Page 22 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & III • April 23, 2014 DVD releases (continued from Restaurant page) Steiger is exceptional in this somber film. His Sol seethes with hateful remembrances and has become detached from the modern world. His Oscar-nominated performance is underplayed, with much of the pawnbroker’s angst con- veyed through facial expression, reactions, and body lan- guage. It is perhaps the actor’s most introverted role. There are no extras on this new to Blu-ray release. “Joseph Andrews” (Warner Archive) is a 1977 British period comedy based on “Tom Jones,” the 18th-century novel by Henry Fielding. Directed by Tony Richardson, the film relates the bawdy adventures of Lady Booby (Ann- Margret), alias Belle, wife of corpulent squire Sir Thomas Booby (Peter Bull). Belle has her lustful eye on villager Joseph Andrews (Peter Firth) and makes him her footman. Joseph’s heart belongs to country girl and foundling Fanny Goodwill (Natalie Ogle). When he resists Belle’s romantic advances, and those of several other women who fancy him, she fires him. Soon after, he is set upon by high- waymen who rob him of everything, including his clothes. Found and nursed by an innkeeper’s maid and aroused by her, he nonetheless remains honorable. In grand soap opera style, the movie goes on to chronicle the further adventures of the title character. The film does not have the same deft touch as “Tom Jones,” though production values are lush and the period is nicely conveyed. Ann-Margret is amusing as the femme fatale, and Firth plays Joseph with an innocence that suggests he does not understand his own appeal. There are no extras on this R-rated DVD release. “Copperhead” (Warner Home Video), inspired by actual events, is set in upstate New York around 1862. Dairy farmer Abner Beech (Billy Campbell) despises slavery, but just as passionately opposes President Lincoln’s war in the name of “union,” hundreds of miles away. Neither a Yankee nor a Rebel, Abner is what is known as a “Copperhead.” Local anti-slavery activist Hagadorn (Angus Macfadyen) stirs up the town against him with pamphlets and rumors that prompt shopkeepers to boycott Abner’s dairy products and coax the community to shun his family. Things become ever more complex when Abner’s son falls in love with Hagadorn’s daughter, marches off to war to please her, and goes missing in action. Hagadorn’s fiery rhetoric ignites a torch-burning mob that places all that both men love in mortal jeopardy. Producer/director Ron Maxwell looked at the treatment of the Civil War in the epics “Gettysburg” and “Gods and Generals.” In “Copperhead,” he redirects the focus to the ordinary people whose stories during that period are less known, but also dramatic. Reminiscent of “Shenandoah” and “Friendly Persuasion,” “Copperhead” is about the con- flict between personal beliefs and peer pressure, a theme certainly relevant in today’s world. Though the pace is very slow, the performances from a cast of unknowns are uniformly effective. There are no bonus features on this release, which is available on both Blu-ray and DVD. “Barefoot” (Lionsgate) stars Scott Speedman as Jay Wheeler, the son of a wealthy New Orleans family. Jay’s life is a mess. Courting financial ruin and hounded by a loan shark’s henchmen, he also has a long criminal rap sheet and is on probation. Part of his probation involves basic maintenance at a psychiatric hospital, where he saves patient Daisy Kensington (Evan Rachel Wood) from being sexually assaulted. When she escapes from the institution, Jay takes pity on her and decides to pass her off as his girl- friend when he attends his brother’s wedding. The film tries to be another “Silver Linings Playbook,” but fails. The contrivances pile up, Speedman and Wood ignite no sparks, and viewers never accept these charac- ters as anything more than cardboard. Supporting actors J.K. Simmons, Kate Burton, and Treat Williams are first- rate, but deserve better material. There are no extras on the DVD release.