45 Years, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, No Escape, Straight Outta Compton: 11 January’s new DVDs
The past is a foreign country for Tom and Charlotte, a boy-meets-girl tale with a difference, Bel Powley has sexual stirrings, the bell tolls for Owen and Lake, and gangster rap: the movie
45 YEARS (15)
★★★★★
No surprise that stars Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay turn in impeccable performances in this beautiful film about a married couple whose plans to celebrate 45 years of marriage are thrown into disarray by revelations from the past.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray and download
ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL (12)
★★★★
"Boy meets girl, girl has leukaemia" hardly sounds the stuff of light-hearted entertainment. But this comedy drama adapted by Jesse Andrews from his own novel manages to sidestep disease of the week melodramatics and instead offers up a poignant tale laced with quirky humour.
Formats: DVD and download
THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL (18)
★★★★
A young woman’s desperation to have sex leads to a very wrong choice in this sensitive coming-of-age tale, which stars Bel Powley and features a nice turn from Kristen Wiig as her mother.
Formats: DVD and download
NO ESCAPE (15)
★★
What could have been an exciting tale of expats trying to make it home after getting caught up in a revolution in foreign parts fails to get the juices flowing due in part to Owen Wilson playing unsuccessfully against type. Lake Bell (as his wife) does a little better and there’s an interesting cameo from Pierce Brosnan.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray and download
SHELTER (18)
★★★
Down and out on the streets of New York for Jennifer Connelly and Anthony Mackie in this downbeat tale of two homeless souls who endure more than their fair share of troubles. Fine performances from the two leads means it’s never less than compelling.
Formats: DVD and download
STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON (18)
★★★★
The true story of rap band NWA, who stirred things up by using their music to tell it like it was (is) for young blacks on the streets of LA. It ignores some of the more controversial aspects of the group’s output but Gary F Gray’s film is still electrifying stuff.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray and download
WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS (15)
★★★
Dance-party DJ Zac Efron’s ambition to hit the big time seems to be thwarted at every turn (and then there’s girl trouble) in this better-than-average music-scene drama.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray and download
ALSO RELEASED THIS WEEK
THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION ★★★ The story of the radical African American group that fought to bring about social change in America.
HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD ★★★ The early years of environmental pressure group Greenpeace.
MY NAZI LEGACY ★★★ Documentary that looks at how it was to grow up the child of a war criminal.
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