“The Bureau: The Complete Series” (Kino Lorber Blu-ray)
Debuting on French television in 2015, “The Bureau” opens in Damascus as a French agent, who calls himself Paul, explains to his Syrian mistress, Nadia, that he’s leaving abruptly. His cover story involves teaching at French-language schools across the Near East. Their anguished lovers’ conversation is being watched through grainy surveillance footage by Paul’s home office in Paris. Paul (and we’ll call him that to keep from confusion) works for the DCSE, the French equivalent of the CIA, with whom they have a cooperative/uncooperative relationship. The DGSE is running deep cover operations in Syria to monitor the civil war, and in Algeria, to keep an eye on its authoritarian regime as well the Islamist militants in the country’s hinterlands. But the uncertainty of human beings can throw off the best laid plans.
“The Bureau” slowly builds interest as the characters and their dilemmas grow more understandable and (in many cases) sympathetic—and there are enough characters to fill a Balzac novel. The intrigue comes in triplicate in a shadow world where no one can be trusted, not even the colleague at the next desk, and the shifting designs of geopolitics leave many casualties. The Blu-ray release spreads five seasons over 15 discs. (David Luhrssen)
Dream Horse (Opening In theaters May 21)
Who doesn’t love an underdog story, especially one that ups the ante with an under-horse. This true story centers around Welsh bartender Jan Vokes (Toni Collette), whose dull work-a-day life inspires the pursuit of an impossible dream. After learning of race horse alliances from visitor Howard (Damian Lewis), Jan persuades her fellow townies to invest in breeding their own racehorse. Touted as a feel-good movie, the film debuted at Sundance where it received all positive reviews. Critics laud Collette’s portrayal, along with that of the temperamental horse that defies expectations. (Lisa Miller)
Madame Rosa (Kino Classics Blu-ray)
Elderly Madame Rosa (Simone Signoret) trudges home through the Paris slums and slowly negotiates the winding stairs of her walk-up. Fortunately, she’s a beloved figure in her neighborhood—as the woman who took in the children of prostitutes, running a sort of day school and orphanage. She’s Jewish and raises her favorite, an adolescent Algerian boy called Momo, as a Muslim. The district is diverse with African, Arab, Jewish and French residents, each with prejudices but getting along as neighbors. Although lightened by comedic moments, this Oscar-winning 1977 film is a bittersweet meditation on social, human and sacred values as well as the gnawing fear of the elderly, not of death but the undignified pathway to the grave. Takeaway thought from Momo: “We can’t live without someone to love.” (David Luhrssen)
“Man with a Camera: The Complete Series” (MPI Media DVD)
Charles Bronson was one of Hollywood’s toughest tough guys. He worked in television long before Death Wish, including the series “Man with a Camera” (1958-1960). Bronson starred as Mike Kovac, a freelance photographer who inhabits a realm usually reserved for private detectives—fixed boxing matches, protection rackets, all-night cafes with hot jazz on the jukebox, not to mention blackmail and murder. The show was hardboiled crime fiction transposed to small screens. The B-grade production was buoyed by good acting and sometimes engaging screenplays. Kovac wasn’t afraid to punch his way into a photo shoot. (David Luhrssen)
P!nk: All I Know So Far (Streaming May 21 on Amazon)
Performing 156 shows in 18 countries, may sound glamorous, but it’s hard work. To achieve her vision for the 2018-2019 “Beautiful Trauma” world tour, Pink performs aerial acrobatics along with live vocals and choreography with a game crew. Too often, performances in differently cities are a mere day apart. Pink brings along her husband, Carey Hart and their two young children. The boss, the star, and the engine behind the tour, the many hats Pink wears would overwhelm most hat racks. She appears to love every moment, revealing the attitude behind her global success. Me, I’m exhausted from simply watching the trailer. (Lisa Miller)
