What's New in Blu? (Week of Jan. 19)

Here’s a look at some of the Blu-ray releases coming for the week of Jan. 19.

“Magnolia” (R)
Starring Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, John C. Reilly, Tom Cruise, Philip Baker Hall, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jason Robards, Melora Walters
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
Assembling yet another great ensemble cast, many of whom are familiar from “Boogie Nights,” Paul Thomas Anderson has weaved a tapestry of stories about a very busy and very stressful day in the life of a group of Los Angeles residents. There’s some levity to be found in the movie here and there, but many of the stories take on a darker edge, with some great acting on display. There’s a reason why Anderson attracts so many standout actors to his material, as he writes some great dialogue. This marks Cruise’s best performance, having garnered an Oscar nomination as the slick and smug Frank T.J. Mackey.
Grade: A-

“Smokin’ Aces” (R)
Starring Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Alicia Keys, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, Ryan Reynolds
Directed by Joe Carnahan
After having displayed some true talent with the gritty cop drama, “Narc,” wrter-director Joe Carnahan takes a little bit of a step backwards with the loud, violent and over-the-top action flick, “Smokin’ Aces.” Granted, the majority of the chaos in the film was likely scripted, as a group of assassins converge on a Lake Tahoe hotel, attempting to collect on a $1 million contract put out on a mob informant (Piven). Three’s some fun to be had here, as the action moves swiftly, but most of the characters in the film feel just like that – characters, not real people.
Grade: C+

Other releases:
“Che” (R)
Starring Benicio Del Toro, Benjamin Bratt, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Franka Potente
Directed by Stephen Soderbergh

“Gamer” (R)
Starring Gerard Butler, Amber Valetta, Michael C. Hall, Logan Lerman and Kyra Sedgwick
Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor

“The Invention of Lying” (PG-13)
Starring Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner, Jonah Hill, Louis C.K., Rob Lowe and Tina Fey
Directed by Ricky Gervais and Matt Robinson

“Pandorum” (R)
Starring Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster, Cam Gigandet, Antje Traue, Cung Le, Eddie Rouse
Directed by Christian Alvart

“Weeds: Season Five”
Starring Mary-Louise Parker, Elizabeth Perkins, Justin Kirk, Hunter Parrish, Alexander Gould and Kevin Nealon

“Whiteout” (R)
Starring Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht, Columbus Short and Tom Skerritt
Directed by Dominic Sena