DVD Releases of the Week: 'A Most Violent Year' and 'The Immigrant' Hit Shelves
This weekend two award-winning films will be released alongside a number of independent films. Among those are "A Most Violent Year" and "The Immigrant."
Latin Post takes a look at the hottest DVDs coming to stores this week:
"A Most Violent Year"
Directed by J.C. Chandor, A24 is releasing one of the most acclaimed films of 2014. The movie, starring Guatemalan actor Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain, tells the story of an ambitious immigrant who fights to protect his business and family during the most dangerous year in the city's history. The film was hailed by critics for tense plotting and was considered an Oscar contender. Latin Post said "Oscar Isaac is a revelation in the role of Abel and fills in a lot of the question marks left by the film's script." While it did not get any Oscar nominations, the movie took home Best Picture with the National Board of Review and was also nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress and Critics Choice awards. Financially, "A Most Violent Year" was not as successful as it only made $5 million box office due to competition with a number of Oscar nominees. However, with buzz still high on the movie and Isaac's quick rise to fame, this may get a lot of attention from art house enthusiasts.
"The Immigrant"
Two years after its premiere at Cannes and one year after its theatrical run, the Weinstein Company will finally release the critically acclaimed film by James Gray. The movie, starring Marion Cotillard, Joaquin Phoenix, and Jeremy Renner, tells the story of an innocent immigrant woman who is tricked into a life of burlesque and vaudeville until a dazzling magician tries to save her and reunite her with her sister who is being held in the confines of Ellis Island. When the film was released, it received little attention due to the time period and it ended up flopping. However, it still managed to get into the awards race. The film was nominated at the Indie Spirit awards for Best Actress and Best Cinematography and also won the Best Actress award at the National Society of Film Critics and the New York Film Critics. The movie has been available on Netflix for some time and has garnered a following. The DVD release will expand the movie's audience beyond those with streaming services.
"The Voices"
Marjane Satrapi's latest film tells the story of a likable guy who pursues his office crush with the help of his evil talking pets, but things turn sinister when she stands him up for a date. The movie stars Ryan Reynoldsm Anna Kendrick and Gemma Arterton and received great reviews when it was release this past February. While it was not widely seen in theaters, it should get attention especially from Satrapi's fans and Reynolds' fan base.
Other films being released on home video include "Home Sweet Hell" starring Katherine Heigel and Patrick Wilson as well as "Preservation." The documentary "Happy Valley" will also be released after having played at the Sundance Film Festival, Hot Docs and AFI Docs Film Festival as well as a 3-movie collection of the "Iron Man" trilogy.