The week’s DVDs begin en France:
DVDs for Sept. 25 by Boo Allen
This week, we begin en France:
Delicacy (***1/2)
Sometimes a movie takes an unexpected turn. And how the movie handles that turn could determine whether it succeeds. In a faltering work, the twist may look false and contrived. But when done with a masterly touch, such as in the enchanting new French language entry Delicacy, the results can be rewarding.
Stephane and David Foenkinos, two minds that obviously thought enough alike to take chances, wrote and directed Delicacy. What they attempt proves simple enough but is actually brave and daring, because many places in their narrative could easily seem false.
But they plow ahead, gradually shifting the film’s overall mood but with a noticeable touch of grace and charm. The shift takes the main character, Natalie (Audrey Tautou), from grief to, if not happiness, then at least a recovered measure of contentment that would have previously seemed impossible to her.
In quick succession, Natalie meets and falls for Francois (Pio Marmai). The compatible couple move in together, marry, and everyone looks joyously happy. She suddenly loses him, and it looks like the bulk of the film will be a maudlin treatise on love, loss, and recovery. Instead, after a long mourning period in which Natalie mopes around friends, family, and co-workers, she one day rises from her desk, seemingly in a coma, and kisses a co-worker, Markus (Francois Damiens). She cannot explain her behavior, but it somehow seems natural.
Before long, she and Markus do things together. It’s not exactly a love affair but a joining together of two needy souls.
The affable Markus—unkempt, balding, paunchy—brings Natalie back to life. Meanwhile, he has trouble believing she would be interested in such a schlemiel as him.
Neither can stand their boss, and this aversion gives them much to laugh about and bond over. The officious boss has always wanted Natalie and has made no secret about it, no matter how uncomfortable it has made her.
From there, the directors Foenkinos excel in drawing both their main characters. Natalie and Markus become alive and real yet believable and never cloying or super-cute as some clumsy American production would mandate.
Subsequently, unlike in many movies, you care about both of the lovers/friends until, and including, the charming final scene.
Not rated, 108 minutes. The disc holds a 25 minute “making of” featurette, comlete with director interviews, and a three minute interview with Tautou.
Children of Paradise (Les Enfants du Paradis) (*****)
Marcel Carné somehow directed this romantic masterpiece during World War II while Nazis occupied Paris. Jacques Prévert contributed the screenplay set in the theaters of mid 19th century Paris. A beautiful actress, Garance (Arletty), draws the attention, and love, of three men, Frederick (Pierre Brasseur), Lacenaire (Marcel Herrand), and the shy mime Baptiste (Jean-Louis Barrault). Chronicling scrapes with the law, infidelities, love and repressed love, the overtly dramatic film draws the viewer into its cloistered world. Considered one of the finest French films ever made.
Not rated, 190 minutes. The Criterion Collection has restored this new two disc print by ultrasonically cleaning the original nitrate camera negative. Abundant supplements include a forty page pamphlet with an interview with Carné. Plus: a 51 minute documentary on the film, and a 64 minute 1967 documentary on the film filled with cast and crew interviews, as well as a 22 minute segment on the film’s unique production designs, and more.
The Cabin in the Woods (***)
We’re a little late on this one, but we did not want to miss the guiltiest pleasure of the year.
Breaking convention can be great fun. And the new horror flick The Cabin in the Woods does that, taking gleeful delight in puncturing those tired and routine formulas of the genre. This Cabin could rightfully be called a horror satire, but one like the Scream movies in which an actual tale of horror plays out while all the proscribed rules are examined and, in this case, set into play by an unseen hand. Joss Whedon, creator of TV’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel,” co-wrote Cabin, bringing along his knack for transporting the supernatural to the everyday normal. Co-writer and first time feature director Drew Goddard complements Whedon’s vision by keeping the film grounded until, in the end, it looks like he simply cannot control himself any longer as he finally unleashes a comically over-stocked closet full of monsters. Whedon and Goddard begin with a keen eye towards an established horror recipe: five handsome young people plan on spending a weekend at an isolated cabin in the woods. Along the way, they meet the requisite creepy freak at the gas station. Then, they arrive at a dilapidated old structure in the middle of nowhere. With all the cliches in place, the script follows a standard path, setting up a scenario in which some malignant force will then appear to individually wipe out the group. The writers show their familiarity not only with this standard American trope, but they also pause long enough to show their ghoulish erudition by tossing in references to popular Asian school-girl phantoms, Swedish vampires, and several other international favorites. But they throw a curve by setting up a control central, a main location in which everything has been planned down to which method will be used for the coming carnage. The command center looks to be some sort of governmental agency run by a couple of irreverent meatballs, deliciously played against type by Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford. And to compound the egregious aspects of the enterprise, the entire organization runs a betting pool on the winning predator—zombie, vampire, Jason, Freddy, and so on. Much more goes on during Cabin than can be described here, but it is a movie that begs not to be taken seriously, which we won’t. But we will enjoy it.
Rated R, 95 minutes. The DVD, in all formats, includes commentary with Whedon and Goddard, a “making of” featurette, separate segments on the make-up and the effects, a “secret-secret stash” featurette, a filmed Q and A at Wonder-Con with Whedon and Goddard, and more.
Jersey Shore Shark Attack (**)
This Syfy original spoofs shark attack movies and-all-things Jersey Shore. An oil company unintentionally releases a legion of sharks on the busy fourth of July beaches. Chaos ensues. With Paul Sorvino, William Atherton, and Tony “Paulie Walnuts” Sirico.
Rated R, 87 minutes. The disc holds commentary and a five minute “on-set” featurette.
Katt Williams: Kattpacalypse
Comedian Katt Williams performs his stand-up routine in front of a huge audience at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. There, he delivers some of his best known material, such as his rifts on President Obama.
Not rated, 60 minutes.
And, for the smallest kids this week:
Thomas and the Tank and his friends return in Thomas and Friends: Blue Mountain Mystery—the movie (61 minutes) and the six unrated episodes of Awesome Adventures: Thrills and Chills (52 minutes). And Barney the dinosaur stars in the ten episodes of Barney: Most Loveable Moments (199 minutes).
And, finally, from this week’s TV arrivals:
Modern Family—third season
Our week’s Top-TV-Series-To-DVD showcases the comedy families the Dunphys and the two branches of the Pritchetts. The 24 episodes, on three discs, of the three time Emmy Award winner for Outstanding Comedy Series sees the families begin the season on a trip to a dude ranch in Wyoming and finish with a trip to Disneyland. In between these diversions, Haley (Sarah Hyland) and Alex (Ariel Winter) land in the same math class, Claire (Julie Bowen) runs for town council, Jay (Ed O’Neill) plays at golf, and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) head towards further adoption.
Not rated, 484 minutes. The collection contains about eight deleted and alternate scenes totaling around 20 minutes, a nine minute gag reel, several family interviews, and featurettes on the Modern Family Christmas, Ed O’Neill receiving a Hollywood star, and an extended “Day on the Set” with Emmy winning Ty Burell, and more.
Absolutely Fabulous: 20th anniversary specials
Perpetual adolescents Eddy (Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy (Joanna Lumley) return after 20 years in these three separate programs written by Saunders. The ladies still drink too much and misbehave uproariously. And they still hector Eddy’s daughter Saffron (Julia Sawalha) and put up with Bubbles (Jane Horrocks). In these episodes, the duo, among other digressions, prepares for London’s upcoming Olympic games.
Not rated, 90 minutes. The single disc includes the seven minute featurette “Ab Fab Does Sport Relief” and a 17 minute “behind-the-scenes” featurette on the Sport Relief.
Desperate Housewives—eighth and final season
Pressure mounts on the ladies of Wisteria Lane about the death of the father of Gaby (Eva Longoria), with suspicion falling on Mary Alice (Brenda Strong). Lynette (Felicity Huffman) and Tom (Doug Savant) have relationship problems, and Renee (Vanessa Williams) hooks up with newcomer Ben (Charles Mesur). But by the end of these final 23 episodes, on five discs, all will be revealed and all problems solved–guaranteed.
Rated TV 14 DLSV, 987 minutes. The collection includes commentary by creator Mark Cherry on the final episode, bloopers, deleted scenes, and a last stroll down Wisteria Lane with some of the cast and crew.
The Carol Burnett Show: Carol’s Favorites
One of television’s most popular shows finally makes it to DVD, and it arrives in four different packages, including a complete-set of 22 discs. This “Favorites” version includes 17 episodes of Burnett’s often raucous show, with spoofs on Scarlet O’Hara, the world’s Oldest Man, and others. Steve Martin, Betty White, George Carlin, Carl Reiner, Shirley MacLaine, and other prominent guest stars participate in the legendary comedy series.
Not rated, approximately 1113 minutes. This collection holds a batch of featurettes, such as a cast reunion, additional interviews with Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, a history of the show, and much more.
America’s Book of Secrets
This History Channel program of ten episodes, on three discs, delves into a melange of topics rife for examination by conspiracy theorists. Included topics are the Playboy Mansion, West Point, Fort Knox and other tantalizing teasers.
Not rated, 208 minutes. The disc includes the bonus special “America’s Book of Secrets: The Monuments.”
Also on DVD: Damsels in Distress, Didone, Marvel’s The Avengers.