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Ben Kingsley stars in a scene from the movie "Operation Finale." The OSV News classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. (OSV New photo/MGM)

Home viewing roundup: What’s available to stream and what’s on horizon


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OSV News Filed Under: Movie & Television Reviews

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 March 9, 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

“Operation Finale” (2018; Netflix)

Directed by Chris Weitz, this fact-based historical drama offers a Jewish perspective not often found in World War II films. It follows a group of Israeli Mossad agents as, 15 years after the conflict ended, they covertly infiltrate Buenos Aires in order to capture a high-ranking Nazi (Ben Kingsley) who has thus far escaped justice. As they struggle to get him to sign written consent to be tried in Israel, the group’s passionate leader (Oscar Isaac) strikes up an unlikely, and respectful, relationship with the prisoner, showing that even enemies deserve respect and dignity. One instance of profanity, several crude terms, images of Holocaust and combat violence. 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.

“Past Lives” (2023; Amazon Prime)

In her feature debut, writer-director Celine Song weaves the delicate tale of two childhood sweethearts (Seung Ah Moon and Seung Min Yim) separated at age 12 when her family emigrates to Canada while his remains behind in Seoul, South Korea. They reunite long-distance as adults (Greta Lee and Teo Yoo) but complications arise, including her eventual attachment to a fellow writer (John Magaro) she meets at an artists’ colony. Poignant and visually entrancing, this sensitive study of romantic possibilities, missed opportunities and the immigrant experience of dual cultural identities incorporates a concept about fate and reincarnation derived from Buddhism. Yet its use is more literary and philosophical than religious. Possibly acceptable for older teens. A marital bedroom scene, references to cohabitation, a few instances each of rough and crude language, a handful of crass terms. 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.

“The Pope’s Exorcist” (2023; Hulu)

Initially promising but ultimately overheated possession tale based on books published by high-profile exorcist Pauline Father Gabriele Amorth (Russell Crowe). Summoned from Rome to attend to an American boy (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney) temporarily living in Spain who shows strong signs of being under the dominion of a demon (voice of Ralph Ineson), the cleric teams with a local priest (Daniel Zovatto) to deliver the lad. Their investigation of the case eventually leads to revelations about the past of the former abbey into which the youth’s recently widowed mother (Alex Essoe) has moved him and his sister (Laurel Marsden) while she supervises its renovation. Crowe brings verve to his portrayal of the genial but never frivolous protagonist and screenwriters Michael Petroni and Evan Spiliotopoulos successfully make the case for taking the power of evil seriously. Yet, as directed by Julius Avery, the film eventually degenerates into a muddle, in part because extraneous elements ranging from contemporary divisions within the church to the legacy of the Spanish Inquisition are thrown into the mix and depicted ineptly. Mature themes, disturbing images, an attempted suicide, brief aberrant sexual interaction, glimpses of upper and rear female nudity, a few mild oaths, numerous rough terms, occasional crude language, an obscene gesture. The OSV News classification is L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

“The 21” (2024; YouTube)

Brief but moving, mostly animated, dramatization of the kidnapping, mistreatment and eventual mass beheading of 21 Coptic Christians captured by Isis in Libya in late 2014 and early 2015. Filmmaker Tod Polson draws on traditional and contemporary iconography in his recounting of the resolute manner in which the victims, who have since been canonized in both the Coptic and Catholic churches, endured torture and death rather than renounce their faith. While the use of drawn images helps to soften the impact of the depraved brutality on display, this inspiring but mournful tale of martyrdom is not for youngsters. Mature themes, stylized violence and gore. The OSV News classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association. (Name and email address registration may be required.)

Looking Ahead

Sunday, March 9, 1:30-3:15 p.m. EDT (EWTN) “The Dream of Gerontius.” English composer Edward Elgar’s setting of the poem by St. John Henry Newman is performed at Rome’s Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. Part of the series “In Concert” (TV-PG — parental guidance suggested).

Monday, March 10, 10 p.m.-midnight EDT (TCM) “The Marrying Kind” (1952). Engaging melodrama in which a blue-collar couple (Judy Holliday and Aldo Ray) recount the ups and downs of seven years of marriage to a divorce court judge whose questions force them to rethink their relationship. Director George Cukor gets convincing performances from the principals as seen in the flashbacks of a happy marriage buffeted by the tragedy of their son’s accidental death. Serious treatment of marital discord. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-II — adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association.

Tuesday, March 11, 8-10:45 p.m. EDT (AMC) “The Mummy” (1999). Spirited horror adventure set in 1920s Egypt where a treasure-hunting Yank (Brendan Fraser) and an archaeological librarian (Rachel Weisz) inadvertently revive a 3,000-year-old mummy (Arnold Vosloo) whose evil powers of destruction seemingly know no bounds. Writer-director Stephen Sommers stuffs the lavishly shot action movie with spooky special effects and a comical tone that generally adds up to rousing, old-fashioned entertainment. Recurring stylized violence, fleeting partial nudity. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating was PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Tuesday, March 11, 9-11 p.m. EDT (PBS) “Rita Moreno: Just A Girl Who Decided to Go for It.” This episode of the series “American Masters” explores the life and the 70-year career of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award-winner Rita Moreno.

Saturday, March 15, noon-2 p.m. EDT (TCM) “Swing Time” (1936). Down-on-his-luck hoofer (Fred Astaire) rides the rails to New York City, teams with a comely dance instructor (Ginger Rogers) and they score as the town’s top dancing duo in such numbers as “Waltz in Swing Time” and Astaire’s solo showstopper, “Bojangles of Harlem.” Director George Stevens keeps the pair’s romantic misunderstandings light and lively, gets strong comic relief from Victor Moore and Helen Broderick and effortlessly stages such songs as “A Fine Romance” and “The Way You Look Tonight.” Elegant entertainment for all but the very young. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-I — general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association.

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