Saturday, May 18, 2013
NEW ON THE SHELF
Foodie alert: The documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” offers a fascinating look at the finest sushi restaurant in Tokyo and its legendary proprietor.
Magnolia Pictures
"THE DEEP BLUE SEA," starring Rachel Weisz and Tom Hiddleston. Not to be confused with the 1999 killer shark movie, this lush and suitably despairing adaptation of the Terence Rattigan play is a '50s-set drama centered on Weisz, a woman torn between her dependable but brow-beaten husband (Simon Russell Beale) and her sensuous but adrift lover (Hiddleston), and finding herself seemingly unable to please either of them. Downbeat though it may sound, director Terence Davis ("The House of Mirth") expertly crafts a compelling tale from the inherent misery on display, and the three leads are impressive and relatable throughout. Rated R. Running time: 1:38
Suggested retail price: $29.95; Blu-ray $38.94
"JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI," documentary. This pleasingly straightforward documentary is every bit as likable as its protagonist, Jiro Ono, the proprietor of the finest sushi restaurant in Tokyo, where reservations must be made at least a month in advance and there is only one item on the menu. Jiro's philosophies on work and life in general are brilliant in their simplicity, and the lovingly photographed footage of the man at work in the kitchen is foodie heaven incarnate. Rated PG. Running time: 1:21
Suggested retail price: $26.98; Blu-ray $29.98
"SILENT HOUSE," starring Elizabeth Olsen and Adam Trese. A young woman (Olsen) accompanies her father (Trese) and uncle (Eric Sheffer Stevens) to her childhood lake house, now boarded up and rat-infested, to salvage a few belongings. Before long, Dad and Uncle are mysteriously M.I.A., and Olsen is trapped in a dark house with an unseen assailant. Told in real time over the course of one long, unbroken shot, "Silent House" is an ambitious and genuinely creepy film with a bit more going on than your average fright flick. Rated R. Running time: 1:25
Suggested retail price: $29.98; Blu-ray $34.98
"BOSS: SEASON ONE," starring Kelsey Grammer and Connie Nielsen. Concerns that Grammer would be too associated with his long-running Frasier Crane character to be believable as a hard-nosed, morally conflicted authority figure were handily put to rest within a few minutes of the pilot of this acclaimed, no-nonsense Starz series, in which Grammer portrays a Chicago mayor desperately trying to conceal a degenerative brain disorder from his co-workers and his city. Grammer's celebrated comedic timing is nowhere to be found in this all-business drama series, so "Cheers" fans may need time to adjust to the actor's gruff, fiery persona, but he clearly relishes the opportunity to flex his dramatic chops. Fans of "The Sopranos" in particular should enjoy this look at the seduction of power, replete with plenty of sex scenes. Not rated; contains language, violence and strong sexual content. Running time: 7:29
Suggested retail price: $39.98; Blu-ray $39.97
NEW TO BLU-RAY
"MYSTERY MEN," starring Ben Stiller and Janeane Garofalo. Proudly goofy 1999 superhero spoof proved a bit ahead of its time, failing to connect with audiences during its initial release but eventually becoming a cult favorite among today's comic book-obsessed movie-goers. Joining Stiller and Garofalo in their inept world-saving pursuits are William H. Macy as The Shoveler, Hank Azaria as the fork-throwing Blue Raja and Paul "Pee-Wee Herman" Reubens as the deeply unpleasant Spleen. Rated PG-13. Running time: 2:01
Suggested retail price: $19.98
VIDEOPORT PICKS
"FOOTNOTE," starring Lior Ashkenazi and Shlomo Bar-Aba. In writer-director Joseph Cedar's excellent "Footnote," we enter the rarely televised world of unspoken resentment, depicted between exacting, standoffish philologist Eliezer (Bar-Aba) and son Uriel (Ashkenazi), a fellow professor who is far more financially successful and popular among peers than his detached father. When a simple typo results in Dad ending up with a prestigious award that was intended for Uriel, the ever-percolating ill will between the two men comes to an unbearably tense head, and Cedar employs an extremely effective less-is-more approach to convey the suppressed emotions on display. Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Rated PG for thematic elements, brief nudity, language and smoking. Running time: 1:43
Suggested retail price: $30.99; Blu-ray $35.99
"MY WAY (MAI WEI)," starring Dong-gun Jang and Jo Odagiri. A story of friendship set against just about the most brutal backdrop imaginable, director Je-kyu Kang ("Swiri") put audiences closer to wartime combat than they've been since 1998's "Saving Private Ryan." The jaw-dropping sequences of battle are interspersed in the story of Jun-shik (Jang) and Tatsuo (Odagiri), who work together on a farm and entertain dreams of becoming rival marathon runners in the Tokyo Olympics -- goals that become waylaid when World War II breaks out and both are forced to enlist. "My Way" has a compelling tale to tell in the midst of all the chaos, and for viewers with strong stomachs, there isn't a dull moment to be found. Rated R for intensely realistic graphic sequences of war violence. Running time: 2:17
Suggested retail price: $24.98; Blu-ray $29.98
- Courtesy of Videoport
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