After the underrated musical Jersey Boys, Clint Eastwood returns with American Sniper (2014, Warner, PG-13, $30) a deeply involving biopic about Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), a Navy SEAL who survived four tours of duty in Iraq and was credited with 160 kills.
Even though Cooper isnt totally convincing as a Texas ranchhand-turned-killing machine, Sniper is a marvel of you-are-there filmmaking. Eastwood does such a good job of putting you in Kyles shoes that when Kyle attempts to protect his fellow SEALs from a Syrian sniper, youll feel as if youre on the rooftop alongside him, experiencing the terror and triumph of playing guardian angel to your best friends. Extras: featurettes.
Also New This Week
Black Or White: (2015, Fox, PG-13, $30) After his wife (Jennifer Ehle) dies in an accident, boozy attorney Elliot (Kevin Costner) assumes custody of his mixed-race granddaughter Eloise (Jillian Estell) at least until Eloises other grandmother (Octavia Spencer) decides the youngster belongs with her. If the set-up sounds sudsy, hold on. Writer/director Mike Binder (The Upside of Anger) rarely defaults to heart-tugging goop, preferring instead to probe issues of race, addiction and forgiveness. Even though Black Or White stumbles a bit at the end, Binder directs with skill and compassion while managing to elicit a career-best turn from Costner. Extras: featurettes.
Leviathan: (2014, Sony, R, $30) An Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, this compelling but heavy-handed Russian drama pivots on the battle between car mechanic Kolya (Aleksey Serebryakov) and Vadim (Roman Madyanov), a politician hellbent on taking away Kolyas ancestral home. Kolya calls in a lawyer pal (Vladimir Vdovichenkov) from Moscow to help with the case but Kolya seems to have a black cloud hanging over him. Practically soaked in vodka and sea mist, Leviathan offers up a chilling portrait of life in modern-day Russia. Extras: featurettes and commentary by director Andrey Zvyagintsev.
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Lost River: (2015, Warner, R, $30) Ryan Goslings directorial debut might be a mess but its an ambitious mess. Set in an abandoned neighborhood of Detroit, the dark drama follows a family (Christina Hendricks, Iain De Caestecker) struggling to hold on to their ramshackle home. As De Caestecker runs afoul of a gangster , Hendricks finds work at a nightclub where women pretend to mutilate themselves. From scene to scene, the suspense never builds but Gosling does manages to draw sympathetic performances from his cast while unleashing incendiary images that wouldnt be out of place in a David Lynch film. Extras: none.
Little Accidents: (2015, Amplify, unrated, $22) When a teenage boy goes missing in a small West Virginia town already reeling from a mining accident, three strangers are drawn together in unexpected ways. The boys mother (Elizabeth Banks) rejects her husband (Josh Lucas) and finds comfort in the arms of a miner (Boyd Holbrook.) At the same time, a young boy (Jacob Lofland) who lost his father in the disaster finds a friend in Banks. The lushly photographed film occasionally feels tentative but, in the end, writer/director Sara Colangelo offers a moving look at three lost souls haunted by tragedy. Extras: none.
Accidental Love: (2015, Millennium, PG-13, $20) After watching this botched 2008 satire about healthcare reform, you instantly know why director David O. Russell (Silver Linings Playbook) took his name off the credits. Jessica Biel stars as a waitress with a nail in her head dont ask - who goes to Washington to convince her congressman (Jake Gyllenhaal) to pass a bill providing insurance coverage for all Americans. Standing in the way is a politician (Catherine Keener) angling to open a military base on the moon. None of the performers rise above the dismal script, which is a cringe-worthy disaster. Extras: none.
Before I Disappear: (2015, IFC, unrated, $25) Writer/director Shawn Christensen expands his Oscar-winning 2013 short film Curfew into a feature film with mostly dismal results. Christensen stars as a suicidal janitor whos tasked with caring for his niece (Fatima Ptacek) after his estranged sister (Emmy Rossum) is hauled off to prison. Over the course of a long night, the pair takes a tour through some of Manhattans seedier neighborhoods and comes out the other end as best buddies. Unbelievable from start to finish, Before I Disappear deserves to vanish without a trace. Extras: none.
Maya - The Bee Movie: (2014, Shout Factory, G, $25) In this sweet-as-honey cartoon, a freshly hatched bee named Maya (Coco Jack Gilles) cant help befriending a bevy of bugs, including a violin-playing grasshopper, a dung beetle and a young hornet named Sting. When the Royal Jelly is stolen, Maya is blamed. Can Maya and pals prove their innocence and locate the missing sweets supply? While adults might long for more adult humor, Maya is sure to leave the pre-teen crowd feeling buzzed. Extras: blooper reel, TV episodes featuring Maya and featurettes.
U-Turn: (1997, Twilight Time, R, $30) On the run from gangsters, compulsive gambler Bobby Cooper (Sean Penn) takes a detour into h**l when he pulls into Superior, Arizona, a sweaty hick town populated by an overwhelming number of lowlifes. Almost immediately he finds himself tangled up with the treacherous Mr. and Mrs. McKenna (Jennifer Lopez, Nick Nolte) who each want Bobby to kill the other. Critics eviscerated this desert noir now on Blu-ray - when it hit theaters in 2007 but nearly a decade later, it feels like an elemental tour de force. The incest angle belongs in a different movie. But that flaw aside, U Turn makes for a compelling head trip of a thriller. Extras: commentaries and Stone intro.
The Adventures Of Marco Polo: (1938, Warner Archive, unrated, $20) If youre in the mood for a good, old-fashioned adventure, check out this tribute to Marco Polo (Gary Cooper), the first European explorer to visit China. Set in the 13th Century, the action begins with the medieval daredevil battling raging seas, sandstorms and avalanches in search of Oriental treasures. Once in Peking, Marco finds himself drawn into a romantic triangle with the princess (Sigrid Gurie) and the Emperors scheming minister of state (Basil Rathbone). Unlike a lot of modern epics, Marco Polo doesnt take itself too seriously so expect plenty of romance and comedy in between the duels, stand-offs and calvary charges. Extras: none.
Miami Blues - Collectors Edition: (1989, Shout Factory, R, $25) Long before Quentin Tarantino mastered the art of blending humor and bloodshed, there was this darkly funny crime thriller about a murderous ex-con named Junior (Alec Baldwin) who steals the badge of a homicide detective (Fred Ward) and uses it to wreck havoc all over town. Baldwin makes Junior so charismatic you cant take your eyes off of him. But its Jennifer Jason Leigh who gives this slick little thriller its heart and soul. As a former prostitute eager to settle down in the suburbs, she strikes the truest chords. Extras: new interviews with cast members.
Remember The Day: (1941, Fox, unrated, $38) Need proof that Claudette Colbert was among the most underrated actresses in Hollywood? Consider this slice of Americana, which is enlivened by Colberts turn as an eighth-grade schoolteacher who inspires one of her students to become a presidential hopeful. It doesnt completely skirt sentimentality but you can still bask in the glory of an actress working at the top of her game. Extras: two additional Fox dramas A Life In The Balance and Tonight We Sing.
Orange Is The New Black - Season Two: (2015, Lionsgate, unrated, $40) Yes, the tempestuous affair between Piper (Taylor Schilling) and Alex (Laura Prepon) is on the backburner thanks to Alexs exit from Litchfield but theres more than enough juicy drama to go around, most of it generated by new inmate Vee (Lorraine Toussaint), a shameless schemer whos on a collision course with Red (Kate Mulgrew.) Theres also some great flashbacks, including a lollapalooza explaining how Morello (Yael Stone) wound up behind bars. Orange just keeping better, smarter and more outrageous. Extras: featurettes and commentaries.
Broadchurch - The Complete Second Season: (2014, E1, unrated, $40) Instead of trying to replicate the haunting first season, this show wisely goes for something fresh. The main action involves the prosecution of 11-year-old Daniel Lattimers killer while a subplot deals with the re-opening of the botched Sandbrook case, the investigation which derailed Hardys (David Tennant) career. The Sandbrook subplot gets a bit convoluted but the courtroom drama crackles thanks to the addition of Marianne Jean-Baptiste and Charlotte Rampling as opposing counsel. Extras: featurettes and deleted scenes.
Source: http://www.thereporteronline.com/arts-and-entertainment/20150521/new-on-dvd-clint-eastwoods-american-sniper-is-a-marvel-of-you-are-there-filmmaking
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