Recommended Discs & Deals: ‘Toni Erdmann,’ ‘Daughters of the Dust,’ Jacques Demy, and More

Every week we dive into the cream of the crop when it comes to home releases, including Blu-ray and DVDs, as well as recommended deals of the week. Check out our rundown below and return every Tuesday for the best (or most interesting) films one can take home. Note that if you’re looking to support the site, every purchase you make through the links below helps us and is greatly appreciated.

Daughters of the Dust (Julie Dash)

At the dawn of the 20th century, a multi-generational family in the Gullah community on the Sea Islands off of South Carolina – former West African slaves who adopted many of their ancestors’ Yoruba traditions – struggle to maintain their cultural heritage and folklore while contemplating a migration to the mainland, even further from their roots. Cohen Media Group is proud to present the 25th anniversary restoration of director Julie Dash’s landmark film Daughters of the Dust. The first wide release by a black female filmmaker, Daughters of the Dust was met with wild critical acclaim and rapturous audience response when it initially opened in 1991. Casting a long legacy, Daughters of the Dust still resonates today, most recently as a major in influence on Beyonce’s video album Lemonade. Restored (in conjunction with UCLA) for the first time with proper color grading overseen by cinematographer AJ Jafa, audiences will finally see the film exactly as Julie Dash intended. – Cohen Media Group

Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade)

Maren Ade‘s Toni Erdmann is one of the most stirring cinematic experiences to come around in a long time. It’s also immensely rewarding to witness, and Ade makes sure to gift her protagonist, Ines (Sandra Hüller), with moments of transcendent catharsis so as to prevent the film from deteriorating into a depressing wallow in the miseries of contemporary life. Ines’ ferocious rendition of Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All” and a spontaneous nude birthday party wonderfully evoke her suffering as they affirm her struggle. They also represent an exemplary harnessing of cinema’s full potential to bring viewer and character into a state of mutual ecstasy. – Giovanni M.C.

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Young Girls of Rochefort (Jacques Demy)

Released in the summer of 2014, The Criterion Collection’s Jacques Demy box set quickly become my most-watched release from the company (barring any Malick selections). Nearly three years later, two of the stand-outs on the set are now getting solo releases. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Young Girls of Rochefort are both dazzling masterpieces, the former achingly bittersweet while the latter delights in buoyant, vibrantly-designed dance sequences. With their candy-coated colors and iconic Michel Legrand compositions, these are the perfect entry point into the magical world of Demy. – Jordan R.

Also Arriving This Week

Brimstone (review)
Hidden Figures (review)
Lion (review)
War on Everyone (review)