Top DVD Picks: Fall 2009
This fall there are lot of good Hollywood and independent movies that are now on DVD. Below are our top picks. Away we go, which was popular with most critics, did not make the cut. While the acting by Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski was beautiful, the movie itself was too broody and stalled towards the end. Management with Jennifer Anniston was also promising but, while the acting was interestingly poised, the story never took off. Our picks this season are on the top list because of the strength of their screenplays. From the real-life Hitler assassination plot to a talented musician gone homeless, from kids growing up in a flash of the summer to lovers lost, these movies have one thing in common - a great story.
Valkyrie
I consider myself somewhat of a history buff, yet I did not know there were so many attempts on Hitler's life by the Germans. This internal rebellion has not been portrayed in the movies much and it is long overdue. Valkyrie is the setting of one such failed attempt. There are a number of things done very well in this film - immaculate pacing (you never wonder about the time left), strong acting by leading and supporting cast, and attention to historical detail (such as beautiful vintage cars). A downside is lack of explanation in a few points towards the end of the movie. Tom Cruise who plays Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg in charge of the assassination attempt got a lot of criticism for not speaking with a German accent. Frankly, I think it's more unusual that most everyone else in the film had a British accent. Cruise's acting made up for any lack of the accent which was not important to me. In fact, I think director Bryan Singer handled it well in the beginning where Cruise writes (and reads) a letter in German and then slowly transitions into speaking English. What I find most exciting about this story is the pacing of the events (all truthful) and the irony of how everyone knows things may go wrong but never expects it, and of course they do. I was expecting a solid story and good acting with the likes of Kenneth Brannagh and Tom Wilkinson in the cast, but Valkyrie far outpaced my expectations. This historical thrilled is a definite must see.
Buy it now: Valkyrie (Two-Disc Special Edition + Digital Copy)
Adventureland
This coming of age dark comedy is a standout - some of the plot lines seem redundant but the cast and the setting (at the amusement park named Adventureland) somehow make it work. Adventureland is set in 1987 with its amazing 80s soundtrack (remember Rock me Amadeus?) and the cloud of pot surrounding its teen characters stuck in a dull job over the summer. Director Greg Mottola who once worked at such a park as a teen has a good understanding of how hard it is for those kids not only to fit in but make money with any dignity. Jesse Eisenberg (The Squid and the Whale) is a perfect choice for lead character - James. He is open-minded but also open-hearted. And he has to be. His plans of spending the summer camping through Europe, are put on hold when he has to not only move to Pittsburgh for the summer but also get a job at the much-hated around town Adventureland park. Don't feel sorry for him, as he soon makes friends with Em (Kristen Stewart), which later turns into a beautiful romance. Kristen Stewart made this movie before the Twilight days, and she is captivating as she is in Twilight - she has great potential. Other characters are entertaining too - Ryan Reynolds (as Em's former lover), a handyman at the park; Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig, who deliver hilarious comedy bits in a few minutes throughout the movie; and an impressive turn by Margarita Levieva (Lisa P). There is a lot of crude humor in this film (most thanks to Matt Bush as Tommy who is hilarious), but I find that the combination of comedy, drama and genuine romance is what makes it all work. It's sweet and sour and that's what's good about it.
Buy it now: Adventureland
The Soloist
Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx in a movie together equals a promise of something good. And while this is a beautiful story, based on the book by the real Steve Lopez, you watch it for the actors. Jamie Foxx is Nathaniel Ayers who, despite his incredible musical talent and a few years at Julliard, is living on the streets because of his mental illness. His friends and relatives have given up on him. Then he meets Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.), a Los Angeles Times popular journalist who is in search of the next big feature story. He sees him playing with incredible finesse and decides to uncover how he landed on the streets. He becomes his friend (as much as you can be with a schizophrenic), and tries to help him get back to Julliard and to music. This is a hard process and noone has any expectations. In the end, there is no huge achievement, but there is progress - Lopez finding more purpose in life and shaking off his disenchantment, and Ayers making a friend and connecting with his family. This little progress is all that matters and this beautiful story is a tribute to that.
Buy now: The Soloist
Two Lovers
Yes, there is much talk about Joaquin Phoenix never returning to film, but if it's true, Two Lovers is another proof of what a big mistake it would be. Here's a story of a guy (Leonard) who is moving back with his parents in Brooklyn after a painful break-up and brooding over what to do next. He then meets a cute neighbor Michelle (Gwyneth Paltrow), who is light and perfect as ever, and a friendship begins with a promise of a romance, though soon it turns into infatuation. Parallel to this, he meets a good jewish girl (Vinessa Shaw as Sandra) through his parents and begins an affair with her. The women are completely different - Michelle is a very flighty dreamer. Sandra, on the other hand, is loyal and reliable. Plus, she comes from the dry-cleaning business and their union would be good for the family (Isabella Rossellini as Leonard's mother is very good). Michelle is a good influence on the sad and dark Leonard, taking him out to parties and making him more social and outgoing. But she is also the bad - having a relationship with a married man and slowly self-destructing. Who does he pick in the end? You'll just have to see.
Buy now: Two Lovers
