A dialogue-free animated tale featuring a black cat and some frenemies on a boat, a Jude Law thriller about infiltrating a white supremacist group and a Netflix spy series with Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw highlight this week’s releases.
Here’s our roundup.
“Flow”: A cataclysmic flood forces a brave black cat to go against its feline instincts and hop aboard a rocky boat filled with a crew of frenemy survivors — a cute capybara, a possessive lemur (my favorite), a stern bird and an ADHD dog. Their daring adventures and companionship light up the latest groundbreaker from Latvian animator Gints Zilbalodis. As his previous 2019 wonder “Away” proved, Zilbalodis is a natural-born storyteller who prefers stripping the tale down to its bare essentials — there’s no dialogue, for one thing — and using broad strokes to depict the marvels of the natural worlds he has created. His “Flow”, co-written by Matiss Kaza, is on an entirely another level from “Away.” It’s a classic Aesop-like fable that celebrates the power of unity in a time of heightened distress. I cherished every second of this short 85-minute transcendent experience, a film that holds you in its grip from beginning to end. Zilbalodis’ decision to avoid something big-name American studios would do — tap celebrities to provide the animals with cutesy voices — is in perfect alignment with the aim of the film. A soundtrack composed by Zilbalodis and Rihards Zalupe punctuates every mood or action and swells only when appropriate. There’s such obvious dedication to making all the creature movements seem natural, and having their reactions germane to what breed of species they are, which further accentuates the experience. It’s no wonder why Latvia submitted this for Oscar consideration in both the best international feature and best animated film categories. “Flow” makes a strong case for winning both. Details: 4 stars out of 4; in theaters Dec. 6.
“The Order”: Australian director Justin Kurzel’s engrossing thriller — based on real-life incidents — recounts how FBI agents and local Pacific Northwest police tracked down the ringleader of a violent ‘80s white supremacist group dubbed The Order. The harborers of hate were linked to a swath of violent robberies and armed car heists as well as the slaying of Colorado radio host Alan Berg (Marc Maron). Kurzel’s no-nonsense suspense film follows an obsessed, hot-tempered and burned-out FBI agent, Terry Husk (Jude Law, wearing weariness well), as well as another FBI agent (Jurnee Smollett) and a local cop Jamie Bowen (Tye Sheridan) as they try to apprehend slippery charismatic family man Bob Matthews (Nicholas Hoult). He’s pulling all the Neo Nazi strings and is more radicalized than a previous generation of racists. Kurzel’s gorgeously photographed feature clamors with relevance and serves as a stark warning about white power organizations. “The Order” ranks amongst Kurzel’s best films: It’s a riveting thriller, a wakeup call and a disturbing reminder of how history so sadly repeats itself. Details: 3½ stars; in theaters Dec. 6.
“Black Doves”: In this gulp-it-down-in-one-sitting British spy series, the suspicious death of a Chinese diplomat in London — which happens around the same time as three other assassinations in the city — implies there’s something much bigger coming down the pike. Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), socialite, mom and wife of the Defense Secretary (Andrew Buchan), finds herself heartbroken by one murder, that of her clandestine lover Jason (Andrew Koji of “Warrior” and “Peaky Blinders”), and she seeks to avenge his death. That’s only part of showrunner Joe Barton’s twisty and preposterous thriller told in six taut episodes. To add some spice to the spy broth, it turns out Helen — like so many other characters in “Black Doves” — leads a double life, and is a spy for a team called the Black Doves. That’s how she met her hubby, on an assignment.
When Helen’s former boss (“Happy Valley’s” Sarah Lancashire) pops in at a soiree she’s hosting and seeks her services again, she and her old Black Doves cohort and triggerman Sam (Ben Whishaw) try to sort out who slew Jason. Meanwhile, they are assigned to a new gig, and it’s there that the plot thickens, like one of author Mick Herron’s “Slow Horses” novels. “Black Doves” does go off the rails, but it does so with a wink. Everyone in the cast understands this is not deadly serious and gets into the energetic spirit. But it is the pairing of Knightley and Whishaw that makes “Black Doves” fly high. Both characters are nursing hurts from past loves and the two actors play off each other well, with Knightley being hellbent for revenge and Whishaw being resigned to being a killer. “Black Doves” serves as counterprogramming, too, for Netflix, offering a bloody good holiday-themed series that trades in bullets for romance. Details: 3 stars; drops Dec. 5 on Netflix.
“The Return”: Director Uberto Pasolini’s film is a potent retelling of the Greek myth of Odysseus’ return to Ithaca from the Trojan War, where his wife Penelope and son Telemachus have been getting badgered and bullied over not selecting a new king. And it owes much of its success to its lead actors. As the washed-up-onshore Odysseus, who goes incognito and observes how his homeland has deteriorated, Ralph Fiennes gives an even better performance than he did in “Conclave.” His resignation at what he sees gets reflected in both his eyes and in his beaten body. His wife Penelope (Juliette Binoche, looking ageless as usual), meanwhile, keeps at bay many brutish suitors who want to rule her and the island. Meanwhile, their son Telemachus (Charlie Plummer of “National Anthem”) is subject to insults and taunts over his mother refusing to remarry. Pasolini never resorts to explicit scenes of bloodshed and sexual violence, which are inherent in his story, and it’s a wise decision. The biggest thing modern viewers will find hard to swallow is how no one recognizes Odysseus some 20 years later. True, that’s a key thematic point of the myth, but put on film it can’t help but seem unbelievable. Regardless, this is a gripping retelling and welcomingly reunites “The English Patient” stars Fiennes and Binoche. Details: 3 stars; in theaters Dec. 6.
“Nightbitch”: Marielle Heller’s flawed feature about a new mom possibly adopting canine tendencies at night serves mostly as a reminder that Amy Adams is a terrific actor who can prop up a movie that has a great premise but loses its way halfway through. The opening moments of Alameda-born director Heller’s dramedy are its best, as an unnamed mom (Adams) narrates how being a mother is a far cry from what you see in the movies. Her inner-rage leads to running with dogs, and eventually standing up to her husband (Scoot McNairy), as she attempts to regain her identity as an artist. Based on Rachel Yoder’s novel, “Nightbitch” is barking up the right tree, but eventually loses its nerve, leading to a predictable ending that makes you wonder what could have been. Details: 2½ stars; in theaters. Dec. 6.
“High Tide”: An undocumented Brazilian immigrant Lourenço (Marco Pigossi, in a breakthrough performance) follows his beau to the gay haven of Provincetown, Mass., where his heart promptly gets broken. Playwright Marco Calvani’s directorial debut begins post-breakup, with Lourenço meeting a charming and smart Black New Yorker Maurice (James Bland), who feels like he too exists on America’s margins. “High Tide” is more character-driven than plot-driven (not a bad thing) and refreshingly refuses to neatly resolve Lourenço’s plight, while leaving open a window for his realistic happiness. It shows care, sensitivity and depth as it follows Lourenço and especially his attraction to and romance with Maurice. You can feel the wounds he suffers from the careless remarks that get tossed his way. Details: 3½ stars; in theaters Dec. 6.
Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.