A team of sports broadcasters finds themselves caught in a life-or-death hostage situation. A quick-living British singer portrayed as a chimpanzee. An actress who’s a loyal malcontent who attacks everyone she meets.

They're a few of the fascinating characters (and a monkey) you'll meet on movie screens this week. That's why you need to get to know them.

“5. September”: At a time when it seems like meatier movies need to last more than two hours, director Tim Fehlbaum's purposeful and altogether terrific 95-minute pulse-pounder is something highly gratifying. The thriller from him and his co-screenwriters Moritz S. Binder and Alex David puts us right in the sweaty control room as ABC Sports producers and crew members scramble to cover the deadly Summer Olympics in Munich on that fateful day in 1972 to report. This ticking time- The bombshell report is (mostly) confined to the inner sanctum of this harried TV newsroom, where hot newcomer producer Geoff (John Magaro of “Past Lives”) leads the coverage and makes decisions in the face of the shocking consequences of the Israeli athletes being taken hostage both good and bad decisions.

The resulting chaos spirals completely out of control, making it difficult to determine what is truth and what is fiction. Key decisions about how to update the latest details and convey them to viewers responsibly and accurately are quickly reconsidered, resulting in an unbearably tense experience. “September 5” is seamless throughout, with precise editing from Hansjörg Weißbrich and powerful acting from Magaro, Peter Sarsgaard as TV boss Roone Arledge and Leonie Benesch as a particularly astute German interpreter. Plus, all the production details are right, from the chunky cameras to the wardrobe styles and the hectic arrangement of letter tiles used as on-screen descriptions. It is a riveting historical account from start to finish. Details: 3½ out of 4 stars; in theaters January 10th.

“Better Man”: The monkey is out of the bag, so to speak. Paramount Pictures is now fully embracing the central idea of ​​”The Greatest Showman” director Michael Gracey's biopic about British pop star/villain Robbie Williams – that he is portrayed by a CGI chimpanzee. While I'm still not convinced that this is actually the best way to go, I'm wholeheartedly in love with this high-energy, do-everything musical about Williams' life and struggles. Gracey entertains us in this stone-cold, honest overview of Williams' rapid rise to stardom (a desire instilled in him by his father, powerfully played by Steve Pemberton) in the boy band Take That, and on to his drug-fueled rants and escapades, his heavy tangible loves, his conflicts with other artists and his solo career. “Better Man” is brimming with priceless, surprisingly tender moments and plenty of insightful concert scenes (Take That's recreations are outstanding; a sequence with Williams' “Angels” will leave you in awe). Best of all is a magnificent, breathtaking number centered around “Rock DJ” that sprawls across London's Regent Street and will be remembered as one of the most effervescent and exhilarating sequences in any film of the last decade. Gracey saves the most emotional moment for last, as Williams taps into the Sinatra side he never wanted to let go of. Like the rest of the film, it is full of emotion and highlights the skill and impressiveness of the actor behind the computerized monkey suit – Jonno Davies. It's a fleet-footed feat of physical and emotional acting, and the 32-year-old English actor, much like Andy Serkis as Caesar in War for the Planet of the Apes, manages to make us cry and care for the person inside . Details: 3½ stars; in theaters January 10th.

“Last Showgirl”: In “The Last Showgirl,” Pamela Anderson's insightful but understated performance as a veteran Las Vegas performer at the end of her career never hits a wrong note. She plays Shelly, a performer who has dedicated 30 years to the old-fashioned Razzle Dazzle Show, which is now scheduled to close, putting her future in the business in doubt. Director Gia Coppola's film, based on a compelling screenplay by Kate Gersten, is a dark, character-driven drama that gives Anderson a powerful role that she relishes and commands in every scene. It is an achievement that is certainly worthy of an award.

Shelly has seen it all and sacrificed a lot; But she also did things her own way, which led to criticism from those around her, including her college-age daughter Hannah (Billie Lourd), who comes home for unpleasant visits, and stage manager Eddie (Dave Bautista, proving once again that he has dramatic range). who has a past with Shelly. The best scenes focus on the close-knit group of female cast members starting families of their own, as their “blood” families often want nothing to do with them. Shelly has become an adoptive mother to everyone, even her very tanned best cocktail waitress Annette (Jaime Lee Curtis, in another unforgettable performance), who is always struggling with finances. “The Last Showgirl” exposes the sexism and ageism these women face, but also shows the resilience and fighting spirit that help them stay true to who they are. Details: 3 stars; hits theaters on January 9th.

“Hard truths”: If you had the terrible misfortune of encountering Pansy (Marianne Jean-Baptiste in a performance of breathtaking cobra-like artistry), the venomous protagonist in another of Mike Leigh's excellent character studies, you might want to sprint like Olympian Noah Lyles to get out of it Way to go her. The married, scorching-sour Londoner spews hatred wherever she goes, insulting everyone she meets: her dentist; her cowering, bullied, bear-sized son Moses (Tuwaine Barrett); even her hard-working punching bag husband Curtley (David Webber). Everyone around her bears the germaphobe's wrath, and the only person who can occasionally penetrate her bilious anger is her optimistic hairdresser sister Chantal (Michelle Austin), mother of two lively daughters. Chantal understands the reasons why Pansy lashes out and refuses to ever give herself the chance to see the beauty that exists all around her. Built on the great performances of Jean-Baptiste and Austin, Leigh's deeply conscious human drama makes us realize how tragic a character Pansy is and how compassionate Chantal is. It's a credit to both actors that they pulled this off, as the 81-year-old Leigh allows his cast to create their characters, interactions and situations through a long round of rehearsals. The unorthodox process continues to produce real and raw character studies, and “Hard Truths” stands on the same top floor as Leigh's best works – “Naked,” “Secrets & Lies,” “Happy-Go-Lucky” and “Another Year.” ” It is certainly a brilliant triumph for Jean-Baptiste, who burns in every scene and delivers a fearless performance that is unique for the ages. Details: 3½ stars; in theaters January 10th.

“The room next door”: Director Pedro Almodovar abandons the sexy to take mortality very seriously and seriously in his wandering, strangely stilted first feature in English, an adaptation of Sigrid Nunez's acclaimed novel “What Are You Going Through?” At the center of Almodovar's version is the reunion of two writers – the war journalist Martha (Tilda Swinton) and the writer Ingrid (Julianne Moore). The former friends reunite when Martha learns that her cancer is terminal. She doesn't want to die alone, and after Martha tells some convoluted stories from the past and laughs a bit, she asks Ingrid to come with her to New York State to live in an architect's dream house. There she asks Ingrid for a big favor. While many of the Almodovar hallmarks are present – the splashes of color, the rich visuals and the strong female characters – “The Room Next Door” feels fairly hole, an odd occurrence given its preoccupation with the actual fact of what's to return death, and that he plays the leading role of two of our biggest actors. But even their performances seem distant and distant in a movie of occasional beauty that ultimately fails to attach. Details: 2 stars; in theaters January tenth.

Originally published: January 9, 2025 at 3:40 pm PST

Local news

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The company that owns salvage rights to the Titanic is mounting an expedition to the ship's wreck for the primary time in years. Those involved within the mission said they’re heavy-hearted but have high goals for the trip, which comes a yr after one other company's submarine disaster killed five people.

RMS Titanic Inc., a Georgia-based company, owns the rights to salvage the wreck of the ship that sank within the North Atlantic in 1912. The company's first expedition to the salvage site since 2010 set off from Providence, Rhode Island, on Friday.

The voyage comes at a time when the worldwide marine science community remains to be reeling from the fatal implosion of an experimental submersible en path to the Titanic in June 2023. The Titan submersible disaster killed all five people on board, including Paul-Henri Nargeolet, the top of underwater research on the RMS Titanic.

This yr's mission to Titanic “means even more after the death” of Nargeolet, known to many as “Mr. Titanic,” said Jessica Sanders, president of RMST Inc.

The expedition will use advanced imaging technologies and remotely operated vehicles to capture detailed images of the Titanic, the wreckage site and the debris field, RMST Inc. officials said.

“This monumental undertaking will allow us to document the Titanic in unprecedented detail and share new discoveries from the wreck site with the public, continuing PH’s extraordinary work and passion,” said Sanders.

The goal ship, the Dino Chouest, will take several days to succeed in the positioning and is anticipated to return around Aug. 13, said Jon Hammond, a spokesman for RMST Inc.

The work will allow the corporate to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the present condition of the Titanic wreck site in addition to an in depth assessment of the artifacts that may be safely chosen for future salvage, RMST Inc. officials said.

Nargeolet made greater than 35 dives to the Titanic in his lifetime. The implosion also killed Titan operator Stockton Rush, two members of a outstanding Pakistani family, Shahzada Dawood and his 19-year-old son Suleman Dawood, and British adventurer Hamish Harding.

OceanGate, an organization co-founded by Rush that owned the submersible, ceased operations a yr ago. The U.S. Coast Guard launched a high-level investigation into the incident, however it has taken longer than expected and it’s unclear when the investigation will probably be accomplished.

Underwater researchers are awaiting the outcomes of the survey and RMST Inc.'s trip to the Titanic site is a very important milestone within the exploration of the positioning, said Katy Croff Bell, founding father of the Ocean Discovery League.

“The Coast Guard's investigation is ongoing and they have not yet released their findings, so the final chapter of this matter is still pending,” Bell said. “One thing has emerged, however: There may be more interest.”

The trip to the Titanic this month may even allow a comparison with the 2010 images, officials from RMST Inc. said. The mission could also result in the invention of latest areas of the debris field, previously unknown marine life and latest areas of destruction that might allow unhindered access to the inside of the ship, the corporate said on its website.

The traveling vessel is supplied with two remotely operated vehicles that will probably be used to capture the primary comprehensive image of the wreckage field and debris site, RMST Inc. said.

The expedition will use “the highest resolution camera systems ever deployed at this site to provide the public with new insights into the ship,” said Evan Kovacs, an underwater cameraman involved within the mission.

Unsafe sleep practices are the reason behind most sudden unexpected infant deaths within the United States. Three-quarters of infants were exposed to multiple unsafe practices on the time of death and nearly 60% shared sleeping space with one other person. These are the important thing findings from ours recent study published in Pediatrics.

Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Syndrome (SUID) occurs in infants under one yr of age who die suddenly and unexpectedly with no apparent cause prior to examination About 3,400 people die yearly within the United States. These infants die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed, or other unclear and unknown causes.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and various other authorities strongly discourage infants from sharing a sleeping surface with parents, other adults, or other infants or children due to potential for this increase the chance of those deaths.

Therefore, the high incidence of surface sharing – also generally known as bedsharing – in our study is alarming. The study included 7,595 infants who died of SUID between 2011 and 2020 and were listed within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention SUID case registry collects data from child death investigation teams in 23 states, cities or counties.

We examined characteristics of infants who shared their bed on the time of death.

Compared to infants who didn’t share a bed in our study, infants who shared their bed were more more likely to have the next characteristics:

• 0 to three months old, non-Hispanic Black, and insured by Medicaid or other public insurance
• Have been found lying on their backs in an adult bed, chair or couch
• Were affected by a better variety of unsafe sleep aspects
• Had been exposed to mother's cigarette smoking within the womb
• Were supervised by an individual under the influence of medication or alcohol on the time of death
• I didn't have a cot in the home

Of the non-sharing infants within the study, only a 3rd were sleeping within the really helpful supine position and three-quarters were in sleeping areas equipped with soft bedding resembling pillows, comforters or bumpers on the time of death.

Three-quarters of all sudden and unexpected infant deaths in our study were as a result of multiple unsafe sleep aspects.

Why it matters

Only within the United States has the general rate of sudden unexpected infant deaths modified minimally within the last 20 yearsbut racial-ethnic disparities in these deaths expand as a result of increasing rates amongst non-Hispanic black infants.

Our study suggests that the majority of those deaths are preventable through adherence to guidelines Safe Infant Sleep Guidelines as outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

These guidelines include:

• To sleep, place the infant on a firm, flat sleeping surface
• For the primary six months, the infant sleeps in his parents' room on a separate sleeping surface intended for infant sleep near the parents' bed
• Keep the infant's sleeping area clear of sentimental objects resembling pillows and loose bedding
• Avoid using alcohol, marijuana, opioids, and illegal drugs while pregnant and after birth
• Avoid smoke and nicotine exposure while pregnant and after birth

Why aren't the sudden unexpected child mortality rates changing? Even after they know the really helpful practices, many parents find it difficult to follow the recommendations. Others may select to not follow them or may not all the time follow them.

For example, an exhausted mother might put her baby to bed to feed after which go to sleep with the infant in bed. Or a parent puts their baby on a pillow because they think it’s more comfortable and sleeps higher. Bed sharing might also be a standard cultural or preferred practice, so not doing so may go against one's beliefs or preferences.

It is significant for healthcare providers to contemplate these aspects when counseling families. To ensure a secure place to sleep, many cities have programs in place Provide a free cot to oldsters who can't afford one.

What's next

More research is required to seek out probably the most effective ways to coach families about secure infant sleep. Numerous studies are currently underway using progressive methods to interact and educate parents, starting while pregnant Continued after the infant is born.

Focusing on families at highest risk, like those in our study, is critical to helping eliminate sudden, unexpected infant deaths and the racial-ethnic disparities which have to date stubbornly resisted change.

The Research Brief is a temporary insight into interesting scientific work.