Entre
nos (2009/Indiepix
DVD)/The Family I Had
(2017*)/Mary Queen Of
Scots 4K (4K Ultra HD
Blu-ray w/Blu-ray**)/Operation
Finale (Blu-ray
w/DVD/**both Universal/2018)/Who
Are We Now? (2017/*both
MVD Visual Blu-rays)
4K
Ultra HD Picture: A- Picture: B-/B/B+/B+ & C+/B+ Sound:
B-/B/A/B+ & C+/C+ Extras: C/C+/B/C+/D Films: B/B/B/B-/B+
Here
are a group of new dramas, including a documentary and familiar
older title in a new edition...
Entre
nos
(2009)
lands on DVD courtesy of IndiePix and is a touching drama that tells
the story of an undeniable family bond and is a slight commentary on
immigration reform. The story centers around a Colombian immigrant
who is the mother to two young children. After her husband leaves
her for a job in Miami, she is left to take care of her children and
struggles to survive in New York.
Entre
nos
stars Paola Mendoza (who also directs), Sebastian Villada, Sarita
Choudhury, Laura Montana, and Anthony Chisholm to name a few.
The
film is presented on anamorphically enhanced, standard definition DVD
with a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio and a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0
Stereo surround mix, both of which are common for the format and
aren't necessarily terrible. The film has a great soundtrack that is
cherry and upbeat at times despite moments of drama.
Special
Features include...
Director's
Commentary
Behind
the Scenes
How
to make Empanadas
PSA
on Immigration Reform
Still
Standing
- A Short Film by Paola Mendoza
Trailer
An
interesting film that is as relevant today as it was when it was made
nearly a decade ago.
A
horrific look at a broken family, the documentary film The
Family I Had
(2017) centers around another, whose son Paris brutally stabbed his
four year old sister Ella to death 17 times. The film tells of the
murder from different sides and paints the portrait of a brilliant
young boy, who destroyed his family with this one horrific act. The
film is directed by Katie Green and Carlye Rubin.
Nicely
edited and compelling, this film is a sad, but very real account of
something no parent should ever have to live through. Similar in
subject to other shows that you will see on late night cable
television, the difference here is that nothing is held back. Every
detail of the murder, the backstory, and its aftermath is fully
explained in graphic detail. The film is a true exploration into a
crime and brings up some interesting topics about love, family, and
how to cope with something so horrific and life changing...
The
film is presented in 1080p high definition with a 1.78:1 widescreen
aspect ratio and a lossy 5.1 Dolby Digital mix. The film is a
documentary and is a mix of nicely shot interviews, home movies shot
on video, and various other formats. The image clarity is consistent
throughout and the sound mix is consistent and full throughout.
Special
Features: Deleted Scenes
Disturbing
and recommended if you're into true crime documentaries.
Margot
Robbie and Saoirse Ronan star in Mary
Queen of Scots
(2018), a beautifully produced period drama that centers around Mary
Stuart's (Ronan) attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen
of England, (Robbie) and finds her condemned to years of imprisonment
before facing a brutal execution. With a strong supporting cast,
this is is the debut feature of Josie Rourke, and is done quite well.
The
film also stars Guy Pearce, Maria Dragus, Jack Lowden, David Tennant,
and Joe Alwyn.
Mary
Queen of Scots
has been nominated for two Oscars for its achievement in makeup and
hairstyling and costume design.
The
film's best asset is its two leading ladies. Margot Robbie, whose of
course known as one of Hollywood's most beautiful faces, really pulls
a 'Charlize Theron/ Monster' move in this film by way of a fake nose
prosthetic and extensive make-up to dumb down her beauty. One scene
where she has measles is particularly well done, however, her
performance shines through and you certainly believe her on screen.
Ronan pulls off in being her opposite, and a woman with human
compassion, and sincereness in her approach as Mary Stuart. Both
women appear as if they have stepped out of a period painting, and
are seemingly believable portrayals of these characters.
Presented
in beautiful 2160p HEVC/H.265, Dolby Vision/HDR (10; Ultra HD
Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image with a widescreen
aspect ratio of 2.39:1 and audio mixes in English Dolby Atmos (Dolby
TrueHD 7.1 mixdown for older systems) lossless 48kHz/24-bit sound.
The impressive HDR (Dolby Vision + HDR10) and native 4K presentation
is a superb way to view this picture. Costumes, skin textures, and
production design are presented more accurate and jaw dropping detail
than the also included 1080p high definition Blu-ray release, which
has similar audio specs.
Special
Features include...
Feature
Commentary with Director Josie Rourke and Composer Max Richter
An
Epic Confrontation
featurette
Tudor
Feminism
featurette
Something
About Marys
featurette
As
this film has been a bit overshadowed by the other period drama (The
Favourite)
this awards season, Mary
Queen of Scots
is an interesting period drama that will entertain those who have an
interest in the subject, even if it often tries to mirror its
political themes a bit too closely to today.
Operation
Finale
(2018) is
an interesting historical thriller that's based on a true story of an
Israeli intelligence officer (Oscar Issac) who attempts to chase down
and execute a rogue Nazi Commander (Ben Kingsley) shortly after World
War Two. This isn't just any Nazi Officer, however, but the man who
masterminded the transportation logistics to bring millions of Jews
to concentration camps. Issac and Kingsley play off of each other
pretty well throughout the film and make it worth watching for that
reason alone.
Operation
Finale
also stars Joe Alwyn, Haley Lu Richardson, and Melanie Laurent (who
also directed the recent indie Galveston,
reviewed elsewhere on this site).
The
film is directed by Chris Weitz, whose had an interesting career in
Hollywood. Everything from the original American
Pie
(1990) to About
a Boy
(2002) and then to more teen genre fare like Twilight:
New Moon
(2009) and the mixed Golden
Compass
(2007). This is a more serious departure for the director, and shows
that he has a bit more range than others.
The
film is presented in 1080p on Blu-ray disc with a widescreen aspect
ratio of 1.85:1 and a nice sounding audio mix in lossless DTS-HD MA
(Master Audio) 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit). While it's not as impressive as
4K Ultra HD, the film looks and sounds fine and doesn't have any
glaring issues on Blu-ray that hinder the presentation. The
production value sells the period setting well and Also included is a
standard DVD copy of the film with an anamorphic widescreen aspect
ratio of 1.85:1 and a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 mix. A digital copy is
also included.
Special
Features include...
Audio
Commentary with Director Chris Weitz
Inside
the Operation
featurette
I
hadn't heard much buzz about this film, but was pleasantly surprised
and entertained by it.
After
being released from prison, Beth (Julianne Nicholson) is working to
rebuild her life so that she can be with her son, but suddenly, she
finds out her sister who been taking care of him for the last 10
years decides to completely cut her out of 'her son's life. As Beth
works with a public defender to try and get her son back she find an
unlikely alliance with a junior public defender, Jess (Emma Roberts).
Together, they will find any means to get her son back in Matthew
Newton's Who
Are We Now?
(2017).
Beth
is a ex-felon, after serving her sentence for 10 years she is
struggling to pull her life together, find a job and to live with her
son, but everywhere she goes, that is how people see and treat her
...like a felon, including her own sister. Even after reforming
herself and getting out early with good behavior, for Beth it is a
daily struggle with the guilt she lives with and her own anger
issues. Jess a young and recently promoted public defender relates
to Beth in how her over-controlling mother has also caused
unhappiness in her life and decides to help Beth. Jess uses any
means and uncovers some dirt on Beth's sister and then questions her
in how can she judge Beth when she also broke the law? But just as
Jess is about confront and blackmail Beth's sister court, Beth
decides to forgive her sister and take the higher moral ground ...and
to leave it to her sister to decide if she can see her son in the
future.
This
is a drama filled story about a fallen woman who is just trying to
make ends meet and get back her son. In the end, the story is not a
happy or sad one, but a realistic one, as story progressed it showed
that no one in the film was perfect and the only difference between
main character and others characters was that she was caught with her
crime. It gave a more real feel to the movie and how imperfect
people have to live in an imperfect society and even a more imperfect
justice system. Zachary Quinto, Lea Thompson, Jason Biggs and Jimmy
Smits also star.
The
1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image looks fine, especially
for an independent production, while the
DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless sound mix is limited in its
dialogue-based nature, but is fine otherwise. A
trailer is the only extra.
-
Ricky Chiang (Now)
and James
Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
