Saturday Night Movie Recommendations with Abe

Welcome back to a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I'm going to be providing a handy guide to a few choice movies currently playing in theatres as well as several films newly released on DVD and Netflix. I invite you to add in your thoughts on any films I haven’t seen in the comments below.

Now Playing in Theatres

Brampton’s Own (mixed bag): This “romantic drama” about a baseball player who never got called up and returns back to his hometown in search of something is full of familiar tropes and not too much in the way of appealing originality. Now playing in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Playhouse 7. Read my review from Wednesday.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (recommended): Melissa McCarthy gets (slightly) serious in this intriguing light drama about an author who starts forging literary letters to make money. It’s an enthralling and involving ride with strong performances. Now playing at the Landmark 57 West, City Cinemas 123, and the Angelika. Read my review from yesterday.

Mid90s (recommended): Jonah Hill makes a terrific directorial debut with this stylized tale of youthful rebellion. Sunny Suljic leads a great cast that helps to energize a very solid film. Now playing at AMC Lincoln Square and Regal Union Square. Read my review from Thursday.

Wildlife (mixed bag): There’s something that just doesn’t click about Paul Dano’s directorial debut, which features a wild, animated performance from the very dependable Carey Mulligan but otherwise feels very stuck in its own directionless web. Now playing at the Walter Reade Theater, Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, and the IFC Center. Read my review from Sundance.

New to DVD

Arizona (recommended): Danny McBride is perfectly cast as a frustrated homeowner at the height of the housing market crash whose actions turn unintentionally violent, transforming this highly engaging film into a cat-and-mouse thriller that pits him against a frazzled but great Rosemarie DeWitt.

Boundaries (highly recommended): Vera Farmiga leads this fresh, involving road movie that features a tremendous performance from a still-fantastic and very funny Christopher Plummer. It’s well worth a watch both for the journey and for the characters who travel on it.