A top-notch historical romance and an intelligent thriller that marks a return to form for Liam Neeson hit theaters this week. Should you prefer a cuckoo horror movie, we’ve got a good one for you too.
Here’s our roundup.
“Firebird”: Ever since this classy Cold War-era romance screened last June as part of San Francisco’s Frameline LGBTQ+ film festival, it has stuck with me and become more relevant and significant. Both the Russia-Ukraine war and growing anti-LGBTQ sentiment in the U.S. and beyond are contributing factors. So is Russia’s long anti-LGBTQ stance and moves to suppress the film (the Guardian dubbed “Firebird” “the film Putin doesn’t want the world to see”), since it centers on the fact-based story of two male Soviet air force members falling in love and risking everything. But without any of those circumstances, “Firebird” remains an exceptionally made, stirring tearjerker.
Director Peeter Rebane and actor Tom Prior take great care in adapting Sergey Fetisov’s heartbreaking memoir “The Story of Roman” for the screen. What they and co-star Oleg Zagorodnii pull off convincingly is capturing the ache and desire of forbidden love between two men — young, idealistic Sergey (a soulful Prior) who’s an air force conscript with theatrical aspirations, and the daring, matinee-idol-handsome fighter pilot Roman (Ukranian actor Zagorodnii, who has been joining Prior and Reebane virtually from Kyiv on the press tour). Further complicating matters is Roman has a girlfriend (Diana Pozharskaya, strong in a critical role).
Sparks fly from the start when Sergey and Roman meet at an air force base in ‘70s Soviet-occupied Estonia. Lingering glances evolve into clandestine meetups and furtive, dangerous romantic evenings that could land both in terrible trouble. The chemistry between the two leads is off the charts in what comes off as a passionate, old-school melodrama that recalls the sweep and the emotional swell of a David Lean epic. It’s a sad true tale beautifully told on the human toll that a rigid society exacts on two men who fall dangerously in love. Details: 3½ stars; opening in theaters April 29; film is also getting an encore Frameline screening May 5 at CGV San Francisco 14 (formerly AMC Van Ness), details are at www.frameline.org.
“Memory”: After a run of cockamamie thrillers, Liam Neeson gets back to form with an absorbing vengeance tale set amid the seamy world of human trafficking. The veteran actor gets a meatier role that requires him to act, not just shoot out terse dialogue about getting back at someone. He plays ready-to-retire assassin Alex Lewis, a tough guy who has a severe change of heart when asked to snub out a female teen sex slave in El Paso, Texas. Yes, this neo-noir is as hardboiled and outraged as a novel from the late/great Andrew Vachss, and it works. Martin Campbell — who directed the James Bond outings “GoldenEye” and “Casino Royale” — and screenwriter Dario Scradapane serve up slimy predators, including Monica Belluci as a real estate czar, but add ethical but flawed characters as well to keep us interested. These include do-gooding G-man Vincent Serra (Guy Pearce, in another good performance) and his well-drawn co-workers (Taj Atwal and Harold Torres, both memorable). Based on the 2003 Belgian thriller “The Memory of a Killer,” “Memory” draws you into a complicated story and takes some clever unexpected turns along the way, traits that have been lacking in recent Neeson fare. Details: 3 stars; in theaters April 29.
“Hatching”: Wacky and gross, this outlandish freak-out from Finland doesn’t go the way you expect it to. Hanna Bergholm skewers a camera-perfect social influencer family, one that’s so lily-white it makes you want to reach for the sunscreen. When a rogue daughter brings home a portly egg, it’s only a matter of time before the creepy thing hatches and something truly diabolical pops out. Funny at points and scary at others, Bergholm’s trippy feature debut is a shocking oddity that you can’t stop watching. Details: 3 stars; in theaters April 29.
“The Bad Guys”: DreamWorks Animation might well benefit from putting a moratorium on all flatulence jokes and toning down the hyperactivity. They have something good here without needing any of those things. The talented voice cast certainly gives it their all, including Daly City native/Oscar winner Sam Rockwell. He plays Clooney-esque smoothie Wolf, a cocky leader of a motley crew of criminal critters intent on jumping from heist to heist. Their latest “hit” lands them in big trouble with the governor (Zazie Beetz) who is preparing to present a humanitarian statue – a target for the taking by these bad guys — to an annoyingly goodie-two-shoes hedgehog professor (Richard Ayoade, a standout). Based on a series of books, “The Bad Guys” likes its Looney Tunes-like chases but it also has a decent story lined with sly jokes that will appeal to adults as well. I do hope all the voice actors — Awkwafina (Tarantula), Marc Maron (Snake), Anthony Ramos (Piranha) and Alex Borstein (the thorn-in-their-side police chief) — turn up with Rockwell for another adventure. Details: 3 stars; in theaters now.
“Marvelous and the Black Hole”: Fremont native Kate Tsang creates one of the most memorable angry teen female characters you’ll ever meet. Thirteen-year-old Sammy (Miya Cech) is a rebel without a cause, angry all the time and barely coping after her mother’s death. That starts to change when a magician (Rhea Perlman) pops into her life and shows her new tricks about living with loss. Tsang’s perceptive first feature has a big heart but doesn’t cave to simplistic sentimentality. It delivers a welcome story about two emotionally wounded characters helping each other to learn to deal with grief. Details: 3 stars; now in theaters and available On Demand April 29.
“Heartstopper”: Netflix comes up with a real find here, an endearing, entirely lovable eight-episode LGBTQ series that’s based on the YA graphic novel series by Alice Oseman. Told in roughly 30-minute chapters, it perfectly captures all that yearning and worry of first love as the drum-playing Charlie (Joe Locke) becomes smitten with rugby player Nick (Kit Connor), a guy who starts to question his sexuality when he feels that fluttering feeling for Charlie. Directed by Euros Lyn, “Heartstopper” branches out to tell more stories of their friends — mainly Charlie’s — and their relationships, including Elle, who is transgender and opted to transfer to a girls school after being bullied. This is an ideal series for anyone in high school who feels the pangs of being different. It’s realistic but never bitter. You’ll fall for it just like Charlie and Nick fall for each other. Details: 3 stars, available now on Netflix.
“The Aviary”: Shot on a shoestring budget, this psychological thriller is chilling and effective in its depiction of the fallout of being in the stranglehold of a cult. The writing/directing team of Chris Cullari and Jennifer Raite create an unstable reality throughout by stranding their lead characters Jillian (Malin Akerman) and Blair (Lorenza Izzo) in the desert. Both have escaped the clutches of the Skylight cult. Or have they? Disoriented, lost and hangry, the two wander about and have visions of their enigmatic cult leader (Chris Messina). As the days and nights wear on, it becomes evident that either one isn’t being truthful and maybe both have lost their grip on reality. The two actresses are quite good, and Messina makes the most of a small but important role. It’s a cheapie, but creates a very distinctive experience. Details: 2.5 stars; available On Demand April 29.
Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.
