The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies available now for streaming or scheduled for broadcast on network or cable television during the week of April 14, as well as notes on TV programming for the same week. Televised films may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations while the programs listed have not been reviewed and therefore are not necessarily recommended by OSV News.
Streaming Now
“Captain Phillips” (2013; Hulu)
Engrossing, complex and compassionate docudrama about the skipper (Tom Hanks) of a giant container ship who is taken hostage by Somali pirates off the horn of Africa in 2009. Director Paul Greengrass, a master of the format, skillfully re-creates the harrowing maritime ordeal while keeping the humanity of all those concerned in the foreground. Exhibiting a rare combination of empathy and technical virtuosity (save for obtrusive music), the movie highlights numerous moral dilemmas without passing conclusive judgment on any of them. Hanks’ nuanced performance is given a fascinating counterweight by the memorable turn of Barkhad Abdi as the lead pirate. Because its fair and empathetic treatment provides a model for processing the events depicted, the film is probably suitable for older teens. Numerous menacing sequences, several violent episodes with nongraphic bloody images, substance abuse, two instances of profanity, three uses of crass language. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
“Ender’s Game” (2013; Netflix)
Enlightened and well-wrought science-fiction movie, based on the prescient 1985 book of the same name, about a 12-year-old (Asa Butterfield) chosen to lead Earth’s military forces against an alien race that 50 years earlier tried to colonize the planet, resulting in the deaths of millions. Mentored by a bellicose colonel (Harrison Ford) and the hero of the first invasion (Ben Kingsley), the boy possesses both compassion and strong tactical skills. Director and screenwriter Gavin Hood highlights a salubrious message about the moral pitfalls of war and deploys elegant special effects. Scenes of fighting and bullying behavior among teenagers, several classroom slurs, some scary imagery, some mild innuendo, one use of crass language. The OSV News classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
“Jesus Christ Superstar” (1973; Amazon Prime)
Screen version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical adds a completely new dimension and drive to the music by virtue of a cinematography that enhances the original songs but also threatens to overwhelm them. Director Norman Jewison presents a visual recording, with optical embellishment, of a performance of the rock opera based on the last days of Christ’s life on earth, ending in his crucifixion. Entertaining as musical theater, it also can be seen as a sincere if naive effort to tell the story of Jesus in contemporary musical and ethical terms. Some scenes require a mature perspective. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is G — general audiences. All Ages Admitted.
Looking Ahead
Sunday, April 14, 10-11 p.m. EDT (EWTN) “New York State Eucharistic Congress” In this portion of the October 2023 event in Auriesville, New York, Sister of Life Mary Grace Langrell speaks on her call to religious life and Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger of Albany gives a reflection on witnessing to Jesus and listening to God’s call. Part of the series “EWTN on Location” (TV-G – general audience).
Friday, April 19, 9-10 p.m. EDT (PBS) “Virtuosos.” On this edition of the series “Great Performances: Now Hear This,” series host Scott Yoo explores the lives, careers and legacy of Italian violinist Niccolò Paganini (1782-1840) and African American blues musician Robert Johnson (1911-1938).
Saturday, April 20, noon-2:30 p.m. EDT (TCM) “The Magic Flute” (1975). Director Ingmar Bergman presents this opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart as an actual performance on a cramped 18th-century stage, boldly taking viewers into a world of illusion, stagecraft and mystery. Originally produced for Swedish television, its stress on the theatricality of Mozart’s fairy-tale operatics is to the advantage of a pretty silly libretto. Bergman’s austere yet ingratiating visual style suitably complements Mozart’s beautifully intricate music. It is a classic that might serve as a good introduction to opera for young people, though parents should be aware that it contains some sexual allusions and a brief close-up of an erotic drawing. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating was G — general audiences. All Ages Admitted.
Saturday, April 20, 8-9:45 p.m. EDT (HBO) “Lost in Translation” (2003). Likable comedy about an actor and midlife-crisis candidate (Bill Murray) who befriends a lonely young American newlywed (Scarlett Johansson) while filming a liquor commercial in Japan. Wisely keeping the May-December romance chaste, director Sofia Coppola elicits nuanced performances in this well-crafted and ruminative meditation on loneliness and the emotional balm of friendship. Some crude language and an implied sexual encounter, as well as a scene in a strip club with brief frontal nudity. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association rating was R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
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