Julie & Julia
(Sony Pictures, $28.96)
Meryl Streep is the “Julia Child of our dreams,” said Salon.com. In Nora Ephron’s mouthwatering ode to the culinary queen, Child’s path from expatriate housewife to famous chef is smoothly juxtaposed with the story of a present-day Brooklynite (Amy Adams) trying to knead, braise, and sauté her way through Child’s recipes.
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The First Saturday in May
(Indieblitz Releasing, $19.98)
It’s clear that the film’s directors, Brad and John Hennegan, harbor a “lifelong obsession” with the Kentucky Derby, said The Seattle Times. As they follow a few promising contenders through the ups and downs of the 2006 event, the film often seems “more heart than art,” but the Hennegans’ enthusiasm shines through.
AK 100: 25 Films by Akira Kurosawa
(Criterion, $399.95)
The films of Akira Kurosawa “almost single-handedly introduced the Western world” to the idea that Japanese film could be high art, said Time Out New York. This collection is essentially the director’s “entire career in one container,” including such landmark films as Rashomon, Yojimbo, and Seven Samurai.
