DVD Review - May 24

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey, Jean Dujardin, Kyle Chandler, Joanna Lumley, Cristin Milioti.

In the aftermath of Black Monday, Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio) loses his job and is forced to sell penny stocks at a fly-by-night operation in Long Island. Blessed with the gift of the gab, Jordan excels and decides to open his own firm, Stratton Oakmont, with salesman Donnie Azoff (Jonah Hill). The business goes from strength to strength and Jordan jettisons his wife Teresa (Cristin Milioti) to romance blonde bombshell Naomi Lapaglia (Margot Robbie). Meanwhile, the 'work hard, play harder' mantra of Stratton Oakmont attracts the attentions of tenacious FBI Agent Patrick Denham (Kyle Chandler), who resolves to bring down Jordan and his hedonistic inner circle. The Wolf Of Wall Street is a lurid portrait of debauchery following the same misaligned moral compass as Oliver Stone's Oscar-winning 1987 drama Wall Street. Greed isn't just good, it's a cornerstone of this gaudy, hallucinogenic American dream, allowing the unscrupulous to prey on the weak in order to finance flashy apartments, fast cars and copious amounts of nose candy. It's hard to believe that 71-year-old Martin Scorsese is the ringmaster of this booze, sex, coke and testosterone-fuelled circus. The director pulls no punches in his depiction of Belfort's wild excesses including myriad scenes of pill-popping and a slow-motion orgy on a private jet - the film wears its 18 certificate as a badge of honour. Scorsese's brio coupled with DiCaprio's twitchy lead performance ease some of the pain of the excessive running time, and the nasty stink of the script's depiction of women as suckers and sex objects.

Rating: ****

Also released

Assault On Wall Street (Cert 18, 99 mins, Metrodome Distribution, Thriller/Action/Romance, also available to buy DVD £12.99 - see below)

Bad Blood (Cert 15, 98 mins, Anchor Bay Home Entertainment, Action/Thriller, also available to buy DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99 - see below)

Dangerous Mind Of A Hooligan (Cert 15, 79 mins, Signature Entertainment, Thriller/Action, also available to buy DVD £14.99/Blu-ray £17.99 - see below)

Jai Ho (Cert 15, 135 mins, Eros International, Action/Thriller, also available to buy DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £15.99 - see below)

NEW TO BUY ON DVD/BLU-RAY

Orange Is The New Black (Cert 15, 700 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, DVD £34.99/Blu-ray £39.99, Drama/Comedy/Romance)

Starring: Taylor Schilling, Laura Prepon, Michael J Harney, Michelle Hurst, Kate Mulgrew, Jason Biggs, Danielle Brooks, Taryn Manning, Emma Myles, Abigail Savage, Alysia Reiner, Natasha Lyonne.

Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) wallows in domestic bliss with her fiance Larry (Jason Biggs) in New York until her cosy existence implodes. She is sentenced to 15 months in prison for carrying drugs money a decade earlier for her ex-girlfriend Alex (Laura Prepon). Separated from the man she adores, Piper meekly accepts her punishment and struggles to click with her cellmate Miss Claudette (Michelle Hurst) and fearsome top dog, Galina Reznikov (Kate Mulgrew). Social worker Sam Healy (Michael J Harney) feels desperately sorry for Piper and aids her induction but even he cannot prepare Piper for the shock of discovering that old flame Alex is incarcerated in the same prison. Based on Piper Kerman's memoir of the same name, Orange Is The New Black is a beautifully scripted comedy drama, which nimbly cuts back and forth between inmates and staff as they struggle to co-exist behind bars. The 13 episodes are well paced and threaded with black humour, exploring the ripples from past and present through a deftly constructed patchwork of flashbacks. The claustrophobic setting intensifies the churn of emotions, leaving us hankering for more including a cliffhanger ending to the concluding episode. Performances are exemplary across the board, not least Schilling, who accepts her sentence as a wide-eyed innocent and learns that kindness is in desperately short supply on the inside. Screen chemistry with Prepon smoulders and Mulgrew is terrific as the formidable queen of the prison canteen, whose idea of a sandwich filling in the opening installment is hard to swallow, even for fans of the marginally superior and grittier 1990s TV series Oz.

Rating: ****

Vera - Series Four (Cert 12, 356 mins, ITV Studios Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99, Drama/Thriller)

Death is closer to home than Sergeant Joe Ashworth (David Leon) would like in the opening episode of the ITV crime series based on the acclaimed books by Ann Cleeves, when his daughter Jessie (Mia Wyles) witnesses the demise of an old lady on a train. Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope (Brenda Blethyn) is soon on the case, leading her team to the unlikely culprit. The DVD includes the murder investigations On Harbour Street, The Protected, The Deer Hunters and Death Of A Family Man.

The Crimson Field (Cert 15, 360 mins, Acorn Media, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99, War/Drama/Romance)

Recently broadcast on BBC One, this six-part wartime drama chronicles the trials and tribulations of staff and patients in a front-line hospital in France. Sister Margaret Quayle (Kerry Fox) is dismayed when nurse Grace Carter (Hermione Norris) is promoted to the position of Matron. Grace's promotion coincides with the arrival of three new nurses, Flora (Alice St Clair), Kitty (Oona Chaplin) and Rosalie (Marianne Oldham), who are determined to make an invaluable contribution to the war effort and treat all injured soldiers equally despite the obvious class and social divides.

Parks And Recreation - Season Five (Cert 15, 665 mins, Fabulous Films, DVD £34.99, Comedy/Romance)

Three-disc box set of 22 episodes from the Emmy-nominated sitcom set in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. This series, well-meaning bureaucrat Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) continues to nurture her dream of holding court in the White House, Ben (Adam Scott) entertains a job offer in Florida that will take him far away from Leslie, Ron (Nick Offerman) announces a series of contentious budget cuts and Chris (Rob Lowe) foolishly sets up a helpline for citizens to discuss their problems.

Lost Girl - The Complete Fourth Season (Cert 15, 550 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD £29.99, Fantasy/Drama)

Stolen memories cause far-reaching complications in 13 more episodes of the Canadian fantasy drama, which follows the adventures of Bo (Anna Silk), a mythical Succubus who feeds on the sexual energy of humans. This series, sassy human sidekick Kenzi (Ksenia Solo) shares a kiss with police detective Dyson (Kris Holden-Ried), Bo discovers she is a Dark Fae and a Druid called Massimo (Tom Rozon) plots to behead Bo in order to make his mother proud.

New Worlds (Cert 12, 260 mins, Acorn Media, DVD £19.99, Drama/Romance)

Channel 4's historical drama centres on four English people, whose fortunes entwine on both sides of the Atlantic during the tyrannical reign of King Charles II. On home soil, Beth (Freya Mavor) is drawn to handsome rebel Abe (Jamie Dornan) and he spirits her away from her life of privilege. Meanwhile in America, gun-toting Hope (Alice Englert) joins landowner's son Ned (Joe Dempsie) in a quest to free their country from the oppression that the King has created.

Princess Mononoke (Cert PG, 128 mins, Optimum Home Entertainment, Blu-ray & DVD Combi-pack £24.99, Animation/Drama)

As Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki's final film The Wind Rises screens in UK cinemas, one of his earlier works, the 1997 fantasy Princess Mononoke, arrives on Blu-ray for the very first time. Young warrior Ashitaka (voiced by Billy Crudup) slays a demon but he is plagued by a curse that will slowly kill him. Hii-sama (Debi Derryberry), the wise woman of the village counsels Ashitaka to seek a cure in the forests of the west. En route, the valiant prince befriends a monk turned mercenary called Jiko-bo (Billy Bob Thornton) and becomes embroiled in a titanic battle between the humans led by Lady Eboshi (Minnie Driver) and the woodland creatures led by San (Claire Danes), a young woman raised by wolves. Another Studio Ghibli title, The Cat Returns, is also released on Blu-ray for the first time this week.

Angry Birds Toons - Season One, Volume Two (Cert U, 70 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD £9.99, Animation/Children/Comedy)

Another 26 bite-size episodes of the animated series based on the popular video game franchise, which remains one of the most downloaded apps across smartphone platforms. Angry Birds Toons unfolds on Piggy Island where Red and his feathered friends Chuck, Matilda, Bomb, the Blues and Terence continue to fly high in order to protect their eggs from pernicious porcine thieves. The DVD also includes four behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Bad Blood (Cert 15, 98 mins, Anchor Bay Home Entertainment, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99, Action/Thriller)

Hannah Lee Baker (Abigail Breslin) is a highly intelligent and resourceful young woman with a love of chess. She is devoted to her sister Amber (Alexa Vega) but lives in fear of her uncle, Frank (Sean Bean), who is a sadistic gangster in control of drug dealing and violence in the neighbourhood. When Amber falls head over heels in love with one of Frank's bitter rivals, Bill Owens (James Purefoy), Hannah foresees terrible danger for her sibling so she turns to the game of chess to skilfully play the various sides off against one another in the hope that she can neutralise the threat to Amber and herself.

Dangerous Mind Of A Hooligan (Cert 15, 79 mins, Signature Entertainment, DVD £14.99/Blu-ray £17.99, Thriller/Action)

Greedy bankers are lined up for a bashing in this violent thriller from the creators of The Rise And Fall Of A White Collar Hooligan. Anthony (Simon Phillips), Caesar (Samuel Anoyke), Danny (Paul Marlon), Michael (Mark Sangster) and Rowntree (Roger Griffiths) are thugs from the football terraces, who have decided to channel their aggression into a life of crime. A mysterious mastermind hires the quintet to rob a bank and deal a blow - literally - to one of the businesses that plunged Britain into economic crisis. The police are soon on the trail of Anthony, Caesar, Danny, Michael and Rowntree, who must learn to trust one another quickly if they are to pull off the heist and avoid a lengthy spell behind bars.

Assault On Wall Street (Cert 18, 99 mins, Metrodome Distribution, DVD £12.99, Thriller/Action/Romance)

The financial district of New York City becomes a target for an enraged husband in Uwe Boll's explosive thriller. Retired soldier Jim Baxford (Dominic Purcell) served his country with pride and now enjoys a quieter life with his beautiful wife Rosie (Erin Karpluk). When Rosie is diagnosed with a brain tumour, Jim knows the only means to pay for her treatment is to cash in his military pension. So he visits his financial advisor, who informs Jim that the money is gone as a result of bad investments. Jim is forced to borrow money from friends while he spends yet more cash on an attorney to sue his financial advisor. The stress eventually takes its toll on the Baxfords and Jim snaps. He heads to Wall Street where he intends to go on a killing spree and gun down everyone who has abused their power in the name of profits.

Bonnie & Clyde (Cert 15, 167 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99, Drama/Thriller/Romance)

Bruce Beresford directs this lavish two-part US TV miniseries, which revives the legend of the eponymous outlaws. Bonnie Parker (Holliday Grainger) is a waitress intoxicated by the fantasy of Hollywood stardom, who dreams of something better. She meets small-time crook Clyde Barrow (Emile Hirsch) and sparks fly because she recognises that he can offer her an escape to the life of excitement she craves. Bonnie incites Clyde to commit a series of daring bank robberies that earn the couple nationwide celebrity. As the crime waves gathers momentum, Texas Ranger Frank Hamer (William Hurt) comes out of retirement to track down Bonnie and Clyde and halt their reign of terror.

Father Brown - Series 2 (Cert 12, 480 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £24.99/Blu-ray £34.99, Drama)

Mark Williams reprises his role as the titular man of God, who uses his expert detective skills to unravel complicated cases, in another 10 episodes of the BBC One period drama based on the eponymous character created by GK Chesterton. This series, Father Brown continues to infuriate Inspector Valentine (Hugo Speer) by probing the disappearance of a parishioner in the fictional Cotswold village of Kembleford, and he offers emotional support to a terminally ill fellow priest (Anton Lesser).

Jai Ho (Cert 15, 135 mins, Eros International, DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £15.99, Action/Thriller)

Salman Khan and Tabu headline this Bollywood action thriller directed by Sohail Khan. Ex-army officer Jai (Khan) is an honest, decent man, who has dedicated his life to waging war on corruption. Every time he helps a stranger, Jai encourages this person to perform a good deed for someone else, passing on his selflessness in the hope that one day, a wave of kindness will wash away the injustice and degradation. Jai's crusade pits him against a corrupt politician, who will stop at nothing to seize power. The war between the two factions becomes increasingly brutal and bloody, and Jai's devoted sister Geeta (Tabu) is caught in the middle.

He Wasn't Just A Fifth Member Of Joy Division (Cert E, 227 mins, Cargo Records, DVD £12.99, Documentary/Musical)

Chris Hewitt directs this valentine to musician and producer Martin Hannett, who is best known for producing the Joy Division albums Unknown Pleasures and Closer. In this revealing film, Bernard Sumner, Tony Wilson and Peter Hook and other luminaries reflect on Hannett and his long and varied career, celebrating the myriad musical projects for which he was the creative dynamo.

Grey Wolf: The Escape Of Adolf Hitler (Cert 15, 94 mins, High Fliers Video Distribution, DVD £12.99, Documentary/Drama/War)

Based on the novel by Gerrard Williams and Simon Dunstan, and directed by the latter, Grey Wolf: The Escape Of Adolf Hitler dramatizes an alternative version of historical events that signalled the end of the Second World War. On April 30, 1945 the world learns that Adolf Hitler has committed suicide in a bunker with his lover Eva Braun to avoid capture by the Soviets. In the following decades, eyewitnesses cast doubt reports of Hitler's demise, suggesting that the Fuhrer secretly fled to Argentina to begin a new life with a wife and two children.

SpongeBob Squarepants: Deep-Sea Books (Cert PG, 142 mins, Paramount Home Entertainment, DVD £7.99, Animation/Family/Comedy)

SpongeBob, his best friend Patrick and the other colourful residents of the underwater town of Bikini Bottom muster some competitive spirit in more than two hours of sport-themed episodes from the animated Nickelodeon series. The DVD includes Extreme Spots, The Fry Cook Games, Karate Choppers, A Friendly Game, Jellyfishing, Demolition Doofus, Shuffleboarding, Krusty Krushers, A Life In The Day, The Hot Shot, Prehibernation Week and Musclebob Buffpants.

Forest Of The Living Dead (Cert 15, 89 mins, Point Blank, DVD £14.99, Horror/Thriller/Romance)

American model Arianna (Kyle Lardner) is devastated when her boyfriend Jason (Aidan Bristow) dumps her. Plunged into an emotional maelstrom, Arianna heads to Aokigahara, a forest at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan, and takes her own life. Surrounded by flora and fauna, Arianna transforms into a vengeful spirit, who wreaks revenge on the people who advised Jason to abandon her. Michael Madsen co-stars.

TOP 10 DVD RETAIL

1 (1) Frozen

2 (8) 12 Years a Slave

3 (10) The Wolf of Wall Street

4 (2) The Railway Man

5 (4) Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred

6 (5) The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

7 (7) Endeavour: The Complete Second Series

8 (-) Generation War

9 (-) Philomena

10 (9) Game of Thrones - Season 3

(Chart supplied by Amazon)

TOP 10 DVD RENTAL

1 (1) Frozen (2013)

2 (10) 12 Years a Slave (2013)

3 (7) The Railway Man (2013)

4 (2) The Hunger Games - Catching Fire (2013)

5 (6) Gravity (2012)

6 (4) American Hustle (2013)

7 (5) Captain Phillips (2013)

8 (3) Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2014)

9 (8) Thor - The Dark World (2013)

10 (9) Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

(Chart supplied by Amazon Prime Instant Video)

TOP 10 FILM STREAMING

1 (1) Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

2 (2) Sherlock Holmes - A Game of Shadows (2011)

3 (3) Chronicle (2012)

4 (4) Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (2013)

5 (6) Lie With Me (2005)

6 (5) This Means War (2012)

7 (-) J. Edgar (2011)

8 (8) Project X (2012)

9 (7) Contagion (2011)

10 (10) Side Effects (2013)

(Chart supplied by Amazon Prime Instant Video)