Mark Kermode picks the year's best DVD releases that went largely unnoticed – but are too good to miss
Ping Pong
(Hugh Hartford, 2012, Britdoc Films, E)
A documentary about octogenarian (and upward) table tennis may not sound like the most obvious formula for life-affirming thrills, but this splendid account of the OAP "paddles of fire" circuit is as nail-biting as any sports event this year. Most impressively, the age of the participants (some in triple figures) quickly becomes an irrelevance as their competitive personalities take over to dominate the drama. There's nothing quaint or genteel about this battle of wits from players whose faculties, both physical and mental, have clearly been enhanced by the beautiful game.
The Dardennes Collection
(Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, 2012, Artificial Eye, 15)
The work of these most admirably humanist directors is gathered together in a six-disc collection which cements the Dardennes' reputation as guardians of the beating heart of cinema. From the neorealist inflections of The Child and The Kid with a Bike to the near-mythical overtones of The Silence of Lorna, this compilation of award-winning films reminds us why cinema continues to have life-changing significance in the 21st century. If aliens arrived from space asking what the hell human beings were about, the work of the Dardennes would give them a pretty good idea of all our triumphs and foibles.
Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls
(Leanne Polley, 2009, November Films, 12)
Yodelling Kiwi lesbian sisters the Topp Twins sing and play their way into the hearts and minds of audiences in this documentary, which took a couple of years to find its way to the UK. It was worth the wait: the Topps' story is uplifting, their music terrific, their political activism praiseworthy and their comedic personalities thoroughly infectious. No wonder they've earned the love, laughter and respect of some of the most notoriously hard-to-please audiences in the business.
Outside Bet
(Sacha Bennett, 2012, Universal, 12)
Hobbled by unfairly negative reviews during its fleeting theatrical release, this moving adaptation of the semi-autobiographical novel The Mumper deserves to be rediscovered on DVD, where it will doubtless outlive its detractors. A tale of a young man finding his way in the print industry during a time of industrial turmoil, this Quadrophenia-influenced yarn which turns on a horse race benefits from the presence of such seasoned performers as Phil Davis, Bob Hoskins and Jenny Agutter, all of whom remind us why their careers have been so long and prosperous. Ignore the neigh-sayers and take a gamble on Outside Bet.
The Last Projectionist
(Thomas Lawes, 2011, Electric flix, E)
As 35mm film presentation goes the way of all flesh, this thoughtful, nostalgic and ever-so-slightly heartbreaking documentary about the cinema projectionist's dying art provides a timely reminder of the alchemical magic these wizards wrought for more than a century. Asking pertinent questions about the advent of digital and the legacy of celluloid, this informative elegy from Thomas Lawes of Birmingham's Electric Cinema should be essential viewing for anyone whose life has been lived in the church of the picture house, and who remembers an age when only projectionists had final cut.
Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet
(Jesse Vile, 2012, Dogwoof, E)
Witness cathedrals of sound being conjured in the blink of an eye as virtuoso musician Becker – a former teenage prodigy whose electric guitar skills dazzled all around him – continues to compose and play despite being paralysed by a debilitating illness. Like the narrator of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Becker communicates only through ocular movement, but thanks to the love and support of devoted friends and family, his amps still go up to 11 – and beyond. You don't have to be a fan of fleet-fingered metal to be won over by this portrait of the artist whose lust for life continues to produce great music.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/dec/23/hidden-gems-dvds-2012-kermode
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