The Imitation Game (Blu-ray, DVD & Digital copy)
The film portrays the true story of the nail-biting race against time by Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his team at Britain’s top-secret code-breaking centre, Bletchley Park, who are under immense pressure to crack the German Enigma code during the early years of WWII. Turing’s contribution to the Allies’ war effort shortened the war saving millions of lives all while laying the foundations for modern day computing.
The movie primarily occurs in three time periods. The main one is 1941, when Turing worked on decrypting the German code. The earlier timeline depicts Turing’s first love in 1930 — a classmate who accepted his eccentricities and introduced him to cryptography. The “present” section portrays the investigation into Turing’s personal life that would lead to his prosecution for homosexual acts. Cumberbatch captures Turing’s social awkwardness perfectly, as well as the spark he exhibits after realizing something brilliant. Matthew Goode is outstanding as the dashing and flirtatious genius who has little tolerance for Turing’s behaviour early on. Keira Knightley is captivating as the young woman excited to engage her mind in something worthy of its ability rather than wasting away in a secretary pool. Director Morten Tyldum does an excellent job of guiding the narrative, arousing excitement, disappointment, anger and sorrow at just the right moments.
Special features include: commentary by director Morten Tyldum and screenwriter Graham Moore; deleted scenes; making-of featurette; and Q&A with cast and crew. (Elevation Pictures)
Interstellar (Blu-ray, DVD & Digital copy)
Ex-pilot-turned-farmer, Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), must leave his family and a foundering Earth behind to lead an expedition traveling beyond this galaxy to discover whether mankind has a future among the stars.
This was one of the most talked about movies of 2014. Not only was it a stunning spectacle set in space, but it also presented relatively sound science in a fictional context. Each of the planets they visit on their voyage offers a different environment and a variety of dangers. One of the most intriguing and breathtaking is a world that’s surface is covered in deep oceans and where time moves more slowly than outside of its atmosphere. McConaughey is joined by actors including Anne Hathaway, Wes Bentley, Michael Caine, John Lithgow and Jessica Chastain to tell this captivating tale, which makes elements of Star Trek seem possible. In addition, the robots, TARS and CASE, insert their own personalities into the narrative – one of which is very sarcastic and consequently amusing. It’s not to say the film doesn’t have some issues, but they are so negligible that this is a must-see you’ll regret not having seen on the big screen (though it benefits from multiple viewings, so it’s also a good investment).
Special features include: “The Science of Interstellar”; “Plotting the Interstellar Journey”; “Life on Cooper’s Farm”; “The Dust”; “TARS and CASE”; “The Cosmic Sounds of Interstellar”; “The Space Suits”; “The Endurance”; “Shooting in Iceland: Miller’s Planet/Mann’s Planet”; “The Ranger and the Lander”; “Miniatures in Space”; “The Simulation of Zero-G”; “Celestial Landmarks”; “Across All Dimensions and Time”; “Final Thoughts”; and trailers. (Paramount Home Media Distribution)
Island of Lemurs: Madagascar (Blu-ray, DVD & Digital copy)
Narrated by Morgan Freeman, the film follows nature’s greatest explorers and its ultimate survivors as they leap, sing and dance.
There are places to which most people will never travel and things or creatures they will never see in person. That is the wonderful advantage of nature documentaries and film in general – they make the world accessible to everyone. Travelling to the various parts of this large, road-less island, filmmakers capture its beauty and its flaws that include deliberate and sometimes uncontrolled fires. The proximity with which they present the lemurs is extraordinary as is the variety within the species as they are all located on this one piece of land. Freeman’s narrative, along with the voice of the featured mammalologist, educate viewers about the country and the animals over amazing images of landscapes and animals. It’s only 40 minutes so not at all a challenge to watch and many may be left wanting more, which is where the continued adorableness of the bonus features can help.
Special features include: making-of featurette; behind-the-scenes featurette; “The Story of Lemurs”; “Meet Patricia Wright”; “A Baby Indri”; “Five Things about Indri”; “The Cutest Lemur”; and “Go-Kart Racers.” (Warner Home Video)
The Rewrite (Blu-ray)
Once upon a time, Keith Michaels (Hugh Grant) was an award-winning Hollywood screenwriter, but divorce and a string of unsuccessful films have left him with nothing but bad debts and blank pages. So when his agent arranges a job as guest screenwriting professor at a remote university in upstate New York, a desperate Keith can’t say no. Initially hoping to give minimal effort to actual teaching so he can focus on his next script, Keith unexpectedly finds himself becoming invested in his students’ lives, including Holly (Marisa Tomei), a single mom looking to start her own new chapter.
It’s been a while since Grant has made a romantic comedy, but selecting Tomei as his latest on-screen love interest is a good way to get back in the saddle. The story of a selfish Hollywood-type finding new meaning in his life is well-worn so no one is attempting to recreate the wheel with this one. Nonetheless, the veteran actors in the film are adequate. Grant lays on his signature charm, Tomei is still gorgeous and engaging, J.K. Simmons is sweet as a man domineered by the women in his home, and Allison Janney is entertaining as the strict head of the faculty. The cast of students each fit their stereotypical roles, but the classroom scenes continue to fall flat. In the end this is a middling picture that could satisfy fans of Grant or Tomei.
Special features include: deleted scenes; making-of featurette; and trailer. (RLJ Entertainment)
Silicon Valley: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray & Digital copy)
Introverted computer programmer Richard (Thomas Middleditch) and his brainy friends are attempting to strike it rich in the high-tech gold rush of modern Silicon Valley, where the people most qualified to succeed are the least capable of handling success.
There have been few TV shows dedicated to the quirky characters that compose much of the tech industry in spite of its increasing size and influence on the world. This is an amusing attempt to rectify that deficiency. It’s every programmer’s dream to produce that one app or process no one can live without so they can make their fortune. Rather than sell his brilliant idea before it’s realized its full potential, Richard maintains control of his “company” along with his friends/co-workers. While working to perfect their brilliant idea, they run into every obstacle imaginable from unexpected competition to illegal employees to invalid titles to unforgiveable errors. Yet via their unconventional friendships, they manage to emerge victorious in one way or another. It looks like the fun could just be getting started so the second season may be even better.
Special features include: making-of featurette; “TechCrunch: Disrupt!”; and “The Hacker Hostel.” (HBO Home Entertainment)
Veep: The Complete Third Season (Blu-ray & Digital copy)
Following the revelation that the President will not seek re-election, Vice President Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) begins eying a promotion. With all of America now watching her and her team, Selina and her staff head off to Detroit and Silicon Valley, go on a drug bust with the Maryland Coast Guard, and fly to London to confer with heads of state.
If there’s one thing Selina and her team are good at, it’s putting their foot in it. This season is full of so many leaks, intentional and otherwise, you can practically here a quiet hiss through the entire show’s soundtrack. There’s a considerable surprise mid-season that hints the show is beginning to mirror House of Cards until they predictably go in a far less competent direction. Amy (Anna Chlumsky) and Dan (Reid Scott) continue their competition to gain Selina’s favour, which this season means becoming her campaign manager; the results are hilariously damaging. Selina’s daughter, Catherine (Sarah Sutherland), also has an increased role this season at her mother’s side on the campaign trail, though she steals the spotlight in the most unexpected manner.
Special features include: commentaries with cast and crew; and deleted scenes. (HBO Home Entertainment)
Wolfy, the Incredible Secret (DVD)
Wolfy is a wolf and Tom is a rabbit. Though they’re from opposite ends of the food chain, they’ve been inseparable since childhood. The orphaned Wolfy learns from a gypsy that his mother is still alive. The two friends set out to find her in the principality of Wolfenberg, the Land of the Wolves. Despite his fear of “the fanged ones,” Tom agrees to accompany his friend as they venture far from their peaceful countryside home. They arrive right in the middle of the Carne Festival, an annual gathering of the world’s most renowned carnivores.
The animation in this picture is slightly less polished than the typical offerings from Disney and DreamWorks, which gives the film more of a retro feel. The story is also less traditional with many elements that may seem questionable, such as Wolfy’s acceptance of the royals’ treatment of Tom. But it’s also quite amusing in its eccentricities. The division between fanged creatures and those without fangs is ferocious and bare-toothed. The characters Tom and Wolfy encounter are quite unique with the faint-hearted tailor/hedgehog making a memorable impression.
There are no special features. (Random Media)
