Weekend Movie Reviews: 'Kajillionaire,' 'Ava' And 'Misbehaviour'

Moviegoers, rejoice! As movie theaters begin to slowly but surely reopen across the nation at limited capacity, this weekend brings a slew of new releases that are hitting the big screen.

Evan Rachel Wood, Gina Rodriguez, Debra Winger and Richard Jenkins star as a foursome of fraudsters in “Kajillionaires,” a story about family ties, friendship — and thrilling exploits of heists and high jinks.

Looking for an action-drama thriller? Look no further than “Ava,” starring Jessica Chastain as a trained, ruthless mercenary faced with looming threats of danger after a mission gone awry.

On a lighter note, "Misbehaviour" will add some laughter to theaters as Keira Knightley and Gugu Mbatha-Raw bring to life the historic 1970 Miss World competition.

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Related

• What's New On Netflix: September 2020
• Weekend Movie Reviews: 'Tenet,' 'Mulan' And 'Bill & Ted Face the Music'
• 9 Thrillers To Watch This Weekend

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Here's what to see and what to skip this weekend:

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“Kajillionaire” — Evan Rachel Wood, Mark Ivanir, Gina Rodriguez; directed by Miranda July

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Writer-director Miranda July’s comedy-drama paints a whimsical, surrealist portrait of family ties and interpersonal conflicts, focusing on a dysfunctional trio of grifters who can either easily allay or intensify our fears, based on any preconceived notions we may have about people and society in general.

In the film, Evan Rachel Wood plays Old Dolio Dyne, the 26-year-old daughter of grifter parents Robert and Theresa Dyne (Richard Jenkins and Debra Winger). As it turns out, the Dynes have no desire whatsoever to be kajillionaires. Merely, they’re just trying to make ends meet through small-scale scams: $50 here, $20 there.

However, when Melanie (Gina Rodriguez) suddenly enters their lives, all bets are off, as the young dynamo leads the trio to more thrilling exploits of heists and high jinks.

See it. “Kajillionaire” is delightfully quirky.

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“Ava” — Jessica Chastain, Geena Davis, Common; directed by Tate Taylor

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Jessica Chastain reunites with her “The Help” director Tate Taylor in the action-crime drama about a lethal assassin suddenly marked for death after a failed high-stakes operation places her in the eye of the storm.

The film’s opening sequence introduces the backstory of the titular Ava Faulkner (Chastain), a young, complicated woman who enlists with the army to overcome her bouts of alcoholism. Years later, she is recruited by a black ops organization, becoming its most ruthless mercenary in the process.

Ava’s specialty? Luring her targets into a trap in order to stage their natural death. Her success rate? It’s second to none. However, it’s only a matter of time before the professional assassin commits her gravest mistake, forcing her to fight for her own survival. Meanwhile, her agonizing past catches up with our heroine as she pays a visit to her irascible, ailing mother (Geena Davis) in Boston. Will Ava ever survive her personal demons and the looming threats of danger to her life?

See it. Chastain’s star power, charisma and outstanding performance dazzle, though the plot feels like a mishmash of tired clichés.

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Watch the trailer:

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“Misbehaviour” — Keira Knightley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jessie Buckley; directed by Philippa Lowthorpe

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Philippa Lowthorpe’s British feminist comedy is a depiction of the historic 1970 Miss World competition in London, an event that was disrupted by the newly formed Women’s Liberation Movement invading the stage during the live broadcast. Loosely based on facts, the film offers alternating viewpoints of beauty contestants and opposing activists.

The film stars Keira Knightley as Sally Alexander, a Londoner who enrolls as a mature history student at a university, much to her mother’s chagrin. Utterly appalled by the stench of sexism in academia, she soon finds an ally in Jo Robinson (Jessie Buckley), the very vocal leader of a feminist activist group.

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the upcoming Miss World competition, introducing audiences to a series of contestants. Among them are the heavily favored Miss Sweden (Clara Rosager) and the underdog Miss Grenada (Gugu Mbatha-Raw).

In the end, Sally makes an impassioned plea: “Why should a woman have to earn her place in the world by looking a particular way?” As the pageant goes, Miss Grenada wins, making history as the first black woman to be crowned Miss World.

See it. “Misbehaviour” offers a good dose of feel-good comedy, though the pacing in the movie feels a bit off.

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Watch the trailer:

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