The week after Christmas is usually a time when those who make Blu-rays take a week off. Oh, they’ll release a handful of items, mostly junk that no one wants, but the general theory seems to be that everyone has spent their money on Christmas presents and the week (or two, or three…) after is a time to recover. This week certainly bears that out as I only count eleven total releases being put on the shelves. Surprisingly out of those eleven releases, five of them actually look pretty interesting. I had to really think about what I wanted my pick to be.
Satyajit Ray was a titan of Indian cinema. He was a master of world cinema. He is one of the most acclaimed directors of all time. His films have won every award imaginable. They are also one of the biggest holes in my cinematic knowledge. I have seen exactly one of his films, The Hero, which I enjoyed, but wasn’t blown away by. He remains someone whose films I continually tell myself I need to watch and that I continually put off dealing with.
The Criterion Collection is releasing this week a boxed set of three films (Pather Panchali, Aparajito, and Apur Sansa) collectively known as The Apu Trilogy. They tell the adventure of a young boy named Apu as he comes of age. They were each critically acclaimed and together are, perhaps, Ray’s most beloved films.
They come with new transfers and loads of extras and I’m excited to give them a watch and happy to make them my Pick of the Week.
Also out this week that looks interesting:
The Holdovers: Paul Giamatti stars in this acclaimed drama from director Alexander Payne as a private school teacher in charge of looking after a rebellious student who can’t go home for the holidays.
The Marsh King’s Daughter: Daisy Ridley and Ben Mendelsohn star in this thriller about a woman seeking revenge on the man who kidnapped her mother.
The Facts of the Murder: Radiance Films presents this blending of film noir with Italian Neo-Realism directed by and starring Pietro Germi as a detective trying to solve two separate crimes (robbery and murder) that happened on consecutive days in the same apartment complex. You can read my review at Cinema Sentries.
Please, Not Now!: Brigitte Bardot stars in this comedy from director Roger Vadim about a woman fighting to get her cheating boyfriend back by either winning his affections again or assassinating him.
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