Movies Update: 'Grandma,' 'American Ultra' and More

Friday, August 21, 2015

IN THIS EMAIL Movie Reviews | News & Features | On Video | Multimedia | Critics' Picks | Top Fives

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Review: In 'Grandma,' Lily Tomlin Energizes an Intergenerational Road Trip By A. O. SCOTT Paul Weitz's new film, centering on a feminist poet in her 70s and her granddaughter, is a comedy of conflict and solidarity.  Anatomy of a Scene: 'Grandma' Movie Overview Review: In 'American Ultra,' Jesse Eisenberg Is a Stoner and a Target By NEIL GENZLINGER Kristen Stewart and Mr. Eisenberg pair up again in this film, an action adventure with C.I.A. trouble and occasional laughs. Movie Overview

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Movie Reviews Review: 'Learning to Drive' Charts a Culture-Bridging Friendship By STEPHEN HOLDEN This grown-up drama stars Patricia Clarkson as a New York book critic, and Ben Kingsley as her Indian-American driving instructor. Movie Overview Review: In 'Youth,' Strains of Family and Country Fall on Brothers' Shoulders By STEPHEN HOLDEN Crude fantasy seems to merge with the daily reality of a militarized society as brothers try to save their family from financial ruin in this Tom Shoval film. Movie Overview Review: In 'Guidance,' a High School Counselor as a Rotten Role Model By JEANNETTE CATSOULIS Pat Mills wrote, directed and stars in this black comedy about a former child star who fraudulently gets a job of giving advice to teenagers. Movie Overview Review: 'The Iron Ministry' Uses Train Passengers to Tell China's Story By A. O. SCOTT J. P. Sniadecki spent nearly three years filming this documentary on the trains that carry tens of millions across the nation each year. Movie Overview Review: In 'Sinister 2,' a Murderous Being Returns for More Mayhem By ANDY WEBSTER In this horror sequel, a woman takes refuge in a rural home with her twin sons, who are then manipulated by evil. Movie Overview

Video Features 'Grandma' (With Movie Trailer): Paul Weitz Narrates a Scene By MEKADO MURPHY Paul Weitz discusses a sequence from "Grandma" with Lily Tomlin and Sam Elliott. Video: This Week's Movies: August 21, 2015 The New York Times film critics review "American Ultra," "Grandma" and "Sinister 2."

News & Features The Big Picture on the Mini-Movie in 'Sinister 2' and Others By NICOLAS RAPOLD In horror films like "Sinister 2" and dramedies like "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl," films-within-films are coming into their own.

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A. O. Scott Recommends Grandma Paul Weitz’s new film, centering on a feminist poet in her 70s and her granddaughter, is a comedy of conflict and solidarity. NYT Review | Buy Tickets | Watch Trailer Manohla Dargis Recommends The Great Man In this Sarah Leonor drama, two French soldiers’ lives change after a near-death experience in Afghanistan. NYT Review | Buy Tickets | Watch Trailer Stephen Holden Recommends Tom at the Farm Xavier Dolan directs and stars in this film about a bereaved lover who discovers that his boyfriend’s family had no idea that he had a gay companion. NYT Review | Buy Tickets | Watch Trailer For more recommendations, go to Critics' Picks »

Top Fives Top-grossing, most talked about and upcoming movies. Box Office » 1.  Straight Outta Compton 2.  Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation 3.  The Man From U.N.C.L.E. 4.  Fantastic Four 5.  The Gift Times Pulse » 1.  Grandma 2.  The Gift 3.  Mistress America 4.  Straight Outta Compton 5.  Ricki and the Flash Coming soon » Queen of Earth Regression War Room Unsullied I Touched All Your Stuff For showtimes and tickets, go to Tickets & Showtimes »