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KAREN MARTIN

“Mr. Jealousy” directed by Noah Baumbach (R, 1 hour, 43 minutes) Noah Baumbach followed up his remarkable first film, 1995’s “Kicking and Screaming,” with this often overlooked story about an insecure writer named Lester Grimm (Eric Stoltz) who is so haunted by his speculations about his girlfriend Ramona’s (Annabella Sciorra) romantic past that he joins, using his friend Vince’s name as a pseudonym, the group therapy session her ex-boyfriend — a much more successful writer — attends.

This proves not to be such a great idea, as the revelations made in group only raise more questions in Lester’s mind. Eventually he takes to arguing with Ramona’s former lover in the sessions, which forges a strange bond between the two men that can never be genuine given that Lester is pretending to be Vince, who, angry over Lester’s behavior, also joins the group under a fake name, and starts talking about what he perceives are Lester’s problems with trust and intimacy.

With a fine cast that includes Bridget Fonda, Chris Eigeman, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Carlos Jacott, Brian Kerwin and Peter Bogdanovich as the group therapy session leader, “Mr. Jealousy” is caught somewhere between the sophisticated serio-comic work of Baumbach’s post-“The Squid and The Whale” work and broader, screwball romantic comedies. In his contemporary review of the film, Roger Ebert wrote:

“Baumbach has a good ear for

how these characters talk, but the unforced originality of [“Kicking and Screaming”] is joined here by homages to other directors; he gets the iris shots and narration from Francois Truffaut, the nebbishy insecurity from Woody Allen and Henry Jaglom, and the self-analytical dialogue from Whit Stillman. I’m not bothered by his homage to them as much as I miss his confidence in himself.”

Maybe Ebert’s review helped, but Baumbach did recapture that confidence — no matter what you otherwise might think of his work from 2004’s “The Squid and the Whale” onward, it’s the product of a supremely self-assured writer-director. “Nobody” (R, 1 hour, 32 minutes) A surprisingly funny, angry, and brutal actioner in which an ineffectual father and husband fails to take on a pair of thieves who break into his family’s home, much to the consternation of his wife and teenage son. Their reactions make him determined to never be underestimated again. Note: The body count is off the charts. With Bob Odenkirk (who makes it all work), Connie Nielsen, Christopher Lloyd; directed by Ilya Naishuller.

“Night of the Sicario” (R, 1 hour, 22 minutes) A passable, if somewhat incomprehensible, faith-based actioner in which an American DEA agent must hide the daughter of a Colombian woman who, while in a witness protection program, will be testifying against a drug cartel. Others in the cartel want to make sure the witness doesn’t show up — ever. With Natasha Henstridge, Costas Mandylor, Manny Perez; directed by Joth Riggs.

“The Paper Tigers” (PG-13, 1 hour, 48 minutes) This spirited action comedy about expectations, disappointments and friendships concerns three former Kung Fu prodigies who have grown into mediocre middle-aged dads with going-nowhere jobs and bad attitudes who must revive their long-forgotten skills to avenge the murder of their former master. With Alain Uy, Ron Yuan, Mykel Shannon Jenkins, Jae Suh Park; directed by Quoc Bao Tran. “Siberia” (R, 1 hour, 32 minutes) A complex, compelling, and often incoherent horror fantasy starring Willem Dafoe (the perfect choice for a story like this) as a troubled man who tries to find peace in a remote mountain area where he runs a small cafe; when serenity eludes him, he ventures off on a dogsled journey in search of his true nature. Good luck with that. With Simon McBurney, Cristina Chiriac, Dounia Sichov; directed by Abel Ferrara.

“Hunter Hunter” (not rated, 1 hour, 33 minutes) More blood and brutality (see “Nobody”), this time involving a modern-day fur trapper who leaves his wife and daughter behind in their remote mountain cabin to pursue a deadly rogue wolf. It turns out that the supposed predator may not be the one he needs to be after. With Camille Sullivan, Devon Sawa, Nick Stahl; written and directed by Shawn Linden.

“The Unholy” (PG-13, 1 hour, 39 minutes) It’s not “The Exorcist,” but there are worthwhile moments in this creepy faith-based attempt at horror that involves a hearing-impaired girl who regains her lost senses — along with the unexpected perk of being able to heal the sick — after she’s supposedly visited by a holy spirit by the name of Mary. Her sudden fame makes her the target of a journalist whose career is in need of a boost. With Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Cary Elwes, Katie Aselton; directed by Evan Spiliotopoulos.

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2021-06-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-06-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

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