But he didn’t have the same resources at his disposal it’s one of his late-period snatch-and-dash jobs, assembled in bits and pieces over an extended period across continents, and was one of the many films wrestled from the filmmaker and recut against his wishes. Arkadin : This 1955 thriller from Orson Welles (newly streaming on FilmStruck) explores similar narrative and thematic ground as Citizen Kane, and concerns a character not unlike The Third Man’s Harry Lime. Both won Oscars for their performances, and worked hard for them the film is not without its flaws, but its heart is in the right place. In other words, Black is perfectly cast, in one of those turns that reminds us of what makes him such an engaging presence: his pure joy of performance, both when he’s onstage (he goes for the gusto in those polka numbers) and off.ĭallas Buyers Club: The subsequent public pronouncements and general obnoxiousness of Jared Leto has taken a bit of the sheen off his 2013 comeback movie, but make no mistake, he’s terrific in it – finding a balance with star Matthew McConaughey not unlike Hanks and Washington’s in Philadelphia, in which a bigot sees the face of mortality, and discovers his own humanity. He was a good con artist for one simple reason: he was a total charmer. The Polka King : Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky craft a frisky and energetic comedy with a snappy, screwball spirit, which isn’t exactly a given, considering the subject matter: it’s the true story of Jan Lewan (Jack Black), a Polish immigrant and Pennsylvania polka bandleader who bilked fans and friends out of $4.9 million in an elaborate “investment” Ponzi scheme.
We’ve also got 2016’s Palme d’Or winner joining the Criterion Collection, three different versions of an unsung Orson Welles movie on FilmStruck, and favorites old and new on Netflix. One of the most staggeringly beautiful movies of last year makes its Blu-ray debut this week, and I’m finally understanding why gearheads want me to upgrade to this “4K UHD BD” nonsense.