DVD Recommendation: "The Company You Keep" Starring Robert Redford

Robert Redford directs and stars in a movie tailored for an adult audience in The Company You Keep. The character driven and extremely well acted film features a superb cast and tells the story of former dissidents from the Vietnam war era, who may now have to pay for their crimes, which include murder. Attorney Jim Grant belonged to the group, although he switched identities years earlier. However, you never know when the past may come back to haunt you and soon Jim finds himself in an unsettling situation after the arrest of one of his former cohorts, Sharon Solarz (Susan Sarandon). Making things more difficult is an eager young reporter, Ben Shepard (Shia LaBeouf), who works for (gasp!) a print newspaper and is determined to learn more about their organization, known as The Weather Underground.

Jim is spooked, so he takes precautions to protect his young daughter, Isabel (Jackie Evancho), since the child's mother passed away unexpectedly not too long ago. He relies on his brother, Daniel (Chris Cooper), for help to shield her from the mess that his life is about to become and he signs over custody rights, so that Isabel can stay with Daniel. Jim then goes on the run and visits many old friends from the past, some are happy to see him, others are not. His goal is to locate a former lover, Mimi Lurie (Julie Christie), who can exonerate him, but she may not be willing to help. In the meantime, Shepard is beginning to unravel the mystery and may just be able to help Jim, instead of leading the police to his doorstep.

Robert Redford has assembled an amazing group of actors, including Richard Jenkins, Brendan Gleeson and Nick Nolte. They all play important roles in the engrossing screenplay by Lem Dobbs and even though screen time is limited for some of them, including Susan Sarandon, they all make the most of it. Clearly, The Company You Keep is aimed for a mature audience, some of whom may remember the rebellion that occurred throughout the decade of the 1960s and beyond and may be able to relate to the characters on some level. Others, like myself, will find enjoyment in seeing so many familiar and talented faces from start to finish. I felt like I was at a reunion of sorts, even though I did not really know anyone. The Company You Keep is an underrated gem that features not only a nod to the past, but also showcases young talent, including Brit Marling, Anna Kendrick and the aforementioned Shia LaBeouf, who delivers a strong performance as a nosy, but well meaning, reporter. If you missed this one in theaters, rent or stream it on DVD.

DVD Round-Up: "End of Watch" Starring Jake Gyllenhaal and "The Possession" Starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan

End of Watch (2012)

The Basics: Two police officers from South Central Los Angeles encounter a variety of disturbing crimes and soon run afoul of a drug cartel who target them for revenge.

Reasons to Watch: The chemistry between officers Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Zavala (Michael Peña) is the centerpiece of the film. Their rapport is realistic, often amusing, and even though Taylor can be a bit of an ass, viewers will want to root for both of them. Gyllenhaal and Peña deliver some of their best work to date for writer/director David Ayer, who has crafted a gritty, brutally honest and no holds barred film.

The Bottom Line: The violent nature of some scenes, along with the generally depressing subject matter, make the film difficult to watch at times, but the infusion of humor in the rapport between Taylor and Zavala helps to lighten the mood. The personal lives of both characters are explored in detail throughout the film, as viewers are continually drawn into their lives, thus making it easy to become attached to them. However, the constant dangers that the duo face threaten to derail their lives at any given moment, which leads to many tense and suspenseful scenes. In other words, viewers are in for a ride on an emotional roller coaster where things do not always turn out as expected.

The Possession (2012)

The Basics: Horror movie centering around a haunted dybbuk box that houses a spirit which attaches itself to a young girl, Em (Natasha Calis), and unleashes mayhem on her already broken family.

Reasons to Watch: The Possession, directed by Ore Bornedal, offers a few good scares and features an above average cast, including Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Kyra Sedgwick.

The Bottom Line: The Possession is based on a true story, but after researching its origins, I found that the film strays from the source material which actually interested me more than the film itself. The Possession is well paced, but some characters get lost in the shuffle. For instance, after appearing in many scenes during the first half of the film, Em's sister, Hannah (Madison Davenport), is missing in action for much of the second half. In addition, Stephanie's boyfriend, Brett (Grant Show), disappears after he is attacked by the spirit inhabiting Em and is not mentioned or seen again for the balance of the film. In this case, a longer run time may have been beneficial for continuity purposes. Overall, The Possession is a decent effort and if there is a sequel, I hope it centers around the original true story.

Blu-ray Spotlight: "ParaNorman" (2012)

The outstanding stop-motion animated film ParaNorman is now available on Blu-ray combo pack. The film, which was released last summer, is a great family effort that teaches important lessons about accepting and understanding others who are different from ourselves. The plot centers around young Norman, who is able to see and communicate with dead people and animals. He has a gift that others see as fuel to make fun of Norman and make him feel like an outcast. However, when a threat from the distant past emerges, Norman may be the only one who can stop it, because he has abilities that no one else possesses. You can read my review of the film here.

The combo pack includes a Blu-ray, DVD, digital and UltraViolet copy of the film and an amazing assortment of extra features, including seven featurettes on the making of the film, animatronic sequences, commentary from co-directors Sam Fell and Chris Butler (who also wrote the screenplay) and a plethora of features surrounding the making of the top notch stop-motion animation. If I were handing out grades, I would give ParaNorman and "A" and the extra features an "A+." 

Anna Kendrick Stars in "Pitch Perfect" - "Glee" Goes to College

Photo Credit: Universal Pictures

A capella singing groups, young and open minded students, and countless mash-ups of mostly older songs, with a few new ones thrown in to be hip and happening. No, this is not Glee, but the new film Pitch Perfect, which must have been at least partially inspired by the popular television series. However, the film is set in college, not high school, but the characters may seem familiar. The stuck-up pretty girl, the overweight chick, the lesbian, the sexy party girl, and the shy, almost silent, introvert comprise most of the singing group known as The Bellas, who square off against the seemingly unstoppable Treblemakers in regional competitions.

After an embarrassing end to last year's finals, The Bellas are looking to recruit new and talented members. Group leaders Aubrey (Anna Camp) and Chloe (Brittany Snow) convince new arrival, Beca (Anna Kendrick), to join the group. Beca is a great fit, but her intelligence and creativity baffles Aubrey, who insists on doing everything her way and is not open to new ideas. Despite support from her fellow group members, Beca's ideas are dismissed. As a result, The Bellas once again rely on the tired Ace of Base song "I Saw The Sign" for their signature performance, with little success.

Beca is also dealing with a potential love interest, Jesse (Skylar Austin), an anti-social roommate, Kimmy Jin (Jinhee Joung), and a troubled relationship with her father (John Benjamin Hickey), so she has a lot to contend with. As a result, she pushes Jesse away when she should be leaning on him for support. That is one of several mistakes Beca makes during the course of the film. However, while she is dealing with drama, the ensemble cast, including Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson), appear to be having a good old time. While Kendrick is the star of the film, Wilson delivers some of the funniest and most memorable lines and she possesses a fine singing voice, too.

The struggle to make The Bellas successful is accentuated by several very entertaining performances, some impromptu, from the large cast of characters, including "Right Round," "Let it Whip" and "Price Tag/Don't You (Forget About Me)/Give Me Everything." The performances are mainly well choreographed and during the singing competition, emcees Gail (Elizabeth Banks) and John (John Michael Higgins), provide laugh out loud commentary. While there may seem to be an overabundance of characters, most of them add something worthwhile to the film.

The screenplay, by Kay Cannon, focuses mainly on Beca's journey to find peace within herself, which includes her place within The Bellas. She has much to offer, but can sometimes be her own worst enemy when dealing with interpersonal relationships. Cannon also utilizes a great deal of humor to offset the more dramatic moments, so the mood remains light throughout. In addition, director Jason Moore has assembled a talented and likable cast of characters who are not afraid to fly their freak flag, which is much to their credit. While the story may not be original, the overall entertainment value of Pitch Perfect, including the music, performances, and especially the comedic talents of Rebel Wilson, Elizabeth Banks and Hana Mae Lee (as Lilly), make this film well worth seeing.

Pitch Perfect opens tomorrow, September 28, in limited release.