Keane (2004)

As the title character, Damian Lewis gives a wholehearted performance but his situation never quite rings true: after the abduction of his daughter from the New York Port Authority bus terminal, Keane teeters on the edge of insanity (but then doesn't), struggles to scrounge cash to continue his hotel limbo (but then doesn't) and for the benefit of the viewer (but not for the believability of the story), he also helpfully provides an out-loud commentary of his mad thoughts.

★★☆☆☆

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Bridge of Spies (2015)

During the Cold War, James Donovan (Tom Hanks) finds himself lumped with the task of negotiating a spy/prisoner exchange between three countries even though, according to this film, he is not an expert negotiator - towards the movie's end he still fears he may have "really f***d things up" in his dealings on behalf of the US with Russian and East German diplomats - but the movie has him grappling with the extreme cold and language barriers, not negotiations which are just meetings he inexpertly muddles through, and though the story is true and full of interesting historical detail, director Steven Spielberg starts it way waaaaaay back, far earlier than he needs to, and draws out the ending, padding out a story the middle stretch of which feels very slight.

★★★☆☆

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Birdman (2014)

What we tell ourselves and what our critics tell us, what the truth is and whether or not we or them or anyone else really gives a sh*t are the ideas tossed around in this "talky, depressing, philosophical bullsh*t" about a superhero movie celebrity trying to open a Broadway production, anxious about how it will be received.

★★★★☆

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