This week at the movies, we’ve got a Biblical epic (Exodus: Gods and Kings, starring Christian Bale and Joel Edgerton) and a conflicted comedian (Top Five, starring Chris Rock and Rosario Dawson). What do the critics have to say?
It’s got a daring escape from slavery, the parting of the Red Sea, the unveiling of the Ten Commandments, and a literal river of blood — yep, the Book of Exodus is certainly one of the Old Testament’s most action-packed installments. Unfortunately, critics say that while Exodus: Gods and Kings director Ridley Scott mostly succeeds in crafting an eye-popping spectacle, he fails to bring the story’s legendary people to vivid life. You probably know the story, but if not, here goes: the orphaned Moses (Christian Bale) was raised by the Pharaoh, but he’s cast out when it’s discovered that his parents were Jewish. God reveals to Moses that he’s been chosen to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, but first he must free his people before undertaking an epic trek across the desert. The pundits say Exodus: Gods and Kings mostly avoids taking a theological stand on the story, but as a result the film’s spectacular visuals overwhelm the heat and passion this oft-told tale continues to evoke. (Watch our video interviews with Scott and stars Bale, Joel Edgerton, and Aaron Paul, and check out this week’s Total Recall, in which we count down co-star Sigourney Weaver’s best-reviewed films.)
Few would deny that Chris Rock is one of the best standup comedians of his generation — or that, for the most part, his movie career has left something to be desired. That’s about to change, as critics say Top Five represents a career peak for Rock as a director and actor — it’s a semi-autobiographical portrait of the artist as a neurotic that recalls Woody Allen at his best. Rock plays Andre Allen, a popular comic actor who’s about to be married to a famous reality TV star. He agrees to be profiled by a New York Times reporter (Rosario Dawson), and as they stroll about the city, Allen begins to question the decisions he’s made in his life and career. The pundits say the Certified Fresh Top Five is blessed with palpable chemistry between its leads, and the result is timely, insightful, and often hilarious. (Watch our video interviews with Rock and co-stars Anders Holm, Ben Vereen, and JB Smoove.)
Critics say the final episode of Sons of Anarchy is, like the series itself, both twisty and turbulent, but ultimately, “Papa’s Goods” (87 percent) is a fitting farewell to the SAMCRO gang that ties up loose ends in an involving, poetic fashion.
The penultimate episode of HBO’s The Newsroom, “Oh Shenandoah,” stirred up a lot of internet chatter this week, and much of it was negative; critics objected to everything from a subplot on campus rape to the unprompted death of a major character.
Maidan, an on-the-ground documentary about political upheaval in Ukrane, is at 100 percent.
Little Feet, a drama about two siblings who trek across Los Angeles to return their goldfish to the ocean, is at 80 percent.
We Are The Giant, a documentary about six protesters from different countries who participated in the Arab Spring uprising, is at 77 percent.
Paul Thomas Anderson‘s Inherent Vice, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Josh Brolin in a far-out shaggy dog story featuring a disparate group of Angelinos and a convoluted kidnapping plot, is at 73 percent.
Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles, a documentary about the great director and actor, is at 69 percent.
Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks, starring Gena Rowlands and Cheyenne Jackson in a comedy about a woman who strikes up a friendship with her younger dance instructor, is at 67 percent.
After The Fall, starring Wes Bentley and Vinessa Shaw in a drama about a financially strapped insurance salesman who turns to a life of crime, is at 57 percent.
Tip Top, starring Isabelle Huppert in a comedy/thriller about two female detectives investigating the murder of a confidential informant, is at 38 percent.
The Captive, starring Ryan Reynolds and Mireille Enos in a thriller about a man on a desperate search for his missing daughter, is at 29 percent.
Free the Nipple, a comedy about a group of women who make a very public statement about gender equality, is at 20 percent.
The Color of Time, starring James Francoe and Jessica Chastain in a cinematic essay based on the work of poet C.K. Williams, is at eight percent.
