
courtesy of IFC Films
As the film progresses, interviews with Weiwei are interspersed with segments from friends, family and collaborators. There's also a good amount of rather startling on-the-spot footage as the artist squares off with aggressive city cops and government officials. The final scenes are fraught with tension.
What happens to Weiwei — what's still happening to him — is truly frightening. But the movie has moments of humor and tenderness throughout. Director Klayman is no acolyte, either. The film casts a critical eye at key junctures, and the Chinese government is never reduced to evil monolithic status.
The continuing saga of Ai Weiwei is fascinating and packed with drama. That his story has been so skillfully documented by a first-time filmmaker is almost to good to be true. Then again, artists worldwide have been rallying to Weiwei's side these last couple of years. Heads up, Central Committee. I think you've pissed them off.
Extras on both DVD and Blu-ray include deleted scenes and extended interviews.
Also New This Week:
Another Oscar favorite, the bayou fever dream Beasts of the Southern Wild comes to DVD and Blu-ray with bonus extras that fans of the film should savor: deleted scenes, audition reels and a making-of doc.
Class resentments boil over in blockbuster fashion with the final installment of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises.
The sweet family fable The Odd Life of Timothy Green explores the possibilities of growing your own fifth-grader in the vegetable garden.
Australian funnyman Chris Lilley hits DVD with two series collections, Angry Boys and We Can Be Heroes.
Plus: Jennifer Garner in the dark comedy Butter; lost cetaceans in the documentary The Whale; and the awesomeness that is Kenny goddamned Powers in Eastbound & Down: The Complete Third Season.