The week’s DVDs begin in Dorset:
DVDs and streaming for August 11 by Boo Allen
This week, we begin in Dorset:
Far From the Madding Crowd (***)
Danish director Thomas Vinterberg renders this fairly faithful adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s title novel set in 1870 Dorset, England. A persuasive Carey Mulligan appears almost constantly on screen playing Bathsheba Everdene. Hardy’s Bathsheba is a self-described independent woman, one who does not want to rely on a man for her happiness or survival. She inherits an estate, but only after turning down the first of two marriage proposals from shepherd Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts). Bathsheba then turns down land baron William Boldwood (Michael Sheen) before marrying ill-suited Sergeant Troy (Tom Sturridge). Yet during her formative experiences, she somehow manages to keep her farm and estate solvent. The usually provocative Vinterberg avoids excess shocks or flourishes, concentrating instead on the characters found in novelist Hardy’s transparent determinism.
Rated PG-13, 119 minutes.
Extras: ten deleted scenes along with extended and alternate endings, three separate five minute featurettes on adapting the film, its look, and the locations, along with featurettes of around four minutes or so on Bathsheba, Gabriel Oak, William Boldwood, Sergeant Troy, director Vinterberg, and more.
Day for Night (****)
The Criterion Collection has digitally remastered with a 2K resolution one of the most popular films from French master filmmaker Francois Truffaut. This entertaining confection centers on what the director knew best, that is, making movies, because the film takes place almost entirely on a film set during the making of the fictional “Meet Pamela.” Taking his meta-role seriously, Truffaut plays the film’s director, Monsieur Ferrand, thereby directing himself directing a movie. The film showcases an excellent ensemble cast, as various colorful characters drop in and out, all portrayed by an international array of 1970s stars. Truffaut favorite Jean-Pierre Léaud takes a prominent role as the film’s star, Alphonse, who simultaneously carries on a romance with the continuity girl, Liliane (Dani), while constantly walking around asking people “Are women magic?” The cast and crew eagerly await the arrival of famous American film star Julie Baker (Jacqueline Bissett), who arrives, bringing her own problems with her. Day for Night documents what life is like on a film shoot, with all its clashing egos, clandestine love affairs, unpredictability and tricky problems, both human and otherwise.
Not rated, 116 minutes.
Extras: nine cast and crew interviews, a 12 minute video essay on the film from director Kogonado, a 21 minute featurette looking at the subsequent rift between Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard, a 17 minute documentary on the film by Annette Insdorf, seven “behind-the-scenes” minutes from 1973, about 14 minutes on the film from 1970s French TV, and a 12 page pamphlet with essay from David Cairns.
The Last Survivors (***)
This spare but compelling post-apocalypse tale (known alternatively as “The Well”) takes place “Years from now . . . and years from the last rain.” The dry years have stretched to a decade and now, in an isolated Oregon valley, young Kendal (Haley Lu Richardson) uses her considerable wits to survive. She and her disabled boyfriend Dean (Booboo Stewart) (no relation, no relation) hide out in an abandoned building, once ironically a home for Wayward Youth. There, Kendal works to escape her situation while ingeniously fighting off several harmless looking groups who falsely claim to come in peace. Tom Hammock makes his directing debut by deftly executing several harrowing scenes punctuated by convincing action. And, to its credit, how many post-apocalyptic films end with an all-girl face-off?
Not rated, 95 minutes.
Extras: two deleted scenes with commentary, a five minute “behind-the-scenes” featurette, a slide show, and a four minute segment featuring Haley Lu Richardson’s audition, along with a clip of the director calling her to tell her she has the part.
The Salvation (***)
Kristian Levring directed his Danish countryman Mads Mikkelsen in this standard but stylish western. Mads plays Jon Jensen, a Dane living with his brother in the western U.S. in 1871 when Jon’s wife and young son come to live. Immediately, Jensen’s brother and the two new comers meet a grisly end from the hands of the brother of the local town terror, the comically overdrawn Delarue (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). From there, Jensen methodically goes about seeking his revenge on Delarue’s gang. Eva Green plays the dead brother’s not-so-grieving widow, Madelaine, a fragile soul whose tongue had been cut out during her Indian captivity. Levring delivers a succession of violent but sometimes creatively choreographed sequences.
Rated R, 93 minutes.
Extras: around 50 minutes total of six cast and crew interviews and a seven minute “behind-the-scenes” featurette.
Descendants
Disney has cleverly re-worked several of their franchise characters into this loopy fairy tale directed by Oscar-winning choreographer Kenny Ortega. Mitchell Hope stars as heir apparent Ben, the son of Beast and Belle. Once a sovereign, Ben eventually offers redemption to Cruella de Vil (Wendy Raquel Robinson), Maleficent (Kristin Chenoweth), and Jafar (Maz Jobrani), all temporarily stuck on an island with a roster of other gleeful miscreants. The young descendants of these colorful villains can now enter the kingdom for school along with various other Disney icons, such as the Fairy Godmother, Sleeping Beauty and others. While the young decide on taking either the good or evil path, the stage is set for the film’s lively song and dance sequences.
Rated TV-G, 112 minutes.
Extras: a blooper reel, a featurette on the backstage dance rehearsals, and a featurette of Mal’s story.
And, finally, from this week’s TV arrivals:
Hell on Wheels—season four
This increasingly popular western series from AMC chugs along, much like its characters, ex-Confederate soldier Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount) and real-life railroad entrepreneur Thomas C. Durant (Colm Meaney). The feuding duo has now reached Cheyenne, Wyoming in their quest to take the Union Pacific railroad across the country. But mountains slow down the quest, meaning most of the action takes place in town for the 13 episodes, on four discs, of this entertaining fourth season that now coincides with the arrival of the series’ fifth and final season. Bohannon starts the season off at a Mormon fort with his new wife Naomi (MacKenzie Porter). General U.S. Grant dispatches John Campbell (Jake Weber) along with his small yet violent civilian army to be Wyoming governor, immediately setting up his season long conflict with Bohannon and Durant. Elam Ferguson (Common) returns, briefly, after being brutally attacked by a bear. Conflicts in town between Campbell and Durant and Bohannon escalate and, before the season ends, several cast regulars meet their ultimate fates.
Not rated, 556 minutes.
Extras: a five minute tour of the Cheyenne set along with five brief additional featurettes on various topics: Colm Meaney, Jake Weber, Anson Mount, the season’s new characters, and season four. Also, each episode receives its own “behind-the-scenes” featurette of around six minutes.
Also on DVD: Hot Pursuit, Match, Patch Town, Unfriended.