Your Weekend in Film

Take some time off your fight for net neutrality with, well, these four other fights. Go forth (read: to the movies) and find victory in British Parliament during World War II, an animated version of the Spanish bullfighting-dom, a Palm Springs retirement home, and a certain space opera

This Week’s Pick: Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Behold, the answers to whether Luke takes the lightsaber off Rey’s hands, whether Finn will wake up, and whether Poe and General Leia can outmatch the annealing First Order. Richard Whittaker: “Johnson sets the entire mythos on a new path, while finally fleshing out Abrams’ characters.” 4 stars.

Also Reviewed

Darkest Hour. Yield to Hitler or resist him – these are the choices facing newly-appointed British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the “Parliament Cut” of Dunkirk. Steve Davis: “Is Oldman’s compulsively meticulous turn here anything more than a brilliant impersonation? The answer is yes, but it’s a performance that always stands apart from the rest of the film. ” 2.5 stars.

Ferdinand. Everybody thinks he is a born-fighting bull. Thing is, he prefers to smell the flowers and be friendly. Marc Savlov: “Ferdinand doesn’t really do justice to its evergreen and far less cluttered source material, but if the matinee of Coco’s sold out, you could do worse than this presumably PETA-approved animation.” 2 stars.

Just Getting Started. Jostling against each other, and even the mob, are two elderlies in a luxury Palm Springs retirement home. Marc Savlov: “It’s certainly not a comedy, and it does absolutely no favors to its surprisingly game cast.” 1/2 star.

Special Screenings

Overcome that universal fear of not knowing what to gift the geek in your life – yes, it can be yourself, no judgment here – with our guide. Here’s a teaser: a chance to relive the Astros’ progression toward earning history game-by-game, deploy the poker face so they won’t know you’re The Thing, and brag that their pet is a porg.

Step into the bad side. Debut film from Amman Abbasi, the Sundance Audience Award-nominated Dayveon, follows a 13-year-old Arkansas boy’s descent into crime. The film screens Friday and Sunday.

Heroine of France’s final hours. Screening on Saturday and Sunday is a newly restored version of The Passion of Joan of Arc, a gem in the silent genre.