DVD Releases: Interstellar, Hunger Games, Rosewater
Posted on April 1, 2015 by bob in DVD
Rosewater (R)
As an ardent fan of The Daily Show, when Jon Stewart left for the summer of 2013 to direct this movie, I was sorry to see him go, even though his decision was not only understandable, but laudable. The film dramatizes the true story of Iranian journalist Maziar Bahari who was imprisoned for 118 days on bogus charges of espionage, largely due to his appearing in a satirical skit for Stewart’s show. After the ordeal, Bahari wrote a compelling memoir, which formed the basis for Stewart’s debut as director and co-writer of the screenplay for a feature film. One need not be Jewish to be motivated by guilt…but it certainly helps.
Gael Garcia Bernal plays Bahari, a Tehran native living in London and working for Newsweek. He returned home to cover their hotly-contested 2009 elections. While there, he met members of the opposition during his reporting, fearing more for their safety than they seemed to. He also sat down with Daily Show “correspondent” Jason Jones for an amusing interview that wound up causing more unanticipated backlash than laughs. At first, Bahari couldn’t believe his captors didn’t know the bit was in jest. But months of isolation and interrogation took a severe toll on him, as would be true for anyone.
The film efficiently covers the period from just before his return to Iran until the end of his incarceration, powerfully depicting the ordeal not only from his perspective, but including plenty of context for how and why it occurred, and how much diversity exists among the Iranian populace, despite the staunch theocratic facade presented by their political leaders. The viewing experience is far from pleasant, though the government’s methods of trying to force a public confession to a crime he never even dreamed of committing were far more psychological than physical. Mideast locations added a sense of authenticity to all the scenes outside his prison. This is a compelling tale not only because it’s true, but for how it is emblematic of many big-picture issues underlying our dealings with Iran and throughout the entire region.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 (PG-13) 
As a mild disclaimer to this high rating, consider that some sequels work well as stand-alone products; others fill in enough backstory for newcomers to catch up without much effort. This third installment of a four-part dystopian future epic absolutely exemplifies neither. If you haven’t seen the first two, and aren’t already salivating over the finale (now in post-production), skip to the next review. Dilettantes have no chance of enjoying this one without recalling the others, or having read the popular novels that spawned them.
Young, heroic Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is being urged to serve as the face of revolution for the oppressed Districts of Panem to rise up against their corrupt, vicious overlords in The Capital. This film covers the movement’s early struggles against these tyrants with challenges more daunting than those facing the Jedi against The Empire, the current St. Louis Rams vs. The Greatest Show on Turf, or this U. S. Congress doing anything useful. These rebels get their movement started with a few successes, but they suffer much along the way, and are still in deep doo-doo when the credits start to roll. The Las Vegas odds against our heroes would likely be worse than those of Luke, Leia and the captured Han Solo against Lord Vader at the end of The Empire Strikes Back. But for intrepid fans committed to the whole journey, the acting and f/x are all you’ve been hoping for.
Interstellar (PG-13)
One of last year’s most-anticipated movies also ranks among the longest (close to three hours) and most confusing. This space opera is set in a dystopian near future, in which Earth has become another Dust Bowl, with food becoming harder to grow for what’s left of the populace. One surviving family of farmers includes Matthew McConaughey, his two kids and father-in-law (John Lithgow). Matthew was just beginning his career as an astronaut when disaster struck, ending the program and much of modern communication and technology. His daughter shares his love of science, but that’s not considered much of an asset when brutal climatic conditions threaten global starvation…or worse.
But Matthew stumbles upon arcane clues from some mysterious source that lead him to a secret surviving NASA facility. He’s recruited to fly through a wormhole that could be a shortcut to another galaxy for colonization, since Earth’s habitability can’t be restored. It’s a race against time while bending time, hoping to find a new world before everyone on ours dies out. Leaving his family is agonizing, but essential. Anne Hathaway is one of the scientists on the mission to find which of the previous dozen explorers, if any, found potential new homes for our species.
This one raises the bar over last year’s Gravity in terms of compelling space-flight simulations. The scientific components might be more coherent than my kind of book-learnin’ prepared me to appreciate, but seemed to careen between cogent principles with plausible applications and over-the-top speculations about space, time, gravity, etc. A scattering of insights and perspectives of arguable social and political relevance elevate the product beyond the thrill ride of boldly going where few have gone before. But the last 30-45 minutes lower the IQ of all the preceding activity in a vain quest for satisfying conclusions on each subplot. Many viewers might scratch their heads from ambivalence about what it all meant, and how much they enjoyed the experience, ala viewers of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Mark Glass
Mark Glass is an officer and director of the St. Louis Film Critics Association.
