R, 2:02, drama
As Arthur Fleck, a perpetually humiliated, bullied and marginalized Gotham City clown for hire dreaming of a career in stand-up comedy, Joaquin Phoenix regards himself in a makeup mirror until a tear rolls down his whiteface cheek. The movie, directed by and co-written by Todd Phillips, honors his pain by being one. For a while “Joker” (an origin story for the “Batman” villain) gets by on sheer morbidity, saving its most explicit bursts of violence for the final third. Except for one murder committed off-screen, everybody this proto-Joker kills has it coming. His killings are emotionally and even morally justified in the filmmaker’s eyes. You’d be an idiot to bring kids to this.
PG, 1:37, animation
Equal parts “E.T.” and “King Kong,” this film fits in with movies like “The Iron Giant,” “Lilo & Stitch” and the “How to Train Your Dragon” franchise, where plucky kids bond with strange, exotic creatures and attempt to save them from the capitalistic forces of exploitation. “Abominable” doesn’t change this formula; it just executes it exceptionally well, with a fresh perspective and plenty of magic. The creature in question is a Yeti, whom Yi (Chloe Bennet) encounters on the roof of her Shanghai apartment building while he seeks shelter from the predatory Burnish Industries. In short order, she decides to help the Yeti, whom she nicknames Everest, find his way home.
PG, 2:03, drama
King George V and Queen Mary are coming to Yorkshire to stay at the pleasantly expansive manse of the Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville, who gets weirdly little to do). What else happens? A lot, yet it feels like a little. Retired butler Carson (Jim Carter) swings back into service, gratefully, while Barrow (Robert James-Collier), onetime footman, is introduced into Yorkshire’s gay underground. A new character, Lady Maud (Imelda Staunton), matches wits with the resident zinger dispenser Lady Violet (Maggie Smith). All franchises lean into fan service; this one leans so far it falls onto a fainting couch. It’s not a movie; it’s a commemorative throw pillow.
R, 1:49, drama
“Hustlers” offers a shiny, enjoyable, montage-intensive lesson in transactional economics. It’s about Manhattan strip club employees who make their money, on stage and off, backed by a soundtrack featuring “Shake That Monkey,” “Make It Rain,” “I Get Money” and “Werk.” The film’s half-real, half-fantasy treatment of a fact-based story is almost
PG-13, 1:57, biography
In the title role, Renee Zellweger does not lip-sync. She sings. Zellweger’s voice isn’t like Garland’s; it’s higher, smaller, tighter. But you buy it as part of a fascinating, fully committed performance. The movie’s pretty good; Zellweger makes it worth seeing. The physical transformation is quite remarkable; she holds her shoulders a whole new way (Garland had spine troubles her entire life), and without getting into heavy-duty prosthetics, the actress evokes the ultra-stylized, flailing-nerve-endings performance details with real assurance. “Judy” reinvents no wheels, and climbs no cinematic summits. I don’t want to make grand claims for it; I also hope people find it.
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