LJ’s film columnist picks the month’s top indie and foreign films, now available on DVD and Blu-ray.
Holler. 91 min. RLJ Entertainment. 2020. DVD UPC 014381141528. $27.99. Rated: R.
Ruth (Jessica Barden) is torn between accepting a college admissions offer and staying with her older brother (Gus Harper) while their mother is in jail. Working in a scrap metal business by day and stealing precious metals by night, Ruth is saving money and fixing to make her move. In her directorial debut, Nicole Riegel captures a desperate milieu with a keen sense of realism and solid performances. VERDICT For fans of drama served straight up with no chaser.
Hope. 125 min. In Norwegian & Swedish w/English subtitles. Kimstim. 2019. DVD UPC 698452216430. $29.99.
Metastatic brain cancer leaves Anja (Andrea Bræin Hovig) with a dire prognosis and a number of decisions to make with her longtime partner Tomas (Stellan Skarsgård) and their blended family. Based on director Maria Sødahl’s personal experience; her own victory over a virtual death sentence does not provide a definitive ending to her refreshingly unusual handling of a frequently mawkishly portrayed subject. VERDICT Recommended for viewers who enjoy emotional films about life-and-death dilemmas.
Our Ladies. 106 min. Sony. 2019. DVD UPC 043396578623. $24.49; Blu-ray UPC 043396578630. $27.99. Rated: R.
A group of Catholic schoolgirls are bused from a small Scottish town to Edinburgh for a choir competition with drinking, partying, and shagging on their minds. The plotline shenanigans are not incongruous for this “period piece,” set in the mid-’90s. As cowritten and directed by Michael Caton-Jones and acted by his talented if unknown cast, the bawdy humor, delivered with a thick brogue, is charmingly hilarious and even touching at times. VERDICT This coming-of-age dramedy is a must for suitably mature audiences.
Undine. 91 min. In German w/English subtitles. RLJ Entertainment. 2020. DVD UPC 014381141511. $27.99.
Working as an urban historian at a Berlin museum, Undine (Paula Beer) embodies a mythological figure: an ancient nautical nymph who, according to legend, must kill the man who leaves her for another woman, then return to her native habitat. Complications arise when Undine falls for a diver (Franz Rogowski) before dispatching her betrayer. Director Christian Petzold (Transit; Phoenix) offers an intriguing fable in a modern setting, with an existential dilemma at its surprisingly affecting heart. VERDICT Fans of romantic dramas should give this unique take on the genre a try.
Who You Think I Am. 101 min. In French w/English subtitles. Cohen. 2019. DVD UPC 738329256364. $19.99; Blu-ray UPC 738329256371. $29.99.
Fiftyish literature professor Claire (Juliette Binoche), whose husband left her for a younger woman, creates a fake social media profile using a picture of her estranged niece to entice the roommate of her ex-boyfriend into an online affair. When the smitten twentysomething asks to meet in person, Claire agrees but stands him up, leading to downward-spiraling developments. Director Safy Nebbou surpasses any cautionary “catfishing” themes with a multilayered look at deception in various forms. VERDICT Serious drama lovers will enjoy this complex, relatable tale.
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