Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
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LIFE OF CRIME » (2014, Lionsgate, R, $20) A deliciously dark comic gem, Daniel Schechter’s adaptation of the Elmore Leonard novel pulls off the near-impossible task of blending humor, violence and shaggy-dog weirdness. John Hawkes and Yasiin Bey (a.k.a. Mos Def) star as two bumbling ex-cons who devise a scheme to extort money from a shady realestate mogul (Tim Robbins) by kidnapping his trophy wife (Jennifer Aniston). But what they don’t know is that Robbins, already shacked up with a new mistress (Isla Fisher), is happy to have Aniston out of his life. Beautifully acted and directed, “Life of Crime” ranks as one of 2014’s most welcome surprises. Extras:
commentaries, featurettes and deleted scenes. WISH I WAS HERE » (2014, Universal, R, $30) It’s nice to have Kate Hudson back in movies after a two-year absence. That’s the best thing you can say about this dramedy co-written and directed by Jersey native Zach Braff. The former “Garden State” star plays Aidan, a self-absorbed, would-be actor facing the agony of – brace yourself - sending his children to public school. Aidan opts for home-schooling, which primarily involves coaxing the kids to caulk the pool and wait for “epiphanies.” Mandy Patinkin is on hand as Aidan’s cancer-stricken father and Hudson plays the family breadwinner but the focus is firmly on Aidan and his various predicaments. You’ll wish you were never “Here.” Extras: commentaries, deleted scenes, outtakes and featurettes. BEGIN AGAIN » (2014, Anchor Bay, R, $20) The latest music-filled romance from “Once’s” John Carney isn’t perfect but it does feel alive, almost defiantly so. Forget about the barelythere story about a recently-dumped songwriter (Keira Knightley) making beautiful music with a down-on-his luck record producer (Mark Ruffalo). The joy of the movie comes from the way in which Carney presents his characters’ passion for both music and Manhattan. At its best, “Begin Again” is downright intoxicating. Extras: music video and featurette. THE PRINCE » (2014, Lionsgate, R, $20) Whatever Jason Patric got paid for this straight-to-DVD actioner, it wasn’t enough because he single-handedly makes it interesting. Patric plays a former mobster whose daughter goes missing ala “Taken.” As he tracks her down, he has to tussle with his former nemesis (Bruce Willis) who’ll stop at nothing to settle an old score. Willis and co-star John Cusack deliver capable performances but Patric is the one who brings grit and grace to this slab of B-movie escapism. Extras: commentaries and featurettes.
CHILD OF GOD » (2014, WellGo, R, $25) For his latest directorial effort, James Franco adapts Cormac McCarthy’s 1973 novel about an outcast named Lester Ballard (Scott Haze) who begins to descend into madness after being put off his property in the backwoods of Tennessee. At first, Lester squats in a dilapidated shack. Then he takes to living in the caves around town. Thievery, necrophilia and murder figure into the story, which is unstinting in its brutality. Franco isn’t after shock value; he’s determined to document the extremes of human behavior while stressing that Lester is “a child of God much like yourself perhaps.” Chilling. Extras: none. COFFEE IN BERLIN » (2014, Music Box, unrated, $30) Borrowing the jazz-music scoring of Woody Allen and the black-and-white cinematography of “Frances Ha,” German helmer Jan Ole Gerster has crafted a lovely look at a law school drop-out (Tom Schilling) who’s having a really bad day. He’s broken up with his girlfriend and lost his monthly allowance from his father. If that wasn’t bad enough, he can’t get a decent cup of coffee in all of Berlin. Breezily episodic and occasionally bittersweet, “Coffee” is an unpretentious treasure. Extras: featurettes, outtakes and deleted scenes. LE CHEF » (2014, Cohen, PG-13, $30) While no movie starring the great Jean Reno (“The Professional”) is a total waste of time, this culinary comedy fails to conjure up the right ingredients. A farce about the odd-couple friendship between a bored star chef (Reno) and a self-taught wunder- kind (Michael Youn), “Le Chef” is too broad by far, especially segments poking fun at foodies who go for atrocities like “phosphorescent radish mousse.” It should have been a soufflé; instead it has all the subtlely of a fried twinkie. Extras: deleted scenes, featurettes and blooper reel. THEY SHALL HAVE MUSIC! » (1939, Warner Archive, unrated, $25) Classical music always gotten short shrift from Hollywood but studio chief Samuel Goldwyn was determined to showcase violinist Jascha Heifetz in a major motion picture. The result was a surprisingly delightful charmer about a ghetto rat named Frankie (Gene Reynolds) who teams up with Heifetz to help save a tenement music school from foreclosure. There’s solid support from Joel McCrea and Walter Brennan as well as terrific performances by the kids of the Peter Meremblum Symphony. Best of all, Heifetz performs no less than five stunning numbers. Bravo. Extras: none. SIDEWALK STORIES » (1989, Carlotta, R, $30) Two decades before “The Artist” paid tribute to the silent film, writer/director/ star Charles Lane masterminded this largely dialogue-less look at a homeless man who begins caring for a youngster he finds abandoned in an alley. Newly restored for its Blu-ray bow, “Sidewalk Stories” is a beautifully shot film that has a lot say about the haves and the havenots. Lane nails the pathos of the set-up but he’s not enough of a physical comedian to sustain your interest the way a Chaplin or Keaton would have done. Extras: commentaries and featurettes.