An involving but imperfect biopic on iconic singer Bob Marley along with three Oscar entries for best international feature (one of which made the cut) head up this week’s release.
We also turn our gaze to a stunning directorial debut that will make parents of teen daughters squirm.
Here’s our roundup.
“Bob Marley: One Love”: Whenever this family-authorized biopic about the Jamaican-born reggae icon who gave us classics such as “Jammin’,” “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’ and “One Love” (the last two with the Wailers) loses its storytelling grip, lead Kingsley Ben-Adir saves it and makes everything (almost) alright. The star of “One Night in Miami” (he played Malcolm X) is hardly a dead ringer for Marley. But when the actor as Marley goes on stage or jams in the recording booth, he owns the film, and makes it better. The screenplay metes out a few bon mottes about Marley’s inspirations (the origin of the title for his album “Exodus” is a highlight), but having four credited screenwriters fussing around might explain why some portions seem downright clunky, including the re-enactment of the harrowing attack on Marley and his band in Jamaica and his ensuing move to Europe. Add flashbacks to Marley’s father that don’t work at all, and what you wind up with is a choppy but enjoyable film. There is enough to like here, including the film’s main focus – Marley’s goal to stage a concert calling for unity in Jamaica while a civil war raged on. “Bob Marley: One Love” doesn’t raise the bar on the music biopic, but it does highlight why this icon who died of melanoma at age 36 left an indelible mark. Details: 2½ stars out of 4; in theaters Feb. 14.
“The Taste of Things”: Trần Anh Hùng’s passion for food saturates every pore of this sumptuous epicurean romance, an epic that dares to open with a nearly 45-minute sequence that seductively follows the preparation, cooking, presentation and serving of a mouth-watering feast. And is it ever something to savor. Juliette Binoche stars and is entrancing as ever as 19th-century French chef Eugenie, a culinary wonder who creates gastronomical inspirations with the support of bon vivant Dodin (Benoit Magimel). They share a deep love for food and that bond is seasoned with romance. The Cannes winner was France’s pick for international feature at the Oscars, and it didn’t make the Top 5. It’s a perfect date movie, just don’t eat beforehand. Details: 3½ stars; in theaters now.
“The New Look”: It’s Juliette Binoche’s week to shine. She’s unforgettable as confident, feisty and irascible fashion designer Coco Chanel in the 10-episode Apple TV+ series “The New Look,” created by Todd A. Kessler.
The series stitches together the intense, sometimes harrowing experiences Chanel and Christian Dior (Ben Mendelsohn) experienced in Nazi-occupied Paris, and also follows their rivalry and post-war lives and careers. For those unfamiliar with the lives of these fashion icons, “The New Look” serves as a stylish eye opener, as well as a classy combo of WWII thriller and high drama on the fashion industry. For fashionistas, there are telling details (I love the Pierre Cardin bit) tossed in along with all those gorgeous gowns and threads.
Both Binoche and Mendelsohn handle their larger-than-life characters with grace, never slipping into caricature mode. Mendelsohn, in particular, gives a tender, calibrated performance, one that’s particularly strong in early scenes involving his attempt to find his sister Catherine (Maisie Williams) during the occupation. John Malkovich, as his boss Lucien Lelong, is a stitch as well. Details: 3 stars; three episodes available this week, with one episode following dropping each week through April 3; Apple TV+.
“Tótem”: Everyone’s understandably on edge and out of sorts over an upcoming birthday party in Lila Avilés’ lovely feature, Mexico’s official submission for best international feature at this year’s Oscars. Her observant verite-like feature didn’t make the Top 5, but it’s definitely worth seeing. Avilés frames much of the story from the perspective of 7-year-old Sol (Naíma Sentíes) and how she sees it jumps from joyful to playful to sad. The last part because Sol’s father is the one being celebrated, and he’s confined to a bedroom since he’s moving closer to death. Yes, this’ll break your heart, but “Tótem” is life-affirming, too. Details: 3½ stars; opens Feb. 16 at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco.
“Perfect Days”: Wim Wenders’ touching, poetic character study of a toilet cleaner in Japan who finds grace throughout his daily routine takes a fly-on-the-wall approach to its subject. It makes this Oscar nominee for best international feature all that more beautifully realized. Part of the reason this deceptively simple story works is Wenders’ commitment to transform ordinary occurrences into extraordinary ones filled with grace and beauty. The other is Kôji Yakusho’s transcendent performance as Hirayama, whose joy of reading, listening to music and observing nature illuminates the essence of this humbling feature that debunks the myth that you need money and fancy things to grant you happiness. That message becomes more nuanced as Wenders introduces us to the backstory of Hirayama, and how he arrived at where he is. Details: 3½ stars; opens Feb. 16 at the Kabuki in San Francisco, Feb. 23 at the Smith Rafael Center in San Rafael and March 1 at the Roxie in San Francisco.
Find of the week
“How to Have Sex”: It’s easy to assume that Molly Manning Walker’s breakout directorial debut will be another sleazy teen sex comedy because of its title. It’s far, far, far from that. What it does extraordinarily well is relate a singular experience framed around three teen British besties, Tara (Mia McKenna-Bryce) Skye (Lara Peake) and Em (Enva Lewis) who go on a “hard-partying” vacation in Greece. From drinking to excess and stumbling to and from pool parties and spilling into bars/clubs, it’s every parent’s nightmare of a teen daughter’s vacation. For Tara — the lone friend still a virgin — it might the time to have sex. Walker realizes this is risky material but she avoids sensationalism in charting Tara’s treacherous journey, one that requires lead McKenna-Bryce to crawl into tough emotional spaces. She’s a revelation. So are Shaun Thomas as Badger and Samuel Bottomley as Paddy, two clueless sometimes calculating guys hanging out with them. Walker imbues all of this with the sense that something seriously awry is about to happen. Details: 3½ stars; opens Feb. 16 at the Alamo Drafthouse in San Francisco.
Contact Randy Myers at [email protected].
