DVD Recent Picks

December 2008

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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
"Nearly 20 years after riding his last Crusade, Harrison Ford makes a welcome return as archaeologist/relic hunter Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, an action-packed fourth installment that's, in a nutshell, less memorable than the first three but great nostalgia for fans of the series. Producer George Lucas and screenwriter David Koepp (War of the Worlds) set the film during the cold war, as the Soviets--replacing Nazis as Indy's villains of choice and led by a sword-wielding Cate Blanchett with black bob and sunglasses--are in pursuit of a crystal skull, which has mystical powers related to a city of gold. After escaping from them in a spectacular opening action sequence, Indy is coerced to head to Peru at the behest of a young greaser (Shia LaBeouf) whose friend--and Indy's colleague--Professor Oxley (John Hurt) has been captured for his knowledge of the skull's whereabouts. Whatever secrets the skull holds are tertiary; its reveal is the weakest part of the movie, as the CGI effects that inevitably accompany it feel jarring next to the boulder-rolling world of Indy audiences knew and loved. There's plenty of comedy, delightful stunts--ants play a deadly role here--and the return of Raiders love interest Karen Allen as Marion Ravenwood, once shrill but now softened, giving her ex-love bemused glances and eye-rolls as he huffs his way to save the day. Which brings us to Ford: bullwhip still in hand, he's a little creakier, a lot grayer, but still twice the action hero of anyone in film today. With all the anticipation and hype leading up to the film's release, perhaps no reunion is sweeter than that of Ford with the role that fits him as snugly as that fedora hat." (Amazon.com)

Jane Eyre.
"Continuing the BBC’s unrivalled reputation for costume drama, their new adaptation of Jane Eyre proved to be one of the television triumphs of 2006. Based, as you’d expect, on the Charlotte Bronte book of the same name, this two-disc set brings together the full series, spread across the best part of four sumptuous hours. It’s a faithful adaptation, with Ruth Wilson giving an exceptional performance in the title role. Mr Rochester’s boots, meanwhile, are filled by Toby Stephenson, and both prove to be wise choices. Backed up by an excellent supporting cast, they’re also supported by some quite superb scenery, warm photography and skilful, at times neatly understated the direction, that gives the story space to develop." (Amazon.com)

Get Smart (2008).
"Maxwell Smart is on a mission to thwart the latest plot for world domination by the evil crime syndicate known as KAOS. When the headquarters of U.S. spy agency Control is attacked and the identities of its agents compromised, the Chief has no choice but to promote his ever-eager analyst Maxwell Smart, who has always dreamt of working in the field alongside stalwart superstar Agent 23. Smart is partnered instead with the lovely-but-lethal veteran Agent 99. Given little field experience and even less time, Smart-armed with nothing but a few spy-tech gadgets and his unbridled enthusiasm-must thwart the doomsday plans of KAOS head Siegfried." (Real Groovy)

Summer Heights High.
"Summer Heights High, written by and starring Chris Lilley (We Can Be Heroes: Finding The Australian of the Year), is the award winning Australian mockumentary series starring three of the funniest protagonists--all played by Lilley-- to hit our screens in years. The effeminate, yet megalomaniacal, Greg Gregson--aka 'Mr G'--is the self-appointed "Director of Performing Arts", passionate about his "innovative" teaching methods and determined to write his own "Arena Spectacular". Summer Heights High is the third school in eighteen months for Jonah Takalulah, a teenager with Attention Deficit Disorder and problems with aggression. His best hope is to avoid being expelled, but he says he’s "not dumb" he’s just "choosing not to be smart at the minute." Private school exchange student Ja'mie King is struggling to cope away from her privileged background at "like, the boganist school ever." If you enjoyed the likes of Kath and Kim,, you’ll love Summer Heights High." (Amazon.com)

Cassandra's dream.
"Scottish Ewan McGregor and Irish Colin Farrell play two Cockney brothers who get in over their heads when a wealthy relative asks for a favor. Woody Allen's sleek thriller Cassandra's Dream begins in innocent times: Ian (McGregor) and Terry (Farrell) buy a sailboat and name it Cassandra's Dream. But soon Terry falls afoul of gambling debts and Ian falls head over heels for a sultry actress who doesn't take him seriously, leading them to ask their uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson) for money, which he's happy to give them--if they'll get rid of a man who's going to testify against him. The first half of Cassandra's Dream zips along with short, concise scenes and charismatic performances by the lead lads. Newcomer Hayley Atwell (Brideshead Revisited) is alluring as the actress, while Sally Hawkins (Persuasion) brings warmth and sympathy to the underwritten role of Terry's girlfriend Kate. The second half--as with many of Allen's later films--seems to run out of steam, though there's still much to admire about Allen's clean, unfussy filmmaking. But just when you're ready to throw up your hands, there's a moment of understated grace, in which Allen's simple visuals capture something with crystalline clarity." (Amazon.co.uk)

The flight of the red balloon.
"In 1956, Albert Lamorisse made THE RED BALLOON, a short in which a young boy, played by his son, makes friends with a red balloon. Some 50 years later, Taiwanese auteur Hou Hsiao Hsien has made his first French-language film, the charming and subtle FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON, commissioned by the Musee d'Orsay and inspired by Lamorisse's children's classic. A blonde Juliette Binoche stars as Suzanne, a single mother living in Paris, doing her best to raise her seven-year-old son, Simon (Simon Iteanu), while preparing her latest puppet show, based on the Yuan Dynasty story of Zhang Yu and his beloved, Qiong Lian. Suzanne hires Song (Song Fang), a Taiwanese film student, to come to Paris to take care of Simon. Song goes everywhere with her camera, filming everything she sees. Meanwhile, Simon is being followed by a red balloon that has grown attached to the boy. The balloon, which seems to have its own personality, hovers over the boy and his family as Suzanne struggles with her daily life, fighting with tenants who owe back rent, moving a piano, and getting ready for the puppet show. Hou, the director of such widely acclaimed films as THE PUPPETMASTER, FLOWERS OF SHANGHAI, and CAFE LUMIERE, has created a touching, beautiful film in FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON, which opened the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and was also selected for that year's New York Film Festival." (Amazon.com)

[.REC].
"Rec starts with a good, solid, straightforward idea. Its plan? To focus us on TV reporters, who are following a group of firemen as they go about their shift. Said shift, however, doesn’t quite go to plan, as what starts as a seemingly standard rescue mission soon takes a disturbing, chilling turn, and this sets the scene for a very effective horror film. One of the reasons why Rec works so well is the manner in which it’s shot. It’s not the first film to adopt the handheld shooting style, and indeed there have been many clichéd attempts to follow the success of The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield. Yet the style suits Rec well, with the photography less a gimmick, and more a legitimate storytelling device. It’s fair to say that Rec is a dish best served cold, so it’d be unfair to expand on the plot. However, be in no doubt that the mix of psychological creepiness and outright horror is very good, making the most of the claustrophobic surroundings, and wisely sidestepping many of the pitfalls of the genre." (Amazon.com)

Brick Lane.
"Brick Lane, adapted from Monica Ali’s much-lauded novel, is the compelling and thought-provoking story of a Bangladeshi woman, Nazneen Ahmed, who is forced into an arranged marriage as a teenager. Separated from her beloved sister and sent to live with her husband in a run-down housing estate in east London, Nazneen’s carefree childhood seems far away. She has two children with her obese fantasist of a husband and the daily grind of housekeeping becomes increasingly difficult to tolerate when the family are harassed by an elderly money-lender. The demure Nazneen sees the potential for some independence in making jeans for dashing market stallholder, Karim. Gradually the two become embroiled in each other’s affections and Nazneen has to decide where the best balance between duty and happiness lies. The novel, short-listed for the Man Booker Prize, makes an effortless transition to the screen in this well-handled adaptation from director Sarah Gavron. Tannishtha Chatterjee (Nazneen) offers a confident and articulate performance and other leads are skilled in expressing the characters’ multi-faceted layers." (Amazon.com)

Rescue me. The complete first season.
"Dennis Leary snarls as naturally as most actors smile. Leary's trademark ferocity and fearlessness drive Rescue Me, a series about a team of firemen struggling with their wives and lovers in post-9/11 New York City. Tommy Gavin (Leary, No Cure for Cancer, The Ref) is the guy everyone confides in, the heart of the firehouse--but he's also an active alcoholic who rages about his wife Janet (Andrea Roth) leaving him, a man guilt-ridden and literally haunted by all the people he blames himself for failing to save. Surrounding him are a crew of vivid characters, played by a little-known but outstanding cast: Handsome lothario Franco Rivera (Daniel Sunjata) discovers he's fathered a daughter with a psychotic ex-girlfriend; Ken Shea (John Scurti) struggles to resolve his post-traumatic stress by writing poetry; Mike Siletti (Mike Lombardi), the newest guy on the team, finds love with a partner the rest of the crew finds unacceptable; Chief Jerry Reilly (Jack McGee) risks his career when he beats a gay firefighter in a bar; and several others, all multi-faceted and sharply written. The core theme of the show, however, is how men react to stress--how anger, bragging, competition, sex, and booze pacify their jagged emotions, pulling the firefighters together and isolating them at the same time. Leary, who co-created the show and co-wrote many of the episodes, barrels through each hour like a force of nature, even as Tommy's increasingly erratic behavior threatens to alienate his family and his team. This bilious fusion of vices and virtues guarantees compelling television." (Amazon.com)

21
"Inspired by a true story, 21 mixes Las Vegas casino wheeling and dealing with college-kid angst. Kevin Spacey is crafty MIT professor Micky Rosa, who trains gifted students to count cards and then flies them out to Vegas to raid the blackjack tables between classes. At first they rake in a bundle, but then catch the unwanted attention of tough-guy security chief, Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne) who wants to prove himself before he's replaced by face recognition software. Maths genius Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) originally joins the ring in order to come up with the $300,000 he needs for tuition money, but he's also smitten with the ring's resident babe, Jill (Kate Bosworth). When he finds out Professor Rosa hasn't been dealing entirely from a straight deck, Ben's high-end shopping spree dreams turn sour (though card counting is not illegal) and the battle of wits is on, no second chances given."(Amazon.com)

August rush.
"A more accessible and less heavy-handed movie than Ang Lee's 2003 Hulk. Edward Norton takes up where Eric Bana left off in Lee's version, playing Bruce Banner, a haunted scientist always on the move. Trying to eliminate the effects of a military experiment that turns him into the Hulk whenever his emotions get the better of him, Banner is hiding out in Brazil at the film's beginning. Working in a bottling plant and communicating via email with an unidentified professor who thinks he can help, Banner goes postal when General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross and a small army turn up to grab him. Intent on developing whatever causes Banner's metamorphoses into a weapon, Ross brings along a quietly deranged soldier named Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), who wants Ross to turn him into a supersoldier who can take on the Hulk. The adventure spreads to the U.S., where Banner hooks up with his old lover (and Ross' daughter), Betty (Liv Tyler), and where the Hulk takes on several armed assaults, including one in a pretty unusual location: a college campus. The film's action is impressive, though Norton is largely wasted in the film--he's essentially a bridge between sequences where he disappears and the Hulk rampages around. As good an actor as he is, Norton doesn't have the charisma here to carry those scenes in which one waits impatiently for the real show to begin." (Amazon.com)

Inland Empire.
"Though Inland Empire's three hours of befuddling abstraction could try the patience of the most devoted David Lynch fan, its aim to reinvigorate the Lynch-ian symbolic order is ambitious, not to mention visually arresting. The director's archetypes recognizable from previous movies once again construct the film's inherent logic, but with a new twist. Sets vibrate between the contemporary and a 1950s alternate universe crammed with dim lamps, long hallways, mysterious doors, sparsely furnished rooms and, this time, a vortex/apartment/sitcom set where rabbit-masked humans dwell, and a Polish town where women are abused and killed. Actor Nikki Grace (Laura Dern) is cast as Susan Blue, an adulterous white trash Southerner, in a film that mimics too closely her actual life with an overbearingly jealous and dangerous husband. When Nikki and co-star Devon (Justin Theroux) learn that the cursed film project was earlier abandoned when its stars were murdered, the pair lose their grasp of reality. Nikki suffers a schizophrenic identity switch to Sue that lasts until nearly the film's end. Suspense builds as Nikki's alter ego sleuths her way through surreal situations to discover her killer, culminating in In this meta-film about identity slippage, Dern's multiple characters remind one of how a victim can become the hunter in their fight for survival. Lynch's portrayal of Nikki/Sue's increasing paranoia is, in its own confusion, utterly realistic. Laura Dern has created her own Lady Macbeth, undone by her guilt over infidelity. Even though Inland Empire is too long and too random, Laura Dern's performance coupled with Lynch's video experiments make it magical." (Amazon.com)

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