THE PAPERBOY
Two and a half stars
A cumbersome and often meandering period drama that tackles everything from race and sexuality to old-fashioned murder, The Paperboy carries a lot of content in its carefully worn sack. Yet, none of it really lands on the stoop of sympathy. It’s an odd reaction to a movie that feels a bit like The Help fused with scraps of In the Heat of the Night and classic Faulkner Gothic, because everything about this movie should make us care a whole lot. Opening with the murder of the local lawman, we soon meet the obvious villain (John Cusack in a truly loathsome turn), a redneck with a sexually violent side. Not long after that, we meet a big-city reporter (Matthew McConaughey) and his little brother (Zac Efron), as well as a fellow scribe (David Oyelowo) and a vacant bimbo (Nicole Kidman) who’s fallen for the violent con. Hormones and humidity hang over everything in this swamp of a story, but director Lee Daniels (Precious) fails to make it work to his advantage and the whole thing just feels musty and overcooked. Special features include featurette and director and cast interviews.
THE GATEKEEPERS
Four stars
To bomb, or not to bomb: That is the question haunting the talking heads in Dror Moreh’s Oscar-nominated documentary, The Gatekeepers. For the first time in history, Moreh interviewed the former heads of Shin Bet, Israel’s secret service in charge of homeland defence. And what he gets on camera isn’t just revelatory, it’s almost revolutionary as they confess to doubt, mistakes and a formal, amoral stance on anti-terrorist measures. They say things we might naturally assume — such as “forget morality” — but never quite expect to hear out loud and on the record. It’s the matter-of-factness of it all that makes The Gatekeepers so compelling. Special features include commentary and Q&A with Moreh.
THE HOST
Three stars
There’s something familiar — almost cosy — about the latest camping trip from Twilight scribe Stephenie Meyer. Part of it has to do with the standard layout: The Earth has been taken over by aliens, leaving humanity’s salvation in the hands of a few surviving men and women. The rest has to do with the overall mood of the piece as it asks us to see the world from an alternative viewpoint. Melanie (Saoirse Ronan) is a regular human looking to evade neural colonization. With most of the dramatic tension emanating from internal conflict, it’s not easy for director Andrew Niccol (Gattaca, Lord of War) to really carve any great scenes, but thanks to the hefty on-screen presence of Ronan (Atonement, Hanna, The Lovely Bones), The Host proves hospitable. Special features include deleted scenes, behind the scenes footage, interviews with Stephenie Meyer and Niccol.
ADMISSION
Two and a half stars
Paul Rudd and Tina Fey are both funny, charismatic and smart. Yet, the sad truth is they have absolutely no onscreen chemistry as a couple flirting around the edges of their professional personae in this heavily contrived romantic comedy about a Princeton admissions officer and a new-age high school teacher. With so many different directions for the drama to explore, the movie spirals in circles without a single decent punchline. The only redeeming feature is Lily Tomlin as Fey’s feminist, and somewhat prickly, mother. These scenes have real spark, but the rest of the movie sputters on situational shtick that doesn’t gel. Special features include DVD and Blu-ray combo pack, digital copy and more.
DEAD MAN DOWN
Three and a half stars
Colin Farrell and Noomi Rapace star in this rather formulaic revenge fantasy that somewhat miraculously still manages to find some texture thanks to its European bite. Directed by Niels Arden Oplev (Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), the movie goes for noir-style alienation as Farrell plays a hit man who keeps to himself. While much of the plot is disappointingly transparent, the dramatic moments are well played and full of palpable longing. Special features include Staging the Gunfights, the cinematography, discussion with the ensemble cast and more.
SPRING BREAKERS
Three stars
“I think this may be the most spiritual place on the Earth,” says the Jesus-loving heroine played by Selena Gomez in what may be the weirdest movie ever made by Harmony Korine. Though Korine has always gone out of his way to be weird, this story of college students desperate to partake in the Bacchanal of spring break is so mainstream and sex-laden, it’s a bit of an adjustment because one is never too sure of his creative intent. When the girls in bikinis start singing Britney Spears as they call each other “bitch” — and relive their violent attack on the Chicken Shack — Spring Breakers starts to look less like a dark comedy and more like a nightmare. The art side wins, mostly thanks to excellent cinematography from Benoit Debie, a man who can make the familiar look terrifying and sexy truly sinful. Special features include audio commentary, deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes footage.
Also released today:
10 Buildings That Changed America
Blood and Sand
Bonanza: The Official Sixth Season
Boy
Bruce Campbell Triple Feature
Charade: 50th Anniversary Edition
Cohen & Tate
Defiant Requiem
The Drive-in Collection
Dynasty: Season Seven
Economic Meltdown: Frontline
Herman’s House
How the West Was Won: Complete First Season
The Legend of Korra: Book One – Air
Liar Liar
Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story
My Awkward Sexual Adventure
Punk Vacation
Quincy: Season Six
Robot Chicken: DC Special
Sci-Fi Movie Marathon Package
Superstar
Tyler Perry’s Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor
Unforgettable: Season One
Warehouse 13 Season Four
William and Kate: A Royal Life
Zombie Ass
