Home Video

Doctor Zhivago

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Doctor Zhivago
  • IMDB: link

doctor-vhivago-dvdSet against the Russian Revolution of 1905 and the Second World War, this four-hour mini-series adaptation of the Nobel Prize winner Doctor Zhivago tells the tale of doctor and poet Yuri Zhivago (Hans Matheson) whose duty and honor keep him from the woman (Keira Knightley) he truly loves and engenders no love from the new Communist state.

A more faithful adaptation than David Lean’s 1965 film, this less grand version still has to make concessions to fit the near 600-page novel into its four-hour running-time. The result is very good version of the story strengthened by the performances of Knightley, Matheson, Sam Neill, and Alexandra Maria Lara.

Re-released yesterday on DVD, the two-disc set include information about author Boris Pasternak, a photo gallery, filmographies, and cast and crew interviews from Knightley, Matheson, Neill, Kris Marshall, director Giacomo Campiotti, writer Andrew Davies, and producers Anne Pivcevic and Andy Harries.

[Acorn Media, DVD $29.99]

Doctor Zhivago Read More »

The Good Doctor

/ / Home Video
  • Title: The Good Doctor
  • IMDB: link

good-doctor-dvdPeople who work in hospitals are the most awful human beings. I don’t think that’s the message screenwrieter John Enbom and director Lance Daly set out to make with The Good Doctor, but it’s the one constant theme of the entire film.

The troubles begin for first-year resident Dr. Martin Blake (Orlando Bloom), sporting a Matthew Broderick hairdo)  with a quarrelsome nurse (Taraji P. Henson) who is willing to threaten the life of a patient to prove her dominance. The ramification of her actions put him, not the nurse, in hot water with his superiors.

…

The Good DoctorRead More »

The Good Doctor Read More »

Nikita – Season 1

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Nikita – The Complete First Season
  • tv.com: link

nikita-season-one-dvdIt’s always interesting going back and start watching a show from the beginning after picking it up sometime during a later season. I decided to give Nikita a chance this year and enjoyed the show enough to pick up the First Season on DVD.

Based on the French film of the same name and the American remake, Nikita stars Maggie Q as government trained assassin on the run from the shadowy organization who trained her. Rather than give us a new take on the character’s origin story the series opens with Nikita reemerging after the events of the films with a plan to take down Division, the agency which trained her, with the help of a new Division recruit (Lyndsy Fonseca).

Most of the first season deals with Nikita staying one-step ahead of Michael (Shane West), the man who trained her, and Division strike teams, as Alex (Fonseca) slowly works her way up in Division feeding Nikita inside information to help destroy the agency that murdered her family years ago.

…

Nikita – Season 1Read More »

Nikita – Season 1 Read More »

Arbitrage

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Arbitrage
  • IMDB: link

arbitrage-dvdBy outward appearances Robert Miller (Richard Gere) has it all. The hedge fund manager has a thriving family business, a loving wife (Susan Sarandon), and devoted children (Brit Marling, Austin Lysy). And one moment on a deserted street will threaten to take it all away.

While getting out of town for some alone time with his mistress (Laetitia Casta), Miller loses control and crashes her car. Although he walks away with minor scrapes and bruises, his mistress isn’t so lucky. While trying to navigate the complicated sale of his company to an elusive businessman (Graydon Carter) and hide using his company’s money for personal use from both his family and the IRS, Miller cannot afford the scrutiny an accident like this would bring.

Fleeing the scene with the help of the son (Nate Parker) of a longtime employee, Miller tries to keep one step ahead of an investigation led by a cop with a hard-on to take him down (Tim Roth), and make sure the sale goes through.

…

ArbitrageRead More »

Arbitrage Read More »

Ted

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Ted
  • IMDB: link

ted-blu-raySeth MacFarlane‘s Ted is an interesting idea that runs out of steam well before the final credits start to roll. Mark Wahlberg stars as manchild John Bennett. As a lonely child John wished his teddy bear would come to life and be his best friend. After his wish was granted and the notoriety and celebrity of a talking child’s toy has worn down Mark continues to live with Ted (MacFarlane) almost 30 years later, much to the displeasure of John’s current girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis).

For all the uniqueness of crafting a story centered around a walking, talking teddy bear, Ted is fairly pedestrian in what the script sets out to do. Ted is nothing more than the average bad influence the girlfriend wants to get her boyfriend away from to start a legitimate life together. The story doesn’t quite work because John is wholly responsible for Ted’s existence, something Kunis’ character should, but never quite does, understand.

…

TedRead More »

Ted Read More »