ON THE BIG SCREEN

A MAN CALLED OTTO
PG-13
Tom Hanks does his version of Grumpy Old Men in this seriocomic look at Otto, a widower who doesn’t see much sense in going on. But then a young family moves in next door and Otto’s life is suddenly topsy turvy, in a way that keeps him interested in living. Based on the best-selling novel A Man Called Ove, this Marc Foster film is produced by Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, who also performs an original song in the film.

CLOSE
PG-13
Winner of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival’s Grand Prize, Close is an intensely emotional film about two teenage Belgian boys whose friendship sparks a series of events that ultimately breaks them apart. Directed by Lukas Dhont, this unforgettable film has won top prizes at film festivals across the globe, playing to packed houses and rave reviews.

LIFE UPSIDE DOWN: WORLD’S APART
Not yet rated
Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) stars in this pandemic-inspired movie that follows the lives of three Los Angeles couples stuck in their homes during the heart of the COVID-19 crisis. With a combination of laughs, tears, and some truths that we all felt during the lockdown in the USA, this ironic story written and directed by Cecelia Miniucchi also stars Radha Mitchell, Danny Huston, and Rosie Fellner.

MISSING
PG-13
When Grace (Nia Long) goes missing in Colombia, her daughter June (Storm Reid) is frantic with worry back home in Los Angeles. But when June begins to try to track her mom down, lots of secrets and lies begin to unravel in this modern thriller that reminds kids everywhere that the Internet isn’t always their friend when it comes to finding out too much about their parents’ lives beyond being Mom and Dad.

OPERATION FORTUNE: RUSE DE GUERRE
Not yet rated
We generally love Guy Ritchie movies, even when they come out in the January dead zone that traditionally follows the December run toward Oscar. This film stars Ritchie favorite Jason Statham as a secret agent, along with Aubrey Plaza, Hugh Grant, Cary Elwes, Josh Hartnett and Eddie Marsan, who race around in classic Ritchie style, with crackling dialogue and complicated scenarios, all told with a tongue-in-cheek sassiness as they try to save the world from destruction.