New on DVD: Statham Pulls Off Another Heist in 'Bank Job'
Review: "Trafic," "Daniel," and "Bank Job" are among the best new DVD releases.
July 20, 2008— -- Trafic* * * ½ (out of four), 1971, '72 in the USA, Criterion, unrated, $40Drivers congest highways, while many of their cars inevitably end up as twisted scrap. The final "Monsieur Hulot" comedy from France's Jacques Tati couldn't possibly be more topical.
Back story: Meanwhile, technology-baffled auto designer Hulot journeys futilely to an Amsterdam auto show with a state-of-the-art camper that actually does cook your dinner when not serving as a portable shower. As in the best of the later Jerry Lewis movies, Tati uses stationary camera placement while utter chaos unfolds within the frame.
Extras, extras: A two-part documentary on Hulot's development over the years; written essay; vintage TV segments on the comic approach of Tati, whose career output was limited because of funding woes and a painstaking work ethic to rival Stanley Kubrick's.
Daniel* * * 1/2, 1983, Paramount/Legend, R, no extras, $15
Among the rarest of "Reds"-type birds: a major studio release that enthusiastically portrays America's Old Left, though in this particular story, gloom naturally trumps the enthusiasm.
Back story: Inspired by the controversial 1953 execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg for allegedly passing atomic bomb secrets to the Soviets, Sidney Lumet's movie of E.L. Doctorow's fictionalized "The Book of Daniel" (screenplay by the author), deals primarily with the effect of family notoriety on children. One offspring (Amanda Plummer) is institutionalized, while the other (Timothy Hutton) is a less obvious head case prone to caustic outbursts. With powerful childhood flashbacks, an ill-received movie that Lumet regards as one of his best has weathered a quarter-century well, in part because there aren't many like it.
The Bank Job* * *, 2008, Lionsgate, R, $35
The subject is 1971's London/Baker Street robbery of a Lloyds Bank — for which the government, some allege, quickly forbade news coverage. The movie speculates why.
Back story: Roger Donaldson can be a capable director with simpatico material (see 1987's "No Way Out" or "Thirteen Days" for two standouts). This time, he fashions an above-average heist pic, despite lock-jawed Jason Statham as his lead. For felonious motivation, there's cheeky Saffron Burrows beckoning Statham and his uncommonly motley crew to tunnel into the Lloyds vault. For suspense, there's underground drilling — and what about that safety deposit box with orgy photos of a royal family member?
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