Top DVD Picks: Spring 2010
Aside from a few good Oscar dramas, the best flicks in 2009 were comedies. These are quirky, vulnerable and sometimes dark comedies. They are unpredictable at times and never following the mold - one great thing about comedies that rarely ever gets recognized. From the writer who turns into a liar to the VP who becomes the informant, from the man who has to fire people for a living to the man who has to kill non-people, the latest DVD crop is quite promising. Read on for our top DVD picks for Spring 2010.
The Invention of Lying
What a fun idea - a world where no one tells a lie, or rather everyone speaks their mind. Manners are out of the window, but so is corruption probably. It's the world where you can go to the bank and ask for $1 million and the bank will believe you rather than the screen showing you don't have that in your account. The movie does take a weird turn that brings religion in and some people may find it odd, but still you'll be amazed how funny always being straight is. At the center of the story are two characters - Ricky Gervais as Mark Bellison and Jennifer Garner as Anna. Mark is sort of a lost cause; he's failed in a number of things, while Anna is a beautiful successful girl looking for her perfect match. Despite the genetic calculation telling her Mark is not a match, she listens to her heart and finds this oddball character quite appealing. After all, you can never lie to yourself. When Mark discovers lying, noone wants to believe him, but since he is a writer (of historically accurate literature, the only kind accepted), he turns this invention for his own gain. Soon, he is a rock star and everyone is listening. What started so innocently is suddenly accepted by all. This comedy is full of fun - great humor, terrific plot, and perfect cast.
Up in the Air
George Clooney outshined himself in Up in the Air. Playing a man who has to fire people for a living, he lives the life of a nomad. He feels happy with his life, yet when the failure of a relationship brings him down, we see an incredibly vulnerable side to this man who preaches hope to others. Clooney's talent is in threading lightly, so that you see this person through his eyes and completely forget he is acting. Just thinking about his character brings the emotion out of you. His Ryan Bingham is a cheerful corporate down-sizer and savvy business traveler who sheds his tough skin when he meets his female counterpart - Vera Farmiga as Alex. She is the perfect pair for him, but is she? Anna Kendrick who plays Natalie, a business school grad turned latest expert at the firm at first seems naive. Then, as events unfold, you see her deeper understanding of life. Up in the Air has a really interesting structure where some of the firing interviews are actually shot in a documentary style, since real people offered their experiences. This film seems brash at first but it lingers with you. In fact, I am going to watch it again, just to see what it's like now that I know the twist in the tail, and trust me, it's a big one.
Surrogates
There are many cliches in this movie starring Bruce Willis as the FBI agent from 2054, yet I was strangely glued to the screen. I am a big fan of Willis, so his acting did help along. The future setting was interesting, except I never understood why the people and technology were advanced yet the cars looked like they came from 2008. That's a minor detail though. Surrogates takes us to the sad kind of future where virtually everyone has a good-looking young surrogate while they stay in bed all day. Surrogates can not be killed (that is until the crisis strikes), so crime rates are down 99% and everyone is productive and happy on the outside. At the same time, there are pockets of areas around the world where people, who don't want surrogates, set up colonies. It all unravels when the son of the surrogate inventor is in trouble. Willis thinks fast and surrogates are gone and people have to re-learn to live in their own bodies. This film is over-the-top but it makes you think about how far we go for the price of perfection and how much more we could accomplish by simply being ourselves.
Food Inc
The first reaction from people who saw this movie is typically, "No more beef for me". Don't even expect to get hungry for a burger after watching this smart documentary. When you learn how food is prepared along the chain, you may start looking even more at what you buy. It seems [in a rush to get things quickly and make them last longer] people forgot about clean simple ingredients and processes that have been around for centuries for a reason. This of course to me doesn't translate into no beef, but rather more selective approach and more home cooking where you really know what's in your food instead of a long list of items you don't even understand. Food Inc does a great job of painting the corporate picture - farmers working in the little bee-hive of mass producers and what great lengths those manufacturers will go to get their produce/meet/chicken fast and cheap. Organic movement is gaining speed (even Wal-Mart has dedicated a team to this), but it's going to take decades before it's completely mainstream, and more importantly, affordable to all. I think the best part of this documentary is the understanding that we are responsible for our own future - the more involved we stay in it, the less of a herd, the more it will belong to us.
The informant
I was hesitant about recommending this DVD. It is funny and Matt Damon shines as an agriculture company VP turned informant, Mark Whitacre. Mark's story spirals out of control as he invents more lies and takes on more personalities. And this, at times, is hard to follow. How crazy can it get? Director Soderbergh does not slow down - every possible twist is explored. You've got price fixing, FBI, traveling around the globe, secret tape recordings, and questionable amount of X million dollars stolen by Mark. In the end, it is close to impossible to follow, but it is a fun ride.
