Top DVD Picks: Fall 2008
Flawless
A compelling crime drama about a diamond heist set in the 1960s London, this film is a quiet surprise. Flawless is an excellent title hinting not only at the perfection of diamonds, but also at the well-polished work of Laura Quinn (Demi Moore), and the brilliant wit of Mr. Hobbs (Michael Caine). The events transpire in and around the London Diamond Corporation, a well-guarded facility full of various diamonds. Demi Moore beautifully captures every detail and nuance of Laura Quinn's persona - a first to work/last to leave employee, her polished grey suits and red lipstick, and neat hair. She is a lone woman executive at London Diamond, but despite her talents, keeps getting overlooked while her male colleagues move up the career ladder. So, no surprise, when she meets the barely noticeable janitor Mr. Hobbs (as always, great turn by Michael Caine), she listens to his scheme, a few scruples aside. Mr. Hobbs has his own beef with the company and he knows the company well, seeing every detail as he mops the floors around the building. He convinces Laura to steal the diamonds but they come close to getting caught. I don't want to give much away, but I will tell you that despite the lack of usual chases and shootings common to bank robbery movies, Flawless doesn't fail to give you a thrill. Director Michael Radford uses the space wisely - every moment is to add another block to the mystery. While a few minutes of the events in the future may surprise you and add a slightly dull tone to the picture, the rest is pure magic - crime drama at its best. Check your pulse when it's over.
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Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
In a rarely serious tone of her comedic touch, Frances McDormand plays a middle-aged governess, Miss Pettigrew, who is hard-working and honest but is unable to keep a job in 1939 London. She tries to take advantage of a nice opportunity to get new employment and ends up changing her life. Miss Pettigrew is a sad woman, following the loss of a loved one in the 1st World War; she stopped caring for how she looks, she is just trying to survive. On the other hand, Delysia Lafosse (Amy Adams) is a charming and social club singer, playing with three men's hearts at the same time - her club owner who is giving her the gorgeous West End apartment, her theater producer, and her piano player, who is truly in love with her. Their paths collide as Delysia is looking for a social secretary to keep up with the Joneses, and Miss Pettigrew has just the right amount of cool, common sense and imagination to keep Delysia's life running smoothly. She helps push Delysia toward the true love, piano-player Michael (Lee Pace) and finds romance herself with Joe (Ciaran Hinds), an older lingerie designer, who finds a soulmate in her. It's a movie of transformations and it's a beautiful story told well. Frances McDormand is perfect in this part and she gets every nuance just right and Amy Adams is so bubbly and alive. This film is an instant classic.
Buy Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (Widescreen & Full Screen Edition)
Leatherheads
You don't have to be a football fan or a history buff to get a kick out of this movie. Set in the 20s and directed by George Clooney, this well-paced and really well-acted film tells a story of a player from a pro-football team Duluth Bulldogs, Dodge Connelly (George Clooney), who loves the sport and has spent a lifetime in it. It tells a story of his fighting to keep the team alive, so boys wouldn't have to go back to their minimum-wage jobs, so he recruits a brilliant new player from a college football team, Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski). Interestingly, in those days college football gathered bigger crowds and sponsors than professional football. At the same time, Dodge hopes to turn the game of football into something more substantial, with real rules and real paychecks. While at it, both meet a sassy reporter (Renee Zellweger, who is just right for this part) and both fall for her. History, romance and a war story - this comedy is a really fun way to learn a bit about life and people in the 20s. George Clooney seems to be a fan of old movies (just take his work in The Good German, Good Night and Good Luck, O Brother, Where Art Though) and he is definitely in his element both acting and directing here. I also have to give a lot of credit to the writers, Duncan Brantley and Rick Reilly - the dialogue is sharp (especially the exchanges between George Clooney and Renee Zellweger) and believable. While the film is light and not really assigning itself completely to either the sports or the romance genre, I think it is fun to watch, movable and true.
Buy Leatherheads (Full Screen)
God Grew Tired of Us
This poignant documentary about the Lost Boys of Sudan touched many hearts back in 2006 when it premiered at Sundance. Narrated by Nicole Kidman and 3 of the boys, John Buhl, Panther and Daniel, it tells three stories - that of the incredibly grim and sad life of the Lost Boys and the endless Sudan war, that of the few that were able to move to America and get assimilated, and finally that of racism and reaction here.
When you see the atrocities that happened to the people of Sudan and these poor children that walked for thousands of miles without food or water, from country to country in hopes to find a peaceful place to stay, you are just in the state of shock. Watching the starving, weak, bone-thin children is just painful; it's hard to believe they had to go through this. The boys finally settle in a U.N. camp in Kenya where they are stuck for over 10 years as the war in Sudan is still raging.
They are apart from their families and they are living in suspense, not knowing when and if they will be able to go back, but they are hopeful. A few of the boys get a chance to move to the United States - to Syracuse and to Pittsburgh. They have to learn how to turn on a shower, cook food, and switch on the lights - all the basic things we are just used to. The film follows their lives over the years, as they get education, jobs and try to help both their families in Sudan and their brothers back in the camp.
We learn that they are very honorable and hard-working people, intelligent and nice. They are not used to the racism or stereotypes that are sadly still present in America. In one instance, local stores complained to police that a group of black kids was frequenting their stores, so police had to ask them not to go to stores in big groups. Isn't it sad that simply their skin color would be intimidating? The boys are definitely not used to this and miss home deeply, yet they achieve a lot and spread the word about the story of Sudan in hopes of helping those left behind, because they just can't forget.
You won't be able to forget this touching story either.
Grace is Gone
Written and directed by James Strouse, this sad movie is simply captured in its title, Grace is gone. John Cusack plays one of the best parts of his career - while I am a big fan of his sarcastic personas, I have never seen him in a part like this, heartbreakingly sad and sincere. He plays Stanley Phillips who, for medical reasons, had to leave the army and is temporarily single-handedly raising his two daughters while his wife, Grace, is serving in Iraq. One day two officers show up at the door to tell him she is dead. Then, the emotional roller-coaster begins. Stanley leaves his home supply store in Minnesota and takes his two daughters on a spontaneous trip to Florida, to their favorite amusement park. It's a knee-jerk reaction, as he is trying to gather strength and find the right time and place to tell the girls their mother is gone. The 12-year-old Heidi is perplexed at her father's behavior and is quite a handful on the road. The 8-year-old Dawn is sweet in how she looks at her clock set to beep at a specific time, so she and her mom can think about each other at the same time. Knowing the story, these moments are especially moving. At the end, the trip brings them closer together, though nothing can probably make them feel better. Though this story will make you cry, it's genuine and real - two rare qualities that make this film great.
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Beowulf
A beautiful old tale of courage, seduction and loyalty, Beowulf is a literary classic that has been told and retold for centuries. But this is not just another epic movie from 507 A.D., this is something else - trust me, you never have seen anything like this.
The computer animated approach to filming makes this Robert Zemeckis movie even a better fantasy. Plenty of fight scenes are mesmerizing with the animated take. The Star power is strong as well - Angelina Jolie as the alluring and seductive Grendel's mother, the wise and fallen king Hrothgar in Anthony Hopkins, the conspiring and untrusting servant in John Malkovich - make the most impressive character studies. We start the story in the old days and you are immediately thrown into a large party/bacchanalia with King Hrothgar and his Danish people - lots of drinking, sex and loud merrymaking. This does not go so well with the Monster Grendel who, thanks to his large ears, can hear the noise from his distant cave and it is driving him crazy. He ends up showing up and putting the end to all the fun and killing hundreds of people on the way. The fun is over and King Hrothgar knows he needs to kill the monster, yet no one seems to be capable of such a brave deed until Beowulf (Ray Winstone), a famed hero, gets into town with his crew. Unferth (John Malkovich) doubts his abilities and retells an old tale that puts a shadow on his brave past, but Beowulf is unfazed. He becomes the monster slayer but loses most of his men, as the monster's mother comes in for revenge. Beowulf follows her steps into the cave and tells everyone she is dead too. In reality, he makes a deal with the seductive monster's mother played by Angelina Jolie who appears naked in front of him. He can't resist and falls prey to her seduction, but gets to become king as a result. Only he knows his sin and knows it will come back to haunt him. He will still have to prove himself as hero again. It really is a story of human strength (hero) and weakness (monsters, seduction). Another interesting twist is Beowulf's love for the queen, Wealthrow (Robin Wright-Penn), and his affair with the young mistress. Beowulf is such a classic story because it examines the depths of human heart and that is both fascinating and mysterious.
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Bee Movie
One of the few good kids' cartoons from last year, Bee Movie is actually fun for both kids and adults. Kids (over 5) would enjoy watching the life of bees and the main character Barry (Jerry Seinfeld), while parents will definitely appreciate the sarcasm and overall humor in this light and bright work of animation. In the beginning we are transported to the world of the beehive where busy bees are making honey, while little bees are graduating from school and getting ready to work. Barry and his friend Adam (Matthew Broderick) are excited to start a new career, but Barry's optimism is quickly crushed when he learns he has to pick one career for a lifetime. He is determined to get out of the hive and see the world before he starts. He ends up on a mission with the crew of aviator bees and is mesmerized at the variety of colors, smells and sights in the world outside his home. Carelessly, he breaks the first bee rule and talks to humans and many of them are so used to hating bees, he almost gets crushed. However, he also meets a florist named Vanessa (Renee Zellweger) and together they learn about each other's species sipping coffee and going for walks. Soon Barry realizes that there are companies using bees to produce honey and that honey is not just for bees. With his youthful vigor and naivete, he takes on suing the human race for stealing the bees' honey. Much happens along the way, but in the end the good wins and everyone (well, almost everyone) is happy. This cartoon is light, bright, filled with sharp jokes and witty exchanges. Too bad, many of the celebrity voices (Larry King, Kathy Bates) are only appearing briefly.
Buy Bee Movie (Widescreen Edition)
Be Kind Rewind
Being a huge fan of Jack Black, I was excited to see this new comedy from Michel Gondry, and it didn't disappoint. The plot is simple - Mike (Mos Def) is minding the video store while the owner (Danny Glover) is away. Jerry (Jack Black) gets his brain magnetized from one of his adventures (should this be surprising?) and inadvertently destroys every video tape at his friend's store. Together they have to figure out a way to bring more tapes back and end up making the movies themselves. Of course the films they make are only distant reminders of the originals but they are so comical and short that people want more. People even start getting involved and in the end the whole neighborhood is making these simple and comical movies. There is a lot more to the story, but the bottom line is that this misadventure actually ends up bringing the whole community together. What this movie really is about is reminding us that there is a lot of kindness in the world and people in the community can and want to be good. It is a comedy, but a comedy with a big heart and soul.
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