DVDs of the week: 'Still Alice,' 'Mortdecai' and 'Blackhat' Lead the Releases
With the summer continuing to surge, this week will see two January flops and one Oscar-winning film released on DVD.
"Still Alice": Julianne Moore's Oscar-winning turn was one of the most talked about performances of awards season. The film, also starring Kristen Stewart, tells the story of a linguistics professor and her family, whose bond is tested when she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The movie premiered at the Toronto Film Festival, where Moore received Oscar buzz and where Sony Pictures Classics acquired the movie for distribution. The film won virtually every major award and Moore finally took home an Oscar after numerous nominations. While the subject matter is said to be difficult, audiences are likely to embrace the film, especially those intrigued by Moore's performance.
"Mortdecai": Starring Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow and Ewan McGregor, the film tells the story of an international terrorist, debonair art dealer and part-time rogue, Charlie Mortdecai, who races to recover a stolen painting rumored to contain a code that leads to lost Nazi gold. The film opened in January and received terrible reviews. It later flopped at the box office. "Mortdecai" became the fifth consecutive Depp release to flop at the box office. It was also one of the biggest losses for a studio. The comedy was produced for $60 million but only made $7 million. While Depp fans will likely be interested, this comedy is likely to be forgotten quickly.
"Blackhat": Michael Mann's return was one of the most anticipated for cinema goers. However, his latest film turned out to be a critical and box office disappointment. The film, starring Chris Hemsworth, a furloughed convict, and his American and Chinese partners who hunt a high-level cyber crime network from Chicago to Los Angeles to Hong Kong to Jakarta. The $70 million feature opened to a disastrous box office and ended its run with $7 million. Reviews were terrible and it proved for the second time in a row that Hemsworth is not a bankable name outside of the "Thor" series. Mann last directed "Public Enemies" and his fans will be eager to see this thriller. However, this film will get lost in the crowd.
"Beloved Sisters": Germany's Oscar selection tells the story of aristocratic sisters Charlotte and Caroline who both fall in love with the controversial young writer and hothead Friedrich Schiller. Defying the conventions of their time, the sisters decide to share their love with Schiller. The film was critically acclaimed when it opened at the Berlin Film Festival. The movie later went on to play at the New York Film Festival and many international festivals. Although it was not selected as an Oscar nominee, critics praised it for its subtlety and period costumes. While the film is quite lengthy, art house and foreign film enthusiasts will be attracted to it. Fans of Schiller's will also be curious.
The week will also see the release of Adam Sandler's critically reviled film "The Cobbler" as well as "The Sleepwalker" and "These Final Hours." Taylor Lautner's "Tracers" will also be released.
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