A film based on one of the most celebrated plays in history adapted for the screen by a Tony winning playwright sounds like a “can’t miss” artistic proposition, but director Michael Mayer’s The Seagull proves that even the easiest of roads to success can go slightly awry.
Annette Bening
The subtle, melancholic period drama Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool lovingly recreates a footnote in theatrical and cinematic history with great poignancy and poise.
Calling a film “the kind of motion picture we need right now” might strike some fellow critics as a hokey, clichéd, and trite sentiment, but in the case of Mike Mills’ overwhelming and emotional comedy-drama 20th Century Women I can’t think of a more appropriate statement.
New this week on Blu-ray and DVD: Russell Crowe stars in Ridley Scott’s action-adventure, Robin Hood; Kevin Spacey stars in the 1990s satirical drama, American Beauty; plus a look at a number of new television seasons coming out on store shelves.