Blu-Ray & DVD Review Round-Up: DUNKIRK, AMERICAN MADE, PULP, THE LIMEHOUSE GOLEM & More
This time around: Christopher Nolan goes to war in Dunkirk; Tom Cruise is American Made, Michael Caine is involved in Pulp; Bill Nighy investigates The Limehouse Golem; Dustin Hoffman and Richard Madden are The Masters Of Florence and Rooney Mara is Una.
Blu-ray Review: Dunkirk
Christopher Nolan continues a flawless cinematic run with this WWII thriller. A swiss watch of a movie, Dunkirk is a well composed piece which will keep you on edge throughout its tight 107 minute running time. The cast deliver (Tom Hardy is particularly impressive considering his face is covered for the duration) but Hans Zimmer is the star of the show with yet another stunning musical score. This is a classically made epic which managed to discover an audience despite its artistic stylings. Recommended.
Special Features
Dunkirk comes with a 2-hour documentary which can be consumed as a whole or in tiny bite-sized chunks.
Blu-ray Review: American Made
Tom Cruise once again takes to the skies in American Made, Doug Liman’s energetic drama which charts the true life tale of pilot turned drug/gun runner, Barry Seal. Cruise again shows why he’s one of the greatest movie stars of all-time, anchoring the movie with dramatics and comedy. There’s a bit too much going on here to make it all hit home with the required gravitas but this is an entertaining ride which once shows that the truth is always greater than fiction.
Special Features
Deleted scenes and a lot of mini-docs offer-up a lot of information on the making of the film and the real Barry Seal. Solid stuff.
Blu-ray Review: Pulp
After Get Carter, Michael Caine and Mike Hodges re-teamed for Pulp, a comedy-thriller which takes viewers on totally different journey from that violent crime movie. Caine is a pulp novelist caught up with gangsters (led by Mickey Rooney) in the Mediterranean. Surreal to the extreme, Pulp is a cult film which has a lot to offer. Worth checking out.
Special Features
Interviews galore with Mike Hodges, cinematographer Ousama Rawi, assistant director John Glen and Tony Klinger, son of Pulp‘s producer Michael Klinger.
Blu-ray Review: The Limehouse Golem
A curious misfire, The Limehouse Golem is a Victorian mystery with shades of Jack The Ripper. Bill Nighy tries his best as the detective attempting to solve a series of murders in the east end of London, but the lack of budget and directorial affectations from helmer Juan Carlos Medina muddy the narrative. Olivia Cooke and Douglas Booth also feel a bit too contemporary for this period tale.
Special Features
A short puff piece from the main cast and crew.
DVD Review: Medici: Masters Of Florence
Dustin Hoffman and Game Of Thrones‘ Richard Madden topline this solid if unspectacular TV drama about a family of Florentine bankers. There’s plenty of sex and intrigue but this doesn’t have enough ‘oomph’ to make it compete with some of the great shows currently on the air.
Blu-ray Review: Una
Rooney Mara and Ben Mendelsohn star in this uneasy Brit-set drama. Based on the play Blackbird by David Harrower, the film is a two-hander which sees Mara’s titular Una confront the man (Mendelssohn) who had a relationship with her years before. Benedict Andrews’ film raises a lot of difficult questions but refuses to offer an easy answers. The stars are very good but you can’t exactly call this entertaining. Riz Ahmed co-stars.
Special Features
Interviews with Ben Mendelssohn and Benedict Andrews.
