Motoring, Arts & LeisureDVD ReviewsRobert Tanitch takes a look at this week's top DVD releases Robert Tanitch takes a look at this week's top DVD releases
15/03/2010
AN EDUCATION (E1). A 16-year-old girl (Carey Mulligan) has to decide between going to nightclubs, concerts, expensive restaurants, greyhound tracks and losing her virginity or staying at home and working hard for her boring A level exams and going to Oxford. She is seduced by a charming confidence trickster and thief (the charming Peter Sarsgaard) who takes her to Paris. Mulligan, who has won a BAFTA award for her performance, is absolutely enchanting and clearly has a very bright career ahead of her.
BRIGHT STAR (E1). The love of Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish) and John Keats (Ben Wishaw) was, as everybody knows, doomed. So, no surprises. They lived in adjoining houses in Hampstead and their beds were separated by a thin wall. So, there is no sex; but there is lots and lots of poetry and reading of love-letters in this pretty, muted and very British heritage film directed by the New Zealand director, Jane Champion. Cornish is heartbreaking in her grief at the poet’s death.
IT’S COMPLICATED (Universal Studios). It’s not that complicated. It’s a woman’s picture. Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin play a late middle-aged divorced couple who meet again after their children have grown up. They have an affair and the sex is great fun. Baldwin, very bravely, is constantly taking off all his clothes. The chemistry is undoubtedly there; but will she stay with him or will she prefer to start afresh with a dull architect (played by Steve Martin) who, very wisely, isn’t constantly taking off all his clothes?
VIGO – PASSION FOR LIFE (Park Circus). Tubercular film director Jean Vigo died in 1934 aged 29. He is remembered for two French classics - the anarchic and once banned Zero de Conduite and the lyrical L’Atlante set aboard a barge. It would certainly be more interesting to see these two films rather than an indifferent one about his life.