“Chinese Puzzle” (“Casse-tête chinois”) (2013 production, 2014 release). Cast: Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Cécile de France, Kelly Reilly, Sandrine Holt, Pablo Mugnier-Jacob, Margaux Mansart, Li Jun Li, Flore Bonaventura, Peter McRobbie, Jason Kravits, Peter Hermann, Dominique Besnehard, Sharrieff Pugh, Jochen Hägele, Amin Djakliou, Clara Abbas, Phil Nee. Director: Cédric Klapisch. Screenplay: Cédric Klapisch. Web site. Trailer. We’ve all undoubtedly had days where we’ve found our heads spinning, overwhelmed by the complexities before us. It’s enough to make us crazy. It’s also enough to get us to ask ourselves. “Why me?” Such are the circumstances served up in the new independent comedy, “Chinese Puzzle.” This film, the third in a trilogy that began with “L’auberge espagnole” (“The Spanish Apartment”) (2002) and was followed up with “Russian Dolls” (“Les poupées russes”) (2005), follows the exploits of a group of long-terms friends and lovers who are now about to turn 40. And, as they approach the midpoint of their lives, a key question hangs over them: Why must life be so complicated? That thought has been weighing especially heavily on the mind of novelist Xavier Rousseau (Romain Duris). In fact, the notion has so preoccupied his thoughts that he’s even begun writing a ...

“X-Men: Days of Future Past” (2014). Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage, Nicholas Hoult, Omar Sy, Shawn Ashmore, Evan Peters, Josh Helman, Mark Comacho. Director: Bryan Singer. Screenplay: Simon Kinberg. Story: Jane Goldman, Simon Kinberg and Matthew Vaughn. Web site. Trailer. Turning away from our personal power can have dire consequences. By failing to embrace and act upon our natural talents and make use of them in our daily lives, we run the risk of leading an unfulfilling existence and failing to live up to our potential as sentient beings. And, in some cases, the fallout can be even worse, carrying widespread ramifications that affect the well-being of those around us, if not the entire planet, a scenario explored in the new summertime sci-fi blockbuster, “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” Life in the near future is pretty dismal in the world of the X-Men, “mutant” beings who possess a variety of special capabilities that set them apart from their fellow humans. Their abilities represent the next step in the species’ evolution, but not everyone is comfortable with them or their unique faculties, a prejudice stretching back many ...

“Belle” (2014). Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tom Wilkinson, Emily Watson, Miranda Richardson, Penelope Wilton, Sarah Gadon, Sam Reid, Matthew Goode, James Norton, Tom Felton, Alex Jennings, Lauren Julien-Box, Cara Jenkins, Bethan Mary-James. Director: Amma Asante. Screenplay: Misan Sagay. Web site. Trailer. Prevailing limitations can be severe impediments to invoking change and righting wrongs. The implications of this are apparent in an array of life’s venues, too, from those that are highly personal to those that affect the entire spectrum of society. But, when individuals of conviction come along to challenge existing limitations, the potential for dismantling those barriers soars. Such are the circumstances at work in the new fact-based historical drama, “Belle.” When British naval officer Admiral John Lindsay (Matthew Goode) learns of the death of the mother of his young mixed-race daughter, Dido Elizabeth Belle (Lauren Julien-Box), he sincerely wants to do right by her. But, considering his naval career’s seafaring obligations, the Admiral also knows he’s away from home often and incapable of raising Dido properly. As a consequence, he decides to place her in the care of his uncle, William Murray, the 1st Earl of Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson), who also serves as Lord Chief Justice of England’s highest ...

“Finding Vivian Maier” (2014). Directors: John Maloof and Charlie Siskel. Screenplay and Story: John Maloof and Charlie Siskel. Web site. Trailer. It’s mystifying how someone with profound aesthetic insights and artistic sensibilities could also remain a virtual unknown, especially given the prolific nature of her work. But, then, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise if the creator of those pieces intentionally commits to shielding them from public view. Indeed, how is it that someone so incredibly talented would purposely choose to keep her work a secret? That’s the conundrum raised in the fascinating new documentary, “Finding Vivian Maier.” While working on a book about the Chicago neighborhood where he grew up, photographer John Maloof searched for historic images to accompany the text. During the course of that search, he stumbled upon a collection of old negatives at a public auction house. The collection only cost him several hundred dollars, but what he (and the world) got for such a modest investment was an invaluable treasure. In poring over the trunk of photographic images he purchased, Maloof found more than 100,000 negatives covering an array of subjects. Many of the pictures were exquisite depictions of everyday life, shot in ...

“Locke” (2013 production, 2014 release). Cast: Tom Hardy, Olivia Colman (voice), Ruth Wilson (voice), Andrew Scott (voice), Ben Daniels (voice), Tom Holland (voice), Bill Milner (voice). Director: Steven Knight. Screenplay: Steven Knight. Web site. Trailer. Coping with the conditions of our lives can be more than a little challenging at times. We often find ourselves faced with circumstances we dread, some of which may carry difficult choices and demanding responsibilities. But, then, in all fairness, we must also ask how we got ourselves into those dilemmas to begin with. Those are the conundrums a beleaguered protagonist must address for himself in the unconventional personal drama, “Locke.” Construction manager Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy) is about to go on the ride of his life. On the night before he’s scheduled to oversee the largest concrete pour for a non-military construction project in all of Europe, he unexpectedly sets off on an anguished two-hour drive from Birmingham to London. He abandons all his existing obligations, both to his job and his family, and his impulsive actions perplex those depending on him. But Ivan has his reasons, and they involve concerns more important than any of his prior commitments. So what’s prompted Ivan’s seemingly ...

“Fading Gigolo” (2013 production, 2014 release). Cast: John Turturro, Woody Allen, Vanessa Paradis, Liev Schreiber, Sharon Stone, Sofía Vergara, Bob Balaban, Tonya Pinkins, Jade Dixon, Aubrey Joseph, Dante Hoagland, Isaiah Clifton, David Margulies, Abe Altman, Sol Frieder. Director: John Turturro. Screenplay: John Turturro. Web site. Trailer. For many of us, there comes a time in our lives when we find ourselves stretching in ways we never thought possible. Those instances can be exhilarating, introducing us to talents we never knew we possessed and enabling us to access vast untapped reserves of personal power. Of course, those revelations seldom materialize unless we recognize the opportunities that make such episodes of personal growth possible, which may be tricky if they call for us to venture outside our comfort zones. These are among the challenges posed to a cast of colorful but longing characters in the quirky new comedy, “Fading Gigolo.” After years of operating a rare books business, Murray Schwartz (Woody Allen) is reluctantly forced to close up shop, the exorbitance of New York’s commercial real estate rents having finally gotten the better of the family-owned operation. Faced with having to find a new income source, Murray considers his options, one of ...