DVD & Blu-Ray reviews: Frances Ha, What Maisie Knew, Upstream Colour, The Way, Way Back, Lovelace

(Metrodome)

Frances Ha (15), Noah Baumbach (86mins)

Greta Gerwig’s flighty Frances is initially maddening, with her gawky dancing in the street and her painfully honest conversation (“I’m too tall to marry”). However, you not only start to become fond of Frances, but you realise that the twentysomething New Yorkers she surrounds herself with are a harsh, unhappy bunch. Frances’s brief trip back to her loving family in Sacramento is an exceptional five minutes of film-making and Noah Baumbach and Gerwig, who co-wrote this black-and-white comedy, smartly capture a warm-hearted 27-year-old’s reluctance to “grow up”.

****

What Maisie Knew (15), Scott McGehee (99mins)

Julianne Moore and Steve Coogan are convincing as toxic parents in Scott McGehee’s update of Henry James’s 1897 novel. The unpleasant couple squabble over custody of their sweet six-year old daughter, Maisie (Onata Aprile). They both get custody and promptly leave her in the care of their new, young spouses (Joanna Vanderham and Alexander Skarsgård). Fortunately, it turns out Maisie prefers spending time with her new step parents. A sentimental but nicely acted and affecting tale of irresponsible parenting.

***

Upstream Colour (12), Shane Carruth (97mins)

Shane Carruth finally returns, nine years after his mind-blowing debut Primer, with another intangible blast of sci-fi. The auteur plays Jeff, who hooks up with Kris (Amy Seimetz). The pair have been meddled with by a “thief” who implanted a parasitic creature into their bodies and, in Kris’s case, hypnotised her and stolen all her savings. To rid herself of the grub, a pig farmer transfuses the creature into a pig... Telepathy, Walden’s Pond and porcines feature heavily in this precisely crafted, challenging oddity/mystery.

****

The Way, Way Back (12), Nat Faxon, Jim Rash (103mins)

This tonally satisfying coming-of-age tale centres on awkward 14-year-old Duncan, who receives three out of 10 for his personality from his mum’s bullying new boyfriend, Trent (Steve Carell). On vacation, he escapes hectoring Trent when he helps out Sam Rockwell’s perky pool attendant. This light comedy is similar in feel to the excellent Adventureland and is blessed by a hugely sympathetic performance from Toni Collette as Duncan’s mother.

****

Lovelace (18), Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman (93mins)

This grim true story centres on Deep Throat’s Linda Lovelace. Based on the porn star’s autobiography, Ordeal, the film is more concerned with Linda’s marriage to vile Chuck Taylor (Peter Sarsgaard), who subjects Linda to a series of humiliations. This depressing tale benefits from a convincing turn from Sarsgaard and a committed lead performance from Amanda Seyfried as Lovelace.

***