A couple’s fight to save their young grandson tops the new DVD releases for the week of Feb. 2.
“Let Him Go”: Tragedy strikes early on in writer-director Thomas Bezucha’s Western neo-noir, based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Larry Watson. Margaret and George Blackledge (Diane Lane and Kevin Costner), a happy couple on a Montana ranch, are devastated by the sudden, accidental death of their grown son, James (Ryan Bruce), father to their newborn grandson, Jimmy. His widow, Lorna (Kayli Carter), remarries a few years later, a ceremony that Margaret and George graciously and awkwardly attend in support of Jimmy.
When Margaret, a breaker of wild horses and wholly loving and fearless protector, sees Lorna’s brutish new husband, Donnie Weboy (Will Brittain), hitting both Lorna and Jimmy, she’s shaken to her core. And after Lorna and Donnie skip town with her grandchild to be with Donnie’s family, Margaret doesn’t think twice about setting off after them on a road trip to the Dakotas.
It’s not just wild horses she breaks. Lane gives a commanding performance as the deeply passionate Margaret, emphatically and quickly convincing her reluctant retired sheriff husband to join her on her treacherous quest, and later holding her own with the highly unpredictable, dangerous Weboy clan holding Lorna and Jimmy hostage through physical and emotional abuse. Lesley Manville dazzles as the deranged Weboy matriarch, Blanche, who belly laughs as she threatens the couple and carries around a bag of deadly weapons with nonchalance.
Michael Giacchino’s calming pastoral score and director of photography Guy Godfree's beautiful cinematography of the West both add to the weight of the film, which finds power in its quiet. The characters move slowly, but the story moves quickly, with a clear subtext hanging in the air of grief, love and sacrifice.
“Sometimes that’s all life is, Margaret, a list of what we’ve lost,” says George at a particularly low point. But in Lane’s Margaret, the film shows one doesn’t have to lose a sense of self in the process.
ALSO NEW ON DVD FEB. 2
“Breach”: After fleeing a plague on Earth, a mechanic aboard a spaceship (Bruce Willis) must protect the ship from a cosmic threat.
“Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror”: Documentary explores Black filmmakers and films in the popular genre.
“Host”: A group of friends unintentionally unleashes evil after performing an online seance. Stars Haley Bishop, Jemma Moore and Emma Louise Webb.
“JL Family Ranch: The Wedding Gift”: After Henry (Dylan Walsh) and Rebecca (Teri Polo) announce their engagement, the bride-to-be’s daughter hosts a disruptive guest. Also stars Jon Voigt, Bo Derek and James Caan.
“Love, Weddings & Other Disasters”: Rom-com follows the love lives of the people who make weddings happen. Stars Maggie Grace, Jeremy Irons and Diane Keaton.
“Tesla”: Ethan Hawke takes on the role of the legendary electrical system inventor and his rivalry with Thomas Edison (Kyle MacLachlan).
“Wild Mountain Thyme”: A farmer (Emily Blunt) pursues a neighbor (Jamie Dornan) entrenched in family drama over land ownership.
OUT ON DIGITAL HD FEB. 2
“First Blush”: A man and woman’s relationship is upended when they both fall for the same woman. Stars Rachel Alig, Ryan Caraway and Kate Beecroft.
“I’ll See You Around”: A community college student (Lucas Monroe) suspects his brother may have stolen and sold his laptop for drugs.
“100 Days to Live”: A woman must save her fiance from a killer. Stars Colin Egglesfield, Gideon Emery and Heidi Johanningmeier.
OUT ON DIGITAL HD FEB. 5
“The Go-Gos”: Documentary explores the legendary girl band.
“The Mimic”: Comedy follows man (Thomas Sadoski) who’s convinced his new neighbor (Jake Robinson) is a sociopath.
“Reunion”: A pregnant woman embarks on an unsettling homecoming to her estranged mother. Stars Julia Ormond, Emma Draper and John Bach.
“The Right One”: A writer (Cleopatra Coleman) falls for a constantly changing, eccentric man (Nick Thune) who inspires her as a muse. Look for it on DVD/Blu-ray Feb. 9
