New in Home Entertainment
February 7, 2016
Loving
Rated PG-13 for thematic elements
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
In writer/director Jeff Nichols’s latest drama, Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga portray the real-life story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple in 1967 Virginia who had to fight a brave legal battle (that would end at the Supreme Court) just to stay married. Nichols’s gentle take on the subjects is masterful as are the inspiring performances by Negga (Oscar and Golden Globe nominated) and Edgerton (Golden Globe nominated). I was surprised, not at the outcome of the story, but by the fact that it wasn’t a tear jerker but rather just a touching film about love as presented by a couple with the most ironic of last names. Much like the film Hidden Figures, this period pic is both historical and relevant in that while it seems that we have progressed quite a bit, we still have a long, long way to go. A-
Trolls
Rated PG for some mild rude humor
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 74%
I was certain going in that the very thought of a movie that gives a story to the famous and rather nostalgic dolls would have me cringing in my seat. I’m happy to say that the folks at Dreamworks Animation did an impressive job of creating a fascinating universe for the creatures to live in and the animation, when looked at with a high-res picture is absolutely mesmerizing. And then to add Justin Timberlake as the main character with his already top hit “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” leading the way? Well that was just smart. There’s nothing here that will blow you away, but the creativity on display is easy to appreciate and even easier to enjoy. B
Desierto
Rated R for strong violence and language
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 60%
In this thriller from “Gravity” co-writer Jonás Cuarón, a group of Latinos, including Gael García Bernal, run into a sharp-shooting vigilante (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan in a role similar to his portrayal of Negan on The Walking Dead) who wants to do what the Border Patrol won’t do: pick them off one by one with his rifle. While this film was in production long before talk of a wall became part of the American political campaign, the movie’s release now is timely, although rather sensationalized. There have been many instances of vigilante killings along the border but the violence and scares here make the movie appear more like a snuff film, or at the very least a monster movie, rather than a political statement. Still, the subject gives food for thought as it demonstrates that the people trying to find a way to make a better life for themselves are actual human beings and not an invasion of rats that need to be gotten rid of, or in this case, exterminated. B-