James Franco in "Interior. Leather Bar.," in which he attempts to re-create lost footage from an old movie. INTERIOR. LEATHER BAR. — 3 stars
Documentary about the remaking of a 1980 cult film (1:00). Not rated: Graphic nudity, sexuality. IFC.
Anybody who already considers James Franco pretentious or narcissistic from his “edgy” art films, poetry and novels will find further evidence in this doc, in which he and co-director Travis Mathews reimagine lost footage from the 1980 thriller “Cruising.”
That movie starred Al Pacino as an undercover cop in pursuit of a killer stalking gay men in New York. It holds up mostly as a time capsule, as it ignited controversy from viewers who thought its depiction of the city’s gay S&M scene was too damning, or too sympathetic, depending on who was doing the accusing.
Actor Val Lauren plays Pacino’s role, and he, Mathews and Franco spend most of this movie analyzing their project, trying to figure out what it might mean. They do bring into focus the notion of creative quests and daring, cinematic expressions of sexual curiosity. We see brief, graphic shots of naked actors performing sexual acts. But it’s the conversations about what those depictions represent that truly provoke.
JOURNEY TO THE WEST — 3 stars
A demon hunter finds martial-arts mayhem (1:50). PG-13: Violence. Subtitled. Cinema Village.
Stephen Chow has carved out a pretty cool niche for himself with his consistently entertaining martial-arts larks (“Shaolin Soccer,” “Kung Fu Hustle”). This one finds a young Chinese demon hunter trying to protect his village, only to be stymied by other, better demon hunters and by his own approach: He doesn’t want to destroy the monsters, he wants to release the good within them.
Chow’s movies are always as sweet as they are silly, a combination he once again balances — alongside cool effects — with typically deft irreverence.
Jasmine Trinca has a secret calling in the Italian drama "Honey."HONEY— 3 stars
An Italian woman considers her life (1:36). Not rated. Subtitled. Lincoln Center.
Everyone’s job requires some uncomfortable compromises. Few, however, have it as bad as Honey (Jasmine Trinca), the young Italian woman trying to find her way in Valeria Golino’s sensitive directorial debut.
Honey’s father and boyfriend think she’s a grad student, but all her trips to “school” are actually flights from Rome to Mexico, where she can buy drugs. They’re not for her, though: Her mission is to help the terminally ill die in peace.
The ethical issues aren’t easily resolved for her, though, especially when she finds one of her patients has a secret. Golino (“Rain Man,” “Hot Shots!”) shows impressive confidence behind the camera, tackling a complex story with patience and empathy.
eweitzman@nydailynews.com
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