See or skip? 'Gray Man,' 'My Old School,' 'Alone Together,' 'Don't Make Me Go'

If you’re looking for a way to escape the oppressive heat, try chilling out with one of the following movies debuting this month. It’s a mixed bag, featuring two outstanding documentaries and a trio of underachieving feature films. The good with the bad. But then I get paid to suffer through the insufferable. You might not be as forgiving. I’ll let you decide.

'The Gray Man'

Brothers Anthony and Joe Russo escape the Marvel Universe to direct a cheesy Jason Bourne facsimile starring Ryan Gosling and Boston’s Chris Evans as assassins traveling the globe fighting for possession of a … thumb drive. Yawn! The film is the first in a planned series of adventures based upon Mark Greaney’s novels about Sierra Six (Gosling), an ex-con recruited by the CIA to kill with plausible deniability. But, like Bourne, Six’s shelf life is about up, unless his former handler, Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton), can keep the in-house jackals off his trail. Fitz’s replacement, Carmichael (“Bridgerton’s” Rege-Jean Page), is most determined to see Six deep-sixed, going so far as to hire disgraced ex-CIA hothead Lloyd Hansen (an annoying, clownish Evans) to do the deed. Bond girl Ana De Armas is wasted as Six’s guardian angel, career-minded, badly coiffed CIA operative Dani Miranda. The pair travel from Bangkok to Croatia to Berlin to Prague and onward with Hansen in hot pursuit. What ensues is overly busy, dumb and riddled with cringingly glib dialogue penned by a trio of writers led by Joe Russo. The threesome take particular delight in placing Fitz’s orphaned, 12-year-old niece, Claire (Julia Butters), in constant peril, while also mocking the girl’s lifesaving pacemaker. Ironic since “The Gray Man” has no heart. (PG-13 for intense sequences of strong violence, and strong language. Streaming on Netflix on July 22. Grade: C)

'My Old School'

Director Jono McLeod’s bizzaro recounting of his former prep school classmate, Brandon Lee, is up there with “Three Identical Strangers” in its plethora of WTF moments. It thrives on its exploration of identity, clueless school officials and the lengths people will go to realize their dream. To assist in its telling, McLeod rounds up a dozen old chums, sits them at their classroom desks and asks what they remember most about Brandon, the new kid at Scotland’s Bearsden Academy. All agree he seemed off. He looked older, knew more than they did and was far more worldly. But he made friends fast, protected bullied classmates and, most importantly, had a car! The focal point is Brandon, who agreed to an interview, but not on camera. McLeod cleverly solves that dilemma by employing Alan Cumming to flawlessly mimic Brandon’s words and actions. Cumming, who was once slated to play Brandon in a planned feature film, is captivating, but not as engrossing as the tale itself. It’s best you know as little as possible going in, so I will say no more, other than to express my admiration for McLeod’s ability to invoke those days 30 years ago using “Doria”-style animation to represent his 40-something talking heads as teenagers. Oh, and the accompanying music is outstanding, with Lulu crooning the film’s title tune (by Steely Dan), a la her “To Sir, with Love” in the 1960s. She also acquits herself well as the voice of the school’s deputy rector, whose failure to request Brandon’s birth certificate triggered the entire mad scenario. She and the movie go straight to the head of the class. (Not rated; in theaters July 29. Grade: A)

'Alone Together'

Has it really been 17 years since “Thank You for Smoking,” the last production of merit involving Katie Holmes? Yes. And this COVID-infected drama written, directed and starring Holmes will likely continue that slump. In it, she portrays a snooty restaurant critic looking to escape the Big Apple after the city is shut down by COVID on March 15, 2020. With the disembodied voice of accused sex offender Andrew Cuomo providing “daily updates” throughout, her June whines about an inconvenient pandemic she plans to ride out (“It’ll be over in 30 days”) at an Airbnb in Hudson, New York. Her steady, John (Derek Luke), is supposed to accompany her, but – bummer – opts to stay with his vulnerable elderly parents. Naturally, her home away from home has been double-booked. But what luck! Her unexpected roomie is a bearded saint in shabby chic clothing. He’s Charlie, and, as played by laconic Jim Sturgess, is just the COVID vaccine injection she needs. After some prelims suggesting a mismatch, they find common ground, bond and fall in love … as New Yorkers die in record numbers. Did I mention this is a rom-com, albeit one in which June reveals her parents' departure in a murder-suicide? Might history repeat itself when John surprises the new lovers? Not unless he plans on slaying his rival through boredom. The highlight just may be Holmes’ daughter, Suri Cruise, singing “Blue Moon” over the opening credits. Not bad. At least she’s not as grievously wasted as Melissa Leo, playing Charlie’s goofy mother, and Zosia Mamet as June’s drippy BFF. Avoid this one like the plague. (R for language; opening July 22 in limited theaters and and available via on demand July 29; Grade: C-)

'Don’t Make Me Go'

We’re a long way from the White Castle in this domestic drivel starring “Harold and Kumar’s” John Cho as a cancer-stricken father endeavoring to make one last road trip with his sassy, self-involved teen daughter, Wally (Mia Isaac). The twist is she doesn't know Pops is on the endangered list. So she repeatedly finds ways to muddy their trek from L.A. to the Big Easy, home to her long-estranged mother. The plan is to deposit Wally with Mom so Cho’s Max can die knowing Wally has a new home. Wally meets a cute boy, and down the road, an even cuter man, in navigating the passage from little girl to maturing woman. It’s the vacation from hell. Not for them, us! Vera Herbert’s script is so lacking in originality, you find yourself mouthing the next line before it leaves the lips of the actors. Director Hannah Marks impedes “the final destination” for so long you might overlook her shameless “big twist.” She implores us to care, but makes that impossible by being so relentlessly predictable. Cho is fine at fleshing out a character who will never be named father of the year, but Isaac is grating. In the hands of Marks, it’s more about the manipulation than the journey. Don’t go there. (Streaming on Amazon Prime. Grade: C-)

'Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song'

Few songs have taken on a life of their own quite like “Hallelujah.” It’s been covered by dozens of artists, from Dylan and John Cale to the man who’s come to own it, the late Jeff Buckley. Directors Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine trace the history of the song from its origins in the brilliant mind of poet-musician Leonard Cohen to its omnipresence in cultures worldwide. But the heart of their labors is Cohen, a self-reflective Jew from Montreal, who used his art to explore his obsessions with sex and spirituality. He wrote and performed dozens of terrific songs, but “Hallelujah” is his hallmark, ideally described as “the intersection of the holy and the horny.” It took him seven years to write and has been evolving ever since, with him often changing the lyrics to adapt to both the devout and the secular. Amazingly, his label, Columbia, refused to release 1984’s “Various Positions,” the album featuring the iconic song. The label’s brass were convinced it would never appeal to audiences in the U.S.  Boy, were they wrong. The song is just about perfect, but the telling of its story is not, mainly because it lacks focus. The directors can’t seem to decide if they want the spotlight to be on Cohen or his signature song. The result is a tad frustrating, but the overall film is so entertaining, why not just throw up your arms and shout, “Hallelujah”? (Not rated; in theaters July 22. Grade: B+)

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: See or skip? Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans star in 'The Gray Man'