The week’s DVDs begin in Thatcher’s England:

DVDs for July 31 by Boo Allen

This week, we begin in Margaret Thatcher’s England:

The Last of England (**1/2)

The always provocative and controversial Derek Jarman directed this 1987 diatribe, now making a blu-ray debut, against all he saw destroying his native England. As a result, the disturbing film fires out a kaleidoscope of images, and, at times, it resembles an experimental film, with its often changing shots, its cacophonous soundtrack, and its absence of continuous narration. By recording images of many of England’s industrial sites and those who worked there, Jarman hoped to document the country’s decline. He also warns against the rampant rise of AIDS, as well as the devastating results of Margaret Thatcher’s policies. He even adds in some of his own home movies. Tilda Swinton broke into films with Jarman, and here she tours some of Jarman’s bleak sites, while Nigel Terry reads passages from various sources, such as T. S. Elliott and Alan Ginsberg. At times, the film can be tough viewing, but collectively the images combine for devastating effects.

Not rated, 91 minutes.

They Made Me a Fugitive (***1/2)

While much has been made about the American post World War II film noir genre, the same scrutiny has not been paid to some fine English entries in the category. This 1947 melodrama, making its blu-ray debut, starred a young and earthy Trevor Howard as Clem, an ex-soldier struggling to survive in peace time. He joins forces with small time hood Narcy (Griffith Jones), short for Narcissus, until Clem is asked to peddle drugs. Clem breaks away, and Narcy comes after him, setting off a cat and mouse game through London’s seediest areas, all captured in grim glory by former documentarian Alberto Calvacanti. Rarely was the decrepitude of post war London shown in such fine detail. Sally Gray plays the fickle femme fatale who only wants to end up with whoever can fill her needs.

Not rated, 100 minutes.

ATM (**1/2)

Numerous plot holes keep this adequately entertaining thriller from being more effective. A group of three young people (Alice Eve, Brian Geraghty, Josh Peck) arrive at an enclosed ATM on a sub-zero night, only to confront, when attempting to leave, a large man lurking outside under a hoodie. The menacing figure proceeds to kill a security guard and then another bystander in front of them. It seems they can’t run to their car, their cell phones don’t work, and the ATM area has no security phone or messaging apparatus. Director David Brooks works overtime to maintain tension and to keep the gimmicks moderately believable.

Contains both the theatrical (rated R, 90 minutes) and director’s cut: (not rated, 85 minutes). The disc also holds an eight minute “making of” featurette.

The Jodie Picoult Collection: Salem Falls (***), Plain
Truth (***), The Pact (***1/2)

Movies from the Lifetime
Channel long ago should have shaken their image of being nothing but treacly
tear-jerkers. That is partly why it is satisfying to see three of their quality
features assembled on two discs in one package. Collectively, the three have
good casts, professional production values, and tell a dramatic story without
being manipulative or preachy. And they are all based on novels from Jodi
Picoult. None are rated, and they all run around 88 minutes. Salem
Falls focuses on an out of work teacher, Jack (James Van Der Beek), who
has an auto accident and is forced into staying in a small town. Addie (Sarah
Carter), the owner of a local diner, gives him a menial job in which he seems
to thrive. Meanwhile, a high school girl, Gillian (A J Michalka), develops an
overwrought crush on Jack. When he rejects her, she accuses him of harassment, and worse, which leads to the community turning against him, including Addie. Before long, uncovered secrets explain much of the melodramatic unraveling. Mariska Hargitay stars as Ellie Harrison in Plain Truth as a high powered attorney who takes a job defending an Amish girl (Allison Pill) accused of killing her new born baby. But the girl won’t even admit she had the baby, sending Ellie on a prolonged fact-finding quest. A good cast aids The Pact, the story of
two teenagers who make a suicide pact only to have the boy, Chris (Eric
Lively), survive. This sets two previously close families against each other when
Chris is charged with murder. Juliet Stevenson, Bob Gunton, Henry Czerny, and
Megan Mullally play the parents.

Also on DVD: Carnal Innocence, Hatfields and McCoys, Le Havre, The Weight of the Nation.