New in Home Entertainment
April 7, 2015
Wild
Rated R for sexual content, nudity, drug use, and language
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Reese Witherspoon stars in this true story about a young woman who sets off on a solo trek across the more than a thousand miles along the Pacific Crest Trail in order to leave behind her regretful past and hopefully point herself to a better future. There’s no doubt that there is a good movie here, but so much of this film is difficult to watch. I’m not a big fan of being witness to such a huge self destruction, even if it does come with a rejuvenation, but Reese does as good a job as she possibly can to tell this story. A lot of people found inspiration in the best-selling book written by Cheryl Strayed, and subsequently in her portrayal on the big screen. And while I think the performance is fantastic and even the production is solid, it’s just not my ideal way to spend two hours. B-
A Most Violent Year
Rated R for language and some violence
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
A Most Violent Year tells the story of an owner of a successful oil-delivery service in 1980’s New York City who desires nothing more than to achieve success without resorting to the violence and corruption that plagues his industry. The most interesting thing about the film is that it fights the urge to become a gangster film. It sells itself as a violent crime drama, but it is only subtly so. While this allows for storytelling that doesn’t resort to cliche, it also disappoints at times because of this. Still, the drama is interesting and performances are strong, so it’s not a complete wash. B-