Here is a summary of the films reviewed on today’s show:
Hercules is a compromised picture. Pieces of this film hint that it could have been much better but this year’s other Hercules movie proves that it could have been much worse. Ultimately, the filmmakers tried to create a fun popcorn adventure and this Hercules succeeds at being exactly that.
Lucy is not a great movie but it’s so weird and executed with such energy and creativity that it mostly overcomes the flaws of its storytelling and its many lapses in credibility. Lucy may befuddle mainstream audiences and annoy serious science fiction viewers but it’s also poised to amass a cult following.
Miral is a flawed movie but it is deserving of some distinction simply based on the fact that its filmmakers approach a fraught topic with intelligence and sensitivity. There aren’t many movies about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Miral takes the bold step of suggesting how it might be dealt with in feature films.
Full reviews can be found in the Sounds of Cinema review archive.