At the Movies: capsule reviews of ‘Inglourious Basterds’ and other films this week

Capsule reviews: ‘Inglourious Basterds,’ others

Capsule reviews of films opening this week:

“Inglourious Basterds” — If only Quentin Tarantino the director weren’t so completely in love with Quentin Tarantino the writer, this might have been a great movie rather than a good movie with moments of greatness. Everything that’s thrilling and maddening about his films coexists and co-mingles here: the visual dexterity and the interminable dialogue, the homage to cinema and the drive to redefine it, the compelling bursts of energy and the numbingly draggy sections. And then there is the violence, of course: violence as a source of humor, as sport, violence merely because it looks cool on camera, and because the 46-year-old Tarantino still has the sensibilities of a 12-year-old boy. “Inglourious Basterds” also reflects the discipline, or lack thereof, of an adolescent — one who’s never been told “no.” Certain scenes of his wildly revisionist World War II saga have a palpable tension, but then he undermines them by allowing them to go on way too long. As for the plot … well, it might be in there somewhere amid the many meandering threads. The film follows a band of Jewish American soldiers, led by twangy Tennessean Lt. Aldo Raine (a hilarious Brad Pitt), who hunt Nazis. Tarantino also intertwines the stories of Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent), who fled to Paris and opened a movie theater after Nazis killed her family; Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), the Nazi colonel who orchestrated that attack; German movie star Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger), who’s an undercover agent for the Brits; and Nazi war hero Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Bruhl), who’s about to become a star by playing himself in a propaganda flick about his exploits. R for strong graphic violence, language and brief sexuality. 152 min. Two and a half stars out of four.

— Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic

“Passing Strange The Movie” — It’s easy to see why Spike Lee was drawn to Stew, the one-named musician and mastermind behind the Broadway production “Passing Strange.” Like Lee, the artist formerly known as Mark Stewart possesses a powerful and singular voice, one he uses to express vividly his own experience of growing up black in America. And Lee has always shown a strong affinity for music in his films, as evidenced by his longtime collaboration with composer and jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard. In bringing Stew’s Tony-winning “Passing Strange” to the screen, Lee took the wise and uncharacteristic step of staying out of the way — of letting the songs and the story play out without inserting himself into them. Lee shot two performances at New York’s Belasco Theatre before the show closed, then shot it again without an audience. The result is so crisp and intimate, it makes you feel as if you’re on stage with Stew (who narrates) and the rest of his formidable cast. The semi-autobiographical “Passing Strange” tells the story of a black Los Angeles teenager, known as Youth (Daniel Breaker), who struggles to find his artistic identity in the 1970s. Among the forces that shape him are his churchgoing mother (Eisa Davis) and the bohemians he meets in Amsterdam and Berlin (De’Adre Aziza, Colman Domingo, Chad Goodridge and Rebecca Naomi Jones in multiple roles). The coming-of age tale may sound familiar and the self-serious debates about creativity can grow repetitive. But the powerful and catchy rock songs, along with Stew’s humorously pointed observations about race, make “Passing Strange” compelling and moving. Not rated but contains language, drug use and sexual content. 135 min. Three stars out of four.

— Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic

“Post Grad” — This comedy about a driven, hardworking college student who can’t find a job after she graduates actually might have been relevant. It might have been a satirical and insightful look into how our soured economy has dashed the dreams of a generation. Instead, it’s a flat and tonally jumbled amalgamation of “Adventureland,” ”Little Miss Sunshine” and “Some Kind of Wonderful.” In other words, it has no idea what it wants to be, and as a result it gets nothing right. Alexis Bledel maintains a steady level of wide-eyed pluckiness as Ryden Malby (a name that looks like an anagram), who just got out of school and dreams of working at a prestigious Los Angeles publishing house. When she doesn’t get the job she applied for, she ends up back home in the San Fernando Valley with the kind of eccentric family you only find in the movies. Michael Keaton, as her dad, sells novelty belt buckles; Carol Burnett, as grandma, is obsessed with her own death; and Jane Lynch as her mother plays the straight woman for once, which isn’t a whole lot of fun. Meanwhile, Ryden rebuffs the romantic advances of her best friend, the spineless and worshipful Adam (Zach Gilford), and instead enjoys a fling with her sexy Brazilian neighbor (Rodrigo Santoro), even though — duh — the guy she’s supposed to be with has been right in front of her all along. Animation veteran Vicky Jenson (”Shrek,” ”Shark Tale”), directing her first live-action feature from a script by first-timer Kelly Fremon, awkwardly juggles all these subplots. She also squanders the comic presence of J.K. Simmons, Fred Armisen, Craig Robinson and Demetri Martin in minuscule supporting roles. PG-13 for sexual situations and brief strong language. 89 min. One star out of four.

— Christy Lemire, AP Movie Critic

“Shorts” — Robert Rodriguez mashes up “Shorts,” fast-forwarding, rewinding, pausing and following tangential story lines. But the editing high jinks don’t obscure that this family adventure film is essentially about a group of kids who end up with a “wishing rock,” a rainbow-colored stone that grants the holder any wish. And as tends to happen with such things (be they oil lamps or monkey paws), trouble ensues. Rodriguez populates a Texas suburb with colorfully exaggerated characters, both kids and adults. All get their hands on the wishing rock, but it’s the kids who know how to wish. The parents (highlighted by James Spader as Mr. Black, a flip corporate tyrant) are filled with worry and tethered to technology. Between stylish, often gruesome films, Rodriguez has made popular kids movies, most notably the “Spy Kids” trilogy. The director (who also, as usual, serves as writer, producer, co-editor, cinematographer and composer) draws heavily from his five children; the idea of “Shorts” was dreamed up by his son, Rebel. A good spirit pervades “Shorts,” but it becomes too cartoonish, too scattered to register much. Somewhere around the time a giant booger runs riot through the town, one wishes for a bit more adult supervision. With William H. Macy, Leslie Mann and Jon Cryer. PG for mild action and some rude humor. 89 min. One and a half stars out of four.

— Jake Coyle, AP Entertainment Writer