Releases to DVD [24th of May]

Films to look out for this month on DVD and Blu-ray:

Double Oscar winning film, Precious released on the 24th of May depicts the story of a young obese illiterate woman struggling with severe hardships. Raped by her father continuously, abused by her mother on a daily basis and now carrying her second child; she suffers enormously. Due to her second pregnancy by her father she is moved to a different school in the hope her life may go down a different road. Precious uses her imagination to escape her traumatic existence and becomes inspired by her teacher Blu Rain and confides in her social worker Miss Weiss who shows her both compassion and love. The film contains some superb acting and some very traumatic scenes, which does not shy away from the darkness of humanity. Mo'Nique's acting received world wide acclaim for her remarkable performance which won her a Golden Globe, a SAG and an Academy Award.
Precious is ultimately a very grim tale, full of complete desperation which is shockingly raw; yet it is also filled with hope and triumph and ended with an inspiring message.
Rating: 8/10

The Brothers which was released last week on Monday stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman and Tobey Maguire, takes a look into a household dealing with the traumatizing psychological effects of war on a man and the actions taken on his family. The film follows a young marine (Tobey Maguire) who leaves his family to fight the war in Afghanistan, during his time out there his helicopter crashes and he is presumed dead, meanwhile back at home his brother (Jake Gyllenhaal) who was released from prison earlier in the year takes care of the marines wife (Natalie Portman) and daughters. However the marine has actually been imprisoned at a remote encampment and uncovers horrors unimaginable, so when he finally returns home he is left a very broken man convinced that his wife and his brother have been having a passionate affair.

Acting from Tobey Maguire is unexpectedly brilliant, which in turn got him nominated for a Golden Globe. Both performances from Gyllenhaal and Portman are striking and full of intensity. The film mainly focuses on the family drama and relationships of the characters, inter-cut with scenes of Maguire in action and imprisoned/tortured in Afghanistan. The progression of the narrative takes its time to develop, but it feels organic and realistic. While one could see the film as a criticism of war and the negative effects that war has on the family of veterans, the film is more a character-driven drama, and doesn't go into the politics of war. Instead to me The Brothers portrays an engaging, intense story about familial loyalty, redemption, and difficult relationships.

Rating: 6/10

Breathtaking apocalyptic tale The Road was released to DVD and Blu-ray last week, which includes outstanding performances by Viggo Mortensen and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

The story follows a man and his young sun struggling with an unspecified cataclysm which has destroyed civilization. The Road uses little CGI, only some special effects used to remove greenery and tackle sky replacement, adding a more gloomy overlook of the landscape.

To create a world in severe trauma, director John Hillcoat used shots of coalfields, dunes, and run-down areas of Pittsburgh.

The Road is both haunting and heartbreaking, it comes across as a harrowing and powerful film receiving many nominations for its undeniably compelling story. However to me it was detached due to the hard translation from the book to the film and with it lost the warmth of great literature.

Rating: 7/10