Nativity warms the heart and soul

Neptune Theatre

Black Nativity

***

Stars: Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson.  

Director: Kasi Lemmons. 

Rated: PG

Showing: Fri 7:30pm, Sat 8:30pm, Sun 2:30pm, 5:30pm; Mon-Thurs 7:30pm.

Runtime: 93 minutes

Drama, musical.

There’s something so decidedly old-fashioned about Black Nativity, an updating of the Christmas-themed musical written by poet Langston Hughes and first performed in 1961, that it feels like a small marvel to be watching it in 2013. 

It doesn’t matter that not all of the songs are memorable or that the performances are of varying success; the warm-hearted Black Nativity feels tailor-made to fit with the good tidings of the season.

Beginning in contemporary Baltimore, the film focuses on the struggles of a single mother (Jennifer Hudson) and her teenage son, Langston (Jacob Latimore), named after the noted writer. 

After getting an eviction notice, mom ships Langston off to her parents in Harlem.

The trouble is that she’s not on good terms with her father (a by-the-book preacher named Reverand Cobb played by Forest Whitaker) or mother (Angela Bassett).

At first, Langston hates his new life and he considers turning to street crime to raise the money to get back to Maryland and help his mother.

Of course, this being a Christmas movie, his best-laid plans are derailed by good intentions. 

Whitaker summons up the most nuanced performance, playing a man whose no-nonsense facade hides a whirlpool of guilt about his relationship with his daughter. 

Liberty Theatre

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

****

Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth. 

Director: Francis Lawrence. 

Rated: PG-13

Showing: Fri 1:30pm, 6pm, 9pm; Sat 2:30pm, 6pm, 9pm; Sun 1:30pm, 5:30pm; Mon-Thurs 1:30pm, 7:30pm .

Runtime: 146 minutes

Action, adventure, sci-fi.

The Districts are in revolt. People are being shot simply for raising their hands and whistling — not because they’re trying to hail a cab (they’re too poor), but as a symbol of solidarity and protest.

 And Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) — the girl from Appalachia with the fierce eyes, daunting archery skills and multi-demographic fan base — is making trouble.

A satisfying second instalment in the promised quadrilogy based on Suzanne Collins’ megaselling series about life in a dystopian land where a select group of boys and girls kill each other for the entertainment of the masses, Catching Fire is bigger, better and broodier than the first film. 

Speciality Theatre

Frozen (3D)

***

Stars: Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, Idina Menzel. 

Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee. 

Rated: PG

Showing: Fri 3:30pm,  5:45pm, 8:15pm; Sat 1:45pm, 2:30pm, 4:15pm, 5pm, 7:30pm; Sun 1:45pm,  3:30pm, 4:30pm, 6pm; Mon-Wed 3:30pm, 5:45pm; Thurs 5:45pm.

Runtime: 108 minutes

Animation, comedy.

Disney is on to something pretty cool with its latest princess picture, Frozen. It’s evolving a solid story template that will give its girl movies an identity distinct from the studio’s boy films.

The new movie is roughly based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. 

Compelling interpretations of classic stories is what built Disney’s brand. It’s good to see that they’re still on the job. 

The Best Man Holiday

***

Stars: Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, Terrence Howard, Monica Calhoun, Harold Perrineau, Eddie Cibrian.

Director: Malcolm D. Lee

Rated: R

Showing: Fri 2:30pm, 6:15pm, 9:15pm, Sat 6:45pm, 9:30pm; Sun 7:30pm; Mon-Thurs 2:30pm, 7pm.

Runtime: 122 minutes

Comedy.

The Best Man Holiday is a most welcome sequel to the 1999 sleeper hit, The Best Man, about a tight-knit circle of black friends who gathered then for a wedding, now to spend Christmas together.

Yes, it’s occasionally maudlin but it’s also warm, heartfelt and often downright hilarious. 

Southside Theatre

Captain Phillips

****

Stars: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman. 

Director: Paul Greengrass

Rated: PG-13

Showing: Ring 297-2821.

Runtime: 135 minutes

Biography, crime, drama 

We remember how it turned out. So there’s no way that Captain Phillips, the movie about the 2009 pirate attack on the M.V. Maersk Alabama, should be as entertaining as it is.