December 14, 2010

The wacky and inventive mind of Jean-Peirre Jeunet (“Amelie,” “City of Lost Children”) strikes again with the absurdist satire “Micmacs.” In Jeunet’s latest film, a motley crew of idiosyncratic French junkyard dealers decided to pit two heartless arms-dealing conglomerates against another in fantastical fashion. The Blu-ray release captures the visual wizardry of Jeunet’s vision beautifully and includes worthy bonus features such as a director’s commentary. A

Writer/director Rodrigo Garcia’s (TV’s “Big Love,” “In Treatment”) blistering and heart-breaking “Mother and Child” examines the fateful intertwining of three women’s (Annette Bening, Naomi Watts and Kerry Washington) lives by the unbreakable bond between a mother and child. The DVD’s bonus features are relatively minor with some irrelevant deleted scenes. Though the draining qualities of the film overwhelm, they are offset by the excellent acting and writing. B-

Alex Cox (“Repo Man,” “Sid and Nancy”) revisits his notorious 1987 cult film with the release of “Straight to Hell Returns,” which is an attempted deconstruction of the Western genre. While the cast, featuring contemporary musicians and actors of the day, such as Joe Strummer, Grace Jones, Dennis Hopper, Elvis Costello, etc. are fun, the relevance is questionable. In addition, the film is, for all intents and purposes, incoherent, though this might be a plus for midnight screenings. The DVD contains informative documentaries and a commentary. D

December 28, 2010

Idris Elba (“Takers,” TV’s “The Wire”) headlines the psychological action-thriller “Legacy” as an anti-terrorist black-ops soldier who must come to terms with the failure of his last mission, which leads to his own paranoia and anxiety. This smart, politically-inclined DVD premiere, written and directed by newcomer Thomas Ikimi, skillfully examines one man’s examination of his loyalties and himself. B+