<em>Les Misérables</em> is a deeply powerful film that's rich with raw feeling, the grittiness of life in 19th-century France, and the conflict between right, wrong, and the concept of redemption. <br /><br /><em>Les Misérables</em> takes viewers on an emotionally exhausting journey as it follows ex-convict Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) after his release from prison. Valjean breaks parole, but he is granted a second chance by a kind bishop. He then moves from place to place throughout France, trying to live an honest life while ruthless policeman Javert (Russell Crowe) hunts him relentlessly. Valjean meets the broken-spirited Fantine (Anne Hathaway), promises to care for her daughter Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) as Fantine is about to die, and finds his own life completely changed as a result of that promise. <br /><br />Like the stage play, the film is dark, gritty, and passionate, but it enhances the sense of place in early- to mid-1800s France as a staged version simply cannot. The intricately woven plot is somewhat easier to understand here, thanks to an abundance of visual cues and the camera's unique ability to focus in so closely on the actors' faces. In fact, the intimacy of the extreme close-ups used throughout is at once uncomfortable and hugely effective. <br /><br />The vocal performances are generally quite good, especially considering the decision to record them live versus the customary overdubbing. Sure, some of the actors' voices seem pushed and strained at times, but that fact often only adds to the emotional intensity of the moment. Hathaway's performance is stellar, both for her vocal prowess and for the depth of feeling conveyed and maintained in her facial expressions throughout even the lengthiest and closest of close-ups. While Crowe seems an odd choice for Javert and is definitely outsung by the other members of the cast, he holds his own when it really counts with solos that are on-pitch and arguably even more powerful for their imperfections. <br /><br />Discerning listeners will not choose the film's <em>Highlights from the Motion Picture Soundtrack</em> over the full-length London or Broadway cast recordings, but sometimes an outstanding performance isn't all about musical perfection--the overall <em>Les Misérables</em> film experience is definitely one of those cases. New for the film is the song"Suddenly," written by the musical's original composer and lyricist Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg. <br /><br />Trivia buffs will note that the bishop is played by Colm Wilkinson, who originally played Valjean in the London and Broadway stage productions, and Whore #1 is played by the original London and Broadway Eponine, Frances Ruffelle. <em>--Tami Horiuchi</em>

Oscar-winning actor Dustin Hoffman has never been one to zig when he can zag. Not only did he wait until he was in his mid-70s to direct his first feature film, but his crowd-pleasing adaptation of Ronald Harwood's 1999 play is a thoroughly British affair. Set at one of England's most scenic estates, the fictional Beecham House for Retired Musicians, <em>Quartet </em>centres on four opera singers. Cecily (Pauline Collins), Wilfred (Billy Connolly), and Reginald (Tom Courtenay, who appeared in Harwood's <em>The Dresser</em>) are busy preparing for the annual Verdi Gala when word spreads about a famous new resident. After Reggie catches sight of the elegant figure, his excitement about the benefit gives way to sorrow: it's his ex-wife, Jean (<em>Downton Abbey's</em> Maggie Smith). If the amusingly acid-tongued Jean appears to have moved on--she's married twice since--Reggie hasn't, and still blames her for the failure of their brief marriage. Under the directorship of the supremely self-satisfied Cedric (Michael Gambon), the entire facility continues to rehearse for the concert, except Jean, who says she's retired from singing, though her former partners long to perform their acclaimed version of Verdi's <em>Rigoletto</em>. As they concentrate on persuading her to reconsider, the ice between Reggie and Jean starts to thaw just as Cissy's memory starts to fade, but priorities shift as old friends become reacquainted. If <em>Quartet</em> doesn't offer many significant surprises, Hoffman skillfully honours the humour, the romance, and the wall-to-wall music--most played by veteran performers--of Harwood's warm-hearted script. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

It took some time for Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson to return to Middle Earth, but the wait was very much worth it. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey starts off by playing strongly to its links to the previous adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings trilogy, before setting off on an adventure of its own.

The first of three films based on The Hobbit , An Unexpected Journey isn't a fast film to get going, but it does spent quality time introducing its key characters. Most moviegoers are more than familiar with Sir Ian McKellen's Gandalf of course, but the collection of dwarves and Martin Freeman's take on Bilbo Baggins are all brought together, and the adventure ensues. It's a journey that's punctuated by terrifically orchestrated action sequences, a swirling score, and lavish production design.

Furthermore, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has one or two real standout moments contained within its running time, not least when we finally get reunited with Gollum. The sequence where Bilbo Baggins and Gollum come face to face is as good as anything Jackson put on screen in the Lord Of The Rings films. And while The Hobbit doesn't quite capture the magic of the earlier trilogy often enough, there's a lot here to enjoy, and plenty left to look forward to. It's beautifully, beautifully presented on disc, too. -- Jon Foster

<em>Les Misérables</em> is a deeply powerful film that's rich with raw feeling, the grittiness of life in 19th-century France, and the conflict between right, wrong, and the concept of redemption. <br /><br /><em>Les Misérables</em> takes viewers on an emotionally exhausting journey as it follows ex-convict Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) after his release from prison. Valjean breaks parole, but he is granted a second chance by a kind bishop. He then moves from place to place throughout France, trying to live an honest life while ruthless policeman Javert (Russell Crowe) hunts him relentlessly. Valjean meets the broken-spirited Fantine (Anne Hathaway), promises to care for her daughter Cosette (Amanda Seyfried) as Fantine is about to die, and finds his own life completely changed as a result of that promise. <br /><br />Like the stage play, the film is dark, gritty, and passionate, but it enhances the sense of place in early- to mid-1800s France as a staged version simply cannot. The intricately woven plot is somewhat easier to understand here, thanks to an abundance of visual cues and the camera's unique ability to focus in so closely on the actors' faces. In fact, the intimacy of the extreme close-ups used throughout is at once uncomfortable and hugely effective. <br /><br />The vocal performances are generally quite good, especially considering the decision to record them live versus the customary overdubbing. Sure, some of the actors' voices seem pushed and strained at times, but that fact often only adds to the emotional intensity of the moment. Hathaway's performance is stellar, both for her vocal prowess and for the depth of feeling conveyed and maintained in her facial expressions throughout even the lengthiest and closest of close-ups. While Crowe seems an odd choice for Javert and is definitely outsung by the other members of the cast, he holds his own when it really counts with solos that are on-pitch and arguably even more powerful for their imperfections. <br /><br />Discerning listeners will not choose the film's <em>Highlights from the Motion Picture Soundtrack</em> over the full-length London or Broadway cast recordings, but sometimes an outstanding performance isn't all about musical perfection--the overall <em>Les Misérables</em> film experience is definitely one of those cases. New for the film is the song"Suddenly," written by the musical's original composer and lyricist Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg. <br /><br />Trivia buffs will note that the bishop is played by Colm Wilkinson, who originally played Valjean in the London and Broadway stage productions, and Whore #1 is played by the original London and Broadway Eponine, Frances Ruffelle. <em>--Tami Horiuchi</em>

From the moment Jamie Foxx throws off a filthy, tattered blanket to reveal a richly muscled back crisscrossed with long scars, it's obvious that<em> Django Unchained</em> will be both true to its exploitation roots but also clear-eyed about the misery that's being exploited. <br /><br />Django (Foxx), a slave set free in the years before the Civil War, joins with a German dentist-turned-bounty hunter (the marvelous Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds), who has promised to help Django rescue his wife (Kerry Washington), who's still enslaved to a gleeful and grandiose plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio, plainly relishing the opportunity to play an out-and-out villain). What follows is a wild and woolly ride, crammed with all the pleasures one expects from a revenge fantasy written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. <br /><br />Plot-wise, some things happen a little too easily (for example, Django instantly becomes a master gunslinger), but the moral perspective is not glib. For all its lurid violence and jazzy dialogue, this is a still-rare movie that paints slavery for what it was: a brutal, dehumanizing practice that allowed a privileged few to profit from the suffering of many, a practice guaranteed by the gun and the whip. Think of it as the antidote to Gone with the Wind. Tarantino is more heartfelt in <em>Django Unchained</em> than in any of his previous movies--without sacrificing any of the pell-mell action, tension, and delicious language that made Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, and Pulp Fiction so very enjoyable. --<em>Bret Fetzer</em>

There are only so many filmmakers fearless or foolhardy enough to tackle a challenging novel, like Yann Martel's <em>Life of Pi</em>, but adaptation specialist Ang Lee (<em>Brokeback Mountain</em>) was well positioned to take it on. As a structuring device, he uses an interview between a journalist (Rafe Spall) and Pi Patel (<em>The Namesake's</em> Irrfan Khan), a Montreal immigrant with an unusual back story. As he tells the writer, his parents oversaw a zoo in French-Indian Pondicherry, and he found himself drawn to the Bengal tiger, Richard Parker--the name resulted from a clerical error--but his father (Adil Hussain) warned him to stay away. On his own, Pi became entranced by Islam, Hinduism, and Catholicism, which comes in handy when his family relocates to Canada by freighter and a brutal storm--as believably horrific as anything in <em>Titanic</em>--leaves Pi (now played by Suraj Sharma) stranded in a lifeboat with a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena, and the tiger. Soon, it's just Richard and Pi struggling against the elements for 227 days, and since he doesn't want to end up as cat food, he spends most of his time in a makeshift raft attached to the boat. It's giving nothing away to say that he makes it out alive, but the point of the journey remains more enigmatic, since fate tests Pi's faith at every turn. Whether that makes this visually spectacular film a religious allegory or not, Richard (a marvel of CGI technology) remains the biggest mystery of all. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

<strong>Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 or region free DVD player in order to play.</strong>







A powerful story based on one family's survival of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, The Impossible stars Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor and is directed by J.A. Bayona (The Orphanage).



Based on a true story, The Impossible is the unforgettable account of a family caught, with tens of thousands of strangers, in the mayhem of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time. But the true-life terror is tempered by the unexpected displays of compassion, courage and simple kindness that Maria (Naomi Watts) and her family encounter during the darkest hours of their lives. Both epic and intimate, devastating and uplifting, The Impossible is a journey to the core of the human heart.

• <strong>Actors</strong> Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland
• <strong>Directors</strong> Juan Antonio Bayona
• <strong>Language</strong> English
• <strong>Classification</strong> 12

<strong>Please note this is a region B Blu-ray and will require a region B or region free Blu-ray player in order to play.</strong>



<strong>Please note the UV copy is only compatible in participating regions, please visit the UV website for full details.</strong>







Django is a freed slave, who, under the tutelage of a German bounty hunter, becomes a bad-ass bounty hunter himself. After taking down some bad guys for profit, they track down Django's slave wife and liberate her from an evil plantation owner.

• <strong>Actors</strong> Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz, Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Zoe Bell, Amber Tamblyn, James Remar, Walton Goggins, Don Johnson, Bruce Dern, Robert Carradine, Franco Nero & James Russo
• <strong>Director</strong> Quentin Tarantino
• <strong>Certificate</strong> 18 years and over
• <strong>Year</strong> 2012
• <strong>Screen</strong> 2.40:1 Anamorphic
• <strong>Languages</strong> English
• <strong>Subtitles</strong> English ; English for the hearing impaired ; Catalan ; Hindi ; Spanish
• <strong>Closed</strong><strong>Captions</strong> Yes
• <strong>Duration</strong> 2 hours and 39 minutes (approx)

Since Inspector Morse came to an end, there's already been one subsequent series that's taken place using the characters from that world, in the form of Lewis . Endeavour , though, goes backwards, and introduces us to an earlier Morse. Here, he's no Inspector, rather a Constable, and it's Shaun Evans who takes on the role made famous by John Thaw.

There are lots of things that make Endeavour really quite special, too. For instance, it doesn't pretend to be distinct, and weaves in one or two nods to the older Inspector Morse , without ever feeling that it's dependant on it. Furthermore, Evans is excellent. He captures many of the character ticks that John Thaw brought to the role, yet finds room to make his own mark too.

However, all of this would be of little use were the investigations themselves undercooked. As it is, the four films that make up this first series of Endeavour crackle with excellent writing and strong production values. At best, they're really quite gripping, arguably even better than Lewis , and measure up to the standards set in the past. Many were sceptical when it was first announced that ITV was planning Endeavour , and it was suggested that it was a spin-off too far. Those doubters have been proven wrong in the very best possible way. -- Jon Foster

When ITV first started screening Broadchurch , ostenisbly a murder mystery from the mind of Chris Chibnall, it didn't really get an awful lot of attention. Sure, the strong cast, led by David Tennant and Olivia Colman, meant it got noticed. But detective whodunnits are hardly rare. However, as the weeks went by on original transmission, Broadchurch escalated, and by the end, large parts of the nation were gripped by one of the best mysteries to have screened in many, many years. No wonder a second series was swiftly announced.

This first one introduces us to the apparently quiet town of Broadchurch in south England. There, an 11-year schoolboy has gone missing, as two detectives, who hardly get on, are forced to join together to get to the bottom of what's happened. But all is not what it seems in Broadchurch , and to say any more would spoil the undoubted fun in watching it all unfold.

For this is premier quality drama. Tennant and Colman are excellent, but the ensemble cast bring a collection of excellent, believable performances too. It's the writing that lifts things, though, and you can't help but be gripped as the story unravels.

As well as the excellent show itself, the disc release also features a look behind the scenes of Broadchurch , along with background material. But it's that main drama that's the undoubted attraction, and one that's aching to be rewatched once seen, if only to pick up all the clues you might just have missed... -- Jon Foster

The Battle continues in Westeros with feuding families and power hungry rulers. Five Kings vie for a single, all-powerful throne in the all-new season of Game of Thrones--an epic story of duplicity and treachery, nobility and honour, conquest and triumph. Season 2 plays out against the backdrop of a fast-approaching winter. In King's Landing, the coveted Iron Throne is occupied by cruel young Joffrey, counseled by his conniving mother Cersei and uncle Tyrion. But the Lannister hold on the Throne is under assault on many fronts. There's Robb Stark, son of the slain Lord of Winterfell, Ned Stark; Daenerys Targaryen, who looks to shore up her depleted power through three newborn dragons; Stannis Baratheon, eldest brother of the late King Robert; and Stannis' brother Renly, who has maintained his own claim since fleeing King's Landing. In the meantime, a new leader is rising among the wildlings North of the Wall, adding new perils for Jon Snow and the Night's Watch. With tensions and treaties, animosity and alliances, season 2 of Game of Thrones promises to be a thrilling journey through a riveting, unforgettable landscape. Special Features • War of the Five Kings - Track the claims, strategies and key players involved in the battle for the Iron Throne with this interactive guide that follows the movements of various armies detailing their victories and defeats. • Histories & Lore - 19 animated histories detailing the mythology of Westeros and Essos as told from the varying perspectives of the characters themselves and featuring, in-part, illustrations from Game of Thrones storyboard artist Will Simpson. • In-Episode Guide - In-feature resource that provides background information about on-screen characters, locations and relevant histories. • Hidden Dragon Eggs - Find the hidden dragon eggs to uncover even more never-before-seen content. • Creating t

<strong>Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 or region free DVD player in order to play.</strong>







The complete first and second seasons of the HBO medieval fantasy drama based on the best-selling novel series 'A Song of Ice and Fire' by George R.R. Martin. The programme follows the battle between the Starks and the other noble families of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros to gain control of the Iron Throne. The episodes comprise: 'Winter Is Coming', 'The Kingsroad', 'Lord Snow', 'Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things', 'The Wolf and the Lion', 'A Golden Crown', 'You Win Or You Die', 'The Pointy End', 'Baelor', 'Fire and Blood', 'The North Remembers', 'The Night Lands', 'What Is Dead May Never Die', 'Garden of Bones', 'The Ghost of Harrenhal', 'The Old Gods and the New', 'A Man Without Honor', 'The Prince of Winterfell', 'Blackwater' and 'Valar Morghulis'.

Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. <strong>Special Features:</strong><strong>Title Sequence--Working Titles</strong><strong>Women--The Good, The Bad and the Beautiful</strong><strong>Locations--License To Travel</strong><strong>DB5--Behind the Wheel</strong><strong>Soundtrack Promotional Spot</strong>

When you hire Tom Cruise to be in your Tom Cruise movie, there's never a question that you're going to get your money's worth. The movie may not be worth the expense, but as a professional who delivers 100 percent 100 percent of the time, Cruise will give the proceedings his undivided attention. In <em>Jack Reacher</em> Cruise plays the title character with complete gusto, and even though it ends up a pretty run-of-the-mill crime drama, his presence and commitment elevates this violent, bloody, and attractively atmospheric movie to the level of, well, a reliably pleasurable Tom Cruise experience. Jack Reacher is the protagonist in a series of popular novels by Lee Child. There was some sniping among fans that Cruise bears no resemblance to Child's Reacher, a burly, shadowy former army policeman who has moved into the private investigator business--but mostly for Cruise himself. No matter; as a leading man, Cruise is always going to be himself anyway, so the ghostlike qualities built in to his character take on their own mythical qualities that allow both Cruise and Reacher to get the job done. In a somewhat unsettling opening sequence that shows a lone gunman killing a handful of seemingly random people at a public park, the mystery is born and Reacher materialises to help the police sort things out. Again seemingly, the killer has been positively identified and apprehended and is dead-to-rights guilty. But this former army sniper asks for Jack Reacher to suss out the deeper crazy truth. Reacher and the alleged gunman have a history that dates back to their military service when Reacher investigated him for heinously murdering civilians during a psychotic break, a crime that he really did commit, but for which he went unpunished due to one of those pesky legal technicalities. Nevertheless, Reacher's goal is justice, and his investigative instincts tell him this new crime points in an entirely different direction. There are several sequences that play brilliantly in the context of Reacher's skill as a killing machine on his own. One takes place in the close confines of a tiny hallway and bathroom where Reacher faces down a posse of thugs armed with guns and a baseball bat, besting them all in a flurry of acrobatic brutality. He also single-handedly beats up a gang of toughs in the alley behind a bar. But the movie's high point is an excellent chase scene between two roaring muscle cars on the dark streets of Pittsburgh (the city itself plays a great role throughout), with Cruise clearly and expertly handling the wheel himself. Though somewhat convoluted, the plot is well conceived and the large cast supports Cruise's commanding presence nicely. Richard Jenkins and Robert Duvall do their usual excellent work, though it is Werner Herzog as a wildly over-the-top villain who makes things positively gleeful in his few scenes. Of course it always comes back to Tom Cruise and his dedication to the movie's greater good that makes <em>Jack Reacher</em> so enjoyable, even when its reach exceeds its grasp. --Ted Fry

J.J. Abrams' 2009 feature film was billed as"not your father's Star Trek," but your father will probably love it anyway. And what's not to love? It has enough action, emotional impact, humor, and sheer fun for any moviegoer, and Trekkers will enjoy plenty of insider references and a cast that seems ideally suited to portray the characters we know they'll become later. Both a prequel and a reboot, Star Trek introduces us to James T. Kirk (Chris Pine of The Princess Diaries 2 ), a sharp but aimless young man who's prodded by a Starfleet captain, Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood), to enlist and make a difference. At the Academy, Kirk runs afoul of a Vulcan commander named Spock (Zachary Quinto of Heroes ), but their conflict has to take a back seat when Starfleet, including its new ship, the Enterprise, has to answer an emergency call from Vulcan. What follows is a stirring tale of genocide and revenge launched by a Romulan (Eric Bana) with a particular interest in Spock, and we get to see the familiar crew come together, including McCoy (Karl Urban), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Sulu (John Cho), Chekhov (Anton Yelchin), and Scottie (Simon Pegg).<br/> The action and visuals make for a spectacular big-screen movie, though the plot by Abrams and his writers, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (who worked together on Transformers and with Abrams on Alias and Mission Impossible III ), and his producers (fellow Losties Damon Lindeloff and Bryan Burk) can be a bit of a mind-bender (no surprise there for Lost fans ). Hardcore fans with a bone to pick may find faults, but resistance is futile when you can watch Kirk take on the Kobayashi Maru scenario or hear McCoy bark,"Damnit, man, I'm a doctor, not a physicist!" An appearance by Leonard Nimoy and hearing the late Majel Barrett Roddenberry as the voice of the computer simply sweeten the pot. Now comes the hard part: waiting for some sequels to this terrific prequel. --David Horiuchi

Considering that it's based on such an apparently unfilmable book, the superb movie of <em>Life of Pi</em> is a genuinely staggering achievement. At heart telling the story of its central character, Pi, the film juggles an assortment of themes in an accessible, compelling manner, with a mix of drama, humour and relatable emotions. No wonder it won an Oscar for its director, Ang Lee.

Lee, as it turns out, is a perfect choice for the material. He conjures up some quite wonderful imagery, to the point where there are moments you simply wish you could freeze the screen, print it off, and place the picture on your wall. He then blends in seamless effects work, not least a tiger who proves pivotal to Pi's journey, and most impressively of all, he turns it into a fabulous film, with genuinely broad appeal.



It's also a film that's that rarest of things: one that makes the most out of 3D. Even cynics towards the 3D format would have to concede that Lee has done exceptional work with <em>Life Of Pi</em>, and the 3D Blu-ray is arguably the best way to enjoy the film outside of a cinema. The scenes on the ocean, for instance, are astounding.



The disc is rounded off with some interesting behind the scenes material, although you do get a sense that there's a lot more of the story to tell. Still, <em>Life of Pi</em> is an incredible movie, and one that deserves to be enjoyed and appreciated time and time again. --<em>Jon Foster</em>

The return of Tony Stark, in the guise of Robert Downey Jr, in Iron Man 2 proves to be a welcome one. For Downey Jr utterly owns the dual role of Stark and Iron Man, and in this entertaining superhero sequel, he’s given a tricky nemesis to fight.

The foe is Mickey Rourke’s Ivan Vanko, introduced properly in a staggering action sequence set at Historic Grand Prix of Monaco. Director Jon Favreau stages this superbly, and Iron Man 2 manages to pack plenty into its opening 40 minutes as a result.

The foot does go off the gas, though, in the middle part of the film, when Iron Man 2 does get bogged down by a few too many characters and plot points. But there’s regularly something to keep the attention up, before all bets are off for the entertaining finale.

Iron Man 2 may not be a perfect sequel, but it’s certainly a good one. And it’s a thorough and rigorous home cinema workout, too. Boasting spectacular visuals and a thunderous surround sound mix, the Blu-ray edition of the film is a thrilling ride, and the best way to enjoy an already-worthwhile movie. -- Jon Foster