1. Morgan (Fox, 2,020 Theaters, 92 Minutes, Rated R for brutal violence, and some language, Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer at press time: 45% Fresh [71 Reviews]): Kate Mara is a corporate trouble shooter called out to a remote research facility to determine if her company’s latest project should be scrapped. It’s not a lawn mower or a new cell phone, it’s a human being. It’s supposed the perfect human ever created. Unfortunately, it has a few bugs, and these bugs are killers.
This film is produced by Ridley Scott and directed by his son, Luke. If any of the genetics that made Alien filtered through to Luke, this film could be better than the reviews say it is. It does have a good supporting cast, which includes Paul Giamatti and Jennifer Jason Leigh.
2. The Light Between Oceans (DreamWorks, 1,500 Theaters, 132 Minutes, Rated PG-13 for thematic material and some sexual content, Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer at press time: 59% Fresh [76 Reviews]): A young couple (Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander) decide to informally adopt a baby that washes up on the shore of their island home. Unfortunately, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and this act will cause them a world of hurt as the child gets older.
On paper, this might seem like a treacly tearjerker. But it is adapted from one of 2012’s best books, has a great cast (Fassbender, Vikander, Rachel Weisz and Bryan Brown) and is directed and written by Derek Cianfrance, director of Blue Valentine and The Place Beyond The Pines. This could be another case of the film being better than the critics say it is.
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