ONE, TWO, THREE
(Masters Of Cinema, Blu-ray/DVD)
After the critical success of The Apartment, Hollywood legend Billy Wilder followed it up with this Cold War satire starring James Cagney as a tough-nosed Coca-Cola executive in Berlin, desperate to climb the corporate ladder. Masters Of Cinema have brought out a number of Wilder films of late that aren’t quite from his top tier, but strong second-string works, and this is no different, even though it was considered controversial at the time for daring to make fun of both the Soviets and – gasp! – the Americans. It looks crisp, throws sharp barbs at both sides, and emerges a fine film. ***words Fedor Tot
BEING FRANK: THE CHRIS SIEVEY STORY
(Altitude, Blu-ray/DVD)
This documentary on papier-mâché comedian Frank Sidebottom, and the man behind the mask Chris Sievey, is a labour of crowdfunded love that does a lot to bring out the humour and brilliance of its inspiration, as well as hints of his darker side. Given access to a huge amount of archival material -VHS tapes, doodles, half-finished songs – what emerges is an image of a relentlessly creative mind, occasionally trapped by the runaway success of what was meant to be an off-the-cuff character. Great stuff. ****words Fedor Tot
CATFIGHT
(Netflix)
Going under the radar big time during its cinematic release in the UK two years ago, this utterly brutal black comedy is now waiting to be rediscovered on Netflix. Starring Sandra Oh and Anne Heche as two ex-college frenemies who end up meeting in adult life, with one a struggling artist and the other a rich trophy wife, class tensions bubble underneath, breaking out into a series of frankly nasty fights. But that’s the trick – both actors commit, and despite not being ‘action’ actors, they bring a bleakly humorous brutality to the fight scenes. A bitter satire on the poisonous effects of class tension and privilege. ****words Fedor Tot
A TWELVE-YEAR NIGHT
(Netflix)
You may remember Jose Mujica, Uruguay’s left-wing ex-President and subject of a thousand Buzzfeed-style “Look at this ultra-humble President, why aren’t our politicians like this” clickbait articles for living on a chicken farm and giving most of his salary to charity. No doubt a fine character who has done the Latin American country a lot of good, this biopic chronicles his time in prison during the country’s military dictatorship alongside two comrades. It’s a fine, if slightly dry historical drama, but the sheer repetition and sense of isolation it engenders in the viewer is a well-executed experiment. ***words Fedor Tot
ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT SEASON 5 (PART 2)
Like a drunk uncle at a wedding spouting, stupid conspiracy theories and fully ignoring everyone’s pleas to please just stop, Arrested Development trundles towards its final season. The cast are barely interested, and often barely there (you can literally see the editing joins!) and yet somehow, it lumbers on. A few sprinklings of the old magic remain, but they are few and far between. You’re better off if you just blue yourself. ** words Fedor Tot