DVD Picks

Pick of the Week

50/50

Comedy-drama; Rated R for language throughout, sexual content and some drug use; available on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download

The Gist: When 20-something nice guy Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is diagnosed with a rare cancer, his best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) stands by his side with unswerving loyalty and filthy jokes.

The Lowdown: "50/50" is based on the real-life story of screenwriter Will Reiser and his experience with an unexpected cancer diagnosis in his 20s. Reiser and Rogen, best friends off-screen, developed the script together and Rogen used his Hollywood clout to get the film made.

A mostly successful blend of heart and humor, "50/50" is anchored by Gordon-Levitt's subtle and likable performance in the lead role. While Gordon-Levitt holds the center, Rogen bounces around in his patented man-child mode, cracking dirty jokes and generating both the film's best and worst moments.

When Rogen connects as Kyle, we feel his decency and loyalty toward his friend Adam, and there's an interesting comic tension between the dead-serious cancer story and Kyle's quest to get them both laid. Rogen is undeniably funny, and he carries the film's best scenes with his friendly bulldog enthusiasm. Unfortunately, several scenes devolve into a kind of creepy, casual misogyny that diminishes the characters and their dilemma.

The Extras: Audio commentary track with Reiser and Rogen, deleted scenes, and three featurettes on the film's back story.

The Bottom Line: A touching and funny movie that finds new ways to blend comedy and drama.

Double Secret Bonus Tip: Joseph Gordon-Levitt was a last-minute replacement for James McAvoy and had about a week to prepare before filming began. He's clearly a quick study, and earned a Golden Globe nomination for best actor.

The Whistleblower

Drama; Rated R for disturbing violent content including a sexual assault, graphic nudity and language; available on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download

The Gist: Based on a true story, Rachel Weisz plays the U.N. peacekeeper who exposed a sex trafficking ring in 1990s postwar Bosnia.

The Lowdown: One of last year's most underrated films, "The Whistleblower" is a harrowing suspense drama about official corruption and the collateral damage of war.

The essentials of the story are based on the experiences of Kathy Bolkovac, a Nebraska cop who took a job with the U.N. peacekeeping force in Bosnia in the 1990s. While serving there, she uncovered a prostitution ring in which girls - some as young as 14 - were sold to the peacekeepers who were supposed to be protecting them.

"The Whistleblower" follows Bolkovac's investigation as it climbs the ladder of the U.N. administration and, significantly, the private security firms it employs. The film is unsparing in its depiction of the sex ring, and you should be aware that there are some scenes of stomach-turning brutality.

The second half of the movie works as a suspense thriller, with Weisz trying to tell friend from foe among her colleagues, including Monica Bellucci as a frosty government official, David Strathairn as an Internal Affairs investigator, and Vanessa Redgrave as U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Director Larysa Kondracki avoids the cliches of the suspense thriller, keeping the film's attention properly focused. And Weisz is just amazing as a woman determined to do the right thing, no matter the cost.

The Extras: A single featurette on the real-life Bolkovac.

The Bottom Line: A grim, hard drama with a powerhouse lead performance.

Double Secret Bonus Tip: The officials implicated in the Bosnian prostitution ring were never tried, due to various international immunity laws.