Blu-ray Picks for Early 2013

by Tony Dayoub

My recent hiatus had one silver lining. It did give me a chance to catch up on some of the most notable Blu-ray releases of 2013 so far (including a couple of my favorite movies of 2012 and 2011). All photos are captured directly from the Blu-ray, so click on each to enlarge to the proper resolution. Without further ado, here are some brief thoughts on each disc after the jump.

Awards Predictions 2013

Click on poster for a larger view. It's pretty neat!

by Tony Dayoub

For unavoidable life-related reasons—nothing bad, just requiring attention—I've been absent far too long from the site. But I promise to make it up to you when I return with one doozy of a Blu-ray guide. In the meantime, how can I let this weekend, the culmination of awards season, slip by without notice? I'm not too good of a prognosticator when it comes to these things, especially when many of my favorite films aren't even nominated. Those pesky emotions get in the way, you know? Still, Indiewire found reason to ask me and some other fellow critics who we thought should and would win both the Independent Spirit awards and the Oscars. I gave it my best shot. To see the results (and what other critics participated), click here for the Spirit poll and here for the Oscar poll. Here's my individual ballot for each:

Basking in the Light of Café de Flore

by Tony Dayoub

After opening throughout most of the U.S. at the end of last year, Café de Flore finally arrives in Atlanta today. The dark, romantic fantasy, directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, has a distinctly Euro vibe that belies its Québécois origins, a fact which makes the film a more viable American art-house release than the usual Canadian fare. Intercutting between two disparate but eerily parallel storylines, one set in late 60s Paris, the other in contemporary Montreal, Vallée takes his time in revealing what links the plots. And unlike the typical movie of this kind, he manages to keep the viewer in suspense for exactly the amount of time he meant to.