- Contrary to the film's amusing trailers, and its Juno pedigree (Diablo Cody is the writer), Young Adult is only a comedy in the blackest sense of the word. Once you are prepared for that, you can enjoy the potent blend of tragedy, comedy and drama on offer. Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) is a ghostwriter of teen fiction, recently dumped by both her husband and her publisher. She returns to her hometown to lick her wounds and re-live the glory days, part of which includes taking up with her high school sweetheart Buddy Slade (Patrick Wilson), by all accounts happily married and with a new baby. "We can beat this thing together," Mavis cluelessly assures him. The only person who speaks the truth in the small town of Mercury is Matt (comedian Patton Oswalt) who tries to give Mavis a reality check while matching hers bitchy barbs with vitriol of his own. They may have been on opposite ends of the high school food chain, but they strike up a moving odd-couple relationship nonetheless. Theron is never better than here, playing a boozy mix of self-loathing, unfounded confidence, and mental illness: a woman who has never matured past the teenaged characters she writes about. It's tricky to play a character who doesn't redeem herself, and Theron jumps in feet first, seemingly without vanity to hinder her. Special features on the Blu-ray include an exhaustive making-of extra called Misery Loves Company, where actors and crew talk about the film's spin on the "man-child" formula. There's Deconstructing a Scene, a Q&A with director Jason Reitman and producer, and film commentary with Reitman, the director of photography and first assistant director.
- Wrongfully shut out of major Oscar competition, Steven Spielberg's The Adventures of Tintin may have been eclipsed by Scorsese's Hugo, but deserves a second look as a stellar adventure film for kids and adults alike. Based on the classic comic series by Belgian artist Herge, the film features intrepid teen reporter Tintin (voiced by Jamie Bell) who is hot on the cases of a pickpocket and a sunken ship that may be full of treasure. The perpetually pickled Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) holds a very valuable clue, if only he'd sober up long enough to open up. The film is an amalgam of several pre-war Herge stories, and recalls director Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark as much as the beloved European comic books. All the elements are here, including Tintin's clever terrier Snowy (the French name "Milou" being lost in translation), bumbling detectives Thompson and Thomson (here played by Shaun of the Dead's Simon Pegg and Nick Frost), and scrapes with bad guys (including Daniel Craig) across several continents. The motion-capture process is an acquired taste, but the action sequences make up for it. A great family film. Special features on the standard disc include The Journey to Tintin, wherein Spielberg reveals that he discovered the series when he read a French review of Raiders of the Lost Ark, which compared the two. Also, Snowy: From Beginning to End features interviews with Bell, Spielberg, producers, crew and Tintin experts on the beloved canine character, from comic to the motion capture and animation processes.
- Footloose is a sexed-up remake of the toe-tappin' 1984 film that made Kevin Bacon a reluctant star. The new version, courtesy of Craig Brewer (Hustle and Flow), stars professional dancers Kenny Wormald and Julianne Hough (of Dancing With The Stars fame). Because thanks to our reality TV age, mediocre acting is OK, but so-so dancing is verboten. Big-city boy Ren MacCormack (Wormald) moves to a small town where dancing, among other teenage pursuits, has been banned. The town is still reeling from the deaths of five high school seniors years before, including the son of the church preacher (played by Dennis Quaid). The preacher's daughter Ariel (Hough), meanwhile, is running wild, trying to get daddy's attention. Ren makes it his mission to overturn the city ordinance on dancing, with the help of Ariel and his cowpoke buddy Willard (Miles Teller). Filmmakers are smart to stick almost scene-by-scene to the original film, guaranteeing that moms will go see it and they'll take their daughters, knowing that there's nothing overly naughty in the script. Hough's acting is not going to win any awards, but it's a must-see if you enjoyed the original. Some great extras on the blu-ray disc, including music videos, an homage to the original, an extra on choreography, and more.
- Clint Eastwood's biopic of J.Edgar Hoover was not sexy enough to attract the attention of Academy voters: perhaps if the G-man had spent more time in a dress? The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as the man who became chief of the FBI at the young age of 24, and used intimidation, blackmail and spin to extend his tenure through the terms of eight presidents. Flashbacks between an aged Hoover writing his memoirs and a young Hoover resisting his feelings for longtime companion Clyde Tolson (Armie Hammer), create a thorough, if occasionally dry, portrait. Naomi Watts and Judi Dench co-star. Excellent production design and a thoughtful performance by DiCaprio.
- Like Crazy is a first-love story about two people who are meant to be together, but torn apart by an unforgiving immigration system. Anna (Felicity Jones) is a British college student studying in the U.S. and Jacob (Star Trek's Anton Yelchin) is her classmate. The two fall madly in love, but then face the pressure and uncertainty of spending long periods apart. It takes years for them to indulge in a real relationship, and the question by that time is: is it too late? This is very much a character-driven piece, and writer-director Drake Doremus gives us lots of time to get to know Anna and Jacob as their relationship grows. When the reality of their untenable situation sets in, and other people enter the picture (Jennifer Lawrence), the audience feels as conflicted as they do. Excellent, grounded performances by Jones, Yelchin and Lawrence all. A quiet little love story. There's commentary by the director, editor and cinematographer on the standard disc wherein we learn that a lot of the material was improvised, which only adds to the characters' credibility.
