1. The Age of Adaline (Lionsgate, 2,991 Theaters, 110 Minutes, Rated PG-13 for a suggestive comment, Rotten Tomatoes: 56% Fresh [62 Reviews]): The world is fascinated by immortality. Everyone tries to figure out the secret of living the longest, and when people reach the century mark, it becomes fodder for Today Show segments and human interest stories.
Adaline is over 100 years old. However, she looks to be 30, tops. A magic accident gives her the gift of immortality. Unfortunately, it is not the best gift, as Adaline has to become a recluse, putting aside any chance of love so she doesn’t have to watch the her boyfriends and lovers slowly die in front of her eyes.
However, she comes across an man some 75 years her junior, a man whose love might make the risk of letting someone mortal in close worth it. Unfortunately, Adeline knew the young man’s dad in his youth. That will tend to complicate things a bit.
This does call to mind the May 1905-December 2013 romance that was the basis of Twilight, but this film at least has the gumption to at the very least play lip service to the moral implications of an immortal dallying with a mortal.
2. Little Boy (Open Road Films, 1,045 Theaters, 100 Minutes, Rated PG-13 for some mature thematic material and violence, Rotten Tomatoes: 7% Fresh [27 Reviews]): A film no one has heard of opening at over 1,000 theaters? A cast full of actors who have all seen better days at the box office yet should be appearing in better films than this? Yep, you guessed it! Another religious-themed film is being foist upon us!
I’d typically give a plot blurb here, but I decided to with the one Mammoth Advertising provided IMDB, because it is just rich:
LITTLE BOY is a powerful and moving film about a little boy who is willing to do whatever it takes to bring his dad home from World War II alive. The heartwarming story will capture your heart and lift your spirits as it reveals the indescribable love a little boy has for his father and the love a father has for his son. Set in the 1940s, LITTLE BOY is an instant cinematic classic that captures the wonder of life through the eyes of an 8- year-old little boy. Written and directed by Smithsonian Institute Award winning director Alejandro Monteverde, LITTLE BOY highlights themes of faith, hope and love in the face of adversity.
That makes it sound like every Stephen Spielberg movie, including extra helpings of E.T. and Saving Private Ryan, crammed into a blender and blended to make liquid gold, doesn’t? Just hand over the Oscar now, right?
As of this writing, the film only has two positive reviews. Two. And one of them was from Rex Reed, which shouldn’t count. STAY AWAY!
3. Ex Machina (Opening Wide, A24, 108 Minutes, Rated R for graphic nudity, language, sexual references and some violence, Rotten Tomatoes: 89% Fresh [141 Reviews]): So, no theater count for this one, but it is supposedly opening wide nationwide. Hopefully, this will be coming to a theater near you. If not, well, there’s always Little Boy.
Caleb (Domhnall Gleason) wins a contest to spend some time with his company’s reclusive yet brilliant CEO Nathan (Oscar Isaac). But it turns out to be a working vacation as Nathan charges Caleb with testing is new A.I. system, Ava, housed in an eerily seductive female form. But it is Caleb who will be tested when Ava turns out to be more human than she seems.
The film has been getting a lot of good press and the reviews are very good. And if you want to see Gleason and Isaac in a sci-fi before they share the screen in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, well, here you go.
