March opens the gate to a spectacular flood of great DVDs and Blu-rays in your local shops. Over the coming month, allowances will be tested to the limit by a chock-a-block list of films including award-winning biopics, thrilling crime dramas, incredible space feats, and tales of dystopian teenage revolution and a bear with a rather alarming marmalade habit. Thankfully, we here at The Indiependent, have all the best film releases covered, to help make those monetary choices just a tad more informed.
PRIDE
It’s rather fitting that we conclude LGBT History month with a film entitled and ultimately founded on Pride. This heartwarmingly funny tale is based on the unlikely real-life union of a Gay & Lesbian activist group and a rural Welsh mining town during the Thatcherite strikes of the 1980s. After identifiying the common injustice and struggle between members of the gay community and the striking miners, Mark (Ben Schnetzer) rallies together a group of volunteers to raise money for the families in one particular mining town. We see the evolution and inevitable outcome of the ‘Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners’ movement through the eyes of Joe (George Mackay) – a young activist who struggles to pursue his beliefs whilst also hiding his sexuality from his family.
As is the unfortunate truth when depicting historical attitudes to homosexuality, there are some tough scenes in which prejudice is unjustly dished out on the group. However the coming together of these two disparate communities – strengthened by the gracious friendliness of certain members of the mining town (particularly the characters played by Paddy Considine, Imelda Staunton and Bill Nighy) – is really rather beautiful and inspiring to watch. The humour that comes from some of the elderly residents’ blunt fascination with the lifestyles of their new gay friends is also intensely enjoyable – as is the dance scene sparked by Dominic West’s flamboyant character, Jonathan. The soundtrack, heralded from the era where exuberant bands like Wham! and Culture Club reigned supreme, is also brilliant. Overall, this is a brilliant film – which won this year’s BAFTA for Outstanding British Contribution by a Writer/Producer – with a story that is as unifying now as it was then.
Pride is available to buy from 2nd March 2015* | Words: AH | Read the full review here.
NIGHTCRAWLER
The incredible Nightcrawler is an origin story of a creepily determined man, ‘Lou’ Bloom (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his rise in the world of nightcrawling, filming late night crimes up close and selling them to TV news. This film easily breaks the list of top ten films released in 2014, due to it’s much talked about original, smart screenplay and harrowing, spine chilling performance from Jake Gyllenhaal. Who plays a character who acts as the hero and villain of his own story. Even though he is breaking the law often and is doing morally questionable things just to gain money, we can’t help but root for him due to his drive and conviction to become the best at what he does.
Dan Gilroy’s first outing as a director is very solid indeed, I feel like the film could have been elevated if it was directed by well established directors like Christopher Nolan or David Fincher, which would have had it most definitely winning Academy Awards instead of scrapping for nominations. Gilroy’s intelligent screenplay truly allows the film and it’s actors like Rene Russo shine. Most will feel Jake Gyllenhaal at least deserved an Oscar nod, especially with this being his best performance yet. Jake is an actor who out does himself every year and is soon becoming the next DiCaprio with how his relationship with the Academy is going…No matter what type of film you’re interested in, I think Nightcrawler caters to anyone who wants to be entertained for a rough 2 hours, with it’s gritty original crime story and it’s disgustingly fascinating main character.
Nightcrawler is available to buy from 2nd March 2015* | Words: EM | Read the full review here.
THE IMITATION GAME
“Are you paying attention? Good. If you’re not listening carefully, you will miss things – Important things.”
These are the words that frame our transition from 1951 to 1939 as the story of Alan Turing begins. These two time frames, juggled alongside flashbacks to his childhood, make up the beautiful biopic of a man who was as a war hero cruelly misplaced in the history books. Leading a team of 6 cryptographers – selected through their enthusiasm and ability with crosswords – Turing’s story is that of a mathematical genius who solves the seemingly unbreakable enigma code, which was the method of communication used by the Germans in WWII. Through the trials of rather limited support and time pressure, Alan’s self-belief allows him to overcome such obstacles to gain the confidence of his team and break the code. The breaking of the ‘impossible’ code has been attributed with ending WWII – which involved no less than 61 countries. Such a heroic achievement surely deserved great reward and gratitude, but the outcome was not as would be expected today.
The group were forced into secrecy – so as to prevent a new code from being created – and they are thus required to continue their lives as normal. Turing’s life however, was turned upside down, when he was persecuted for his homosexuality. Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance was (as always) extremely intelligent and Keira Knightley fitted perfectly in her humanising role of Joan. The touching relationship between Alan and Joan – driven by companionship – is beautifully played and makes Alan’s degeneration all the more heart-breaking. I came out of the cinema shocked at the vast ignorance to this incredible man and his work. His story has been kept secret even beyond the mandatory 33 years; it is time that we all hear it.
The Imitation Game is available to buy from 9th March 2015* | Words: EK | Read the full review here.
THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1
Perhaps the most highly anticipated instalment of the film franchise so far, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 was one of the most successful films of 2014, hitting the number five spot in the highest grossing films of the year. Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman amongst many other famous names, Mockingjay is the beginning of the end, and showcases the characters that so many of us have come to love in a light we’ve never quite seen them in before. Both Lawrence and Hutcherson in particular give stellar performances – as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark – above and beyond those that we saw in the previous two movies, and the darkness of Suzanne Collins’ world is well and truly cemented. Whilst death, violence and dystopia have always purveyed the series, this third instalment ups the ante: the deaths of the games become mass genocide, politics becomes revolution and a fight becomes a war.
Visually striking and extremely fast-paced, Mockingjay is the kind of film that has you fighting against blinking – lest you miss the best bit of the action. If you’ve enjoyed the series so far, this penultimate instalment will certainly not disappoint. And if you haven’t, Mockingjay: Part 1 may just change your mind.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 is available to buy from 16th March 2015* | Words: AB | Read the full review here.
PADDINGTON
Paddington is quite simply adorable. One of the surprise hits of last year, Paul King’s reimagining of Michael Bond’s infamous children’s character is vivid, knowingly amusing and heartwarming to it’s core. Leaving his origins in Darkest Peru, a young bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) goes off on an adventure to find a home in London – guided by an English Explorer’s time-honoured promise that people (and bears) would always be welcome in the capital city. However when the young bear arrives, he finds that not all is as it once was, as London is now a hub of busy-bodies all commuting from place to place without a moment’s thought for anyone they pass by. Thankfully, The Brown Family – lead by Sally Hawkin’s kind Mrs Brown – endeavour to help the bear, whom they name Paddington (after the station), to find the explorer that promised him a home.
Chaos inevitably follows, as Paddington’s innocent attempts to acclimatise to modern English life go ‘paw-shaped’ – much to the distress of Hugh Bonneville’s safety-conscious Mr Brown. And is if Paddington’s own exploits weren’t troublesome enough, a merciless taxidermist (Nicole Kidman) discovers the bears whereabouts and plots to stuff him! This is an exemplary family film – the adorable characterisation of Paddington is simply irresistible to even the most serious of grown-ups, while the humour is finely tailored to suit the tastes of children and adults alike. That and the quirky, kitsch aesthetic of the film – along with it’s brilliant cast – make Paddington a smashingly good film that explores the beauty of London and the importance of family with aplomb .
Paddington is available to buy from 23rd March 2015* | Words: AH
INTERSTELLAR
In Christopher Nolan’s first film since The Dark Knight Rises, he creates what was perhaps the one of best films of 2014, Interstellar. This odyssey about the bond between a man and his daughter reaching far beyond the boundaries of our galaxy is truly open-hearted, and takes the viewer on a journey through not just the deepest, strangest reaches of the universe, but also through every identifiable human emotion.The viewer sees an Earth left bare by a blight, leaving corn as the only possible crop, and constant dust storms ravage the population. Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a father of two who learns their generation will be the last to survive on Earth, embarks on a journey with NASA to go out and find a potentially habitable planet for human life. When he embarks on his journey through the black hole, Cooper tells his daughter: “when I come back we might even be the same age.” What follows this statement truly resonates with the audience and Nolan breaks hearts using the simple idea of relativity.
A lot of people have compared Interstellar to Nolan’s 2010 blockbuster Inception, in that he takes a very complex idea and presents it to an audience. The research and pure determination put into making Interstellar is made so much more worthwhile because all the ideas mentioned in the film are possible. The whole ensemble of actors is perfectly balanced, the young Murph/older Murph aspect (Mackenzie Foy/Jessica Chastain) is excellent and heartfelt, while the on-screen chemistry between Cooper and Brand (Anne Hathaway) is an inspired choice from Nolan. There are also many more gripping supporting roles such as Professor Brand (Michael Caine) and Romilly (David Gyasi), but the biggest surprise came in the small cameo performance from Matt Damon as the vindictive, selfish Dr. Mann; corrupted by all those years spent alone on a planet, conning the crew of The Endurance to rescue him. This film truly makes your heart stop, melt, then explode with an exhilarating journey through space and time mixed with raw human emotion. The odd moment of humour from robots CASE and TARS is perfectly balanced with the gravity of the story, mixed with another perfect score from Hans Zimmer that created pure emotion just in itself. Nolan has created what will go down as one of the best sci-fi films of all time; a truly cinematic masterpiece and a must watch for any film fan.
Interstellar is available to buy from 30th March 2015* | Words: EJ | Read the full review here.
Also out on DVD and Blu-ray this month*: Leviathan (2nd), Love Rosie (2nd), The Judge (2nd), The Hundred Foot Journey (9th), ’71 (9th), Say When (9th), Ouija (9th), The Skeleton Twins (16th), Horns (16th), The Homesman (23rd), The Drop (23rd), Get On Up (30th), Penguins of Madagascar (30th) and Horrible Bosses 2 (30th)
*Please note that all release dates referenced are UK only. International release dates may differ.
Words by Amie Bailey, Annie Honeyball, Ella Khalek, Elliott Jones and Eddie Michael
Compiled by Annie Honeyball