig), set out to find four of Dunbar’s wards during the ensuing chaos.

Deniz Gamze Ergüven (“Mustang,” 2015) directs this feature from a screenplay she wrote. “Kings” is her second full-length feature. The movie boasts interesting ideas, but the chaos that ensues in the background is much more interesting than the story of Dunbar and her family. 

The Rodney King incident, initiated by a severe beating by Los Angeles police officers, began a conversation about police brutality and race. These issues prevalently persist in the United States. 

“Kings” attempts to show them from a different angle but it is a good thought executed poorly.

Berry and Daniel Craig appear out of place here. They do not appear to belong to a neighborhood. Perhaps this is because of their celebrity status or the fact they appear too well-groomed and articulate for their roles. Those noted facets, albeit perhaps biased, diminish their performances.

Ergüven attempts to take advantage of a serious event. The King trial and the violence that ensues take precedence and are much more intriguing than the tale she crafts.

Grade: C (No royal patriarchal personifications exist.)

*Playing in larger cities

“Bad Samaritan” (Thriller: 1 hour, 51 minutes)

Starring: Robert Sheehan, Carlito Olivero, Kerry Condon and David Tennant

Director: Dean Devlin

Rated: R (Sexual content, profanity, violence, drug use and thematic elements)

 

Movie Review: The idiom ‘no good deed goes unpunished’ accurately describes this entertaining piece, yet it has a formulaic Hollywood flair. Brandon Boyce (“Apt Pupil,” 1998) creates an engaging narrative, but fails to make it convincing. More important, he fails to keep it original as its start.

Sean Falco (Sheehan) and Derek Sandoval (Olivero) are a pair of valets who use the gig to rob their customers’ houses. The burglars encounter a life-changing phenomenon when Falco finds a woman being held captive in one of the homes they rob. 

Falco’s conscience lead him to assist. He becomes a good Samaritan, contacting both the police and authorities and doing his part to free the unknown woman.

Like many modern thrillers, “Bad Samaritan” goes overboard with its thrills. It has a good premise. The nature of the story is good entertainment. It also boasts a nice performance from Irishman Robert Sheehan.

With those good qualities, the movie fails to be as original as its plot, an apparent common trend of director Dean Devlin (“Geostorm,” 2017). The initial setup is good, but the sequential material that follows is average and unoriginal.

Grade: C+ (Good Samaritan, bad execution.)

“Overboard” (Comedy/Romance: 1 hour, 52 minutes)

Starring: Anna Faris, Eugenio Derbez and John Hannah

Director: Rob Greenberg

Rated: PG-13 (Suggestive material, partial nudity and strong language)

 

Movie Review: “Overboard” is an adaptation of the 1987 film (Director Garry Marshall) that starred Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. The currently showing “Overboard” is funny and thoughtful but its story is not convincing.

Leonardo (Derbez) is a wealthy playboy. After treating Kate (Faris), the hired help, like dirt, Leonardo falls overboard, causing amnesia. Enter Kate, who pretends Leonardo is her husband. 

As revenge, she makes Leonardo work harder than he ever has. After some time, Kate and her three daughters fall in love with Leonardo while fearing his memories may return at any time. 

Faris reminds one of Goldie Hawn. They can both play funny and ditzy while not diminishing their roles. Faris is good here. She and a comically talented Derbez make for a good couple. They amuse nicely.

They are not the problem. The story is. The movie sets an impossible to fathom story, even for a comedy.

Grade: C (The plot goes overboard.)