The week’s DVDs begin with Walter:
DVDs for April 22 by Boo Allen
This week we begin with Walter:
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (***)
Ben Stiller directs and takes the title role in this imaginative rendering of James Thurber’s two and a half page story from a 1939 “The New Yorker.” Steve Conrad supplied the screen story and wrote the screenplay, giving Walter a job handling the photographic images at Life Magazine as it prepares for its last print edition issue. Walter will often, in his words, “zone out,” as he falls into a trance. During this dreamy state, (“and wicked dreams abuse the curtain’d sleep”–anyone?anyone?) he takes a different persona, becoming, in his head, a daring, world-wide traveler and explorer, and, most importantly, attractive to the ladies. The twist allows Walter, and the film, to indulge in outlandish, computer-aided stunts and skills, as he releases his inner-self. Through circumstances regarding a lost film negative, he must travel to Greenland, Iceland and elsewhere, all while pining away for his co-worker Cheryl (an under-used Kristen Wiig). The imagined exploits let Walter find his better self, the one the audience always knew he had in him. With Shirley MacLaine as Walter’s mother, Kathryn Hahn as his sister, Adam Scott as his new, mean boss, and Sean Penn as the mysterious photographer.
Rated PG, 114 minutes.
DVD extras: a music video, a photography gallery, and a total of nine deleted, extended and alternate scenes. Plus, an hour or so, 11 part “making of” segment with featurettes on, among many, the music, casting, titles, filming in Iceland, and the four minute “The History of Walter Mitty,” which delves into Thurber’s short story.
Inspector Lavardin Collection—Chicken With Vinegar (***), Inspector Lavardin (***).
The Cohen Film Collection continues its admirable and much welcomed practice of remastering and then releasing onto Blu-ray over-looked nuggets from world cinema. This two disc set features two mid-1980s detective dramas from French New Wave pioneer Claude Chabrol. The films, starring laconic Jean Poiret as police inspector Jean Lavardin, proved so popular in France, Chabrol continued the series with two additional full length TV movies, also included here, making this a four film package. Cinematographer Jean Rabier photographed the entire quartet, giving it a visual consistency. Lavardin was the creation of novelist Dominique Roule, who co-wrote the four scripts with Chabrol. The four murder mysteries do not slowly unfold with Chabrol’s typically shocking last-second revelations. Instead, they show the ingratiating, low-key Lavardin traveling to various locations outside of Paris to trap some poor, over-matched murderer. Lavardin usually begins almost meekly but then builds in his brazenness, so by the end of several, he is breaking into houses and slapping suspects around. The films star well known French actors from the second half of the 20th century: Jean-Claude Brialy, the radiant Bernadette LaFont, Chabrol regular Michel Bouquet, and Chabrol’s wife, Stephane Audran.
Chicken With Vinegar (1985, 109 minutes)–extras include commentary and the Lavardin TV movie “The Black Snail” (1988, 92 minutes).
Inspector Lavardin (1986, 100 minutes)–extras include commentary and the Lavardin TV movie “Danger Lies in the Words” (1989).
The Best Offer (***)
The metaphors work over-time in this twist filled drama-mystery from writer-director Giuseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso, The Starmaker), the Italian master of nostalgic longing. Reliable Geoffrey Rush plays Virgil Oldman, a Roman art appraiser and auctioneer. When asked to assess the furnishings at a dilapidated villa, he agrees, only to be stood up several times by the owner. Eventually, he discovers the 27 year-old owner, Claire (Sylvia Hoeks), lives a hidden room inside, not having left for 12 years since her parents died. The two go through a prolonged process of better knowing each other while he assesses the property. Supposedly, the two fall for each other, despite their icky difference in age. Tornatore leads up to multiple surprise endings, but not before drawing out several sub-plots. One concerns Billy (Donald Sutherland), with whom Virgil swindles his way to obtaining his massive collection of female portraits. And the other thread revolves around Virgil’s young friend Robert (Jim Sturridge), a talented mechanic-fixer who re-assembles a 19th century robot. The excess plot may finally buckle but not before delivering two diverting hours with the compelling Geoffrey Rush.
Rated R, 131 minutes.
Wrong Cops (*)
This mirthless nonsense features several hapless cops who look like they were too obnoxious and stupid even for Reno 911. One, Duke (Mark Burnham), wounds a man and then puts him in his trunk. He coerces a friend to dispose of the body, and, between them, they drive around all day looking to dispose of the body while taking time to harass women, sell drugs, and proposition prostitutes. With C-list performers Eric Roberts, Ray Wise, Grace Zabriskie, and Marilyn Mansion. Clumsy production from Quentin Dupieux (no relation to Quentin Tarantino), who wrote, directed, edited, photographed, and composed the score.
Not rated, 82 minutes.
DVD extras: Duplieux’s 14 minute short film “Wrong Cop: Chapter One.”
French for Kids—Dedans et Dehors (Inside and Out)
This interactive language immersion from producer Whistlefritz teaches elementary French to young ones through various skits, singalongs, and games. They learn words connected to food, the kitchen, bathroom, household and even the playground.
Not rated, 35 minutes.
Also on DVD: Barefoot, Panic Button, The Trials of Muhammad Ali, The Suspect.
“It is the bloody business which informs thus to mine eyes. Now o’er the one half world, nature seems dead and wicked dreams abuse the curtain’d sleep” Macbeth