History, mythology, romance, and even architectural theory intertwine in the latest from the German master Christian Petzold, director of “Phoenix” and “Transit,” among others. The writer/director gets the stars of his last film together for a tale that plays off the myth of Undine, a water nymph who becomes human because of the love of…

Handsome young people are doomed to pursue the wrong kind of love in “The Real Thing,” a 232-minute Japanese drama about an idealistic, but self-destructive young man who deliberately obsesses over all the wrong relationships. At least, that’s how salaryman Tsuji (Win Morisaki) and his actions are presented throughout writer/director Koji Fukada (“Harmonium,” “A Girl…

“Under the Stadium Lights” is sincere and well-meaning, but its tribute to a Texas 2009 high school football championship team is so certain of its story that it fails to reach for an audience outside of its world.  The film is based on a book called Brother’s Keeper, written by Al Pickett and Chad Mitchell, who was…

Fans of the late Muhammad Ali will love director Graham Shelby’s “City of Ali,” a documentary about how the city of Louisville, Kentucky came out to honor its favorite son after his passing. It’s full of pure, unadulterated love for “The Greatest,” so much so that the viewer can’t help but get enveloped in its…

Truth be told, the characters in the films of German director Christian Petzold rarely tell the full truth about themselves. Their identities shift depending on their intentions, which are often motivated by the love of another and the circumstances that prevent them from being together. “Undine,” his latest exploration of hazardous romance, expands his reach…

If you are an eight-year-old girl and/or you love horses, you will fit into the slim Venn diagram sliver that constitutes the ideal audience for “Spirit Untamed.” It’s a harmless animated adventure that will provide a bland diversion to young viewers. They won’t recognize how it wastes the abilities of an incredible cast, including Julianne…