Variety
Very loosely inspired by his prior documentary about an Afghani guide to Western journalists (2009’s “Fixer: The Taking of Ajmal Naqshbandi”), Ian Olds’ “The Fixer” is a culture-clash drama in which an exotic new arrival quickly becomes enmeshed in the less savory undersides of a rural Northern California town. Though less overtly comedic, this insinuatingly low-key tale may for some recall “Inherent Vice,” as it’s similarly a droll ostensible mystery whose investigation (let alone resolution) takes a back seat to the revealing eccentricities of characters and communities encountered en route. Presence of James Franco and Melissa Leo in supporting roles should boost prospects for a movie with considerable offbeat appeal, if few obvious commercial angles.
THR
In Romania’s submission for the foreign-language Oscar, a team of broadcast journalists chases down a scoop involving a sexually exploited girl.
