War Party

First things first: Rogue One is really good, and you should see it. But there’s another truly great film opening in town this week, so make sure you don’t miss that either.

Cameraperson: An essay film built out of unused footage from projects she’s worked on as a cinematographer and her own home movies, Kirsten Johnson’s exquisite documentary is a meditation on the toll of bearing witness. One of the year’s best films.

Collateral Beauty: If it’s awards season, it must be time for another craven Will Smith project — and this one has his stupidest premise yet. (Yes, even stupider than Seven Pounds). Rad was dumbfounded. Poor Rad.

The Eyes of My Mother: Nicolas Pesce’s minimalist horror film demonstrates that there’s still life left in the Gothic farmhouse genre. Icky, icky life.

Harry Benson: Shoot First: Justin Bare and Matthew Miele — the guys who made those fawning documentaries about Bergdorf’s and Tiffany’s — return with a profile of Life photographer Harry Benson. Rad liked it, with reservations.

Neruda: Jose liked it, but I found Pablo Larrain’s meditation on Pablo Neruda to be one big meta mess, with Luis Gnecco playing the poet and politician as a gimlet-eyed hedonist and Gael Garcia Bernal squinting and scowling as his fictional persecutor.

Rogue One: Gareth Edwards’ not-quite-stand-alone Star Wars story imagines The Dirty Dozen in a galaxy far, far away … and winds up being the only prequel we’ll ever need.

There, that’s everything. Bundle up, please.

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