DVD Outlook: March 2017

If you haven't finished capitalizing on the hefty collection of titles released last month, you should definitely start your movie watching there (February's suggestions). However, if you're caught up with this year's top selections, March includes a bunch of new offerings that landed in my "honorable mention" section of 2016's Top Films. Here's a look at the movies you should keep an eye out for this month:

20th Century Women - 3 stars out of 4 - (Read my rapid review here)

Just missing out on my Top 10 annual list was Mike Mills' latest effort, 20th Century Women. The film follows a teenage boy in the 1970s growing up under the roof of his single mother (Annette Bening) and her two tenants, Abbie (Greta Gerwig) and William (Billy Crudup). And when the teen's mother begins to question her ability to properly guide him into manhood, she enlists the help of Abbie and the boy's best friend and crush, Julie (Elle Fanning). This trio of ladies, all unique in their wisdom and perspective, form an unlikely cast of role models. The film is hilarious at certain times and remarkably poignant at others. 20th Century Women delivers a wide range of well-developed characters and amazing performances as you can't help but be lured into each of their complicated lives. (March 28th)

Patriots Day - 3 stars out of 4 - (Read my rapid review here)

Most people's natural reaction to Peter Berg's manhunt drama, Patriots Day, is that the wounds and scars of this American tragedy are still raw. And although that's a fair argument to make, it's also true that this gripping re-telling of the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing and the city-wide hunt for the Tsarnaev brothers is a worthwhile experience. Told through the woven combination of dramatic reenactment and real-life footage, Peter Berg places the audience into the action and brings these traumatic events to surface. Despite a few clear moments of over-dramatization and the reinforced "Boston Strong" theme, Patriots Day feels so authentic and precise in its delivery. (March 28th)

A Monster Calls - 3 stars out of 4 - (Read my rapid review here)

I was completely blown away by J.A. Bayona's 2012 tsunami disaster drama, The Impossible. He finally followed up the effort with last year's sentimental adaptation, A Monster Calls. Newcomer Lewis MacDougall stars as Conor, a child whose mother (Felicity Jones) is suffering from a terminal illness. And as the boy struggles to cope with his home life, he also faces bouts of bullying from his classmates. Yet, everything changes when a tree monster (voice of Liam Neeson) approaches the boy at night on three separate occasions and tells him stories that help him face his world of problems. A Monster Calls obviously tells an emotional and moving story, but it also offers masterful visual effects that leave a lasting impression. (March 28th)

Honorable Mention: Other Oscar Nominated titles available in March include Best Actress Nominee Natalie Portman in Jackie (3/7), Best Supporting Actress winner Viola Davis in Fences (3/14), Best Cinematography Nominee for Martin Scorsese's Silence (3/28), Best Animated Film Nominee, Moana (3/21), and the Oscar winner for Best Costume Design with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (3/28). Just missing my top suggestions for the month was the political thriller Miss Sloane (3/21) starring Jessica Chastain. Finally, other random titles available in March include the sci-fi drama Passengers (3/14), Ben Affleck's gangster flick Live by Night (3/21) and the comedy Why Him? (3/28).

The Glass Castle

Destin Cretton is anything but a household name. Yet, the gifted filmmaker turned heads with his massively overlooked 2013 drama, Short Term 12 . The effort bridged together Cretton's singular story and vision with the remarkable acting talents of Brie Larson. Since then Larson has gone on to win an Academy Award ( Room ), but her career comes full circle in her latest collaboration with Destin Cretton in the adapted film The Glass Castle . Told non-chronologically through various flashbacks, The Glass Castle follows the unconventional childhood of gossip columnist and eventual Best-Selling author Jeannette Walls (Larson). Prior to her career as a writer, Walls grows up under the dysfunctional supervision of her alcoholic father (Woody Harrelson) and her amateur artist mother (Naomi Watts). But as Jeannette and her siblings begin to mature and fully comprehend their squatter-lifestyle and impoverished upbringing, they must work together to escape the clutches of their deadbeat par

FILOSOFI KOPI 2 : BEN & JODY (2017) REVIEW : Revisi Nilai Hidup Untuk Sebuah Kedai Kopi

Kisah pendek yang diambil dari Dewi Lestari ini telah dibudidayakan menjadi sebuah produk yang namanya sudah mahsyur. Selain film, produk dari Filosofi Kopi ini diabadikan menjadi sebuah kedai kopi yang nyata. Dengan adanya konsistensi itu, tak akan kaget apabila film yang diarahkan oleh Angga Dwimas Sasongko ini akan mendapatkan sekuel sebagai perlakuan selanjutnya. Tentu, kekhawatiran akan muncul karena cerita pendek dari Filosofi Kopi pun hanya berhenti di satu sub bab yang telah dibahas di film pertamanya. Sayembara muncul ditujukan kepada semua orang untuk membuat kisah lanjutan dari Ben dan Jody ini. Sayembara ini sekaligus memberikan bukti kepada semua orang bahwa Filosofi Kopi tetap menjadi film yang terkonsentrasi dari penonton seperti film pertamanya. Yang jelas, Angga Dwimas Sasongko tetap mengarahkan Chicco Jericho dan juga Rio Dewanto sebagai Ben dan Jody. Angga Dwimas Sasongko pun berkontribusi dalam pembuatan naskah dari cerita terpilih yang ditulis oleh Jenny Jusuf s

DVD Outlook: August 2017

It appears August is rather barren with new DVD and streaming options ( July's suggestions ). Thankfully, a hot slate of diverse theatrical offerings such as The Big Sick , Dunkirk , War for the Planet of the Apes , Spider-Man: Homecoming and so much more, you can find a worthwhile movie to enjoy no matter what your personal preference may be. Either way, here's a look at what's available on DVD and streaming services this month. Alien: Covenant - 3 stars out of 4 - ( Read my full review here ) Earlier this year Ridley Scott returned to his storied Alien universe once again with the follow-up to 2012's Prometheus . In the latest installment, Scott and company shift their efforts from cryptic to visceral and disturbing with a bloody and twisted affair that feels immensely more horror-based than its predecessor. While on a colonizing mission to jump-start the humanity on a distant planet, crew members of the Covenant are awoken from their hibernation state following

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