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Moses parts the Red Sea, but Ridley Scott has a tougher job making it look good.
Scott directs "Exodus: Gods and Kings," a visually fascinating take on the Old Testament story of Moses freeing the Hebrews and delivering the Ten Commandments. It's also a confused telling, with Christian Bale's gritty performance as Moses butting up against the campy theatrics of the Egyptians — led by Joel Edgerton as Ramses.
Also on a religious theme, the Chilean documentary "Mary's Land" — which looks at people's belief in the Virgin Mary — opens in some theaters today. It was not screened for critics.
On the art-house side, "The Way He Looks" is a charming teen romance from Brazil. It centers on Leo (Ghilherme Lobo), a blind 15-year-old who is starting to yearn for romance — which is when a new student, Gabriel (Fabio Audi), arrives. The performances are down-to-earth, and characters sweet and believable.
San Francisco Judy Irving's documentary "Pelican Dreams" is an intermittently interesting look at the California brown pelican, and how they survive in environments constantly threatened by human behavior — pollution, overfishing and climate change. There's some fun material in here, but not enough to stretch over 80 minutes.
Lastly, there's "Comet," an overly cutesy romantic drama with two insufferable people (Justin Long, Emmy Rossum) caught at several pivotal moments in their on-again, off-again relationship. The mix of hipster irony, 20-something angst and self-reflective editing is unbearable.