The Martian

Saving Astronaut Damon is Scott’s first humans-only space epic and the cast, setting and result are stellar. Necessarily jettisons several of source’s set-pieces but remains loyal to the physics, the feel, and the fun.  Iron-ically cheesy finale and spaced out Glover are only detractors.  But Boromir explains Elrond to council!!!

Horns

Stephen Prince’s first adaptation is devilishly amusing and demonically inconsistent.   If the Cohens and Raimi teamed up (again) you’d get the first half.  Then the second gets raped to hell by weak motivations and excessive shock attempts.  Horny Potter breaks bad and blends in the best of his transatlantic co-stars. 

Devil

M shyows up in awkward religious voiceover that serves to give otherwise arbitrary horror flick a demonic spine.  What goes up must come to a final destination in this predictably plotted and embarrassingly acted whatdunnit.  Thank Dios for the short runtime of this night chronicle because then there was sun.

Top Five

Rock channels Woody making One Day in New York one of the top five Allen films not made by Allen.  Amusing jokes and characteristic racial quips pepper an otherwise aimless story of career dissatisfaction that certainly seems a tad auto-biographical.  Great set pieces fall short, dropping ones instead of hundreds.

Belle

Beautifully shot film with powerful performances is hampered by stodgy aristocracy and heavy-handed dialog.  Gugu makes men go gaga as she wages war on a society almost as racist as it is sexist.  Overly on the nose casting and utterly impotent finale speech leave audience feeling like neglected old maid.

Dear White People

50 Shades of Racial Tension remains pleasantly ambiguous while carefully addressing stereotypes about racism rather than race.  Solid performances from white guy, black girl and two black guys add emotional investment to an otherwise mildly amusing overlong TV episode.  End credit photos simultaneously emphasize and detract from real world relevance.