Microcosmos

Mira Sorvino (Mimic) would feel right at home in this beautifully-lensed, almost narrative-free French journey through the world of bugs. Released for sell-through by Disney with almost no press whatsoever, Microcosmos is an at-times breathtaking look at the daily struggles, losses and triumphs of the insect world. The super-close-up cameras follow caterpillars doing the equivalent of the school gym class rope climb (up a vine), beetle warriors on a narrow twig engaged in a less playful version of Robin Hood meets Little John on the bridge, a "high hopes" dung beetle who rolls a ball up a hill only to slide back down…repeatedly, and an incredible slo-mo segment shot during a storm which shows how a single drop of rain can ruin a bug’s whole day. The only drawback here is that we’re not always sure what we’re seeing (which, in a way, is fair since life doesn’t come with subtitles or accompanying narration; not counting mothers). Still the low price and stunning cinematography make this an enthusiastically recommended choice. (R. Pitman)[Blu-ray/DVD Review—May 2, 2017—Kino Lorber, 75 min., G, DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray: $34.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and Blu-ray, 1996's Microcosmos features a great transfer and a 2.0 stereo soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include a “making-of” featurette (42 min.), and an interview with directors Claude Nuridsany and Marie Perennou (41 min.). Bottom line: a fine presentation of a landmark nature documentary, this is highly recommended for those who don't already own an earlier edition.]