Disobedience

        When her rabbi father dies, Ronit returns to her Orthodox Jewish community in London, years after she was turned away for having a teenage romance with another female friend. Once home, she is reunited with Dovid and Esti, her childhood friends.

               Ronit, or Ronni as she calls herself in the secular world, is played by Rachel Weisz, Dovid is played by Alessandro Nivola, and Rachel McAdams plays Esti. The relationship between the three characters is beautifully played, loving, yet strained and all three actors are striking in their roles. The chemistry between Ms. Weisz and Ms. McAdams, in particular, is stunning.

               The film is a glimpse into Orthodox Jewish life with quite a twist. It is a sensitive drama that examines love, religion, and freedom of expression. At times, fragile and yet bound by an intensity that is palatable, the film moves towards an inevitable conclusion that is both surprising and a bit ambiguous. 

Solo: A Star Wars Story

         Otherwise known as "When Han Met Chewy", this stand alone Star Wars film tells the early adventures of Han Solo and answers all the questions that have been on fans minds for years. Directed by Ron Howard, it is packed with action sequences galore and should satisfy any Star Wars fan.

          It's impossible to fill the boots of Harrison Ford as Han Solo but Alden Ehrenreich does an admirable job portraying a young, optimistic, cocky version of the grizzled iconic character.  Donald Glover plays the younger version of Lando Calrissian and he nails the character perfectly. Chewbacca is played by Joonas Suotamo, who took over the role in the last Star Wars film. New faces in the cast include Woody Harrison as Tobias Beckett, a thief and Han's mentor, Thandie Newton as his wife, Emilia Clarke as Qi'ra, Han's first love, Paul Betthany as Dryden Vos, a master criminal and the voices of Phoebe Waller- Bridge as L-7, Lando's Droid and Jon Favreau as Rio Durant, an alien member of Beckett's crew.

            Written by Lawrence Kasdan and his son Jonathan, who have written or co-written most of the Star Wars films, they fill this story with even more strange worlds, exciting action and strong characters. Mr. Howard and his team bring it all to life. Creator George Lucas gives them the keys to the kingdom and they don't disappoint. A perfect popcorn movie to start the summer film season off right.

Life of The Party

      There have been lots of really funny films about adults going back to college. This isn't one of them. It has a few good laughs but overall, it's not Melissa McCarthy's best work. As an actress, Ms. McCarthy improves with each film but co-writing this film with her husband, Ben Falcone (who also directed), she doesn't do herself any favors.

      It's an obvious attempt to cash in for Mother's Day with a plot that revolves around Ms. McCarthy's character, Deanna, going back to finish college where her daughter is a senior. Don't expect it to last much beyond Mother's Day in a theater. Like Deanna herself, the plot is just too nice and sweet with barely any edge. It forces conflict with the barest of "mean girls". 

     Most of the jokes fall flat and not enough is made of Ms. McCarthy's gift for physical humor (save for one scene in a classroom, that ends up more embarrassing than anything else). There are two funny sequences that ironically don't even take place at the college.

     The film features many comedic actors from television.  Matt Walsh (better on "Veep") plays Deanna's husband, Maya Rudolph plays her best friend (completely over the top as if trying to make the film funnier by herself), Julie Bowen (against type) as Deanna's eventual nemesis, Chris Parnell (underutilized), and Jimmy O. Yang (much funner on "Silicon Valley").

      A subplot involving a handsome college student infatuated with Deanna is not funny, just creepy. And in a last ditch effort to inject "life" into this party, there is a performance by Christina Aguilera performing her old hit,"Stronger"which is not exactly relevant anymore. More films like this and Ms. McCarthy will find herself in the same place...no longer relevant. Better scripts and different directors should be able to bring out her best work.

Deadpool 2

   Ryan Reynolds is back as the anti-hero, "merc with a mouth", Deadpool in this loud, violent, R-rated sequel. But hey, what else would you expect from Deadpool?

    If you were a fan of the first one, expect more of the same but this time many of the self deprecating and inside jokes are forced to the point of exhaustion. Yes, there are many funny lines and Mr. Reynolds is a charming lead, despite the scarred makeup but just piling on the gags, explosions and one-liners does not necessarily make for a better film. The plot line of this film is actually so sweet and loving, it almost doesn't even qualify as a Deadpool film. Unexpectedly, love and family are key elements between the massive amounts of violent mayhem.

    Back for the sequel are T.J Miller, Leslie Uggams (having a blast as "Blind Al"), Morena Baccarin, Brianna Hildebrand and Karan Soni. New to the cast are Josh Brolin as Cable, a time traveling soldier, Julian Dennison as Russell Collins/Firefist, and Zazie Beetz as Domino. The CGI X-Man Colossus also returns along with a surprise Marvel villain.

    The unique quirky style of the first film was a pleasant surprise. Now that we've come to expect it, the originality is lost. It's still fun but the edge is just not as sharp as Deadpool's twin swords.

Tully

         The latest collaboration between writer Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitman is a unremarkable family drama, worth your time if just for the terrific acting by Charlize Theron and MacKenzie Davis.

         Ms. Theron plays Marlo, a mother of two young kids (with a third on the way) whose life continues to beat her down. Her son has serious issues that others call "quirky". Her husband, played by Ron Livingston, is preoccupied with work and his video games before bed. After the third child is born, the needs of all three kids, and lack of sleep all take their toll. Marlo's rich brother, played by Mark Duplass, worried about her, treats her to a night nanny to help with the baby. Shortly thereafter, we met Tully, played by Ms. Davis.

         Never compromising, Ms. Theron plays Marlo, an overworked, overweight, tired housewife making what she can out of an unglamorous life. Enter Tully, every mother's dream of a nanny to help, not just with the baby but with Marlo herself. The two bond and with Tully's help, Marlo begins to once again feel alive. 

        The story follows a fairly predictable path, although it becomes increasingly obvious there is more to Tully herself, than meets the eye. There is excellent chemistry between the two leads and Ms. Theron, in particular, gives a raw honest performance but the simple script offers little. It's a fairy tale for tired, overworked moms everywhere.

The Rider

            Life and art merge beautifully in this poetic, contemporary western. Writer/director Chloe Zhao creates a narrative that focuses on the real life of rodeo cowboy, Brady Jandreau (Brady Blackburn in the film).

            Mr. Jandreau is a charismatic presence, unflinchingly willing to let Ms. Zhao's camera into his world. The film takes place in South Dakota and the unspoiled western landscape makes for stunning cinematography. 

            Ms. Zhao follows her subject, family and friends (all played by themselves) as he tries to find meaning to his life after a terrible rodeo accident leaves him unable to ride. The film begins shortly after Brady is released from the hospital leaving him wondering what his future will hold. He lives in a trailer home with his father, Wayne and younger sister, Lilly (who has Asperger's Syndrome). Life is hard for this family. No formal schooling, always behind in the rent, not much in the way of employment, they barely scrape by.

           What Brady and his father do know is horses. No longer able to ride, Brady hopes to work breaking wild horses. He has an uncanny connection to the animals. His scenes with the various horses are stunning. His friends, all cowboys themselves, try hard to cheer him up but Brady without the thing he loves most, sinks into a despair that is achingly real. 

           When Brady visits his friend Lane Scott, a paralyzed cowboy, in the hospital, he finds strength in trying to help his friend but it also forces him to confront the passion they have both lost. This is a remarkable film, a loose narrative wrapped in the real life of this young man and his world.  Sad, soulful and heartbreaking, it is an uncompromising look into a world many of us will never know but a human condition we can all relate to.