Thursday, November 17, 2011

New Releases on DVD/Blu-ray: November 15th

By Terry Cleveland and Jason Haskins


It's a slow week in DVD/Blu-ray this week. Aside from the two talked about here, you can also check out the Blu-ray Criterion Collection debut of Jean Renoir's 1939 effort, The Rules of the Game, as well as the 50th Anniversary Edition of West Side Story in a stellar Blu-ray package.



Beginners

I wasn’t really sure about this one at first, but the more I watched the more I was impressed. The story is a run of the mill Boy meets girl Boy falls in love blah blah blah I’m not sure what I’m doing-maybe-I’ve-seen-this-movie-before kind of thing. But what really sets this one apart from other films in the same genre is the charming wit. The mediocrity of the basic story is offset by the charm of the characters, so much so that I actually really enjoyed this one. I will admit that I am a sucker for a sappy romance, but even still I actually laughed out loud on a few occasions while watching Ewan Mcgregor bumble his way through a relationship. It's heavy on the sap but if you can get past that, then I definitely recommend this film.

4 out of 5


Larry Crowne

Ah, Tom Hanks' first feature length directorial effort since 1996's ridiculously fun That Thing You Do! left a lot to be desired. Not only did he step into the actor's seat, but he also co-wrote this film. I'd say a large burden behind the film's worthlessness falls on his shoulders unfortunately. The movie is about a middle-aged guy going back to college and all of the hijinks that happen. If this sounds like Never Been Kissed, it's because it is. The movie suffers from an identity crisis where it lingers too long in comedy or drama and never has a clear idea of where it's going. Hanks' performance is all over the place and Julia Roberts is straight up annoying. It's not that it's not my cup of tea; it's not even the right type of beverage. Skip Larry Crowne and think of how cool Tom Hanks used to be.

1.5 out of 5 stars

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