Love — and its complications — is the theme of this week’s home entertainment highlights.
Todd Haynes’ acclaimed period romance Carol heads up the charge, in which a “straight” woman goes lesbian, while Lost In The White City sees a modern couple face some challenges when a hot ex-soldier enters their lives.
Finally, the love of money in the face of destroyed lives drives the real life dark comedy The Big Short.
Now for trailers and more details…
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Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
($34.99 Blu-ray, $29.98 DVD; TWC)
Nominated for a Best Actress Oscar this year, Cate Blanchett stars in Todd Haynes’ adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s 1952 novel about a well-off married woman, Carol, whose life is upended when she falls in love with a younger woman, Therese (supporting actress nominee Rooney Mara). At times painful, this sublime and naturalistic period piece captures the challenges of such a relationship, made all the more difficult by Carol’s station in life and reluctance to abandon it, whereas the single-but-dating Therese has less to lose and is willing to go for the gusto. Art direction, cinematography and performances are across the board excellent, and the openly gay Haynes again proves himself one of our generation’s great auteurs. Extras include behind the scenes featurettes and Q&As with the filmmakers/cast.
($39.99 Blu-ray, $29.99 DVD; Paramount)
The events leading to the 2008 financial and housing crisis — and those who saw an opportunity to profit from it — are recounted in this twisted, really dark all-star comedy/horror film. An ensemble piece nominated for a handful of Oscars including Best Picture, it features Best Supporting Actor nominee Christian Bale as a socially awkward yet genius hedge fund manager who sees the crisis coming and essentially bets on it, while Ryan Gosling and Steve Carrell play opportunists without and with a conscience, respectively. Truly tragic yet perversely comedic at times with plenty of breaking the fourth wall so the characters can explain all the complicated terms and machinations going on, while Brad Pitt appears with a beard to boot. Extras include five featurettes on the film’s making and realities depicted, and deleted scenes.
($19.95 DVD; Invincible Pictures)
Tel Aviv, Israel serves as the beauteous backdrop as a young American couple, filmmaker Kyle and poet Eva, try to reinvigorate their creative lives and struggling relationship. However, when they meet a hunky albeit wayyyyy complicated Israeli soldier named Avi, they get a lot more than bargained for, including a bubbling up of queerness. Openly queer actor Thomas Dekker, of Gregg Araki’s Kaboom and Fox’s short-lived 2015 TV show Backstrom, stars here as Kyle.
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