Scrappy and riveting, ‘Sky’ is an unsung gem
Diane Kruger gives career-best performance as woman trapped in marriage
A riveting tale of transformation, “Sky” (2016, IFC, unrated, $25) pivots on a sullen French tourist named Romy (Diane Kruger) who is trapped in an unhappy marriage. After dumping her husband in a roadside motel in rural California, Romy embarks on a life-changing journey through the desert, crossing paths with strangers (Norman Reedus, Lena Dunham, Joshua Jackson) who impact her life in big and small ways.
The secret of “Sky’s” emotional pull is Kruger, who’s never been better. As with the movie itself, she has a scrappy integrity that keeps you watching. Extras: none.
Also New To DVD
Manahttan Night (2016, Lionsgate, R, $25):
Adrien Brody lends a good deal of gravitas to this noir-ish tale of a newspaper columnist recruited by a widow(a miscast Yvonne Strahovski) to investigate the strange death of her filmmaker husband (Campbell Scott). Initially compelling, “Manhattan” begins to lose momentum after Brody’s boss asks him to dig into Strahovski’s affairs. If the hardboiled narration and conspiracy-heavy plot are any indication, writer/ director Brian De-Cubellis imagines he’s making an East Coast answer to “Chinatown.” Too bad what’s actually onscreen is convoluted and full of cliches. Extras: featurettes, deleted scenes and commentaries.
*** Last Days In The Desert (2016, Broad Green, PG-13, $27): The best reason to check out Rodrigo Garcia’s chronicle of Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness is Ewan McGregor, who delivers a performance of subtlety and feeling as the meditative Jesus and the mindgame-playing Lucifer. Beautifully shot but narratively less-than-divine, the drama finds Jesus encountering a father (Ciaran Hinds) and son (Tye Sheridan) going through a crisis of communication that, in some way, mirrors Jesus’s own relationship with the Man Upstairs. In the end, though, the themes of Garcia’s film remain vague and hard to decipher. Extras: none.
***
The Binding (2016, Shout Factory, unrated, $15): Pity poor Sarah Iman (Amy Gumenick). After two miscarriages, she finally believes her life is back on track after the birth of her beloved newborn. But then, out of nowhere, her devoutly religious husband (Josh Heisler) begins having visions in which God instructs him to sacrifice the youngster. More queasy than scary, “The Binding” never finds a way to build on its unusual premise, preferring to replay the same horrifying scene over and over again. To the credit of filmmaker Gus Krieger , the surprise ending will give you something to think about. Extras: commentaries, deleted scenes and featurettes.
***
Bloodsworth: An Innocent Man (2016, Kino, unrated, $25): Convicted and sentenced to death for a crime he didn’t commit, Maryland’s Kirk Noble was the first death row inmate in the U.S. to be exonerated by DNA evidence. Set against the backdrop of the 2013 battle to repeal the death penalty in Maryland, this doc gives Noble the chance to tell his story, which he does with both chilling precision and raw emotion. In one of the best segments, Noble describes the simple thrill of making a piece of toast in the middle of night, something he wasn’t able to do for the nine years he spent behind bars. Extras: additional footage and outtakes.
***
To Have And Have Not (1944, Warner Archive, unrated, $20): It might have been inspired by a minor Hemingway novel but it’s a major movie, with a world weary fishing boat captain (Humphrey Bogart) doing the right thing and helping members of the French resistance escape the Nazi-run Vichy government. As good as the action scenes are — and they’re very good — the main attraction is the romance between Bogart and a sultry pick-pocket played by Lauren Bacall. Bogart and Bacall met on the film and their chemistry is so steamy, it practically fogs up the camera lens. Age hasn’t dulled this new-to-Blu-ray stunner one iota. Extras: featurettes.
***
Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959, Criterion, unrated, $30): Now on Blu-ray, the remarkable debut feature by Alain Resnais is set over the course of a few days in 1950s Hiroshima as a French actress (Emmanuelle Riva) and a Japanese architect (Eiji Okada) engage in a brief affair. As she prepares to leave Japan, she shares a story about a German soldier she loved during World War II. Stylistically daring and emotionally potent, “Hiroshima” interweaves past and present, personal suffering and public anguish. It’s also one of the most powerful anti-war films ever made. Extras: featurettes and commentaries.
***
Key And Peele: The Complete Series (2012-2015, Paramount, unrated, $55): Now that the gutbusting sketch show is off the air, this essential DVD set gives you the opportunity to catch up on all five seasons of the laughfest starring Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele. Whether satirizing