"The Iron Lady"
Legendary actress Meryl Streep captured her third Academy Award for her performance as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in filmmaker Phyllida Lloyd's "The Iron Lady." As usual, Streep is brilliant in her part, but, unfortunately, it might be quickly forgotten because it came in a substandard film. Lloyd's biopic is a boring work that fails to convince viewers that they should care about the subject it covers. The picture delivers a rundown of Thatcher's high and lows, but it never gives us reasoning or personal points to let us identify with the former prime minister. Off a screenplay from Michael Hirst and Abi Morgan, "The Iron Lady" begins with Thatcher (Streep) finding her way through her days of retirement. As she trudges through the twilight of her life, Thatcher deals with the passing of her husband, played magnificently by Jim Broadbent, and a collection of memories from her life. Flashbacks for Thatcher start in her youth, working alongside her father, who was a grocer. Personal memories include meeting her husband and time spent with her kids at the beach, but the majority of flashbacks look at Thatcher's time as Prime Minister of England. Much of the clips are done lazily, combining news clips with tossed-in reactions from Thatcher. The best buy for consumers is a three-disc combo pack that is just loaded with special features. A making-of featurette kicks things off, and goes down greatly with featurettes that explore costume design and the House of Commons. The set holds additional featurettes and three different outlets for the film. PG-13; 2011. 2 Stars.
"Into the Abyss"
Werner Herzog is one of the greatest documentarians working today, and his most-recent picture, "Into the Abyss," offers a stirring look at the death penalty in the U.S. The award-winning director explores a triple-homicide case in small-town Texas that has one of the perpetrators on death row and another serving a life sentence. Herzog confronts each and every angle of the case, speaking with the victims, those convicted in the killings and the authorities who solved the case. It's clear that Herzog stands against the death penalty, but he doesn't go overboard in proving that point in "Into the Abyss." The best documentary filmmakers simply lay out all the facts and depend on the viewers to take away their own opinions on the matter. It's another example that proves 2011 was an outstanding year for documentaries, as Herzog knocks it out of the park again, following his ambitious "Cave of Forgotten Dreams." Unfortunately, neither the disc Blu-ray nor the standard DVD has any special features. Usually, with a crime documentary like this, viewers will get some more interviews or extended scenes, but there's nothing here. NR; 2011. 3 Stars.
"King of Devil's Island"
In one way or another, filmmaker Marius Holst's "King of Devil's Island" is a tale that's been told lots of times. Based on a true story, the picture concentrates on a reform school for troubled boys in an isolated part of Norway. The protagonist here is Erling (Benjamin Helstad), a newbie at the facility. Erling tests the limits of the warden (Stellan Skarsgard), and he's slapped down a few times. Earning the respect of the inmates, Erling becomes a spokesman for the other young boys. He teams with another boy Olav (Trond Nilssen) to take on a brutal dorm master, and it tears apart the reform school, leading to a brave rebellion. Yes, the storyline here is formulaic, but unlike similar pics, there's no easy way out of "King of Devil's Island." Holst doesn't offer a sappy finale where everyone comes together for hugs and happy endings, and for that, the pic stands as a haunting experience for viewers. Thankfully, the film stays in reality. It's also boosted by an intelligently dark atmosphere and nice performances from Skarsgard, Helstad and Nilssen. Special features aren't too outstanding, offering only a short film and some trailers. 2010; NR. 2.5 Stars.
OTHER MOVIE RELEASES
⢠"The Conquest" (Denis Podalydes and Florence Pernel, 2011, NR, Music Box Films) Xavier Durringer wrote and directed this picture that explores the rise to power of Nicolas Sarkozy, the embattled President of France. Extras.
⢠"Sleeping Beauty" (Emily Browning and Rachael Blake, 2011, NR, IFC Films) A college student looking for some extra money takes a job for a lingerie waitress, and it leads her into a secret world of erotic desires. Extras.
⢠"Miss Representation" (documentary, 2011, NR, Virgil Films) Jennifer Siebel Newsom's powerful documentary explores how the media contributes to the misrepresentation of women in positions of power in the U.S. Extras.
⢠"The Terror Experiment" (C. Thomas Howell and Jason London, 2010, NR, Anchor Bay Entertainment) A terrorist unleashes an attack on the Federal Building, unleashing a toxic gas that gives people the urge to kill each other. Extras.
⢠"Hidden" (Sean Clement and Devon Bostick, 2011, NR, Entertainment One) After the death of his mother, a man inherits her experimental addiction treatment center, which, as he finds out, is hiding a deep, dark secret. Extras.
⢠"Goodnight for Justice: The Measure of a Man" (Cameron Bright and Luke Perry, 2011, NR, Entertainment One) Originally aired on the Hallmark Movie Channel, this picture is about a lawyer dishing out justice in the Wild West. Extras.
⢠"Animals United: Adventure in Africa" (voices from Jim Broadbent and James Corden, 2010, NR, Arc Entertainment) In this animated movie, a group of animals from the jungle hits the road to find out what happened to its water. Extras.
⢠"The Witches of Oz" (Paulie Rojas and Lance Henriksen, 2011, NR, Image Entertainment) Based on L. Frank Baum's Oz Stories, this film looks at the adult life of a certain woman named Dorothy, who's about to go back to her childhood. Extras.
⢠"Miss Bala" (Stephanie Sigman and Noe Hernandez, 2011, R, no extras, 20th Century Fox)
⢠"The Yellow Sea" (Jung-woo Ha and Yun-seok Kim, 2010, R, no extras, 20th Century Fox)
⢠"The Hidden Face" (Martina Garcia and Quim Gutierrez, 2011, R, no extras, 20th Century Fox)
NEW ON BLU-RAY
⢠"Conversation Piece" (Burt Lancaster and Helmut Berger, 1974, NR, extras, RaroVideo)
OTHER TV RELEASES
⢠"Dark Shadows, The Greatest Episodes Collection: Fan Favorites" (Jonathan Frid and David Selby, one disc, nine episodes, extras, MPI Media Group)
⢠"Dark Shadows, The Greatest Episodes Collection: The Best of Barnabas" (Jonathan Frid and David Selby, one disc, nine episodes, extras, MPI Media Group)
MISC. RELEASES
⢠"Donald Glover: Weirdo" (standup comedy, 2012, NR, extras, Entertainment One)
