The Playlist

Much like the Canadian setting, which largely exists as background scenery, the deeper reasons for Andie’s dissatisfaction remain just out of reach. Without more insight into her restlessness, “Middle Life” settles comfortably into being a light, breezy watch that does what it can to tie everything together by the end—even if its central crisis remains a little underexplored.

“Tony” remarkably manages to embrace and eschew the revisionist strain of “Great Man” biopics, which have attempted to work around cradle-to-grave formulas ripped from Wikipedia by homing in on an illustrative incident in the subject’s life. Knowing there’s more cake is not necessary for the slice to fulfill its mandate to be sufficient and satisfying. It’s plenty sweet as is.

Dark, grounded, vulnerable, and unexpectedly moving, it finds the heart and soul of Peter Parker and understands that his humanity—his compassion, decency, empathy, and instinct to reach toward others—is as essential to his heroism as anything the mask or his powers can give him.

The film avoids the trap of fan service by not inflating the band’s importance but showing them as strangers in a strange land, just trying to connect.

For all its monsters, gods, armies, and thunder, “The Odyssey” finds its grandest image in a man confronting the dark mirror of what he has wrought. Nolan’s massive achievement understands that home is a place, a family, a memory, and a judgment. Odysseus may still recognize Ithaca when he reaches its shores. The more frightening question is whether Ithaca will recognize him.

Boosted by spirited, often-hilarious supporting turns from a cast of certified funny people—Ego Nwodim, Sherry Cola, and Caleb Hearon—Little Brother is better than anyone tuning in for another mindless streaming comedy would have any right to expect.

Even if the film consists primarily of reheated material, the cast and crew still know how to make it feel warm and welcoming.

By-the-numbers, as the movie turned out, Alcock does capitalize on it to showcase that she possesses the makings of a promising star capable of portraying a character with sharp edges and complicated feelings. Hopefully, she can now fly elsewhere from here.

Any opportunity for the story to advance receives the shove to the side Edward Burns believes it deserves, only for him to fire up what he believes is comedy, and instead be that person in class who will not stop talking. Breathe. That’s all Burns needs to do. It may not be enough to save “Finnegan’s Foursome,” but at least you’ll be doing something other than what’s being shown.

La Ola is far from perfect, often losing sight of its broader ideas for less well-executed narrative beats that don’t always cohere, but it still finds a tune where it counts.