DVD & Blu-ray out this week

The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus DVD & Blu-ray, Lionsgate It's Heath Ledger's final film. There, that's got that out of the way. There's no way around mentioning this fact as, unlike Terry Gilliam's previous movie-making problems, the tragic and unexpected death of his lead actor greatly impacts on the movie itself here – and not in entirely detrimental ways. The aged Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) drags his mysterious sideshow act around London with the help of his daughter (a respectable turn from model Lily Cole), an apprentice, and a grumpy dwarf. His "act" involves sending volunteers through a magical mirror into the titular Imaginarium, a strange zone where dreams take flight, which is revealed to be part of a long-fought wager with Tom Waits's Devil, with the very concept of imagination is at stake. Ledger plays an amnesiac they find hanging from a bridge over the Thames, who's not the innocent he first appears. It's hard to understand and full of bizarre sequences, but that's really par for the course with any Gilliam film. It can't be fully appreciated on just one viewing. Ledger passed away with only the special effects shots to be completed, so the film's structure is pretty much intact. Complex, original, harrowing, yes, but jumbled it is not. Having three different actors – Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law – play Ledger's role when he journeys through the mirror, seems like the sort of narrative trick Gilliam would pull anyway. But this will always be remembered as being Ledger's final film and not for what it really is: one of Gilliam's best. The Informant! DVD & Blu-ray, Warner This film was inevitable. Steven Soderbergh's career has seen him flipping between mainstream efforts – Ocean's Eleven, Traffic, Out Of Sight – and smaller, more personal slices of quirk – The Girlfriend Experience, Bubble, etc. It was only a matter of time before the streams crossed. On the surface this looks like another hit in the Erin Brockovich mould: a true-life story of bravery against big business with a big-name lead actor, in this case Matt Damon. But imagine if Brockovich was partly involved in the actual scandal and was also a manic depressive, a compulsive liar and almost perpetually on the verge of a mental breakdown. Damon plays Mark Whitacre, a corporate whistle blower who uncovers a chemical price-fixing scam and goes undercover for the FBI. Unfortunately his moral compass is so far out of whack he's monumentally unsuited to the task. It could have been a dry tale of paperwork and business meetings, but Soderbergh pitches it as a comedy – he really had no choice given the ridiculous situations and a central character who learns absolutely nothing from his journey. Séraphine Vivid biopic of a real-life outsider artist, brought to life by Yolande Moreau. DVD, Metrodome 2012 TV showroom-friendly disaster epic to end all disaster epics. DVD & Blu-ray, Sony Glorious 39 Family secrets and political intrigue in Stephen Poliakoff's wartime thriller. DVD, Momentum Andy Warhol's Bad Trashy 1970s cult classic, about a team of hit women. DVD, Video International Bunny And The Bull Boosh-style surrealistic buddy movie, enhanced by homemade scenery. DVD & Blu-ray, Optimum The House Of The Devil Retro 1980s house horror. DVD & Blu-ray, Metrodome