Hard Candy DVD

director: David Slade
writer: Brian Nelson

You may know her as Kitty Pryde in X-Men: The Last Stand, but behind Ellen Page's sweet exterior lies Hard Candy.

Visually, the film looks like candy: bright, vivid colors in the background and stark color contrasts change with the mood and tone and accentuate the angelic face of the young protagonist.

Many will think the word protagonist should be used loosely, even though older, male action hero counterparts who masquerade around in the night and slay "bad" men are considered heroes.

Whether you sympathize with the 14-year-old vigilante and condone her "extreme" actions or not, this is a fascinating look into the psychology of two disturbed people. Controversial to the candy core, the sheer audacity and balls of this film should draw viewers.

Special features include crew and cast commentary, extensive behind-the-scenes featurettes, and extended scenes.

rating: ****/***** (a definite-see)

recommendations: American Psycho, Leon (The Professional), Brick, Sin City

Don't Move (Non ti muovere) DVD

director: Sergio Castellitto
writer: Sergio Castellitto, Margaret Mazzantini (novel)

We want moments of joy to last forever, we want loved ones to stay. If only it was as simple as commanding one to "Don't Move."

A strange and wonderful Italian film starring, adapted, and directed by Sergio Castellitto, Don't Move is about love and passion, and the heartbreaking reality of grasping onto such fleeting ideas.

I didn't know much about this film before delving in, and I'm glad that was the case. This film had me expecting something completely different in the beginning and had me fascinated and consumed in the relationship by the end.

I was quite surprised by the care and attention paid to the film. Another surprise was Penelope Cruz. You'll see what I mean. I think the less you know about Don't Move before viewing, the better.

Special features include behind-the-scenes and author featurettes, Penelope Cruz screen tests, and a trailer that doesn't do the film justice.

rating: ****/***** (a definite-see)

recommendations: The Constant Gardener, Shopgirl

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (Short)

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is the stuff television dreams are made of.

What The West Wing did for the White House, Studio 60 will do for television shows. This hour-long dramedy takes a faux (or not so faux) look at the backstage ongoings of a Saturday Night Live-esque show and sees the return of Aaron Sorkin, much needed by NBC.

This intelligent show doesn't pander down to audiences. It's all about quality: quality of the actors and quality of the words. As he did with The West Wing, Aaron Sorkin assembles the best in talent and script and lets the audience soak up yummy TV goodness. Okay, okay. So that wasn't smart. But you don't have to be smart to appreciate smartness. That's the beauty of television. So sit back, relax, and smile at being able to appreciate brilliance.

The Last Kiss

director: Tony Goldwyn
writer: Paul Haggis

Babies are the new marriage and marriage is the new relationship. And relationships suck. Call me cynical.

People strive to build stability and a foundation, yet fear permanence and routine. There's just no satisfying some people.

I don't believe humans are meant to be monogamous creatures; most animals aren't. That's the beauty, and perhaps the cruelty, of nature. But that doesn't mean I'd forgive my partner's trespasses.

With divorce rates higher than ever and our role models, namely our parents, not really helping us with good examples, what chance do we have? And does that mean the next generation has less of a chance?

These are just some observations about relationships that are called to mind while watching this film. The Last Kiss is mostly a comedy dealing in heavy subject matter. Zach Braff, facing fatherhood with the "perfect" woman, Jacinda Barrett, has a freak-out and treads into dangerous territory with "this tiny brunette," Rachel Bilson. Meanwhile, his three male friends illustrate the different stages of relationships. One is a noncommittal player, another pines for his lost "perfect" woman, and yet another is married with child but miserable. Are those his choices? No wonder he falters. But there's hope on the horizon. His girlfriend's parents, played by the wonderful Blythe Danner and Tom Wilkinson, seem to be happy, until they don't.

Relationships are hard. Some work, most don't. You don't need a movie to tell you that. And don't expect any great insights in this one. It has some truthfulness, but I expected more from Paul Haggis (who wrote Crash and Million Dollar Baby), although in fairness, it is a remake of an Italian film, which I have not seen. And, as a warning, the film sort of ends abruptly, with which many of the viewers I sat in with were not happy. And is it bad that I would rather have seen the road trip part of this film than the relationship part? But as I say, you always want what you can't have.

rating: ***/***** (wait for the DVD)

recommendations: Alfie, Happily Ever After

Victor Garber Serves Up Some Justice

Justice

Good news - My favorite secret agent dad from Alias, Victor Garber is back doing what he does best, playing an expressionless professional. This time, as a lawyer on Fox's law drama, Justice.

The new series from Jerry Bruckheimer, which is three episodes in, has a typical episodic, or fomulaic, format, à la CSI or Cold Case. But it does feature a new twist at the end of each episode - a peek into the real circumstances of the crime, meaning the viewers get to see the truth of the guilt or, so far, the innocence of the defendant after the verdict. And besides the stellar partners, Dawson's Creek's Kerr Smith, Rebecca Mader, and especially Oz's Eamonn Walker, the fictional law offices of TNT & G house the latest and greatest in technological gadgetry to simulate and demonstrate for the jury (and the mock test jury) their client's innocence.

One hitch - Garber is sorely underused as an egotistical spin doctor. It's all well and good, but one-dimensional. If Victor Garber was going to be playing a lawyer, I can't help but feel that his talents might have been better utilized on the highly quirky Boston Legal. I would have loved to have seen him run wild with the other looney lawyers, develop a real character, and deliver intelligent David E. Kelly dialogue/monologues. If you don't know Boston Legal, get to know it. Denny Crane.

But I guess as long as Victor Garber's in a suit, I'm happy.

EW's High School Movies List

Entertainment Weekly's September 15th issue features an article on the 50 best high school movies. Now, I don't want to claim ownership on the idea, but I did previously post a teen angst DVD list in August (I totally had an I-told-you-so moment, sadly to no one in particular). On my list, I posted 15 high school movies, 10 of which appear on the EW spread, including all films in the Old School/Classics category. I came up with my list on the spot, whereas the EW writers and staff probably took a tad more time than I and had more resources, so naturally there are some mentionable films that I missed. Included are Rushmore, Risky Business, Donnie Darko, Napoleon Dynamite, and The Virgin Suicides. Plus, I think EW's list is, and rightly should be, reader-friendly, and therefore lacks certain darker, less well-known movies such as Welcome to the Dollhouse. But overall, it's nice to know the "experts" agree with me.

House Season 3

House, M.D.

An all new season of House has kicked off to an early start. The medical drama starring the incredibly talented and Emmy nomination-robbed Hugh Laurie as the misanthropic title character premiered its third season's first episode Meaning this past Tuesday. As we last left the dour doc, he had been shot twice by the husband of a former patient (if House wasn't so good at what he does, this probably would've happened sooner) and had asked for the ketamine treatment to reboot his system - painfree.

And as the season promos promised, we see House doing something we've never seen him do before - running (and riding a skateboard). And as if that wasn't enough, House admits he is happy. What have they done to the unlovably lovable House? Don't fret, folks. If the season premiere is any indication (House was seen grabbing his thigh and stealing a prescription for Vicodin from Wilson), House will be back to his old deprecating self, and perhaps even worse off after experiencing a taste of a cane-free life once again.

For the purists out there, turn away from possible season spoilers. Promised in the new season is a story arc featuring a policeman, David Morse, out to get our favorite pill-popping doc. And a possible episode with an incarcerated House. And for those of you who are against Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) mooning over her much older superior, House will encounter an even younger admirer.

Can't wait to collect more Houseisms on the ever growing list.

Dot the i DVD

director: Matthew Parkhill
writer: Matthew Parkhill

Dot the i starts one way and ends another. It leads you down one path only to sideswipe you before you hit the exit.

Gael Garcia Bernal stars as a poor but passionate man who woos the saucy Natalia Verbeke, fittingly named Carmen, from the rich and seemingly stable James D'Arcy. But let me tell you, he is no Mr. Darcy.

All is not as it seems in this film about... love? Dot the i begins sweetly enough, mainly because of the charms of the star-crossed lovers, but then veers sharply into kitschy territory. The viewer can sense all is not right and that someone, or perhaps all three parties are keeping secrets. But this secret was ironically unrealistic. The film puts in a twist for the sake of having a twist, and it inevitably feels forced.

Twist endings are fun if done correctly and believably, and the viewer was taken along for the ride instead of being thrown off. They are not so fun if trite and the common viewer is able to predict the outcome, or, as in this case, the viewer is hit from left field and feels cheated because of a lack of plausibility.

I may have completely turned you off to this film or have made you super curious. If you are going to watch this film - viewer beware.

Special features include commentary and deleted scenes.

rating: ***/***** (for Bernal and Verbeke)

recommendations: Read My Lips, Run Lola Run

Friends with Money DVD

director: Nicole Holofcener
writer: Nicole Holofcener

Friends with Money is about that, friends with money. Well, not exactly all the friends. Jennifer Aniston is a single maid and the black sheep of the group .

Can you believe Jennifer Aniston as a maid? Yeah, neither can I. The production people could have at least attempted to make her look a bit homely. Messy hair? Baggy clothes? No? Nothing? Okay. Nevertheless, she does have her moments as an actress. Like, take a look at her expressions as Scott Caan asks for his cuts.

The wonderfully cast friends with money are Joan Cusack, Catherine Keener, and Frances McDormand. Of special note is Catherine Keener, a staple of Nicole Holofcener's films, including the indie gem Walking and Talking. Keener is definitely an underrated actress. She can portray messed-up everyday women, as well as the object of affection of the 40-Year-Old Virgin and Being John Malkovich. And it doesn't hurt she has a cute hubby.

Special features include commentary and featurettes.

rating: ***1/2/***** (an indie find)

recommendations: Walking and Talking, Lovely and Amazing

The Departed

director: Martin Scorsese
writer: William Monahan, Sui Fai Mak and Alex Chong (Infernal Affairs)

I was recently treated to a screening of Martin Scorsese's Infernal Affairs remake, starring a bevy of Oscar and other award nominated/winning actors, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, and MarkWahlberg. And a treat it was to get an early viewing of this ambitious remake. The Departed takes the skeleton of its predecessor and fleshes out the details and gives it a specificity on the streets of Boston.

A cops-and-robbers film, the premise is a simple one: each side has implanted a mole, both high up in the ranks. But there in lies the possibilities. It becomes a cat-and-mouse game of suspenseful complexities.

And the acting is certainly up to par with the caliber of the cast. Jack Nicholson need only to glance at you with those naturally arched eyebrows to instill fear. Alec Baldwin does his best work not as a leading man, but as a sideliner. And Leonardo DiCaprio carries the film. And as juicy as his role was, I couldn't help thinking how DiCaprio would have also been excellent in the Matt Damon role. Also of note is Mark Wahlberg's character whose name is Dignam, which is remarkably like "Digne," a word Chaucer meant as disdainful but also honorable, which the character certainly is.

Is this an Academy Award worthy film? Well, I've come to lose faith in the choices of the Academy. It is not always necessarily the best in the category who takes home the golden statue. But then again, that applies to most award shows, if not all. And of course, a movie's chances depend on its competition. I am sure The Departed will get some nominations, possibly best adapted screenplay and best supporting actor for Jack Nicholson along with some technical nods. I would not be surprised if Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese also receive nods. Scorsese has never won the Oscar, which is a sham considering his older films. But the Academy has been known for making it up by awarding nominees for roles/films that were less worthy. So, who knows?

rating: ****1/2/***** (a must-see)

recommendations: Infernal Affairs, Gangs of New York, Heat

Teen Angst DVDs

In honor of the upcoming school year, these DVD recommendations are teen angst/school themed.

Comedy
Kicking and Screaming (1995 - Not the Will Ferrell/soccer version)
Mean Girls (surprising hit)
She's the Man (surprisingly charming)
Clueless (feel-good flick)
Old School (frat pack classic)
American Pie (set the trend for teen gross-out movies)

Dark Comedy
Election (very smart)
Welcome to the Dollhouse (heartbreaking in its honesty)
Thumbsucker (interesting indie)
Saved (a surprisingly smart and funny indie)

Just Dark/Drama
Good Will Hunting (great writing)
Brick (film noir set in high school)
Elephant (slow but powerful)

Old School/Classics
Say Anything... (what girl does not love Lloyd Dobler?)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (save Ferris)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (an 80's classic)
The Breakfast Club (an 80's classic)
Dazed and Confused (hippies of the world unite)

Honorable Mentions/TV Shows
Undeclared (underrated and cancelled before its time)
Freaks and Geeks (another one that wasn't given a chance)

The Illusionist

director: Neil Burger
writer: Neil Burger

The Illusionist is Edward Norton as Eisenheim, a man driven by love of magic and Princess Sophie, played by Jessica Biel. And Paul Giamatti is Chief Inspector Uhl, a curious admirer not quite beyond corruption by the Crown Prince of Vienna, Rufus Sewell, who has plans of his own for Sophie.

The problem with this film is its predictability. Granted, it is difficult to surprise an overindulged movie enthusiast, but when I can predict the action every step of the way from a third of the film in, that's when the movie loses something special. And it was just that: not special or unique - it even has a Usual Suspects-esque reveal at the end. Although, fellow theatergoers seemed to enjoy the film far more than me, they also beat me in age by about, oh 30 to 50 years or so.

The Illusionist was not bad. Just not great. If you are penny pinching, or at least movie pinching (and who wouldn't nowadays with the current cost of tickets), and being selective of your theater going experience, then I suggest you check out the trailers for The Prestige, another film featuring magic starring Wolverine and Batman and wait a couple months.

rating: ***/***** (wait for the DVD)

recommendations: The Usual Suspects, Ever After

Accepted

director: Steve Pink
writer: Adam Cooper and Bill Collage

Justin Long has a boyish sincerity about him that will probably ensure a reasonable future career. Jonah Hill (also seen in 40-Year-Old Virgin as the goldfish-in-boots lover) will probably pop up as the hefty sidekick/comic relief several more times. And Adam Herschman picks up where Curtis Armstrong (best known as Revenge of the Nerds's Booger) left off. There's the pretty blonde, Blake Lively, the object of our hero's affections who, of course, has a dopey jock boyfriend, Travis Van Winkle. Tell me, why are all film losers in love with the most popular girl in school who is almost always a skinny, tall blonde and who almost always is dating the most popular guy in school, the captain of the fill-in-the-blank sport? Can someone say "overreaching?" What's worse? Knowing you can't be with an out-of-your-league crush or being implanted with the false hope that maybe if you do something great, like say, invent a college, you can, but really there's no chance in hell?

Accepted is the Revenge of the Nerds, Animal House, Old School, PCU, etc. of the younger, modern generation. And while it follows in the tradition and is reminiscent of its predecessors, and even has some amusing observations, such as the under(or over)tones of homosexuality in a fraternity, the movie falls short - typical of underachievers. The movie was so busy collecting the obligatory aspects, like the round-up of the range in freaks and idiot savants, none of whom we get to know really well, that the details and funny comebacks that were so promising in the beginning fail us.

rating: **1/2/***** (take it or leave it)

recommendations: Old School, Revenge of the Nerds

Little Miss Sunshine

director: Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
writer: Michael Arndt

The true markings of an indie film is perhaps not the budget, but the feel. With the continual risings of film costs as movies try to out-do, out-perform, out-cgi competitors, it's hard to tell where independent films/low-budget films/standard budget films/blockbuster films end and begin. And as more guaranteed moneymakers go down in flames and audacious film festival darlings catch on fire, audiences are becoming more aware and more accepting of those little films-that-could. Enter Little Miss Sunshine.

Greg Kinnear heads this family of misfits held together by what seems not so much a familial bond as a growing suspicion that perhaps the members have no other friends. Included in this dysfunctional bunch are Toni Collette as the trying-her-best mom, Alan Arkin as the dirty, old grandfather, Paul Dano as the voluntarily mute and misanthropic teen, Abigail Breslin as the enthused pageant contestant wannabe, and Steve Carell as the depressed uncle. Standouts in the cast include young Breslin - portraying a misguided and confused girl with an innocence that sometimes is absent in other precocious child actors, and Steve Carell, mostly known as the lovably pure 40-Year-Old Virgin and former Daily Show correspondent turned clueless boss, who leaps, or rather detachedly slouches into the somber character.

Also of note is the yellow and white VW wagon which is a character in and of itself. Good road trip films should always pay homage to the mode of transportation. And certainly the filmmakers chose a vehicle that would stand out (in a unique, almost embarrassing sort of way - a classic indie film move, as opposed to the shiny, expensive and exclusive action film sort of way) and look good on a color-coordinated poster.

The film itself has tender, funny moments with enough quirks (a pre-requisite for indie films) to fill two bigger budget films. It also has some surprises, some expected, some not. Those exhaused from the disappointment of supposed summer blockbusters should seek relief in this little oasis called Little Miss Sunshine.

rating: ****/***** (a definite-see)

recommendations: The Adventures of Sebastian Cole, Transamerica