This week’s releases include a genre-blending movie with a meaningful soundtrack; a period drama about a May-December romance; and an unexpected love story with an unusual foundation.
Last Night in Soho (4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & Digital copy)
Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie), an aspiring fashion designer, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s, where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer, Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy). But the glamour is not all it appears to be, and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something far darker.
Every night’s sleep is an exhilarating trip to the fabulous ‘60s. Viewing life through Sandie’s eyes, Eloise is swept up by her beauty and vivacity. Sandie exudes a confidence the young wallflower wishes she possessed and, in turn, absorbs with every jaunt through this mystery woman’s life. The film’s visual and audio aesthetics are key to conveying audiences to this bygone world. The streets and clubs are wonderfully reconstructed to resemble era-specific locales. Even more alluring is the fashion in both times. The lighting and colour scheme of scenes are also very important in establishing their tone. All of this is complemented by the exceptional soundtrack curated by co-writer/director Edgar Wright. The music is its own character, literally moving the actors through their scenes and inspiring the mood, from the whimsical opening to the striking entrance down an elegant staircase. The film is a time travel, ghost story and thriller all rolled into one poignant narrative that grips audiences from beginning to end.
Special features include: commentary with director/co-writer Edgar Wright, editor Paul Machliss and composer Steve Price; commentary with director/co-writer Edgar Wright and co-writer Kristy Wilson-Cairns; deleted scenes; “Meet Eloise”; “Dreaming of Sandie”; “Smoke and Mirrors”; “On the Streets of Soho”; “Time Travelling”; animatics; extras; “Downtown” music video; and trailers. (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
The Lover (4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray)
Colonial French Indochina, late 1920s: a fifteen-year-old French girl (Jane March) returns to Saigon, where she attends a girls’ boarding school. On her way there, she meets a handsome, wealthy and much older Chinese man (Tony Leung Ka Fai) from a respectable family. Going against the conventions of their respective societies, the lustful pair begin a passionate affair. Their strong attraction toward one another is only intensified by the illicit nature of their rendezvous.
The 1992 film is based on the autobiographical novel by Marguerite Duras, which is the account of her real-life, tumultuous affair while living abroad — published 55 years after the fact. It’s interesting to note that at the time most people objected more to the interracial nature of their relationship than the significant age difference between the lovers. Even her family’s objections are relieved unceremoniously. Within the confines of their bedroom, their lust for each other is satiated with wild self-indulgence and no judgement. The intimate scenes are sensual and one of the film’s key focuses, in spite of Duras’ requests in the bonus feature interview with director Jean-Jacques Annaud. The actors portray their characters genuinely, carrying all the baggage of their families’ expectations in contrast to the freedom they experience with each other, which is expressed in a manner that demonstrates both performers’ dedication to the picture.
Special features include: unreleased scenes; making-of featurette; Marguerite Duras interview; photo gallery; and trailers. (Capelight Pictures)
Titane (Blu-ray)
With a titanium plate surgically fused to her skull following a car crash as a child, car model Alexia (Agathe Rousselle) embarks on a wild and ultimately unpredictable journey that questions our assumptions about family, identity, and love. Forced to hide her identity, she takes one from a decade-old missing person’s case and ingratiates herself to Vincent (Vincent Lindon), a father desperate for a happy ending.
In a strange and unexpected way, this movie is actually a (platonic) love story between Alexia and Vincent. She has never felt as if she’s belonged anywhere, while Vincent goes out of his way to ensure she’s welcomed into his extended first-responder family. Alexia’s body is unquestionably put through the wringer in this picture — whether it’s out of her control or self-inflicted. The contrast between the very suggestive and aggressive events in the first half of the film and the nurturing, family-oriented latter half is significant. Rouselle’s performance is unforgiving as she embodies this very disturbed character whose daily ritual is an act of self-flagellation and an attempt to disappear. Meanwhile, Lindon’s portrayal of an emotionally confident man dealing with deep-seated insecurities is her polar opposite and perfect complement. Watching their relationship grow as he refuses to give up and she’s determined to stay unattached is quite beautiful, even with the backdrop of deception, occasional humour and overall strangeness.
Special features include: New York Film Festival Q&A with Julia Ducournau, Vincent Lindon and Agathe Rousselle. (DECAL Releasing)
