Our Movie Critic's Weekend Selections

He Named Me Malala Oscar-winner Davis Guggenheim's inspiring documentary about Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani teen who was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman for her insistence that she - and all girls - had the right to an education. A polished piece of advocacy filmmaking. PG-13

The Martian Matt Damon gives a commanding, often darkly comic performance as an astronaut left for dead by his NASA crewmates when they beat a hasty retreat from Mars. With a limited supply of food and water and no means of communication, he has to figure out how to survive - and how to contact Mission Control - hoping they can bring him home. Stirring, science-rooted stuff from director Ridley Scott; with Jessica Chastain, Jeff Daniels, Kate Mara, and Michael Peña. PG-13

Time Out of Mind Richard Gere sheds every vestige of his movie star persona in the role of a homeless man moving across an indifferent New York City, trying to find a reason to keep going. A powerful film, shot on the sly, documentary-style. In cameos: Steve Buscemi, Jena Malone, Kyra Sedgwick, Ben Vereen. No MPAA rating