What to see this week

6 films to see on the week of March 29 — April 4, 2019

Dumbo

THE Disney live action adaptation of its animated 1941 original follows a down-on-its-luck circus whose fortunes change when a young elephant, Dumbo, with oversized ears is born and they learn that it can fly. The circus’ success attracts an entrepreneur who recruits Dumbo for his new entertainment venture, Dreamland. It’s not long before they realize that Dreamland has dark secrets. Directed by Tim Burton, the film stars Colin Farrell, Eva Green, Michael Keaton, and Danny DeVito. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman writes, “Dumbo has the look and atmosphere of a ‘sincere’ blockbuster that’s trying too hard. What it’s trying too hard to do, of course, is to justify its existence as another live-action version of a fabled Disney cartoon.” The film has a low 52% on review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes.
MTRCB RATING: G

Backtrace

IMPRISONED in a psychiatric ward after suffering a brain injury in a bank heist, an inmate and ward doctor coerce MacDonald to break out of prison. Directed by Brian A. Miller, the film stars Ryan Guzman, Sylvester Stallone, Matthew Modine, Christopher McDonald, and Meadow Williams. Variety’s Joe Leydon writes, “Backtrace moves at a satisfyingly brisk clip, and actually manages to spring a surprise or two without unduly stretching credibility.”
MTRCB RATING: R-13

The Forgiven

A THRILLER based on real events, the film follows Archbishop Desmond Tutu who goes head-to-head with a clemency-seeking notorious murderer in a maximum security unit. Directed by Roland Joffé, the film stars Forest Whitaker, Eric Bana, and Jeff Gum. Simon Abrams of writes, “[The Forgiven] only succeeds as an ugly, empty-headed provocation.”
MTRCB RATING: R-13

Hotel Mumbai

BASED on a true story, the film recounts the events of the 2008 seige of Mumbai’s Taj Hotel. In the film, hotel chef Hemant Oberoi and a waiter risk their lives to protect guests from terrorists, while a couple makes painful sacrifices to protect their newborn child. Directed by Anthony Maras, the film stars Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, and Nazanin Boniadi. The Wrap’s Robert Abele writes, “As the situation intensifies, one of the movie’s strengths emerges in the depiction of the homicidal extremists prowling the hotel; they aren’t mere faceless villains or cookie-cutter baddies. Maras’ methodical depiction of their behavior — calm when killing, crying when wounded, crafty one second, feverish the next — adds an unsettling depth to the movie’s portrait of young religious fanaticism.” Review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 69% and its Critics Consensus says “Its depiction of real-life horror will strike some as exploitative, but Hotel Mumbai remains a well-made dramatization of tragic events.”
MTRCB RATING: R-13

Maria

A FORMER cartel assassin fakes her own death after refusing to complete a mission. She then travels to the province in the hope to start a new life. Directed by Pedring Lopez, the film stars Christine Reyes, Jennifer Lee, Andrea Del Rosario, and KC Montero.
MTRCB RATING: R-16

Eerie

Every night, a guidance counselor in a conservative all-girls Catholic high school waits at her desk for midnight therapy sessions with the ghost of Eri, a student who committed suicide on campus more than a decade ago. When a student is found dead on campus, she suspects the murderer to be the school’s overseer. Directed by Mikhail Red, the film stars Bea Alonzo and Charo Santos-Concio.