‘CDzԳ’
Adapted from the Robert Harris novel by Peter Straughan, the handsomely rendered and meticulously acted “Conclave” encompasses universal electoral struggles within the tightly controlled and rigorously regimented ritual of electing a new pope. The film stars Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, Sergio Castellitto, Stanley Tucci, and Carlos Diehz. While the screenplay’s themes can be extrapolated to broader sociopolitical questions, distracted by its own flashy revelations, it fails to impart any new or surprising insights beyond the basic notion that cardinals, they’re just like us.
2:00. 2 ½ stars.
‘Smile 2’
The first “Smile,” from writer-director Parker Finn, came out in 2022, and in a less promising directorial debut its premise would’ve fallen apart around the third or fourth mirthless stare. Evil spirit, loose in the world, flits from human to human; unfortunate victim commits suicide in some heinous fashion in the presence of the next lucky customer; rinse, repeat. Simple, flexible idea, yes, but enough for a feature? It was. Expanding on the grin-and-share-it idea in his slick, 10-minute short “Laura Hasn’t Slept” (2020), “Smile” revealed Finn as a filmmaker of sure pacing instincts and enough compelling interest in his female protagonist’s traumatic past to deliver more than one smash-cut jump scare after another. “Smile 2” goes in a newish direction, to frustrating mixed results — but it’s a mixed bag you can respect because it’s not hackwork and it’s trying new things. This time, the anguished center of the narrative is pop superstar Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), about to launch a massive world tour after a difficult substance-abuse recovery. She’s also recovering from a terrifying car accident that took the life of her fellow cocaine-addict boyfriend. It’s up and down. But when it’s up, “Smile 2” makes you look forward to Finn’s next project.
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2:07. 2 ½ stars.
‘Venom: The Last Dance’
You’re either on Venom’s wavelength or you’re not. If you are, you’re not alone, because as it turns out, a lot of folks are. The wildly successful Marvel series from Sony comprises a triptych of strangely appealing comic-book movies featuring Tom Hardy’s take on journalist Eddie Brock and his sassy symbiote sidekick, Venom (whom Hardy also voices). The third installment, “Venom: The Last Dance,” rounds out the trio of films, which are both straight-faced and irreverent, creating a campy tone all their own, distinct from the more self-serious superheroes or the sarcastically self-referential ones. Though the concept itself is running out of gas, and it would be nice to free Hardy to do other things, it’s a fitting send-off for the cheeky alien with the thousand-watt grin.
1:49. 2 ½ stars.
— Tribune News Service
