Aim expectations sky high and set faces to stun this week as Roman Polanski’s genius-level comedy, Carnage, finally comes to Blu-ray and DVD. Don’t even think about missing that one. After that, feel free to relax with a little light romcomery in the form of cutie Katherine Heigl’s One For The Money. And finally, prepare to wear the edge of your sofa to within a millimetre of its life as Dexter, Season Six, delivers a box set bounty of dark, psychotic fun and games.
A savage comedy of manners, Roman Polanski’s Carnage boasts a quartet of caustic performances and a screenplay, based upon Yasmina Reza’s play The God of Carnage, that’s so full of toxic gems, it’s a treasure trove of bad and borderline mad behaviour. Like spying on the best, most terrible, the craziest and most out-of-control argument of all time. Fun!
Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz are the Cowans, a married couple with issues and a son who hit another boy with a stick. Now they’re over at that kid’s house, trying to settle the issue like adults with his parents, the Longstreets. As played by Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly, they too have issues, and though on the face of things they’re reasonable, educated people, as the meeting wears on, tempers flare, harsh words are spoken, whiskey is drunk and secrets, lies and prejudices spew forth. Also, allegiances switch, incredibly, and all manners of shocking, surprising behaviour are exhibited for our giddily voyeuristic entertainment.
Though clearly based on a stage play – with brief excursions into the hallway, kitchen and bathroom the entire movie takes place in the Longstreet’s living room – the movie delivers its comedic payload with such force, in terms of pace and power, it’s like an action movie. For my money, it’s the best thing Polanski’s ever done. Buy or rent it now on Blu-ray or DVD, in store and online from blockbuster.co.uk.
Also out this Week…
A pleasing romcom reminiscent of The Bounty Hunter, Katherine Heigl’s One for the Money is a cute, perky, engaging tale of love, crime and light, little laughs. As Stephanie Plum, the plucky heroine of Janet Evanovich’s best-selling book series, Heigl plays a Jersey girl whose spell as a bail bondswoman sees her pursuing a murder suspect/old flame played by Terra Nova’s Jason O’Mara. Although on paper the movie sounds nothing if not routine, on screen it’s considerably more vivacious, due in no small part to Heigl’s charismatic presence, and pacy, tongue-in-cheek direction from TV veteran Julie Ann Robinson. In addition, I’d see anything that co-stars the eclectic likes of John Leguizamo and Debbie Reynolds. Buy or rent it now on Blu-ray and DVD, in store and online from blockbuster.co.uk.
Father, family man, murderer. The complicated world of Showtime’s wildly popular anti-hero grows ever more fascinating in Dexter – Series 6. Once again, Golden Globe winner Michael C. Hall takes the lead as Dexter Morgan, a vicious serial killer who struggles to maintain his average guy facade while satisfying his need to kill. Season Six sees our deliriously, deliciously dark anti-hero on the trail of biblically-themed psychopaths the Doomsday Killers, played to bone-chilling perfection by Edward James Olmos and Colin Hanks. Cleverly crafted with a pinch of humour to help the medicine go down, Season Six is another winner. Buy or rent it now on Blu-ray and DVD, in store and online from blockbuster.co.uk.
