The week’s DVDs begin in Belgium:
DVDs and streaming for August 25 by Boo Allen
This week, we begin in Belgium:
Two Days One Night (****)
The Criterion Collection releases this relatively recent ticking-clock social drama from Belgium’s Dardenne brothers, Jean-Pierre and Luc. Oscar-nominated Marion Cotillard stars as Sandra, a mother and the wife of Manu (Fabrizio Rongione). When her depression keeps her home, she loses her much needed job at a small, local manufacturer of solar panels. When she tries to regain her job, she discovers her coworkers have voted to take a bonus instead of letting her return. Sandra and Manu then spend the next two days, and one night, visiting her co-workers in an attempt to persuade them to change their votes. The couple’s heart-breaking effort underlines the Dardennes’ trademark concern for social problems.
Rated PG-13, 95 minutes.
Extras: two separate interviews with the Dardennes: 51 minutes from April, 2015, and a previous 21 minute segment. Plus: a 23 minute interview with Cotillard and Rongione. A 37 minute featurette visits four of the film’s locations with the Dardennes. In the nine minute “To Be an I,” critic Kent Jones examines the Dardenne’s recurring theme of hope. Also: the 40 minute 1979 Dardenne documentary about a devastating 1960 strike in Belgium, and a five page essay from critic Girish Shambu.
Elsewhere, more favorite TV shows arrive this week:
The Walking Dead—season five
The 16 episodes of the fifth season of the most popular show on cable television now arrive on five blu-ray discs. This unlikely phenomenon somehow stays fresh, with its blend of terrifying situations and dynamic challenges and emotions. This season begins with Carol (Melissa McBride) freeing everyone from the Terminus cannibals. From there, Rick (Andrew Lincoln), the de-facto leader of the zombie-evading survivors, leads the group north to a settlement in Alexandria, Virginia. Along the way, they pick up a priest (Seth Gilliam) and locate Beth (Emily Kinney) but lose a character or two. The season’s second half unfolds in Alexandria’s self-contained community that seems to offer shelter and safety. But, as they learned from their cannibal encounter, everything is not as it seems. The group stays leery of the camp, its inhabitants, and its leader, Deanna (Tovah Feldsuh). And of course, during the season, zombies attack, always coming close enough to frighten, and, sometimes, gruesomely gnaw down on some unfortunate straggler.
Not rated, 710 minutes.
Extras: commentaries with a wide variety of cast and crew. Every episode receives an approximate six minute “making of” featurette along with a six minute or so “Inside ‘The Walking Dead’” featurette. Plus, a ten minute segment on creating the Alexandria set. Four featurettes of around six minutes cover the separate journeys of characters Beth, Bob, Noah, and Tyreese. Two separate eight minute featurettes center on the long days and the preparation required from actors Michael Cudlitz and Josh McDermitt. The entertaining five minute “Rotters in the Flesh” examines how the grisly zombies are created. Also, deleted scenes.
Elementary—season three
This CBS series may be based on a gimmick, but it continues to improve, thanks mainly to solid direction, well written scripts, and on location shootings. It also excels because of Jonny Lee Miller’s serious but whimsical portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, who now lives in Manhattan and works with his partner in crime, Dr. Joan Watson (Lucy Liu). Holmes and Watson continue to work with N.Y.P. D. Captain Thomas Gregson (Aidan Quinn) and detective Marcus Bell (John Michael Hill). This season of 24 episodes, on six discs, sees a new arrival, a virtual trainee, from England, Kitty (Ophelia Lovibond). She helps Sherlock with some early-season mysteries but has to work her way into Watson’s graces. Also this season, Sherlock and Watson grapple with cases involving a murdered police officer, several missing person cases, artificial intelligence, a math whiz, a severed hand, a zebra kidnapping from the zoo, a frozen murder victim, and the eventual disappearance of Holmes’ addiction-therapy sponsor Alfredo (Ato Essandoh).
Not rated, 16 hours, 57 minutes.
Extras: select commentary, the eight minute featurette “Watson Style” looks at Lucy Liu’s wardrobe, the eight minute “ Hello Kitty Winter” introduces the new character, the 25 minute “Partners in Crime” gives a comprehensive “behind-the-scenes” look at the season, cast and crew are interviewed in the 13 minute “The Elements of Deduction,” the 11 minute segment “Bell on the Scene” features Jon Michael Hill examining his character detective Marcus Bell, and a four minute gag reel.
And for more of this week’s movie arrivals:
Falling Star (**1/2)
This measured Spanish language drama looks at a brief yet mostly forgotten moment in Spanish history. In 1870, through a quirk of circumstances, Italian nobleman Amadeo van Savoy (Alex Brendemul) becomes King of Spain. But once in Madrid, the vainglorious usurper finds himself ignored and with little power. He wants to institute liberal improvements but finds his attempts thwarted. So, he keeps mostly to the palace, making this first directing effort from long-time producer Luis Minarro a dark, claustrophobic affair with long, indulgent takes. With little dialogue and even less lighting, Minarro shows the misguided sovereign going about his daily duties while discovering his own helplessness. The erstwhile king proved a testy sort, however, as he returned to Italy in 1873 and died at 44.
Not rated, 110 minutes.
Extras: a ten minute “making of” featurette.
I Am Chris Farley (**1/2)
The life of the beefy comedian receives a comprehensive analysis in Brent Hodges and Derik Murray’s documentary. The duo assembles impressive background materials on Farley, including old home movies along with abundant personal photos and memorabilia. Covered are Farley’s Wisconsin childhood, his college days at Marquette, and on to his stint at “Second City” before arriving at “Saturday Night Live.” Farley’s starring movie roles are also covered. Many former Farley colleagues sit for interviews, including Bob Saget, Adam Sandler, Molly Shannon, Mike Myers, and many others. In addition, the directors interview Farley’s four siblings.
Not rated, 94 minutes. A featurette on “The Farley Brothers . . . and Sister.”
Welcome to New York (*1/2)
Provocative film-maker Abel Ferrara (Bad Lieutenant) has cast an appropriately nauseous Gerard Depardieu for this disguised yet still slimy portrayal of an actual event. Depardieu plays Devereaux, admittedly patterned after former International Monetary Fund minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn. The film follows Devereaux as he arrives in New York for a conference. On arrival, he indulges in sex and drug parties, all lovingly captured by Ferrara. Later, off-camera, this supposedly fictional Devereaux sexually abuses a hotel housekeeper. She files charges, enabling police to nab the Frenchman before he steps on the plane for home. Incarceration follows, along with media attention and the arrival of Simon (Jacqueline Bisset), who tries to manage the ordeal. It’s a sleazy production about a sleazy subject.
Rated R, 108 minutes.
Also on DVD and streaming: After the Ball, Aloha, Citizen Four, October Gale.