Blu Tuesday is a weekly column where we review the newest Blu-ray and 4K releases, along with a brief rundown of the included bonus material, to determine whether they’re worth buying, renting or skipping.
Pick of the Week: “Bringing Out the Dead”
1999’s “Bringing Out the Dead” is one of director Martin Scorsese’s lesser-seen films, and for good reason, as it’s a marked departure from his usual work. Reuniting Scorsese with writer Paul Schrader (“Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull”), the movie stars Nicolas Cage as a burned-out ambulance paramedic trying to maintain his sanity over three turbulent nights. Unfortunately, “Bringing Out the Dead” just never quite connects as you’d hope; it almost feels like two very different movies at times. There are fragments of a good film scattered throughout — namely in some entertaining (and darkly comic) moments with Ving Rhames, Tom Sizemore and Cliff Curtis — but the main storyline involving Cage’s relationship with Patricia Arquette’s character constantly drags things down. Though “Bringing Out the Dead” is certainly better than its reputation suggests, it’s a far cry from Scorsese’s best work.
Extras include a new series of interviews with Scorsese, Cage, Schrader and cinematographer Robert Richardson, as well as some behind-the-scenes footage and additional cast and crew interviews. FINAL VERDICT: RENT
Also Out This Week:
“Mothers’ Instinct” — In many ways, “Mothers’ Instinct” is the perfect directorial debut for Benoit Delhomme, who has spent the past 30-odd years as a cinematographer on such films as “At Eternity’s Gate,” “The Theory of Everything” and “Lawless.” It mainly relies on the acting talents of Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway, which allows Delhomme to focus on what he does best: the visuals. Unfortunately, while the movie looks exceptional, it lacks a compelling narrative, hindering its two stars in the process. Chastain and Hathaway do their best with the material provided, but the whole thing is so absurd that it borders on parody. That wouldn’t be such an issue if the film leaned into its inherent campiness, but Delhomme plays everything completely straight-faced — that is until the cuckoo-bananas finale nukes any goodwill that remains, ending the movie on such a sour note that you’ll wish you hadn’t bothered at all. FINAL VERDICT: SKIP
Disclosure: Bullz-Eye was provided a copy of the above titles for review purposes.
