New to Blu-Ray/DVD this Week (May 10, 2011)

Blue Valentine

Rated: R

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Michelle Williams and John Doman

Director: Derek Cianfrance

Synopsis from IMDB: The film centers on a contemporary married couple, charting their evolution over a span of years by cross-cutting between time periods.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take:  Despite the critical acclaim this film received with its release, and the billing of Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling as its two stars, the interest I have in this film is minimal.  The subject matter simply does not interest me very much and during the summer months I look for films with a more upbeat tone.  Still, I will eventually watch Blue Valentine because of its notoriety, it’ll probably just sit near the bottom of my queue for a while.

No Strings Attached

Rated: R

Starring: Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher and Kevin Kline

Director: Ivan Reitman

Synopsis from IMDB: A guy and girl try to keep their relationship strictly physical, but it’s not long before they learn that they want something more.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take:  Here it is, the Rom-Com release of the week.  No Strings Attached has a little more going for it than your typical Rom-Com, however.  Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters) directed this film, it earned itself a hard R, and any film starring Natalie Portman is good enough for me.  This is not a film I’ll jump to the top of my queue but it’s also not one I’ll object to viewing either.

The Illusionist

Rated: PG

Starring: Jean-Claude Donda, Eilidh Rankin and Duncan MacNeil

Director: Sylvain Chomet

Synopsis from IMDB: A French illusionist finds himself out of work and travels to Scotland, where he meets a young woman. Their ensuing adventure changes both their lives forever.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take:  One of three films nominated for Best Animated Picture at this year’s Oscars, The Illusionist appears to be the same quality and style of Sylvian Chomet’s previous animated film, The Triplets of Belleville.  I’m not huge on animated features, but I like the classic visual style of Chomet’s work.  Couple that with what appears to be a very endearing tale and I find myself more intrigued with this animated film than per usual.

I Saw the Devil

Rated: R

Starring: Byung-hun Lee, Min-sik Choi and Gook-hwan Jeon

Director: Jee-woon Kim

Synopsis from IMDB: When his pregnant fiancée becomes the latest victim of a serial killer, a secret agent blurs the line between good and evil in his pursuit of revenge.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take:  I’ve been excited to see this film for a while now.  The South Koreans have given us some very worthy imports the past few years with Oldboy and The Good, the Bad, the Weird, and now I Saw the Devil.  Jee-Woon Kim’s follow-up to The Good, the Bad, the Wierd is the kind of revenge/horror tale I love to watch, and is definitely my pick of the week.  Warning: I’ve been told this film is extremely graphic and is not for the faint of heart.

Cougars, Inc

Rated: R

Starring: Sarah Hyland, Denise Richards and Kyle Gallner

Director: K. Asher Levin

Synopsis from IMDB: Sam has been kicked out of every school across the country. When he learns that his mother can no longer afford to keep him in school he and his friends start their own escort service, Cougars, Inc., to help pay for his tuition. Through this hilarious new job Sam and his friends explore the generation of Cougars who are desperately trying to stay young and loving every lesson they are taught.

Trailer:

Pac’s Take:  This sounds, and at times looks a lot like a straight to DVD American Pie or National Lampoon movie with a higher billed cast.  Denise Richards and Jim Belushi have come a long way from hay day but the biggest surprise is Kyle Gallner whose Career seemed to be taking off after starring in The Haunting in Connecticut just 2 years ago (immediately after his phenomenal guest role on The Shield).  Cougars, Inc is a straight to DVD feature for a reason and will probably be skipped by most (including myself).

Quick Take: The 10 Most Buzzed-About Sundance Films – Fandango.com

Today kicks off the annual Sundance Film Festival in Salt Lake City, Utah. Last year gave us such films as The Kids are All Right, Winter’s Bone, and Blue Valentine. Attached is the link for some of the films this year that are generating the most buzz. You can also visit the official Sundance Film Festival Website, also listed below. Enjoy!

The 10 Most Buzzed-About Sundance Films – Fandango.com.

http://www.sundance.org/festival/

***Trailer Time*** Ed Helms and John C. Reilly Star in “Cedar Rapids”, Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”

This edition of Trailer Time features Ed Helms in a long-awaited lead role, with a strong supporting cast. The film is called Cedar Rapids and focuses on the hilarity that ensues at an insurance convention. Here is the official synopsis:

To call insurance agent Tim Lippe (Ed Helms), “naive” is a gross understatement. He’s never left his small hometown. He’s never stayed at a hotel. And he’s never experienced anything like Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Sent to represent his company at the annual insurance convention, Tim is soon distracted by three convention veterans (John C. Reilly, Anne Heche and Isiah Whitlock Jr.) who will show him the ropes and push his boundaries. For a guy who plays everything by the book, this convention will be anything but conventional.

The trailer makes it look like John C. Reilly will be doing his darndest to steal the show again. While it looks like some crazy shenanigans, it is directed by Miguel Arteta (Youth in Revolt), which means that we should see some true heart show through at some point.

The next trailer is long overdue. I have failed many of you by not mentioning this film sooner, especially with all recent debate over its MPAA rating. Finally, this film won its long battle to be reduced to a hard “R” rating, after originally being slapped with “NC-17“, due to a graphic sex scene. However, Blue Valentine, appears to be far from the realm of throwing sex in a film for sex’s sake. The film received high acclaim at both the Cannes Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival, and also garnered Golden Globe nominations for the performances of its leads, Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. Valentine is about two lovers (Gosling and Williams) and the evolution of their relationship, cutting back and forth in the timeline to accentuate the change. It comes out next week, which is why I feel bad for not mentioning it sooner, and the trailer has been out for about two months. If you haven’t seen the trailer, here it is: