Poetry in motion...
It’s 1818, and young Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) is more interested in fashion than men, and when she meets 23-year-old poet John Keats (Ben Wishaw) she thinks his work - and his character - somewhat lacking. Over time, however, Fanny comes to realise the brilliance of Keats’s verse, and admiration soon spills over into a passionate love affair. Although their relationship seems doomed from the outset, given that Keats does not have the fortune or stature to be considered good husband material, the pair are determined to be together, understanding that theirs is a love that knows no obstacles. Yet when Keats falls seriously ill, their bond is pushed to the absolute limit…
Life lessons
Directed by Danish film-maker Lone Scherfig, An Education is a coming of age drama is set in early 1960s Twickenham. Adapted by Nick Hornby from Lynn Barber’s memoir, the story revolves around intelligent teenage schoolgirl Jenny (Carey Mulligan) who has her head turned by the much older David (Peter Sarsgaard). As her burgeoning romance with David sweeps her along in a whirlwind of expensive presents, foreign trips and increasingly adult pursuits, Jenny is forced to decide between continuing her education and following her feelings.
Fancy a brand spanking new DVD? Then have a look at our reviews of the biggest home entertainment releases for Monday February 8, 2010...
New to DVD this week is quirky romantic comedy Adam, starring Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne
Extra Features
Unavailable for review, but there's a commentary with writer/director Max Mayer and producer Leslie Urdang, alternate ending, deleted and alternate scenes, a making of featurette plus a profile of actress Rose Byrne.
ROLL CREDITS...
Stars Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne
Director Max Mayer
Distributor Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Format DVD
Released February 15
It's only a game...
Derivative, convoluted and resolutely unscary, Open Graves bills itself as a surfing horror movie - but there's very little board action and it's horrific only in the artistic sense of the word. Like a hackneyed cross between Final Destination and Jumanji, the by-the-numbers plot sees a group of beautiful surfers - holidaying in a Spain where everyone speaks English with a Manuel-esque accent - assemble to play a mysterious board game called Mamba. Given that this is a game made from the bones and skin of a witch murdered in the 15th Century, this is, of course, a Very Bad Idea. And once the player begin dying in the order in which they were knocked out of the game, surviving players Jason (Mike Vogel) and Erica (Eliza Dushku) realise they must finish playing if they have a hope in hell of saving their friends.
There is some fun to be had in the death scenes; as each layer meets their end according to the ancient 'death cards' in the game, this is a licence for a variety of gruesome scenes including crabs, snakes and the like. Gorehounds will be sated; the effects are suitably sticky even if the CGI leaves much to be desired. Taken at face value - and there's no choice to do much else, as there's no narrative depth to speak of and the characters are so two-dimensional as to be almost transparent - Open Graves just about works as a Friday night frightfest, particularly if you've had a few beers. 1.5 stars
ROLL CREDITS...
Stars Eliza Dushku, Mike Vogel
Director Alvaro de Arminan
Distributor Icon Home Entertainment
Format DVD
Released February 15
Not sure what new DVDs to spend your money on this week? Check out our reviews of the biggest home entertainment releases for Monday February 8, 2010...
Read Long Weekend DVD Review
Read Love Happens DVD Review
Read Paper Heart DVD Review
Read Harper's Island DVD Review
Read In the Electric Mist DVD Review
Southern discomfort
This straight to DVD thriller may have the ever-excellent Tommy Lee Jones in the lead role, but that doesn't make it any less mediocre. Adapted from James Lee's novel, Jones stars as Louisiana Detective Dave Robicheaux, a hard-bitten cop battling his own demons while trying to solve the murder of a local prostitute. Jones does as best he can with the material, but the soupy mix of unconvincing Southern accents, incoherent editing and the ghosts of confederate soldiers soon bring a sense of irritation that overwhelms even his solid performance. 2 stars
Extra Features
Nothing
ROLL CREDITS...
Stars Tommy Lee Jones, John Goodman
Director Bertrand Tavernier
Distributor High Fliers
Format DVD & Blu-ray
Released February 8
This review originally appeared in movieScope 15
Killer show
Playing out like a Hollywood horror movie across 13 bite-sized episodes, TV sensation Harper's Island is like Gossip Girl meets Halloween. Populated by a cast of uber-gorgeous 20-somethings, some clever plotting and genuine suspense means that, unlike so many Stateside series, this becomes more than just a guilty pleasure.
Set on a stunning and secluded island off the coast of Seattle, a group of old friends and family get together for a week of festivities to celebrate the wedding of former boat boy Henry (Christopher Gorman) and rich debutant Trish (Katie Cassidy). For Henry's best friend Abby (Elaine Cassidy), however, the trip holds more fear than fun as it means coming back to the place where her mother was brutally murdered by the local serial killer years before. Despite the fact that the murderer was caught and killed by Abby's sheriff father, the memories still haunt her; and, as members of the wedding party begin to meet some seriously gruesome ends, Abby begins to realise that something evil still lurks on Harper's Island...
It's easy to get pulled under the spell of this shclocky TV whodunnit, as it has just the right mix of sex and death to hold the attention. There's plenty of bare flesh and partying to tempt fans of shows like Beverly Hills 90210, wrapped up in a solid storyline which oozes with enough blood and guts (even for network television) to keep gore-hounds interested. As the mystery builds over each episode, with the body count racking up steadily along the way, audiences can enjoy being kept in the dark while knowing that everything will be wrapped up nicely at the end of the series – there's no Lost-like multi-season teasing at work here. All in all it's an extremely well-executed slice of horror television that deserves a place in your viewing schedule. 4 stars
Extra Features
Best of the bunch are the 90 minutes of Harper's Island Globe Webisodes – originally created for the show's website they are genuinely atmospheric and act as great companion pieces to the show. There's also a great set of making of featurettes, plus commentaries on select episodes, promos and deleted scenes which include some moments too strong for broadcast. 4 stars
Harper's Island - Bang Clip - Click here for more amazing videos
ROLL CREDITS...
Stars Christopher Gorman, Katie Cassidy
Director Various
Distributor Paramount Home Entertainment
Format DVD
Released February 8
