A weekly round-up of the latest DVD releases.

By Damon Smith

New to rent on DVD/Blu-ray

DVD of the week

Philomena (Cert 12, 98 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment One, Drama/Comedy, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £27.99)

Starring: Dame Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Anna Maxwell Martin, Simone Lahbib, Mare Winningham, Michelle Fairley, Sophie Kennedy Clark.

Jane Lee (Anna Maxwell Martin) discovers her mother Philomena (Judi Dench) fell pregnant as a teenager in 1952 Ireland and was forced to give up the baby to the sisters at Roscrea Abbey. Jane pitches the story to former Labour advisor turned BBC journalist Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan). After a reality check from his wife Kate (Simone Lahbib), Martin agrees to help Philomena track down her boy. "I'd like to know if he thought of me," Philomena tells Martin. "I've thought of him every day." Using his connections, Martin takes Philomena to Washington DC to sift through official documents, hoping to reunite the old woman with the son she never wanted to give up. Throughout, Philomena clings to her faith, lighting a candle for her child. However, Martin cannot conceal his contempt for religion, telling Philomena, "It's the Catholic Church that should be going to confession, not you!". Directed with a light touch by Stephen Frears, Philomena celebrates the power of hope to heal old wounds. Dench is magnificent and Coogan jettisons most of his Alan Partridge tics in support, gradually warming to Philomena and her upbeat outlook on life. "Just because you're in first class doesn't mean you're a first class person," she tells him during a long haul flight in economy class. Tears flow freely as the eponymous heroine discovers the fate of her boy, seizing upon every nugget of information as if she had just won the lottery. The tender and unexpectedly touching relationship that forms between the two central characters from different generations and backgrounds provides Frears's uplifting film with its irresistible emotional thrust.

Rating: ****

Released

Saving Mr Banks (Cert PG, 127 mins, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Comedy/Drama, also available to buy DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £21.99/2-Movie Blu-ray £25.99)

Starring: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, Jason Schwartzman, BJ Novak, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Annie Buckley, Rachel Griffiths.

Author PL Travers (Emma Thompson) refuses to entertain the advances of Walt Disney (Tom Hanks), who wishes to turn her literary creation Mary Poppins into a film. "I know what he's going to do to her. She'll be cavorting... and twinkling!" seethes the writer. Eventually, Travers flies to America to meet Disney and his team including Don DaGradi (Bradley Whitford), Richard Sherman (Jason Schwartzman) and his brother Robert (BJ Novak), whose twee songs fail to curry favour. Despite a touching friendship with her chauffeur Ralph (Paul Giamatti), Travers is unmoved by the re-imagining of her cherished text. Something has to give and it is Disney who realises that if he is to win over the author, he must confront the ghosts of his own past. Saving Mr Banks is an elegant and witty comedy which intercuts events in 1960s California with vignettes from Travers's turbulent childhood in 1906 Australia. Lee Hancock's film is emboldened by tour-de-force performances from the two leads. Thompson, who should have been Oscar nominated, is formidable, tossing verbal grenades at anyone who dares to besmirch Travers's literary creation, while slowly revealing the chinks in the writer's armour. Screen chemistry with Hanks is delightful. "I could just eat you up," coos Disney at one point. "That would be inappropriate," retorts Travers tartly. Hancock strikes just the right balance between humour and heart-tugging sentiment, culminating in a glitzy world premiere screening where Travers finally shares Mary with the rest of the world and in so doing, sets herself free. A two-disc set comprising Saving Mr Banks and Mary Poppins is also available.

Rating: ****

Don Jon (Cert 18, 90 mins, Warner Home Video, Comedy/Romance/Drama, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £22.99)

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Tony Danza, Glenne Headly, Brie Larson.

New Jersey ladies' man Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) spends unhealthy amounts of time watching X-rated films on his laptop. His unrealistic attitude to sex - fuelled by the fantasy scenarios in his favourite films - makes it impossible for him to forge lasting relationships. That changes when he encounters gum-chewing sex bomb, Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson). Romance blossoms and Barbara encourages Jon to better himself by taking night classes. She also charms Jon's parents, Jon Sr (Tony Danza) and Angela (Glenne Headly), but fractures appear in the fledgling relationship when Barbara catches Jon at his laptop and promises to give up adult films forever. Alas, old habits are hard to break and Jon turns to Esther (Julianne Moore), a mature student in his night class, for consolation. Don Jon is a bittersweet comedy of modern mores that is by turns hilarious, smart and touching. Award-winning actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes an assured first foray as feature writer-director and he is aided and abetted by a talented ensemble cast, who relish the script's bounty of razor-sharp dialogue and colourful characters. Johansson is a hoot with a pitch perfect 'Noo Joizey' accent and Moore injects heart-tugging emotion when she finally reveals the heartbreak of her character's past. Some of the quieter, seemingly throwaway moments deliver the biggest laughs, like Jon taking umbrage with his local priest (Paul Ben-Victor) over the unjustness of one confessional penance, or the moment Jon's sister (Brie Larson), who has been mute for more than an hour, finally breaks her silence.

Rating: ***

Free Birds (Cert U, 91 mins, Entertainment One, Animation/Comedy/Action/Sci-Fi/Romance, also available to buy DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £19.99)

Featuring the voices of: Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Amy Poehler, George Takei, Colm Meaney, Keith David, Dan Fogler, Kaitlyn Maher.

A turkey called Reggie (voiced by Owen Wilson) is chosen by the President's cherubic daughter (Kaitlyn Maher) as the one bird to be pardoned from the Thanksgiving Day carving table. Transported to Camp David where he enjoys a daily routine of pizza and trashy TV, Reggie thinks his troubles have evaporated until Jake (Woody Harrelson), founder and sole member of the Turkey Freedom Front, kidnaps Reggie and pressgangs him into a top secret mission of the utmost importance. "We're going back to the first Thanksgiving to get turkeys off the menu," booms Jake. Together, they break into a military facility and use a time-travelling device called S.T.E.V.E. (George Takei) - which stands for Space Time Exploration Vehicle Envoy - to head back to 1621 to spearhead a turkey uprising aided by Chief Broadbeak (Keith David) and his courageous daughter, Jenny (Amy Poehler). Free Birds is light-hearted computer-animated gobbledygook that lacks visual sophistication or belly laughs. Wilson, Harrelson and Poehler deliver solid vocal performances while Colm Meaney is a lacklustre villain. The script, co-written by director Jimmy Hayward and Scott Mosier, is sporadically amusing, like a disclaimer caption at the beginning of the film what affirms this is a work of fiction - "Except for the talking turkeys. That's totally real". But there's no originality or verve on screen and the plot twists and turns in obvious directions. Parents will probably be stifling yawns, and the film's surprising alternative to putting turkey on the Thanksgiving menu vastly increases the calorie count of the meal. Mercy comes at the price of our waistlines.

Rating: **

Also released

Code Black: President Down (Cert 15, 90 mins, Metrodome Distribution, Action/Thriller, also available to buy DVD £12.99 - see below)

Death Watch (Cert 15, 94 mins, Signature Entertainment, Thriller/Action, also available to buy DVD £14.99/Blu-ray £17.99 - see below)

Generation Um... (Cert 15, 95 mins, Studio Canal, Drama/Romance, also available to buy DVD £15.99 - see below)

Jeune & Jolie (Cert 18, 94 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, Drama/Romance, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99 - see below)

New to buy on DVD/Blu-ray

Line Of Duty - Series Two (Cert 15, 360 mins, Acorn Media, DVD £19.99/Complete Series One & Two DVD Box Set £29.99, Thriller/Drama)

No one is above the law but a few people like to believe they are in the second series of the gritty BBC Two crime drama. Three officers are killed and a witness in protective custody is seriously injured during the ambush of a police convoy. Detective Inspector Lindsay Denton (Keeley Hawes) is the sole survivor of the attack and is understandably shaken by her ordeal. Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) asks DC Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) from the police's anti-corruption department AC12 to sift the evidence. When Kate removes herself from the case due to a personal conflict, DC Georgia Trotman (Jessica Raine) takes her place, just in time for a race to the hospital to prevent another death. A four-disc box set comprising both series is also available.

Mr Selfridge - Series Two (Cert 12, 460 mins, Universal/Playback, DVD £24.99/Series One & Two DVD Box Set £35.99, Drama/Romance)

Emotions run high inside one of London's most luxurious department stores in 10 episodes of the popular ITV1 drama based on the novel Shopping, Seduction And Mr Selfridge by Lindy Woodhead. This series, while the store celebrates five years of brisk business, Harry Selfridge (Jeremy Piven) has become estranged from his wife Rose (Frances O'Connor). Agnes Towler (Aisling Loftus) returns from Paris as takes up her deserved position as head of departmental displays but she is constantly undermined by Mr Thackery (Cal MacAninch) and the rival departments. Meanwhile Lady Mae (Katherine Kelly) must decide if she is prepared to end her association with scheming Lord Loxley (Aidan McArdle) and sacrifice her lofty social standing. A six-disc box set comprising both series is also available.

Doc Martin - Complete Series Six (Cert 12, 368 mins, Momentum Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99, Comedy/Drama/Romance)

Socially inept Dr Ellingham (Martin Clunes) finally walks down the aisle with his partner, Louisa Glasson (Caroline Catz), in ITV1's award-winning comedy, set in the close-knit Cornish fishing community of Portwenn. Also this series, the doc's resourceful aunt Ruth (Eileen Atkins) is unsettled by a troubling encounter with a stalker and moves into a new house, and local hypochondriac Malcolm (Christopher Fairbank) gets a troubling diagnosis. The two-disc set includes all eight episodes.

Jeune & Jolie (Cert 18, 94 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99, Drama/Romance)

Sexy teenager Isabelle (Marine Vacth) goes on summer holiday with her parents (Geraldine Pailhas, Frederic Pierrot) and precocious younger brother, Victor (Fantin Ravat). After a whirlwind romance with a hunky German tourist, Felix (Lucas Prisor), she gives up her virginity to him, then casts him aside. In the autumn, Isabelle returns to Paris where it transpires that she is continuing her studies while earning extra money as an escort, catering to the whims of older gentleman at appointments organised through a website. Most of the customers mean nothing to Isabelle apart from one elderly father, Georges (Johan Leysen), who is gentle, considerate and sweet, and touches her deeply. When the unthinkable happens and Isabelle is forced to make a spur of the moment decision, she must live with her actions, which ultimately brings her into contact with Georges's wife Alice (Charlotte Rampling) in Francois Ozon's delicately observed portrait of sexual awakening.

Father Brown - Series One (Cert 12, 480 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £24.99/Blu-ray £34.99, Drama)

Based on the eponymous character created by GK Chesterton, this ten-part period drama set in the 1950s follows the titular man of God as he uses his expert detective skills to unravel complicated cases of murder and skulduggery. Father Brown (Mark Williams) tends to his flock at St Mary's Catholic Church in the fictional Cotswold village of Kembleford. The disappearance of a parishioner piques the holy man's curiosity and he investigates with typical diligence. As Father Brown becomes embroiled in more cases, he clashes with Inspector Valentine (Hugo Speer) and risks arrest for meddling in official police business.

Floating Skyscrapers (Cert 18, 93 mins, Matchbox Films, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99, Romance/Drama)

Forbidden desire has tragic consequences in Tomasz Wasilewski's beautifully observed drama. Champion swimmer Kuba (Mateusz Banasiuk) has been training for 15 years to reach the top of his sport. He lives with his mother Ewa (Katarzyna Herman) and has a girlfriend Sylwia (Marta Nieradkiewicz), and alternates between the two women, who provide all of the emotional and physical nourishment he needs. At a gallery opening, Kuba meets Michal (Bartosz Gelner) and the spark of attraction between the two men is instant. As Kuba's attraction to Michael intensifies, he must face long dormant feelings that threaten the relationships with everyone he holds dear.

The Missing Picture (Cert E, 96 mins, New Wave Films, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99, Documentary)

Cambodian director Rithy Panh has repeatedly chronicled his country's trials and tribulations under the Khmer Rouge regime in his work, delivering acclaimed films including Rice People, The Land Of Wandering Souls and S21: The Killing Machine. In this latest documentary, Panh recreates his harrowing experiences in the labour camps under Pol Pot's control using miniature clay figures and archive footage, some shot by the regime. In this mosaic of animation and live-action, we gain a better understanding of the stark contrast between the filmmaker's early years in a comfortable middle-class household in Phnom Penh, and the second half of his childhood, weathering malnutrition and physical and emotional brutality, which claimed the lives of his parents, siblings and other relatives.

Death Watch (Cert 15, 94 mins, Signature Entertainment, DVD £14.99/Blu-ray £17.99, Thriller/Action)

A police chief contends with a terrorist attack on Sri Lankan soil in Chandran Rutnam's remake of the Indian thriller A Wednesday!. A nameless Man (Sir Ben Kingsley) tours Colombo with a bomb containing homemade explosives. He plats five devices around the bustling city including one bomb on a busy train, one on a bus and one at the police station. From his vantage point atop a skyscraper, the Man telephones police chief Morris Da Silva (Ben Cross) to demand that four prisoners be released immediately. If this request is not met, the Man threatens to detonate the bombs and kill hundreds perhaps thousands of innocent men, women and children.

How To Make Money Selling Drugs (Cert 18, 90 mins, Vertigo Films, DVD £15.99, Documentary)

America currently has the largest prison population in the world but the US administration doesn't seem to be turning the tide in the ongoing war against drugs. In this revealing documentary produced by Adrien Grenier, star of hit TV series Entourage, writer-director Matthew Cooke explores how easy it is to make vast sums of money from selling drugs within a corrupt system riddled with loopholes. The film interviews drug dealers, Drug Enforcement Administration gents, headline-grabbing politicians, kingpins and celebrities including 50 Cent and Susan Sarandon, to paint a vivid portrait of use and abuse in 21st century America. In the process, Cooke considers the seemingly impossible challenges that lie ahead in curbing the distribution and sale of drugs to future generations.

Lootera (Cert 12, 136 mins, Eros International, DVD £12.99, Romance/Drama)

Vikramaditya Motwane directs and co-writes this sweeping 1950s-set Bollywood romance based on the novel The Last Leaf by O Henry. Posing as an archaeologist, Varun Shrivastav (Ranveer Singh) arrives in the village of Manikpur in West Bengal with the intention of stealing a priceless idol from the village temple. In order to exact his plan, Varun worms his way into the affections of the local zamindar, and he greatly impresses the zamindar's plucky daughter Pakhi (Sonakshi Sinha), who is searching for adventure in her humdrum life. Varun falls madly in love with Pakhi and they plan to marry, but the truth about his identity will invariably be exposed so he must make a choice between greed and his heart.

Fire In The Blood (Cert E, 87 mins, Network, DVD £12.99, Documentary)

In the West, survival rates of Aids patients continue to improve with advances in medical science and improved access to the latest drugs. For patients in the East, the prognosis is not so positive. Documentary film-maker Dylan Mohan Gray, who was born to Irish and Punjabi parents, reveals how pharmaceutical companies and Western governments prevented African nations from having access to low-cost Aids drugs in the late 1990s, resulting in millions of deaths. Drawing inspiration from interviews with key figures including Bill Clinton, Joseph Stiglitz and Desmond Tutu, Gray's film celebrates the group of people who decided to fight back against this terrible injustice, which they deemed 'the Crime of the Century', saving countless lives in the process.

Bomb Girls - The Complete Second Series (Cert 12, 506 mins, Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99/Series 1 & 2 DVD Box Set £24.99, Drama/Romance)

War rages on and hearts continue to be broken in another 12 episodes of the Canadian wartime drama about four women - Betty (Ali Liebert), Gladys (Jodi Balfour), Kate (Charlotte Hegele) and Lorna (Meg Tilly) - who are granted new responsibilities and freedoms with the men off fighting in Europe. This series, Betty and Kate cover up a mysterious death, Gladys returns to work at the factory and a visit from the Governor General sends ripples of excitement through the workforce. A four-disc set comprising both series is also available.

Code Black: President Down (Cert 15, 90 mins, Metrodome Distribution, DVD £12.99, Action/Thriller)

Uwe Boll directs this straight-to-DVD thriller about an audacious bid to assassinate one of the most famous men on the planet. The President of the United States (Chris Shields) is closely guarded at all times, especially on official engagements away from Washington DC. When the White House confirms the president will be visiting the close-knit community of Suddenly, hit man for hire Baron (Dominic Purcell) orchestrates a daring scheme with three other marksmen to end the statesman's life. They pose as Secret Service agents and commandeer the house belonging to war widow Ellen (Erin Karpluk) since it offers a perfect view of the podium where the president will deliver his speech. Ellen and the other townsfolk swallow Baron's lies - everyone except for washed up cop Todd Shaw (Ray Liotta), who senses that the newcomers to town are not everything they claim to be.

Generation Um... (Cert 15, 95 mins, Studio Canal, DVD £15.99, Drama/Romance)

Keanu Reeves headlines this low-budget New York-set drama written and directed by Mark Mann. Forty-something chauffeur John (Keanu Reeves) works as a chauffeur for an escort service and feels out of touch with the smart, sexy and savvy clientele he conveys in the back of his car. John procures a camera and heads into the city to party with beautiful girlfriends Mia (Adelaide Clemens) and Violet (Bojana Novakovic), capturing their sexually charged exploits on film. Secrets from the past are revealed as John, Mia and Violet form an intimate bond, with unpredictable consequences.

Bajatey Raho (Cert PG, 105 mins, Eros International, DVD £12.99, Comedy/Romance/Drama)

Shashant Shah directs this comical Hindi thriller headlining Tusshar Kapoor, Ravi Kishan and Dolly Ahluwalia. Con man Sabbarwahl (Kishan) poses as a successful businessman to pull off a series of swindles that leave death and destruction in his wake. Mrs Baweja (Ahluwalia) is heartbroken when her husband dies from a heart attack after he is framed by Sabbarwahl for bank fraud. The widow takes matters into her own hands by vowing vengeance against the fraudster. She joins forces with three other victims - Sukhi (Kapoor), Mintoo (Vinay Pathak) and Ballu (Ranvir Shorey) - and together they carry out a daring plan designed to bring down Sabbarwahl in spectacular fashion. During the mission, Sukhi falls head over heels in love with Manpreet (Vishakha Singh), whose beauty and wit could prove vital assets in the war against slippery Sabbarwahl.

Just Like A Woman (Cert 15, 87 mins, Chelsea Films, DVD £15.99, Drama)

Mona (Golshifteh Farahani) is an immigrant working in Chicago, who looks after the mini-market owned by her harridan mother-in-law (Chafia Boundraa). Her husband Mourad (Roschdy Zem) refuses to stand up to his mother, who makes clear her disappointment that her son hasn't produced any grandchildren after five years of marriage. One morning, Mona discovers her mother-in-law dead and realises that she has accidently mixed up medicines. Fearing that she will be accused of murder, Mona goes on the run and computer repair shop receptionist Marilyn (Sienna Miller), who takes the same belly-dancing classes, joins her on the cross-country odyssey, unaware that Mona is a fugitive from the law.

Top 10 DVD retail

1. (1) Frozen

2. (5) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

3. (2) Gravity

4. (6) Philomena

5. (4) Game of Thrones - Season 3

6. (5) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

7. (-) Call the Midwife - Series 3

8. (8) Jillian Michaels: 30 Day Shred

9. (7) Thor: The Dark World

10. (9) Captain Phillips

(Chart supplied by amazon.co.uk)

Top 10 DVD rental

1. (4) The Hunger Games - Catching Fire

2. (1) Frozen

3. (2) Thor - The Dark World

4. (5) Captain Phillips

5. (9) Ender's Game

6. (-) The Butler

7. (6) Rush

8. (-) Monsters University

9. (-) 12 Years a Slave

10. (-) Saving Mr Banks

(Chart supplied by Amazon Prime Instant Video)

Top 10 film streaming

1. (-) Tangled

2. (3) 300

3. (7) Toy Story 3

4. (5) The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part 2

5. (6) Behind The Candelabra

6. (-) Up

7. (2) One Direction: This Is Us

8. (4) The Impossible

9. (9) Song for Marion

10. (-) Mud

(Chart supplied by Amazon Prime Instant Video)