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Here's a look at the new movies I saw this week.

If Beale Street Could Talk
Starring: Stephan James, Regina King, Colman Domingo, Michael Beach, Diego Luna, Brian Tyree Henry, Finn Wittrock, and Kiki Layne
Synopsis: James Baldwin was a powerful writer and thinker, and his books have endured. "If Beale Street Could Talk" was his fifth novel, and has been adapted into a film. The 1974 book, a pair of young lovers, Tish (Layne) and Fonny (James), are engaged and looking for a place of their own in Harlem. Fonny is falsely accused of rape and put in jail. Tish realizes she's pregnant, and has to break the news to her parents (King and Domingo) as she gets their help to fight to prove Fonny's innocence. The film, from writer/director Barry Jenkins ("Moonlight"), takes a look at this story, love and race relations during this time in America. He takes great care telling this story and is blessed by some rich performances. Layne and James are strong in the lead roles, but this is a deep cast as well. Domingo is strong as Tish's father, and Beach offers a good performance as Fonny's father. Even those that appear briefly make an impression, like Henry, who is only in one scene but leaves a lasting impression. And of course one of the best performances comes from King, who won the Golden Globe for her work on Sunday night. This is a strong film, that's well made. I thought it was a touch slow at times, and I wasn't as taken with the way it ended, though I realize that the journey and theme exploration is the goal here. But this is a well made story, and one I'd expect to end up on the short list for Best Picture.
Rating: R for language and some sexual content.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Second Act
Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Vanessa Hudgens, Leah Remini, Treat Williams, Charlene Yi, and Alan Aisenberg
Synopsis: There are some movies that don't get the kind of marketing campaign they should. "Second Act" is a movie that got the standard movie treatment. It looked like a by-the-numbers romantic comedy. And in some ways that fits the bill. However, if you actually watch the film, it has some hidden depths that aren't a part of the marketing campaign. I won't ruin the plot here, but suffice to say this movie was deeper and more interesting than I'd expected based on what I saw in the trailers. Lopez is a talented performer, and one who is capable of a great range of emotions. She is perfect in the standard romantic comedy beats, but she handles the more emotional elements of this story well, too. And I liked the supporting cast here. Hudgens is great, while Yi and Aisenberg, at times, steal the show. Remini and Williams did a nice job in supporting roles, too. This is a movie that's more amusing and more engaging than expected.
Rating: PG-13 for some crude sexual references, and language.
Verdict: Three stars out of four.

Upcoming Releases:
Friday, January 11: "The Upside," "Replicas," "A Dog's Way Home," "On The Basis of Sex"
Friday, January 18: "Glass"
Friday, January 25: "Serenity," "The Kid Who Would Be King," "Miss Bala"

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