‘Pines’ explores fine lines
Topping this week’s new DVD releases are three movies about men facing major turning points in their lives.
• “The Place Beyond the Pines,” B-minus: Lives of two different men intersect. Bradley Cooper, Ryan Gosling star.
The film’s a three-act examination of how hard it is not to cross the line between good and evil. This deep concept starts brilliantly, but it slowly loses design and focus with each new story. By the third act, the writer/director has allowed the film to settle into what plays out as little more than a rejected script from a teen angst TV series.
• “Mud,” B-plus: Jeff Nichols’ script is at times big and powerful but also becomes so serene it’s easy to forget the depths that hide below.
The flow of this film comes from the friendship between lovesick teen Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and Mud (Matthew McConaughey), a rambling man who has taken refuge on a small island in the middle of the river. Mud returns to the small Arkansas community where he grew up, a place where he killed a man who abused the love of his life, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon). Mud wants to reunite with Juniper, but he’s being hunted by the family of the man he killed.
• “Oblivion,” B: Tom Cruise stars in this end-of-the-world science-fiction drama after an alien invasion more than a half-century ago.
All of the elements that make for good science fiction are there, but they are presented in just enough of a skewed manner that the grand ambitions end up making the movie come up short.
Also new on DVD:
“Quicksilver”: Kevin Bacon’s film about a bicycle messenger on a collision course with danger is available on Blu-ray.
“5 Souls”: Man discovers consequences of making a pact with the devil.
“Smiley’s People”: Sequel to John le Carri’s classic Cold War spy drama “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.”
“Magic Magic”: Young tourist’s road trip across Chile with friends turns into a nightmare.
“Not Today”: Young man fights to make a difference in the lives of one family in India.
“Charlie Chan Collection”: Included are “Shadows Over Chinatown,” “Docks of New Orleans,” “Shanghai Chest” and “The Golden Eye.”
“Adventures in Zambezia”: Animated adventure about a falcon that journeys to the bird city of Zambezia.
“A Boy and His Dog”: Dark trip through a post-apocalyptic world, where the friendship between a boy and his dog is the only currency that matters.
“Ishtar”: Director’s cut of the film about two terrible lounge singers who get booked to play a gig in a Moroccan hotel.