Braquo, Gang Story
French writer-director Olivier Marchal is something of a one-man crime wave. All legit, of course; he draws on a previous career in law enforcement to deliver some of the toughest and sharpest crime movies and TV shows around.
Interestingly, Marchal's tense bad-cops-gone-even-badder TV show Braquo gets an 18 certificate and Blu-ray release, while his criminal epic movie, Gang Story, is a mere 15-certificate DVD. As the name suggests, the police hardly feature in Gang Story, telling instead the true story of the notorious Gang Lyonnais who carried out some of France's biggest robberies. Flitting around several decades, it explores the regrettably unbreakable bond between gang members.
With eight episodes in which to breathe, however, Braquo is even more hard-hitting. Often hailed as a Gallic version of The Shield, Marchal's police history makes all seem credible no matter how far out the proceedings.
Jean-Hugues Anglade heads a five-man police team who overstep their bounds, cascading through bad decisions, kidnappings, torture and murder as they try to save their skins. As season two starts on TV tomorrow (Sun, 10pm, FX), this is a great time to get up to speed.
Blu-ray & DVD, Arrow Films/ DVD, Entertainment One
Space: Above And Beyond
Great, gritty marines-in-space drama series, which paved the way for serious TV sci-fi like Battlestar Galactica.
DVD, Fremantle
The Iron Lady
Meryl Streep makes this poorly assembled, politics-free biog of Thatcher almost worthwhile.
Blu-ray & DVD, Fox
Treme: Season 2
Much-improved second season for David Simon's expose of New Orleans' problems and celebration of its culture, post-Katrina.
Blu-ray & DVD, Warner
Demons 1&2
Lamberto Bava's energetic and utterly senseless flicks, an almost constant parade of gory, messed up imagery.
Blu-ray & DVD, Arrow Films
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/apr/28/this-weeks-new-dvd-blu-ray
No comments:
Post a Comment