#Middlebury
By RACHEL ROSE
“Queen Bees” (PG-13) – If it took you 20 years to finally get over the anxiety of high school cliques, “Queen Bees“ shows that it all comes back again later in life. Ellen Burstyn plays Helen, a silver single moving into a senior living community. There she encounters all the same personality conflicts from her school days as she tries to navigate the social strata of Pine Grove. “They’re like mean girls, but with medical alert bracelets,“ Helen quips. Jane Curtin, Loretta Devine and Ann-Margaret round out the cool girls’ table, with Christopher Lloyd and James Caan providing comedic support and romantic interest. (Theaters and Prime Video)
Scene from “Luca” (Walt Disney/Pixar photo)
“Luca” (PG) – Luca and Alberto are two young boys finding adventure on the 1950s Italian Riviera, making new friends and living their best lives. The twist? They’re not actually human boys, but underwater sea creatures who become humanlike when they rise above the sea’s surface. While concealing their secret in lots of near-miss situations, the boys ride Vespa scooters and eat gelatos, practicing their Italian accents with a few choice phrases. Pixar Studios continues to amaze and delight with its visuals, once again surpassing its own levels of excellence in animation. (Disney+)
“Skyfall” (PG-13) – Once again delivering exquisite cinematography of exotic locales, this 2012 film is the third installment in Daniel Craig’s reign as James Bond. With 007 returning to MI6 after mission failure and subsequent personal disappearance, Bond rises like the phoenix to take on one of the creepiest villains ever, expertly portrayed by Javier Bardem. The movie’s stunning conclusion is explosive and a bit overly dramatic, but ties together Bond’s past with his present, ushering in a shocking change to the MI6 organization. (New to Paramount+)
“Bo Burnham: Inside” (NR) – It is a bit of a misnomer to call this a comedy special because it’s not your typical guy-onstage-telling-jokes presentation. Performed without an audience and entirely inside comedian/musician Bo Burnham’s apartment over the full year of 2020, “Inside” is 87 minutes of devilishly original songs and commentary covering subjects from white privilege to labor exploitation and self-deprecation. Despite the heavy topics, it IS hysterically funny, and exceptionally clever. With laser lights and voice modulators, Burnham is self-admittedly a little all over the place, but the genius that emerged from his own mental struggles is well worth a watch – but definitely not for the kids. (Netflix)
“Miss Juneteenth” (NR) – When a former pageant winner sees her teenage daughter at a crossroads in life, she encourages her to enter the same scholarship pageant that she won years earlier. With a full ride to a Historically Black College as the prize for the winner of Miss Juneteenth, mom Turquoise has high hopes of daughter Kai making more of her life than she herself was able to accomplish. Nicole Beharie is wonderful as the ever-supportive but always firm mother to newcomer Alexis Chikaeze in this SXSW Film Festival award-winner. (Theaters/video on demand)
© 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.
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