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THE ZONE OF INTEREST
*** “Rudi calls me the queen of Auschwitz,” chuckles Hedwig (Sandra Hüller). Her laughter is neither mad nor maniacal; it’s a titter of amusement, light and bloodless. Hedwig may be the wife of Auschwitz Commandant Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel), but she doesn’t fit the profile of a tyrant’s spouse. At once aware and indifferent, she regards the genocide of Jews with mild interest, preferring to focus on the sunflowers and kale growing in her meticulously maintained yard. Hedwig is one of many clues that Jonathan Glazer, the writer-director of The Zone of Interest, is less interested in the banality than the triviality of evil. When movies peer through German eyes at World War II, they typically cling to the momentous, from the 1,200 lives saved by Oskar Schindler to the July 20, 1944, plot to assassinate Hitler with a bomb in a briefcase. What fascinates Glazer, adapting Martin Amis’ novel, are the seemingly incidental details, like the Höss family’s pond freezing over or Rudolph petting a gray-furred dog on a snowy day. The quiet spectacle of ordinary life marching on in the shadow of the Holocaust makes you want to scream in helpless rage, an outcome Glazer stiffly guards against. He has no catharsis to offer, no words of wisdom to impart. His singular drive is to show us that horrific history is made not only by raging monsters, but by men and women who treat the slaughter of millions as another day at the office. And not even an extraordinary day. PG-13. BENNETT CAMPBELL FERGUSON. Cinema 21, Hollywood.
ALL OF US STRANGERS
**** “If I am lonely,” Adam (Andrew Scott) says, “it’s not because I’m gay.” He’s only partially right. No, Adam doesn’t face bigotry or exclusion in his day-to-day life, but his self-imposed isolation stems from a number of lingering traumas—his closeted youth being among them. However, in All of Us Strangers, we see Adam slowly begin to connect with others: his neighbor and suitor Harry (Paul Mescal) and his suburban parents (Claire Foy and Jamie Bell)—despite the fact that they died when Adam was a boy. Writer-director Andrew Haigh (45 Years, Lean on Pete) is smart enough never to reveal the mechanics of Mum and Dad’s return. The point is Adam getting a second chance at closure and the emotional roller coaster that comes with it, rendered in a shaky, uncomfortable style that stays just surreal and ethereal enough to be in the realm of magical realism. All the actors put forth their A-game, but it’s Scott who burns brightest, turning in a performance that’s bashful, earnest and absolutely devastating. If there’s any criticism to be leveled at All of Us Strangers, it’s that it’s sometimes too safe and sterile, but the movie still earns its ending and delivers a quietly stirring story of looking back in order to move forward. R. MORGAN SHAUNETTE. Cinema 21.
AMERICAN FICTION
**** The trailers for American Fiction have been selling the feature as Bamboozled in the publishing industry, and while that’s certainly the crux of the story, it doesn’t get to the root of what makes the film compelling. Based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett, the movie follows Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Jeffrey Wright), a novelist pigeonholed in the African American studies genre. Looking to break out, Monk turns in an aggressively Black tale of criminality, drug addiction and absent fathers, which becomes a sensational hit despite his attempts at self-sabotage. Writer-director Cord Jefferson makes the most of the satirical premise, and there’s definitely some laughs to be had at the expense of would-be progressives who fetishize stories of Black suffering. However, the real meat of American Fiction is Monk’s personal relationships, particularly with his ailing mother (Leslie Uggams), self-destructing brother (Sterling K. Brown), and newfound paramour (Erika Alexander). It’s here that we understand the root of Monk’s issues and why he strives to set himself apart from what filmmaker Radha Blank once called “poverty porn.” All the actors shine, but Wright’s comedic chops and genuine heart hold the whole thing together. He’s been a reliable character actor for years now, and seeing his long-overdue star turn is hugely gratifying. American Fiction may make some audiences uncomfortable, but its razor-sharp satire and engaging family drama make it both a must-watch and a serious awards contender. R. MORGAN SHAUNETTE. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, Cinema 21, Clackamas, Eastport, Evergreen Parkway, Fox Tower, Hollywood, Laurelhurst, Living Room.
THE IRON CLAW
*** Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, the question of whether or not it was “real” dominated coverage of American professional wrestling. Were the rivalries genuine? Were the matches scripted? Now, with the benefit of hindsight, we can recognize that not only was it always fixed, but that obsessing over that aspect obfuscated the very real controversies endemic to the WWE that claimed the lives of Jeep Swenson, Owen Hart, and much of the Von Erich family, whose story is dramatized in A24′s The Iron Claw. Writer-director Sean Durkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Nest) keeps this in mind, shooting the wrestling scenes with kayfabe (pulled punches and choreographed grapples that make the sport look more childish than intense) in full effect. But he doesn’t shy away from the very real physical toll that wrestling and steroid abuse had on brothers Kevin (Zac Efron), Kerry (Jeremy Allen White), David (Harris Dickinson) and Mike (Stanley Simons) as they struggled to live up to the impossible standards of their domineering father, Fritz (Holt McCallany). Even knowing what tragedies befell the family doesn’t soften the blow as brother after brother is chewed up and spat out under Fritz’s reign. It’s harrowing to watch, particularly for Kevin, the only one with a support network outside the ring (thanks to his wife, Pam, played by Lily James). Leaving his High School Musical and The Greatest Showman days far behind, Efron manages to convey earnestness and heartbreak while looking like a He-Man doll come to life. The Iron Claw can be agonizing, but it’s a well-crafted tragedy that puts you in an emotional headlock and keeps you there till the bell rings. R. MORGAN SHAUNETTE. Bridgeport, Cascade, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division Street, Eastport, Evergreen Parkway, Fox Tower.
MEAN GIRLS
*** Cady Heron, the corrupted innocent; Regina George, the diabolically perfect teen dictator. As mythic as they are backstabbing, the characters of Mean Girls have clung to pop culture for 20 years, infiltrating the English language (“fetch” happened, y’all) and solidifying our collective imagining of American high schools as battlefields littered with the corpses of dead friendships. Some would have you believe that the original 2004 film was a righteous lesson in the evils of bullying, but it reveled in Regina’s rampant cruelty and her blunt-force comeuppance (though she took being pummeled by a school bus like a champ). However, the new musical version of the story—based the 2017 stage play the film inspired—is noticeably nice. Gone is the mysteriousness of Cady and Regina’s reconciliation (they now share a bathroom heart-to-heart instead of a dreamy, wordless truce) and the horrifying scene in which a student is sexually abused by Coach Carr (now played by Jon Hamm as a wholesome dumbass). Fans will debate whether Mean Girls ‘24 is a welcome refresh or a dishonest gloss on an inherently ugly tale, but at least two of the songs (“Revenge Party” and “Apex Predator”) come respectably close to being bangers, and the new cast (led by Angourie Rice as Cady and Reneé Rapp as Regina) is surprisingly serviceable. Filling a role originated by Lindsay Lohan or Rachel McAdams without embarrassing yourself? That really is fetch. PG-13. BENNETT CAMPBELL FERGUSON. Academy, Bagdad, Cedar Hills, Eastport, Fox Tower, Joy Cinema, Laurelhurst, Lloyd Center, Pioneer Place, St. Johns, St. Johns Twin, Studio One, Wunderland Milwaukie.
FREUD’S LAST SESSION
** This shy little story thrust into the cinematic spotlight stands on performances begging to return to the stage. Playwright Mark St. Germain worked with director Matthew Brown to adapt his play for the big screen, focusing on a fictional conversation between Sigmund Freud and future Chronicles of Narnia author and recently converted theologian C.S. Lewis. Freud (Anthony Hopkins), visibly nearing the end of his battle with cancer, summons Lewis (Matthew Goode) to his home in 1939 London as news of Hitler’s movements comes over the radio. Their meeting begins with polite verbal sparring until the looming Nazi threat invades their tangential banter. Afterward, a shaken Lewis drops the pretense as the debate shifts to the existence of God, putting them both on the therapy couch (advantage, Freud). The story spills into the conflicted world of Freud’s daughter Anna (Liv Lisa Fries), who’s torn by ambition and obligation to her dying father. But don’t get too invested, as her presence merely plays as the arc to Freud’s theatrical resolution. The two leads, at least, offer a captivating spark layered over the indulgent flashbacks and B-plot filler. Their intellectually dense conversation exposes the origins of their opposing, deeply held beliefs, producing a mutual respect rather than a common enemy, a mythical feat in a mediocre movie. PG-13. RAY GILL JR. Cascade, Division Street, Fox Tower, Movies on TV.
HE WENT THAT WAY
** He Went That Way is the first and last film by director Jeffrey Darling, who died in a surfing accident in 2022. While Darling was known for his cinematography work, his sole directorial effort is unfortunately forgettable. Zachary Quinto plays Jim Goodwin, an animal trainer transporting a star chimp to Chicago in the early 1960s. Goodwin picks up eccentric hitchhiker Bobby Falls (Jacob Elordi), who turns out to be a serial killer on the run. Darling injects some visual style into He Went That Way, but the script by Evan M. Wiener feels made up of spare parts from the Coen Brothers’ films (despite this project being based on a true story and a book). The tonal shifts, character encounters, and accents are all inconsistent as Jim and Bobby move through the thin plot. Quinto and Elordi do have believable chemistry though, and the latter delivers the same rising star magnetism he showed in last year’s Priscilla and Saltburn. A tense scene involving a hotel room and two sleeping women is absolutely gripping. It’s one of a handful of strong scenes in Darling’s feature, but surrounding them is plenty of dark comedy fluff. NR. DANIEL RESTER. On demand.
WONKA
** When Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal) proclaimed Paul King’s Paddington 2 one of his top three favorite films in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, he earned a scoff from none other than Nick (Nicolas Cage). Yet when Nick finally watched the bear-centric sequel, he couldn’t help weeping over Paddington’s Chaplin-esque misadventures in post-Brexit England. One presumes he’d be less dewy-eyed over Wonka, King’s nifty and vexing prequel to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Ditching that film’s fascination with child torture, King fashions a tale in sync with his defiantly sentimental sensibilities: A young, idealistic Willy (Timothée Chalamet) begins peddling his tooth-ravaging treats, only to face the wrath of a tyrannical “chocolate cartel.” Loyal to a fault, King stocks the cast with Paddington standbys, including Tom “T-Bone” Davis (who’s wondrously absurd as Bleacher, a lederhosen-wearing villain who imprisons Willy in a workhouse). King and Chalamet imbue Willy with a touch of Paddington’s wholesomeness; unlike Gene Wilder’s flamboyantly sadistic confectioner, Wonka 2.0 is a jaunty idealist who trusts in “the kindness of strangers.” All this is so delightful that you could almost overlook the film’s boilerplate plot—”Willy Wonka origin story” is one of those phrases that stirs fears of civilization’s demise—and tone-deaf original songs (after “You’ve Never Had Chocolate Like This,” all I craved was salad). Wonka is good enough to raise hopes for King’s future projects, including a Fred Astaire biopic starring Tom Holland. But even devoted King fans like Javi may retch at the icky, sugary aftertaste that comes with resuscitating moribund intellectual property. PG. BENNETT CAMPBELL FERGUSON. Bridgeport, Cedar Hills, City Center, Clackamas, Division Street, Eastport, Evergreen Parkway, Lloyd Center, Mill Plain, Oak Grove, Pioneer Place, Progress Ridge, Studio One, Vancouver Mall, Vancouver Plaza.