STACK #136 Feb 2016

DVD & BD REVIEWS

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Experience never gets old. THE INTERN

His kitchen rules. BURNT

Release Date: 03/02/16

Release Date: 24/02/16

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Anne Hathaway plays the CEO of a burgeoning online shopping site, who struggles with the pressures of simultaneously growing a business and raising a family. Her second-in-command suggests she consider the appointment of an external CEO to make life less stressful – enter senior citizen/intern Robert De Niro, who's assigned to work closely with Hathaway and quickly becomes the father figure she apparently (and desperately) needed. The chemistry between De Niro and Hathaway is the real reason to

Talk about kitchen nightmares: Bradley Cooper channels Gordon Ramsay as an arrogant but brilliant chef on the comeback trail, in this fiery food film. Having lost his Paris restaurant through his self- destructive activities, Adam Jones (Cooper) arrives in London newly clean and sober, and determined to gain a much-coveted third Michelin star. He duly takes over the running of a restaurant from the son (Daniel Brühl) of his old mentor, although his bullying ways take some getting used to. The kitchen scenes

check out The Intern – the veteran actor's portrayal of the wise old widower who’s seen it all before serves as the perfect counterpoint to Hathaway's overwhelmed businesswoman, who won’t admit she’s in too deep; when one pushes, the other pulls.

ring true and an extraordinary supporting cast (Sienna Miller, Omar Sy, Emma Thompson, Alicia Vikander, Uma Thurman, Matthew Rhy) makes this a five star treat for foodies. Serve as a tasty entree to Jon Favreau's Chef for a gastronomic double feature.

POWER: SEASON ONE

BOUND TO VENGEANCE

KAJAKI: KILO TWO BRAVO

MISS YOU ALREADY

DVD&BD

Release Date: 03/02/16 Format:

Release Date: 17/02/16 Format:

Release Date: Out Now Format:

Release Date: 17/02/16 Format:

From showrunner Courtney Kemp Agboh ( The Good Wife ) and executive producer Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson comes a gritty and addictive look at organised crime. James 'Ghost' St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick) has it all. The wealthy owner of New York's hottest nightclub, he also moonlights as a drug kingpin, with the full support of his wife (Naturi Naughton) and business partner (Joseph Sikora). But his decision to go straight and the return of an old flame (Lela Loren) threatens his kingdom. It's Boardwalk Empire meets Breaking Bad, as we watch another conflicted antihero on the road to self-destruction.

In a neat twist on the captivity/ rape-revenge theme, Bound for Vengeance opens with the abused protagonist (Tina Ivlev) escaping her prison and turning the tables on her sicko abductor (Richard Tyson). After uncovering evidence of other kidnapped women, she forces him to reveal their location. Calling the cops would have been much easier, but then there wouldn't be a movie. Given the subject matter, the violence and gore is predictably nasty, but this revenge thriller plays out in a most unpredictable way. Performances are strong, especially Ivlev, with former '80s hunk Tyson a long way from Two Moon Junction .

A company of British soldiers stationed at Afghanistan's Kajaki dam find themselves trapped in a riverbed minefield as the Taliban approach. Based on actual events that transpired in 2006, this gripping and gruelling thriller from first-time director Paul Katis offers a war story that's refreshingly free of the grating patriotism and gung-ho heroics that dominate US movies. Predominantly set within the confines of the minefield, where one wrong step can result in explosive amputation or worse, the suspense is tightened to unbearable levels. And we ultimately care about the characters' fates, thanks to the efforts of a fine young cast.

Make sure you have plenty of tissues on hand because this is a full-box weepie. Set in London, Drew Barrymore and Toni Collette play BFFs whose friendship comes under stress when the latter is diagnosed with breast cancer. What follows is a sobering insight into treatment and mortality, although the mood is lightened as the girls keep up their party lifestyle and take a road trip to the location of Wuthering Heights . Paddy Considine and Dominic Cooper are their respective partners, while Jacqueline Bisset enjoys herself as Collette's actress mum. Recommended viewing for those who sobbed their way through Beaches .

FEBRUARY 2016

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