Everybody Knows
Laura (Penélope Cruz) and her children fly to Spain from Argentina to celebrate her niece’s wedding. Everyone in the small village is curious about a woman they see as glamorous and rich. Increasing the intrigue is her husband’s absence.
Daughter Irene (Carla Campra) is a challenge for her mother, who wants to make a good impression. Laura has her hands full corralling her children and her drunken father to ensure the wedding goes smoothly.
It does, until the reception.
After a storm and blackout, Irene is missing. When a ransom demand arrives, Laura’s hope that Irene’s absence is teenage rebellion dies and her nightmare begins.
With her former flame Paco (Javier Bardem), Laura tries to figure out who took her daughter and how to get her back. But in a small village, secrets run deep, and she must be careful who she trusts.
Iranian director Asghar Farhadi (The Salesman) gives us a tense, fascinating thriller far better than your typical whodunit. Raising this flick above genre fare is Farhadi’s meticulous devotion to character. Each scene has a profound sense of reality: Children disrupt weddings, ambient noise cuts into conversations, life is always going on even as monumental events happen. He explores the village and its people, so the stakes are real when Irene vanishes.
Wonderful performances support good direction. As Laura, Cruz is the center of the movie. She effortlessly fluctuates from worried daughter to frantic mother. Her Laura is desperate to find Irene and terrified at her powerlessness.
As Laura’s ex — who still might harbor feelings for her — Bardem is a wonder. Paco has spent years building a life, but all of his careful work is threatened by Laura’s return. The pair, married off-screen, has palpable chemistry. It’s a treat to watch them work together.
Farhadi has always been interested in family dynamics, but in this film he widens his scope to look at the dynamics of a small town. His unhurried pace can seem slow — the movie is over two hours — but it offers a deep sense of life in this Spanish village. If you’re a fan of meditative character studies, this should delight. But if you’re looking for a snappy thriller, Everybody Knows might seem to drag.
Great Thriller • R • 133 mins.
~~~ New this Week ~~~
Apollo 11
In 1969, three men strapped themselves to several tons of rocket fuel to reach the moon. Their journey — and the stories of those behind it — is chronicled in this documentary.
Featuring new footage and an intimate look at the lives of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, the film strives to give an accurate impression of how dangerous their mission was and just how little margin for error stood between making history and disaster.
There is no outside narration, only archival narration and footage. Apollo 11 promises to be a captivating review of our space program and the brave men who made it famous.
Prospects: Bright • G • 93 mins.
Captain Marvel
Thanos only thinks he’s won. Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), a fighter pilot and powerful hero, has just arrived to kick some galactic butt. In the 1990s, Carol is discovered by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), who is looking for superheroes willing to join together to save the planet. Before she can take the job, Carol must first settle a dispute between two warring nations.
The first Marvel movie to feature a lead female superhero, Captain Marvel should be an inspiration as well as a blast. Larson is a fantastic performer who is more than capable of carrying a film. If you’ve got Marvel fans or little girls in the family, get your tickets early. Showings will sell out fast.
Prospects: Bright • PG-13 • 128 mins.