The Guardians Return to the Galaxy Plus, 3 More Movies Reviewed

by Chris Narloch

New films currently in theaters include the third and final installment in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise and a film adaptation of one of Judy Blume’s most beloved books.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

If you see one movie this month, I recommend this funny, faithful, and fantastic big screen version of Judy Blume’s classic novel about an eleven-year-old girl who moves to a new school in a new town and begins to have questions about faith and her family history. The filmmakers found the perfect Margaret in Abby Ryder Fortson, and Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates are also outstanding as Margaret’s mother and grandmother. As a 59-year-old gay man, I wondered if I would relate to a movie about a pre-teen girl, but the film’s themes of adolescent angst, sexual curiosity, and spiritual crisis are entirely universal. The movie somehow manages to be very funny without being crass, very sweet without being cloying, and very moving without being melodramatic. Currently in wide theatrical release.

What’s Love Got to Do with It?

Sacramento’s historic Tower Theatre is offering one free admission the first week of this movie’s engagement if you bring a friend to see the cross-cultural rom com about a Pakistani man who surprises his British best friend when he opts for an arranged marriage over dating apps and then allows said bestie (a female filmmaker) to document the process. Unless you’ve never seen a romantic comedy, you’ll know in the first fifteen minutes how the story ends, but both lead actors are very appealing, and the film also has a terrific supporting cast that includes the indispensable Emma Thompson. The movie opened on May 5th.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

I wish I could report that the third time’s the charm, but the final installment in the Guardians franchise is my least favorite of the trio of films about a misfit gang of superheroes who team up to defend the universe. There are flashes of the original movie’s saucy charms, but at two-and-a-half hours long, Vol. 3 suffers from the Marvel bloat that has begun to plague a lot of superhero cinema. The cast is game, and the action is often exciting, but there are elements of the script involving children behind bars and animals going to heaven that I found painful to sit through. Save your money and watch the first film again. Currently in wide theatrical release.

Showing Up

Michelle Williams is a very talented actress, but she tests her fans patience with this slow-as-molasses story about a stressed-out sculptor who anxiously prepares to open a new show despite myriad problems that include her dysfunctional family, an injured bird, and no hot water. The movie’s gifted director, Kelly Reichardt, specializes in moving tales of ordinary people, but she lost me this time. The only thing I learned from “Showing Up” is what a bummer it is to spend two hours in the company of a character who appears to be clinically depressed and in need of medication. The film was still playing at Sacramento’s Tower Theatre as we went to press.