New on DVD Week of Jan 01, 2013 - DVD 123: ‘Cosmopolis,’ ‘Little Birds’ and ‘Doctor Zhivago’

In our weekly column, we give you the lowdown on the weekly top three essential DVDs and Blu-ray releases.

Welcome to the first DVD 123 column of 2013! We’re excited to see you, and filled with our own resolutions which involve, of course, watching all the DVDs we got for Christmas and making sure we stay current on all the best and brightest that the cinematic world has to offer.

This week sees the release of director David Cronenberg’s wild foray into urban despair, “Cosmopolis.” Also available is the dramatic and edgy independent film “Little Birds” and a sprawling Russian drama starring Keira Knightley, “Doctor Zhivago.”

1. “Cosmopolis”
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Sarah Gadon, Mathieu Amalric, Jay Baruchel, Kevin Durand
Director: David Cronenberg
Studio: Entertainment One
Running Time: 109 min.
Rating: R

Based on the novel by Don DeLillo, this stirring drama revolves around the exploits of a 28-year-old billionaire (Robert Pattinson) attempting to make it across Manhattan in traffic to get a haircut from his preferred barber. Along the way he meets up with a host of strange characters, gains and loses vast amounts of money and considers the meaning of his own existence.

The special features on this release include a making-of featurette, “Citizens of Cosmopolis,” audio commentary with director David Cronenberg and interviews with the cast and crew.

The Best Buy Exclusive Blu-ray release also comes with a DVD.

2. “Little Birds”
Starring: Juno Temple, Kay Panabaker, Leslie Mann, Kate Bosworth
Director: Elgin James
Studio: Millennium Entertainment
Running Time: 94 min.
Rating: R

Teenage best friends Lily (Juno Temple) and Alison (Kay Panabaker) are bored to death in their Salton Sea hometown and often rebel against their parental figures (Leslie Mann, Kate Bosworth). When they decide to follow a few reckless boys to the exciting city of Los Angeles, their futures may be in jeopardy as they struggle to stay together and make it back home alive.

This DVD release comes with a director’s commentary, deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes featurettes that delve into the cast and crew behind this independent drama.

3. “Doctor Zhivago”
Starring: Keira Knightley, Sam Neill, Hans Matheson, Kris Marshall
Director: Giacomo Campiotti
Studio: Sony Pictures
Running Time: 226 min.
Rating: Unrated

This TV movie adaptation of the classic Russian tale finds new life on Blu-ray. The beautiful and mysterious Lara (Keira Knightley) is loved by three different men: a revolutionary (Kris Marshall), a mogul (Sam Neill) and Doctor Zhivago (Hans Matheson), all who find themselves involved in the project of revolution in Russia. Zhivago and Lara fall in love as Russia crumbles into chaos, leaving them to struggle with their identity, romance and future amidst the ruins of the only world they’ve ever known.

While this DVD release has no special features, the appearance of some big-name talent makes it worth the buy. It’s also a nice companion piece to Knightley’s other Russian drama, “Anna Karenina,” out last month.

Want more awesome DVD picks? Check in with Queue it Up over at NextMovie!

Categories: DVD