New to View: March 1
By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, March 1, unless otherwise noted:
Belfast (Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2021, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, violence, language
The lowdown: The movie is a sentimental memory tome from Kenneth Branagh that is an awkward blend of sentiment and family set against the backdrop of sectarian unrest in 1969 Belfast.
Branagh’s protagonist is 9-year-old Buddy (a delightful and innocent Jude Hill), a curious boy with a loving extended family, whose world is disturbed by the violence that now surrounds his neighborhood.
The major flaw is that Branagh wants to blend an intimate family story with the larger and more complex strife unleashed in Belfast at the time. Unfortunately, he cannot really get the two to mesh.
What does work are the performances by Jamie Dornan and Caitriona Balfe as Buddy’s parents and Judi Dench and the wonderful, but underappreciated Ciarán Hinds as Buddy’s grandparents as well as the brilliant black-and-white cinematography.
Through Buddy’s eyes, we all see the magic and power of movies and how they allow people to escape from the daily turmoil around them. “Belfast” is a nostalgic love letter Branagh has composed to his past. It’s just that he tries to cram too many colors on a too-large canvas.
A vast majority of critics enjoyed the film, awarding it an 87 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 Dolby digital DVS and French and Spanish 5.1 DTS digital surround; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include an alternate ending featuring Branagh, deleted scenes, a making of featurette, a commentary track with Branagh and a featurette with Branagh and the cast reminiscing about their childhoods.
The Pilot (Blu-ray)
Details: 2021, Well Go USA Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: The Russian action-thriller is based on a true story, set during World War II.
During a mission to stop an enemy advance, a Russian pilot crash-lands deep in enemy territory.
To survive, the pilot must make it back to his friendly lines. But to do so, he has to endure hunger, cold and fatigue as well as evade packs of wolves as well as enemy patrols.
Making it to safety, the pilot must face another challenge — one that will change his life.
The movie is in Russian, but also includes a dubbed English-language track.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; Russian and English (dubbed) DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
After the Pandemic (DVD & digital & VOD) (Uncork’d Entertainment)
American Gods: Seasons 1-3: The Complete Series (DVD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
Demonic (Blu-ray & DVD) (RLJE Films)
Highway to Heaven (DVD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
Run & Gun (DVD & VOD) (Paramount Home Entertainment)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Citizen Ashe (Magnolia Home Entertainment)
The Pink Cloud (Blue Fox Entertainment)
West Side Story (Disney Media & Distribution Entertainment, March 2)
The Dropout (Apple TV+, March 3)
Surviving Paradise: A Family Tale (Netflix, March 3)
The Weekend Away (www.netflix.com/TheWeekendAway) (Netflix, March 3)
The Afterparty: Episode 8 (Apple TV+, March 4)
Asking for It (Saban Films-Paramount Pictures, March 4)
Central Park: Season 2 (Apple TV+, March 4)
Dear … (Apple TV, March 4)
Dear Mr. Brody (Greenwich Entertainment, March 4)
Fresh (Hulu-Searchlight Pictures, March 4)
Huda’s Salon (IFC Films, March 4)
Lucy and Desi (Amazon Prime, March 4)
Nightride (Brainstorm Media, March 4)
Severance: Episode 4 (Apple TV+, March 4)
Suspicion: Episode 6 (Apple TV+, March 4)
Take Back the Night (Dark Sky Films, March 4)
Pam & Tommy: Episode 7 (Hulu, March 5)
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.