Author: crunchonthis

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Dallas Buyers Club
Rated R for pervasive language, some strong sexual content, nudity and drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Texan Matthew McConaughey has completely reinvented himself over the last two years, going from bad rom coms to amazing dramatic performances and Dallas Buyers Club seems to be his crowning achievement thus far.  Playing wannabe rodeo star and hustler Ron Woodroof, he is given an HIV diagnosis and told he only has a very short time to live.  But when he discovers there are drugs available that might help him extend that time frame, he steals, smuggles and connives his way to living longer and making a lot of money by offering up his findings to a select group of Texans who are in the same predicament.  This true story is absolutely captivating and a testament to the desperate man’s intelligence and resourcefulness.  While McConaughey is worthy of every bit of praise he is receiving, I’m not that sold on Jared Leto’s performance as his transvestite partner.  He’s good but not Oscar shoo-in good.  A-

About Time
Rated R for language and some sexual content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This terrific little British romantic comedy by Love Actually writer/director  Richard Curtis did very well overseas but performed miserably here in the states.  Telling the story of a young man (Domhnall Gleeson) who discovers from his father (Bill Nighy) that he has the genetically gifted ability to travel back in time to fix things he wants to fix, the movie is a marvel of creativity and romance.  Using his newly found powers he finds a way to get Rachel McAdams to fall in love with him and make his life nearly perfect until he meets challenges that his ability can’t rearrange.  While it sounds very sci-fi, it is not, but rather it is a sweet and lovely little film with a lot of laughs and even more heart.  I wish more romantic comedies were like this.  If they were, they wouldn’t have such a bad rep.  A-

Blood Brother
Unrated
Available on DVD
Blood Brother is a documentary that follows the life of Rocky Braat, a young American who has dedicated his life to working in a small community of children with HIV in India.  While very challenging at times, the film is not as depressing as you might think and by the end gives you a wonderful and heart-felt smile on your face with a happy tear in your eye.  I found myself thanking God there are people like Rocky in the world who sacrifice themselves on a daily basis for those who have nothing and no one to call their own.  A

Cutie and the Boxer
Rated R for nude art images
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
This Oscar-nominated documentary follows the lives of a Japanese artist couple who have struggled with their very niche art in New York City through four chaotic decades.  The characters are interesting, as are their creations, but I doubt the film will hold the interest of a broad audience as the narrative isn’t as compelling as some of the other documentaries this year.   B-

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Fruitvale Station
Rated R for some violence, language throughout and some drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Winner of the 2013 Sundance Grand Jury and Audience Award is this superb indie that is noticeably absent from the recent Academy nods.  Stories of injustice in America are sometimes unbelievable, but when they show up on people’s cell phone videos, the proof is more than evident.  In this case, a young man trying to sort his life out, masterfully played by Michael B. Jordan, is shot in the back by a police officer while he is lying on his stomach with his hands tied behind his back at an Oakland train station.  The movie tells the story leading up to the fateful night and serves as a punch to the gut and a spotlight on a flawed legal system.  Sobering to say the least, it is evidence that films can have a huge social impact on their audience.  A

Rush
Rated R for sexual content, nudity, language, some disturbing images and brief drug use
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
It is more than apparent that Americans aren’t overly into Formula One, but most of us are into great movies.  So it is that much more staggering that Ron Howard’s latest film, telling the true story of Formula One legends James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Nicki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) as they use their hatred for the other to push each other to success, was a complete dud at the box office, only bringing in about half of what it cost to make.  It’s a terrific story and an absolutely amazing movie, currently ranked at about #130 on the IMDB top 250 films of all time.  Hemsworth proves here that he’s more than just a Norse god and Daniel Bruhl turns in possibly the most underrated performance of 2013.  My advice, pick it up, pour yourself a glass of wine or beer, turn the volume way up and then sit back and enjoy what you should have checked out a few months ago in theaters.  A

Blue Caprice
Rated R for disturbing violent content, language and brief drug use
Available on DVD
In 2002 the Beltway snipers tormented America as they randomly killed people from the back of their Caprice for weeks until they were arrested by authorities.  This film, starring Isaiah Washington as the father figure who “adopts” a young Jamaican teenager only to lead him on a murder spree across the country, isn’t a story about the murders themselves but rather about a monster creating another monster.  It is a terrifying look at true evil, as well as a social commentary focusing on mental health and the need for better role models for our youth.  Was the 16 year-old kid evil, or did this man who he looked up to make him that way?  Either way, the movie is extremely dark, but very well-made with an impressive script and surprising performances.  B+

New in Home Entertainment

January 21, 2014

Captain Phillips
Rated PG-13 for sustained sequences of menace, some violence with bloody images, and for substance abuse
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Captain Phillips follows the real-life story of Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) and the crew of the MV Maersk Alabama as they are hijacked by Somali pirates.  Simply put, the film is phenomenal.  From start to finish it is a riveting and exciting drama that will keep your pulse racing and your mind stirring.  I will go as far as to say it is the best film of the year that will most likely not win any major awards.  Tom Hanks’s performance is on par with his best work and newcomer Barkhad Abdi, in an Oscar nominated performance, deserves high praise for creating an air of empathy around a really bad villain.   A

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Carrie
Rated R for bloody violence, disturbing images, language and some sexual content
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
I saw a t-shirt the other day that said “An Engineer’s Motto: If it’s not broken, take it apart and fix it.”  That definitely applies here with Boys Don’t Cry director Kimberly Peirce’s modernization of Stephen King’s classic book about a haunted young telekinetic girl who is bullied over the edge and driven to unleash her powers upon the world.  Chloe Grave Moretz plays the titular character in a completely over-the-top but still effective manner while Julianne Moore plays her religious nut job mother perfectly.  While not especially scary and not nearly as good as the 1976 Brian De Palma original, this Carrie gives a nice cyber-bully spin to the story with a pretty elaborate set piece.  And even though the trailers gave way too much away about the big prom scene, whether you’ve seen it or not, it should still give its audience a fun time at the big dance.  B

Lee Daniels’ The Butler
Rated PG-13 for some violence and disturbing images, language, sexual material, thematic elements and smoking
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
While its not lighting up the awards circuit this year, this audience favorite about a man who works as a butler in the White House throughout many of the countries pivotal moments of the twentieth century is certainly a strong contender for best feel good movie of the year.  Forest Whitaker and Oprah Winfrey lead a terrific cast whose performances aren’t exactly memorable but solid enough to make the film enjoyable and relevant.  The writing could have been stronger as the film comes off a bit cheesy at times, but the film will leave you entertained and touched for sure.  B+

Riddick
Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexual content/nudity
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Riddick is left stranded on a sun-scorched planet finding himself caught between deadly alien monsters trying to eat him and a group of bounty hunters determined to bring him in.  While I’ve seen 2000’s Pitch Black and 2004’s The Chronicles of Riddick, I don’t remember any major plot details.  The movies have never struck me as memorable in the least.  That being said, I feel I needed some back story beyond what was given in order to understand what was going on, but oh well.  The story alone is fine as Vin Diesel buries himself well in the character and owns his screen time.  I even liked the monsters but I’m pretty sure the planet would have had more than three species of animal life on it.  I especially liked the dog that Riddick befriends, although they break an important movie rule when it comes to his four-legged buddy and the film slips from there into its mindless ending.  C+

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Prisoners
Rated R for disturbing content including torture, and language throughout
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
When Hugh Jackman and Terrence Howard discover their daughters have been kidnapped, they track down who they think is the kidnapper and begin to torture him hoping that he will spill the beans on their whereabouts.  Meanwhile, a police officer played by Jake Gyllenhaal is desperately searching for the childrens’ captor hoping to find them while they are still alive.  This is one dark and dismal ride with a good script and great acting.  But you have to be in the mood and its hard to get in the mood for a film like this.  Tough to watch but worth the time invested.  B+

The Lone Ranger
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action and violence, and some suggestive material
Available on DVD and Blu-ray
Lone Ranger star Armie Hammer blamed the poor box office of this Disney tentpole on critical bullying, but I blame it on just simply not being very good.  Johnny Depp is decent as Tonto, but that doesn’t overcome the problems.  First of all it sells itself as a family-friendly film but it is horribly violent.  Watching a man cutting out another man’s heart and eating it while his henchman watches on like he’s getting off is just sick, even if the deed is mostly just implied.  Some of the action is well-choreographed and fun to watch, and I loved the score by Hans Zimmer, but at two and a half hours, the film is way too long without earning the right to be.  Maybe if they had cut out all of the Tonto sequences where he is an old man, the film might have been tighter and easier to watch, but overall this one is a chore that you’ll want to keep your finger on the fast forward button for.  C-