Perpetually angry Robin Williams is told by his stressed and drugged out doctor Mila Kunis that he has ninety minutes to live, so he sets out trying to connect one last time with his family, including wife Melissa Leo and brother Peter Dinklage. Criminally underutilizing its entire cast, except for maybe James Earl Jones in a small role, I had completely forgotten I had already seen the film until the very ending that is memorable for its bizarre wrap-up. Because of the theme of death, it resonates as one of Williams’s last films. Fortunately there are much better choices in his filmography that both showcase his talent and touch on such themes that this one can just be skipped.

Fashion photographer Faye Dunaway begins seeing visions of gruesome murders being committed through the first person view of the killer. She learns from police lieutenant Tommy Lee Jones that many of her provocative photos bear a striking resemblance to those of unpublished crime scene photos. The photo setups, and the film in general, has a pretty cool disco aesthetic. Dunaway is strong in the lead as are the number of men surrounding her, such as Brad Dourif, Raúl Juliá, and René Auberjonois. The resolution is a bit far-fetched but not completely coming out of nowhere, still leading to a exciting climax.   

When the previously-owned android his family purchased to help their Chinese daughter learn about her birth culture malfunctions, Colin Farrell goes on a search to repair the robot, but instead learns more about relationships and what it means to exist. There’s some interesting world building in the film, set in an undated near-ish future in a place that doesn’t seem to be China but has connections to Chinese culture. I wish I could have learned more about the world, but that didn’t detract from the film. I just wanted more. What the film did give was a fascinating exploration of what it is to live.  

Lying in hospital near Los Angeles due to an injury on a film set, stunt man Lee Pace regales fellow patient Catinca Untaru with a fantasy tale in exchange for her procuring him more pain medications. It’s a gorgeous film throughout, effortlessly weaving the real life scenes with the story telling, in director Tarsem Singh’s unique style. I’ve adored Lee Pace since seeing him in the incredible Wonderfalls and while he’s fantastic here in roles that require quite a bit of subtlety and complexity, he’s often upstaged by the adorable innocence of young Catinca.   

Christina Aguilera moves from Iowa to Los Angeles looking for something more and finds it in a burlesque club run by Cher. I can’t imagine this is anyone’s idea of a good movie. Each scene feels like it was made by a cliché generator and the various plots only held together by the most nebulous of threads. Christina with all her singing talent is not made for acting let alone as a lead. The dance sequences aren’t bad and some of the songs are catchy, though at least three of them essentially share the same title as the film. At least Alan Cumming and Stanley Tucci seem to be aware exactly what type of movie they’re in and they play it to perfection.