The week’s DVDs begin in a Magic Kingdom:
DVDs and streaming for Sept. 15 by Boo Allen
This week, we begin in a Magic Kingdom:
Cinderella (***)
This glossy Disney production stays close to the traditional Cinderella story, meaning the absence of many trademark Disney “touches.” For example, animatronic-interaction with cutesy animals is limited. But, elsewhere, a pumpkin still turns into a golden carriage, mice become horses, and lizards become footmen. An unlikely Kenneth Branagh directs from Chris Weitz’ script that allows the familiar story of Cinderella (Lily James) to tell itself. The work of the superb technical crew is headed by Sandy Powell’s grand costume designs. The women receive the most attention, specifically mean step-sisters Drizella (Sophie McShera) and Anastasia (Holliday Grainger). Director Branagh delivers an impressive sequence with the grand ball of the king (Derek Jacobi), while Cate Blanchett shamelessly mugs through her role as the evil step-mother. Helena Bonham Carter narrates and plays the delightful fairy god-mother. And, at the familiar core, Prince Charming (Richard Madden) meets and falls in love with Cinderella at the ball, only to find her again with the famously lost glass slipper.
Rated PG-13, 105 minutes.
Extras: a ten minute “making of” featurette, a three minute costume test, 12 minutes on the intricate “Staging the Ball” sequence, four minutes on “Ella’s Furry Friends,” an alternate opening, a “Frozen”-derived eight minute animated short “Frozen Fever,” five deleted scenes of about 12 minutes.
The Seven Five (***1/2)
In this compelling documentary, director Tiller Russell documents a period of rampant corruption in New York’s Police Department. Russell showcases former policeman Michael Dowd, who, like Gertrude, is “stew’d in corruption.” Sitting for a prolonged interview after his 12 years in prison, Dowd recounts his exploits in Brooklyn’s 75th Precinct. The natural progression begins with small payoffs in the early 1980s, followed by Dowd and his partner, Ken Eurell, also interviewed at length, graduating into full fledged drug dealing. Russell adds plenty of crime footage from the era along with extra interviews with some of the still-standing criminals, as well as the law enforcement officials who brought them down. Overall, it’s a compelling story, filled with colorful characters and outrageous behavior.
Rated R, 104 minutes.
Extras: trailer.
Closer to the Moon (***)
This comedy-drama, based on a true story, is a movie about making a movie about the pretending of making of a movie. The English language film, set in 1959 Rumania, centers on a group of five Jewish ex-members of the Communist Party who fought the Nazis during World War II. They rebel against their diminished post-war status by robbing a bank delivery car while pretending to film a movie. When they are caught and sentenced to death, local authorities decide they can best serve their country by re-enacting the crime and filming it. From there, the film veers slightly into the absurd with some beautiful irony and biting wit. Always interesting Mark Strong plays Max Rosenthal, the default gang leader who ends up taking charge of the filming even though he knows he is doomed. Vera Farmiga appears as Alice, the only female conspirator, and one who gives inspiration, and succor, to Virgil (Harry Lloyd), the young waiter-turned-cameraman who finds his life has magically changed.
Not rated, 112 minutes.
Extras: trailer
The Monkey Kingdom (***)
This latest release from the esteemed Disneynature team showcases the intricate hierarchies of Sri Lanka’s macaque monkeys. With Disney’s famously intrepid photography teams, director Mark Linfield documents an extended family of these lovable simians as they live, eat, sleep, forage for food, and fight to defend their territory. Tina Fey supplies the cloying, over-anthropomorphizing narration that nevertheless helps familiarize viewers to specific monkeys.
Rated G, 81 minutes.
Extras: a brief “Thank You” from Disneynature, the 13 minute “making of” featurette “ Tales From the Kingdom,” six minutes “On the Set” with Jane Goodall and Wolfgang Dittus, an eight minute featurette on Disneynature’s “The Conservation Story,” and a music video.
Finally, from this week’s TV arrivals:
Lego: Star Wars: The New Yoda Chronicles
In the four episodes, on one disc, of the animated series, Yoda and Obi-Wan find the Holorons before Darth Vader. Danger follows.
Rated TV-Y7-FV, 88 minutes
Extras: an alternate ending of the episode “Clash of the Skywalkers.”
Peanuts: Emmy Honored Collection
This collection of the animated exploits of Charlie Brown and his gang, including Snoopy, the world’s most famous but fourth best beagle, brings together 11 Peanuts specials, on two discs, that earned Emmy Awards or nominations. All of the selections include “Charlie Brown” in the title and all have been remastered for picture and sound.
Not rated, 265 minutes.
Haven—season five
As if it were possible, things grow even more convoluted with all the “troubles” infecting the bucolic title town in this season’s 14 episodes on four discs. Based on the Stephen King novella “The Colorado Kid,” the series follows, mostly, the travails of a select trio: former FBI agent Audrey Parker (Emily Rose) who begins this season by being possessed by her former, more evil, self, Mara. Former police chief and Audrey-lover Nathan Wuornos (Lucas Bryant) and local resident scamp Duke Crocker (Eric Balfour) combat Mara’s weekly destruction which eventually involves murder, traveling through various dimensions, fights, spells, and confrontations. Dwight (Adam Copeland) takes over as police chief, and brothers Dave (John Dunsworth) and Vince Teagues (Richard Donat) briefly and secretively leave Haven for North Carolina.
Rated TV-14, 554 minutes.
Extras: commentaries, 13 “Inside Haven” featurettes of around five to six minutes each. Plus, the eight minute featurette “Haven: Origins: Witches are Born,” and the seven minute featurette “Haven: Origins: Native Breaks Free.”
Homeland—season four
This intense thriller, one of the best dramas on television, regained its footing in this latest season of 12 episodes on three discs. Emmy winner Claire Danes returns as manic-depressive C.I.A. agent Carrie Mathison and shows once again she will do anything to apprehend a terrorist, including lie to him and sleep with him. The season takes place mostly in Pakistan with Carrie heading the local office. Quinn (Rupert Friend) has disappeared, and Saul (Mandy Patinkin) has been kidnapped. Carrie pretends to be a journalist to lure young Aayan (Suraj Sharma) into betraying his terrorist uncle. Once again, the season, part of the Fox Home Entertainment Holiday Collection, ends with unexpected fireworks auguring a precarious situation for next season.
Not rated, 650 minutes.
Extras: 11 minutes of deleted scenes, a six minute character profile of Peter Quinn (Rupert Friend), four minutes on Aasar Khan (Raza Jaffrey), and seven minutes on Fara Sherazi (Nazanin Boniadi). Also, three separate featurettes on “From Script to Screen”: nine minutes on “Caught in the Crosshairs,” six minutes on “Brody’s Return,” and nine minutes on the impressive bombing sequence, “Storming the Embassy.”
Also on DVD and streaming: Fast and Furious-7, Love and Mercy, Nightingale, Reality.
The Second Mother (**1/2) not rated, 112 minutes, Opens Friday, Sept. 11 at the Dallas Angelika
Val (Regina Casé), a domestic worker for an affluent Sao Paulo family, is a second mother to the family and specifically to the college-age son. Then, Val’s young daughter Jessica (Camila Mardila) arrives after not having seen her mother in ten years. Expected complications follow as Val begins to question her priorities as a mother. Interesting enough but not terribly insightful. In Portuguese. Written and directed by Anna Muylaert.