DVDs of the Month: September

There is a huge variety on offer this month, ranging from political thriller to comedy to sci-fi to indie-sic-fi-comedy.

Miss Sloane

In the world of political thrillers, one part of that world has often been skimmed over: lobbying. Here it takes centre stage as we follow one of the top lobbyists in Washington, the titular Elizabeth Sloane (Jessica Chastain), as she begins to represent a group in favour of a small, weak firm trying to push through a bill for increased gun regulations. The morality of her methods primarily makes up the moral dilemma at the heart of the film, as opposed to the gun debate itself, methods that result in a trial which the film cuts back to throughout. As you may think, the film is very dialogue heavy, but with snappy writing, direction, score and strong acting keeping a driving pace, it lives up to the title of ‘thriller’. The film’s structure of flitting between timelines also helps to drive up the tension by leaving the audience on mini-cliffhangers. It is not a perfect film, but thanks to its central character and performance it is elevated hugely. The film maintains a mystique around Sloane herself and her motivations for fighting for gun control. Chastain gives a brilliant performance to that effect, maintaining Sloane’s strong, stoic exterior but also delivering subtle moments that let us peek behind the mask. With a supporting cast that includes Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Mark Strong, the entire ensemble stands strong. For fans of political thrillers, this is sure to delight, and for those who know little of the world of lobbying, sure to educate.

Is it worth a Blu-ray? The drama here takes place in conversation so higher quality won’t add much here

Read the full review: ‘Miss Sloane’ Review

Colossal

One of the most underseen gems and uniquely original films of the year, Nacho Vigalondo’s dark comedy come monster movie come human drama won’t be to everyone’s taste, but is a treat for those looking for something a bit different. The film follows Gloria (Anne Hathaway), a burnout drunk who moves back to her hometown where she reconnects with childhood friend Oscar (Jason Sudeikis). The film soon takes a turn when a giant monster begins to attack Seoul, and bears odd similarities to Gloria’s actions, causing her to attempt to uncover the reasons and protect Seoul. This clever twist means that our heroes fighting the monster are actually thousands of miles away from it on the other side of the world, leading to a more mysterious and imaginative journey. However, the fantastical events actually serve more as a backdrop to the human drama between the characters, there to elevate the stakes of the relationship issues. The film features strong central performances which help to hold the balance between drama and comedy that the film does so well, as well as carry you through the uneven patches. This is also a film that can be looked at in various different ways – literal, metaphorical and even as a form of social commentary. It won’t be to everybody’s tastes, but for those looking for something a bit different, and enjoy a dark comedy (which is more rooted in drama than the trailers would suggest) with a twist, it is sure to prove a treat.

Is it worth a Blu-ray? There’s not a lot that would be enhanced by higher definition here except the monster scenes

Read the full review: ‘Colossal’ Review

Snatched

This film pairing some of the most interesting comic talent of recent years behind the camera (Katie Dippold, a Parks and Rec writer, and Jonathan Levine, director of 50/50), and a union of two comedy stars of different eras (Amy Schumer and Goldie Hawn) in front of it, this had the potential to buck the unfortunate trend of mediocre-or-less summer comedies. Sadly, this didn’t turn out to be the case as instead we were delivered a lacklustre film with more misses than hits. The basic premise is following a break-up, Schumer ends up on holiday with her mother (Hawn) in South America. Before long, they get kidnapped, which leads to a strange attempt at an action-comedy as they try and escape. There are some big laughs here, but they are few-and-far between, outnumbered by some jokes that could have worked had a number of elements not messed with the comic timing, or those that plainly fall flat. The film is also aware of the prejudice it may face in terms of the ‘women can’t be funny’ group and makes some nice sly nods towards its stupidity. The supporting cast do well with what they’re given (which is very little); many are introduced and then forgotten about, and any subplots fail to fully materialise, all of which contributing towards the threadbare feeling of the film. It is a shame, it could have been so much better, but if the trailer entices you there might be enough here to carry you through one sitting of the film, but probably no more than that.

Is it worth a Blu-ray? The visuals aren’t really notable here, so a blu-ray isn’t really worth it.

Read the full review: ‘Snatched’ Review

Alien: Covenant

The second prequel, and sixth overall Alien film manages to rise above the disappointments of some of the previous instalments, but still falls far short of the first two film’s power. The premise isn’t surprising; a new crew is heading for a new planet, with the aim of completing a colonising mission. After a tragic early wake-up from hypersleep, the crew receive new signals (in the form of a John Denver song, who seems to be having an unexpected cinematic resurgence this year) which they then follow to an unknown planet, that initially looks suitable to sustain human life. Thus, the crew abandon their original plans and touch down on the planet, where, of course, it all goes downhill. The film thematically feels much more tied to Prometheus than Alien, focusing more on the existential questions than the alien horror. Yet, the horror has definitely returned here with some brilliantly tense sequences, although some of the fear is lost due to our familiarity with the material, and the fact that the alien is on full display here, breaking the rule that the less you see, the more you fear. Some of the new elements here add something fresh to what is, in part, a retread. The antagonist is more complex, and the fact that the crew is made up of married couples adds a new dimension (albeit the possibilities this offers are rarely utilised to their full potential due to a skimming over of most grief, and the fact that most characters are underdeveloped in general). Overall, however, this Prometheus sequel may feel familiar, but there is enough to make it more entertaining than a lazy repeat. Plus, if that doesn’t entice you, it features one of the most bizarre scenes of the year involving two Michael Fassbenders, a panpipe and some strange innuendos.

Is it worth a Blu-ray? The landscapes and beautiful visuals of the film could be enhanced with higher definition but, as this is an Alien film, it is mostly quite dark, so the HD won’t do loads.

Read the full review: ‘Alien: Covenant’ Review

Baywatch

In the wake of some hit film remakes of old TV shows, Baywatch attempts to do join the list but misses out on the vital features which made the others successes. The film’s messy and unclear plot essentially boils down to Zac Efron’s new recruit joining the Baywatch team (which is headed up by Dwayne Johnson’s Mitch Buchannon) as they set out to solve an issue involving drugs and a suspicious new resort owner (Priyanka Chopra). This is another film that seems to have joined the trend of less-than mediocre comedies. Most of its jokes fall flat, and to truly enjoy any of it you have to go in with a very optimistic attitude and keep reminding yourself that it is (or is seeming to be) trying to be a ‘dumb comedy’. One of the other main issues with the film, is its lack of self-awareness. It occasionally succeeds as a micky-take, but too often forgets. It is not only that it seems blithely unaware of the absurdity of the events, but also the fact that it has not updated the 90s sexism. Of course, if you watch anything Baywatch you can expect some objectification. For 2017, the only way you could just about get away with that would be to extend it to both genders, but it doesn’t. Whilst the men wear t-shirts with their trunks, the women are dressed in barely zipped-up bikinis which are often the focus on the camera (they are also given little to do). It is a good way to alienate and enrage half of your audience, and something it is hard to believe wasn’t remedied when they decided to bring Baywatch into the 21st century. The film doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be, and hits are wildly outnumbered by misses, but if you go in with low expectations and a forgiving attitude you might just be entertained enough to almost sustain the films overlong run time.

Is it worth a Blu-ray? Not really.

Read the full review: ‘Baywatch’ Review

Out in October:

Wonder Woman

The first hit for DCEU finally arrived this year in the form of Patty Jenkins’ (hopefully) game-changer, Wonder Woman. The film acts as an origin story for Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), beginning with her as a young girl who starts training on Themyscira and stretching to her quest to find and kill Ares, the God of war, in World War I, with the help of Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) and their group. The adventure features a perfect balance of action, romance and comedy. There are some genuine laugh-out-loud moments that come from Diana’s naivety about the world away from her island (including some great observations about the patriarchy that she has never seen before), especially in her initial conversations with Steve. The action sequences are brilliantly executed, eliciting great tension and exhilaration (and bolstered by Ruper Greyson-Williams’ great score and a restrained and effective use of the theme). A lot of its action is unlike what we have seen before which is sad in the sense that the reasoning is because it features predominantly female warriors which are finally being put to the screen, and a kick ass female hero – such a rare species in film. The backdrop to a lot of the action also lies in questions of morality and humanity which help to add depth to the film and a different dimension. The characters are primarily wonderfully fully developed and the relationships, especially the romantic chemistry between Diana and Steve, are beautifully tender and feel authentic. The film is flawed with its overly CGI finale and more cartoonish villains, but it is an absolute triumph overall. The film itself is exhilarating, exciting and engaging, just as much as its place in the bigger picture of gender in film. It proves female-fronted films can be just as popular and good quality (if not more – certainly in the case of the DCEU) as those dominated by men. This will be hugely enjoyable to all, but likely give women and girls something that they have been missing out on. This really is the first female superhero movie in the never ending influx of comic book films we’ve had in this era, and it has certainly proved any sexist nay-sayers wrong.