Colin Firth disappears in 'Arthur Newman'

A man's quest for a new life and a woman facing a changing world are themes in this week's top DVD releases.

Arthur Newman: Colin Firth has the uncanny ability to play both king and commoner with compassion, dignity, and reverence. Whether it was his lovesick efforts in Love Actually or his frustration in The King's Speech, Firth showed that it's heart that makes a great performer. His heart-filled work is plentiful in Arthur Newman, in which he plays Wallace Avery, a failure as a husband, father, professional golfer, and FedEx employee. He decides his life is so awful, he fakes his death and starts over as Arthur Newman. This transformation might have worked had he not met a person equally as damaged in Charlotte (Emily Blunt). As if drawn together by the failings in their lives, the pair take to the road on a journey of discovery.

The film is an emotional road trip that ends as interestingly as it starts. The outstanding performances by Firth and Blunt make this quest well worth the ride.

The East: Trying to make a terrorist cell the sympathetic center of a movie is risky. Make its members too likable and the story comes across weak. Make them too despicable and the audience won't care what happens to them. The East's screenplay - by director Zal Batmanglij and the film's star, Brit Marling - lands firmly in the middle. By finding balance, there's no big message of good or evil; there are situations and desperate acts that result in reexamination of what is good and bad.

This encourages the audience to invest in the story rather than stay a passive observer - a major theme of the movie.

Now You See Me: A bank-robbing illusionist makes money disappear. Until the final scene, this is a mildly interesting look at what happens when larceny meets illusion. Imagine David Copperfield becoming a member of the Ocean's Eleven gang.

Director Louis Leterrier is deft when dealing with the stage presentations, but doesn't have equal ability staging the more emotional moments.

Also new on DVD this week:

Sharknado: Los Angeles faces danger of sharks being spewed by giant tornadoes.

Empire State: Security guard gets pulled into a robbery scheme. Dwayne Johnson stars.

Cockneys vs. Zombies: East Enders must stop a London zombie outbreak.

Blandings, Series 1: BBC series based on the work of P.G. Wodehouse.

The Vampire Diaries, The Complete Fourth Season: CW Network series starring Ian Somerhalder.

Lala-Oopsies, A Sew Magical Tale - The Movie!: Visit a land of ballerinas, fairies, and mermaids.

The Iceman: Devoted husband and father is really a ruthless killer-for-hire.

Slightly Single in L.A.: Lacey Chabert stars in this tale of a woman caught in a love triangle.

Spartacus, War of the Damned - The Complete Third Season: Cable series from Sam Raimi. Includes 10 episodes,

The Jesse Stone Collection: Includes the TV movies starring Tom Selleck as a small-town police chief.

Stories We Tell: Sarah Polley's film about how we discover that the truth depends on who is telling it.

The Office, Season Nine: The Scranton gang face the final season.