There was no hiding from that fact that last month offered a scarce selection of quality DVD releases (April's suggestions). However, May's crop of titles is far more expansive and should be a warm welcome for lovers of all genres. Without waiting any longer, let's take a look at the best films arriving to DVD this month.
Remember - 3 stars out of 4 - (Read my rapid review here)
As one of the biggest surprises from last year's Philadelphia Film Festival lineup, Atom Egoyan's Remember packs an awfully powerful punch, Academy Award winner Christopher Plummer stars as Zev Guttman, an elderly man living at a nursing home and experiencing signs of dementia. And after Zev's wife passes, he's reminded of a pact in which he promised to track down and kill a former Auschwitz prison guard living under an alias in the U.S. who murdered his family during World War II. This hazily recollected drama-thriller crafts beautifully mounted tension that culminates in an unforgettable finale. Remember is a rare diamond in the rough that utilizes a clever screenplay from Benjamin August and an award-worthy performance from the talented Christopher Plummer. (May 3rd)
Deadpool - 3 stars out of 4 - (Read my rapid review here)
In a hasty turnaround that I never saw coming, Marvel's greatest anti-hero is going right from the big screen to your home television screen. Deadpool delivered record-breaking box office sales early in 2016 and now its arrives on DVD in May. Ryan Reynolds stars as Wade, a former Special Forces operative who learns of a terminal illness. But after he enlists in a rogue experiment that's meant to cure him, Wade earns rapid healing powers and assumes the alter ego Deadpool. Reynold delivers a fully committed performance in this non-chronological action hero origins story. Deadpool blends together witty one-liners and full-throttle action sequences that ease the audience through this unconventional superhero saga. (May 10th)
The Program (2015) - 2 and a half stars out of 4 - (No review available)
Although it was a less than impressive release for the team surrounding the Lance Armstrong biopic, The Program, I still found the film to be a gripping account of an athlete's obsession with winning. Ben Foster stars as the controversial sports icon, Lance Armstrong, a cancer survivor who went on to become the face of competitive cycling. After seven consecutive years as the champion of the prestigious Tour de France, an Irish sports journalist (Chris O'Dowd) works to uncover the truth behind Armstrong's improbable success. While The Program itself is mired in a fair amount of mediocrity, the film does a superb job of capturing the audience's attention with the facts surrounding Lance Armstrong's high sophisticated and regimented doping scheme that helped propel him to greatness. (May 17th)
Honorable Mention: There are plenty of familiar titles arriving this month including the raunchy Zac Efron and Robert De Niro comedy, Dirty Grandpa (5/17), as well as Oscar contender Joy (5/3) from David O.Russell, both of which I didn't enjoy. The crowdpleasing Jesse Owens biopic, Race (5/31), finds a DVD release later this month, as does the Coast Guard drama, The Finest Hours (5/24). Horror fans also have some options with the well-received psychological period-piece, The Witch (5/17), and the more conventional early year release, The Boy (5/10).
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