Playbook breaks the rules but squeaks out a victory

Film tackles mental illness and substance abuse without resorting to Hollywood stupidity and cliché

Silver Linings Playbook ★★★ 1/2

A sports wager hanging on the big game, a dance competition with big stakes and an oddball romance form the quirky, comic fibres of narrative in this Oscar-nominated effort from David O. Russell. Yet, for all the goofy device, this star-studded “dramedy” also deals with mental illness and serial substance abuse, which hangs the whole plot on a razor-wire fence. There are many scenes that simply do not work, and many characters that should defy empathy. Yet for every misstep, Russell’s movie somehow finds more charm the less believable it becomes. The cast can take all the credit for this unexpected victory over Hollywood stupidity and character cliché as Bradley Cooper and Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence complete a creative, syncopated two-step across the screen. Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver co-star in this often fluffy but heartfelt story of family, football and infidelity. Special features include deleted scenes, The Movie That Became a Movement, Dance Rehearsal, Going Steadicam with Bradley Cooper and more. Crazy Wisdom ★★★ 1/2

Buddhist monks aren’t usually considered sex symbols or drug gurus, but accepting one’s inescapable humanity lies at the heart of the Buddhist mission, which is why the story of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche is so rare, inspiring and undeniably entertaining. Not only did Trungpa lead a group of monks over the Himalayas into India without a map, he ventured to the distant shores of America where he created the first Buddhist university in Boulder, Colorado. His openness to drugs and alcohol made him a favourite of Boho artists, and he soon had the likes of Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and Joni Mitchell swept up in his charismatic wake. This documentary portrait of Trungpa from U.S. filmmaker Johanna Demetrakas tells the whole crazy story without pulling punches, and offers the first in-depth look at a Rinpoche who was willing to think outside the temple. Special features include digital transfer and more. The Details ★★★

Just when you think you know where this romantic comedy is going, along comes a dark plot twist that brings every giggle to a throaty lurch. Tobey Maguire gets a chance to play an ordinary guy named Jeff who seems to have it all: a beautiful wife (Elizabeth Banks), a loving family and a sweet house in the suburbs. Yet, for all the good things working in Jeff’s favour, he can’t help but think he’s missed out on something. He’s crabby because the raccoons dig up his yard, the city won’t give him a building permit and the next-door neighbour (Laura Linney) is the re-incarnation of nosey Gladys Kravitz. When Jeff makes a selfish boo-boo, things spiral desperately out of control. Sadly, the movie spir- als along with it as director-writer Jacob Aaron Estes manhandles the karma side of the equation, creating an emotionally unsatisfying result. Interestingly, special features include alternate beginning and ending.

History of The Eagles, Part One

★★★

No matter how much you may hate them for their constant bickering, self-important strut and catalogue of solid gold songs that have left a deep dent in the consciousness of a generation, The Eagles are the epitome, often the very caricature, of an arena rock ’n’ roll act. With Don Henley and Glenn Frey heading up the central interviews and voice-overs in this guy soap opera, we have all the drama we need. After all, these two creative talents have had their fair share of differences along the way, and while this movie doesn’t get down and dirty with its subjects, the tension is palpable despite the nostalgic sighs and grins. From their beginning as backup players in Linda Ronstadt’s band, we hear how Frey and Henley were ambitious from the start, choosing to set off on their own instead of linger in the shadows. It’s all a little soft, but thanks to the contributions of former members, we get a good snapshot of the whole music industry at its apex, in addition to the band itself. Special features include never-before-seen concert footage from their two-night stand in D.C. on the Hotel California tour. Limited edition disc with 40-page booklet is also available. The Vampire Lovers ★★ 1/2

Ingrid Pitt plays several roles in this cheesy slice of gore from 1970: Marcilla, Carmilla and Mircalla. Every time she slips into character, she seems nice enough, until the townsfolk start dying like anemic flies. Egad. That Marcilla/Carmilla/Mircalla could very well be a vampire, forcing the good General von Spielsdorf (Peter Cushing) to take action against the undead. Because this low-budget genre movie was crafted in jolly Old England the campiness has a classy feel, at least until the blood starts flowing. Special features include feature commentary by director Roy Ward Baker, Tudor gates and Ingrid Pitt, as well as interview material and radio spot. The Men ★★★★

Tragically timely more than half a century after its initial release, The Men is Marlon Brando’s 1950 big screen debut, so it has historic clout out of the box because we’re given a front-row seat to the birth of a bona fide legend. You can feel Brando’s mystical and magical presence from his first appearance in this Fred Zinnemann (High Noon) picture about a GI returning from war a changed person. Ken (Brando) has been injured in the line of duty, and without being able to stand on his own two feet like a man, sinks into a deep depression that pulls everyone — including his fiancée (Teresa Wright) — down with him. A grown-up movie that handles real life trauma with tenderness and humanity, The Men proves movies used to have real courage, and were able to digest tragedy without a candy coating.