No Good Deed

When Terri’s (Henson) husband goes out of town, the former district attorney is left alone with her two small children in their suburban home. However, her ideal life is quickly and unexpectedly shaken when a handsome stranger (Elba) appears at her door hoping for help after running his car off the road. Terri offers him the use of her phone, but soon finds her family in grave danger from the man who is in fact a dangerous escaped convict who has gained access to her home.

Director: Sam Miller. Stars: Idris Elba, Taraji P. Henson, Leslie Bibb, Kate del Castillo, Henry Simmons, Mirage Moonschein, Kenny Alfonso, Dan Caudill, Tatom Pender, Kelly O’Neal. 2014. 84 min. Thriller.

Boyhood

A story of growing up, from boyhood to manhood, as experienced by Mason (Coltrane), whose life is chronicled from first grade through to the end of high school. Mason Sr. (Hawke) and Olivia (Arquette) are a divorced couple trying their absolute best with their son and daughter (Linklater), taking in all that it means to be a parent, both big events and small. Shot over 12 years, the film accurately portrays the many changes that take place in a young life as it approaches adolescence and then ultimately adulthood.

Director: Richard Linklater. Stars: Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette, Lorelei Linklater, Ellar Coltrane, Elijah Smith, Steven Chester Prince, Bonnie Cross, Marco Perella, Jamie Howard, Ryan Power, Libby Villari. 2014. 165 min. Drama.

Love Is Strange

Ben (Lithgow) and George (Molina) have been together for 39 years and now, thanks to the state’s new marriage laws, are finally tying the knot. Not long after, however, Ben is fired from his job at a Catholic school, and the couple can no longer afford the rent on their apartment. Until they sort out their situation, they stay with loved ones in separate abodes, forcing them to temporarily move apart. The newly shared living space proves to be a challenge for everyone involved.

Director: Ira Sachs. Stars: John Lithgow, Alfred Molina, Cheyenne Jackson, Manny Perez, Darren Burrows, Marisa Tomei, Charlie Tahan, Harriet Sansom Harris, Jason Stuart, Olya Zueva. 2014. 94 min. Drama.