Recent DVD Releases

All of the following were dutifully reviewed by my collaborators during their theatrical run.

Into the Wild (2007) - Original review: here.
Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch) decides to journey to U.S. West after learning that his father (William Hurt) abandoned his first family to start a new family with his mistress (Christopher’s mom – Marcia Gay Harden). On his way to Alaska, he encounters many potential surrogate families, including Catherine Keener and Hal Holbrook in separate anecdotes, but follows in his father’s footsteps by abandoning everyone. While writer-director Sean Penn allows Hirsch to have an epiphany about the meaning of life and the error of his ways, I doubt the real (selfish, foolish, spoiled, etc.) McCandless had such a moment. The film’s structure is distractingly complicated and Penn occasionally overdoes it (like with the Danish couple), but the film is a visual wonder to behold and many of the performances and themes have equal beauty. I really loved the sun-burnt guy talking about God and love. Dense and messy with tangent stories that rarely connect, the film’s just like real life. B+

(click below for 4 more)

The Darjeeling Limited (2007) Original review: here
There’s a lot to like in Wes Anderson’s latest film. He can still place his one-of-a-kind characters in the frame beautifully, but, as with The Life Aquatic and The Royal Tenenbaums (to a lesser extent), the story sort of fades away after a strong start. The three brothers here, (Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, and Owen Wilson) just don’t look like brothers. It should come as no surprise that Wilson is the most comfortable with his character, having helped invent the Anderson modus operandi with Bottle Rocket. Schwartzman’s character is a male-fantasy - an unshaven barefoot schlub who bangs the most beautiful woman in France and India. And Brody’s personality just doesn’t fit into the Anderson style - like Bill Murray (who briefly shows up). The movie is at its strongest while they’re on the train and at its worst during a flashback to New York. And like their mom (Angelica Huston), Anderson doesn’t seem particularly interested in confrontation, closure, or keeping his promises. B-

Gone Baby Gone (2007) Original review: here
Like many first-time directors, Ben Affleck uses too many close-ups, but how can you blame him with a cast which includes the intense Ed Harris, the reliable Morgan Freeman, and the underused John Ashton (Midnight Run)? As the lead, Casey Affleck does a sturdy job having all the characters bounce off of him. Best of all, of course, is the Oscar-nominated Amy Ryan as the cokehead mother whose daughter has been kidnapped. The pacing and believability falters after the funeral scene (no spoilers here) and the overall look of the film while authentic is also unpleasant. The reveals at the end are too jumpy and are piled up too quickly, but a solid effort from the Affleck clan. B

Things We Lost in the Fire (2007) Original review: here.

Halle Berry becomes a widow when husband David Duchovny is murdered. She forms a bond with his best friend Benicio del Toro, a heroin addict trying to go straight. The acting is strong across the board, everyone believable in their situations and reactions. Director Susanne Bier (following up her Oscar-nominated After the Wedding) is clearly a humanist and directs with her heart, but I just couldn’t believe Berry would allow a heroin addict (one she blames for her husband’s death) to move into her home with her 2 small impressionable kids. It’s rough film to sit through, and without the spectacular framing, lighting, and top-drawer acting of, say, the thematically similar 21 Grams, the end result lacks. B-

Michael Clayton (2007) Original review: here

The writing, acting, and direction are firing on all cylinders in this tale of corporate malfeasance and legal corruption. Its greatness is partly related to the way it subverts the genre. It’s a lawyer movie without a courtroom in sight. It has a hero whose moral compass is broke and he’s not sure he wants it fixed even if he knew how. The bad guy (Tilda Swinton) is one decision away from being the good guy. First time director Tony Gilroy achieves strong visuals and uses the cold color palette of blue/gray/black to great effect. Gilroy’s also the writer and previously wrote the Bourne trilogy. He occasionally is too reliant on the killers/action scenes but this is a minor quibble and only noticeable because of the excellence of the dialogue scenes. A-