Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski frames things
like a high-art photographer with careful use
of light and dark. Many of the best scenes are
silent, enhanced by a wonderfully wistful score
by James Newton Howard.
Anyone playing the girl faces a challenge but
German actress Helena Zengel is a marvel. She
can be wild in one scene, defiant later, curious
the next and emotionally shut down in another.
She speaks volumes even without dialogue.
The film arrives in the same month we can see a
grizzled George Clooney team up with a mute girl
for a similarly dangerous quest in “The Midnight
Sky.” It must be a boom time for aging Hollywood
heroes showing off their fatherly sides.
“News of the World,” a Universal Pictures release,
is rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images,
mature thematic material and some strong
language. Running time: 118 minutes. Three
stars out of four.
Online: http://www.newsoftheworldfilm.com
MPAA Definition of PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned. Some material
may be inappropriate for children under 13.