Category: Movie DVD Quicktakes (Page 9 of 41)

44 Inch Chest

April 18, 2010 /


It’s been 10 years since the release of Jonathan Glazer’s “Sexy Beast,” and yet the movie remains one of the most unforgettable crime thrillers ever made. Much of the film’s success was thanks to Sir Ben Kingsley’s electrifying performance as the venomous Don Logan, so it’s not surprising that the latest expletive-laced thriller from writers Louis Mellis and David Scinto is highlighted by the same kind of scene-chewing roles. “44 Inch Chest” assembles a cast of some of the best British actors working today, including Ray Winstone as Colin Diamond, a gangster contemplating murder after his wife informs him that she’s fallen in love with another man. After his friends kidnap her secret lover and take him back to their secret hideout to exact revenge, the heartbroken Colin must decide between killing in the name of love and walking away the better man.

Though “44 Inch Chest” is filled with lots of clever dialogue between Colin and his friends (an entertaining Tom Wilkinson, Ian McShane, John Hurt and Stephen Dillane), the story leaves much to be desired. There simply isn’t enough going on to fill an entire movie, and the fact that it’s structured more like a play (with a majority of the action taking place in a single room) only makes you wonder why it wasn’t conceived as one. If you can make it through the sluggish 95-minute runtime, “44 Inch Chest” is worth watching for the performances. Just don’t expect to be blown away.

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External Movie DVDs, Movie Dramas, Movie DVD Quicktakes, Movie DVDs, Movies, Reviews

The September Issue

April 16, 2010 /

This critically acclaimed 2008 documentary is effectively a real-life companion piece to “The Devil Wears Prada.” It depicts the reputed real-life basis for Meryl Streep’s hellish-but-hilarious Miranda Priestly, Vogue Magazine‘s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, as she assembles what turns out to be the thickest, most advertising-laden, issue in the fashion mag’s long history. The British born Wintour’s reputation, of course, precedes her and, not surprisingly, she comes off a lot milder and more human than either her fictional counterpart or the nickname never mentioned in the film, “Nuclear” Wintour, would indicate. It’s notable that we never really see the fashion doyen with abuse-ready underlings, though we do see her in frequent, reasonably polite, conflict with more evenly matched colleagues — particularly strong-willed, doc-stealing creative director Grace Coddington, a fellow Brit and a former model herself, who went into the behind-the scenes world after a car accident affected her appearance.

It’s a pleasant, if less than spectacularly compelling, package as far as it goes. Director R.J. Cutler and cinematographer Robert Richman, who finds himself becoming a part of the film’s story, deliver a visually sharp portrait of the candy-colored world of high-end fashion and the whiter-than-white Vogue offices. On the other hand, though it admits she’s not what anyone would consider a warm and fuzzy presence, this comes across very much like the film Anna Wintour would like you to see about her. I can’t help feeling that Cutler’s film was made so that a darker, more honest, and more interesting film was not.

Click to buy “The September Issue”

Documentaries, External Entertainment, External Movies, Movie Comedies, Movie DVD Quicktakes, Movie DVDs, Movies

Defendor

April 13, 2010 /

With Matthew Vaughn’s “Kick-Ass” due in theaters this Friday, Sony picked the perfect time to release their own movie about a wannabe superhero – only “Defendor” is a little different in that its title character isn’t exactly right in the head. Granted, anyone that decides to get into the vigilante business has to be a little crazy, but Arthur Poppington (Woody Harrelson) is also a little slow. Dressed in a black suit with a duct-tape “D” on the chest and boasting an arsenal of weapons ranging from a WWII trench club to marbles and wasps, Defendor roams the city helping those in need. After saving a crack-addicted call girl (Kat Dennings) from a crooked cop (Elias Koteas) one night, Defendor teams up with her to take down a New York City crime boss that he believes to be a fictional villain named Captain Industry. Highlighted by a solid performance by Woody Harrelson, “Defendor” has its moments, but it ultimately falls prey to some shoddy direction from Peter Stebbins, who doesn’t seem to know whether the movie is supposed to be a dark comedy or a gritty crime drama. Koteas has some funny moments as the sleazebag cop who’s constantly harassed by Defendor, but it’s hard to find the humor in a mentally challenged adult who risks his life because he doesn’t think that bullets can harm him. “Defendor” definitely had the potential to be a great addition to the superhero genre, but it’s never better than mediocre.

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External Movie DVDs, Movie Comedies, Movie Dramas, Movie DVD Quicktakes, Movie DVDs, Movies

Howard’s End

April 11, 2010 /

Featuring Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter, Anthony Hopkins, and a heartbreaking Vanessa Redgrave, 1992’s “Howard’s End” was the third (and most star-studded) adaptation of a novel by E.M. Forster from the famed triumvirate of producer Ismail Merchant, Oscar-winning writer Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, and director James Ivory. With the Merchant-Ivory team’s famed talent for exquisite visuals amidst extravagant period settings, it’s also perfect fodder for a Criterion two-disc DVD set.

Thompson and Bonham Carter are sisters Margaret and Helen Schlegel, affluent early 20th century intellectuals who find themselves embarrassingly intertwined with the crassly wealthy Wilcox family. Eventually, the ailing matriarch, Mrs. Wilcox (Redgrave), starts up an intense friendship with the older and more stable Schlegel sister, Margaret. After her death, wry Margaret unexpectedly falls for and marries Mr. Wilcox (Hopkins), not knowing the ardent capitalist had chosen to ignore a death-bed bequest of enormous import. Meanwhile, the younger Helen’s overweening sympathy for a sensitive clerk with intellectual aspirations (Samuel West) inadvertently threatens everyone’s happiness and proves, once again, that it’s money that matters most. A morally complex blend of complex comedy and drama with florid tragedy reminiscent of another great literary adaptation, George Stevens’ “A Place in the Sun,” “Howard’s End” is everything you could ask for in thoughtful period entertainment, with some highly nuanced ideas from novelist Forster on the interplay of economics and emotional life. Critics sometimes downplay the “tasteful” Merchant-Ivory-Jhabvala films, but this hugely entertaining winner of three Academy Awards, including a Best Actress statue for Emma Thompson, gives Oscar bait a good name.

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Actors, Actresses, External Entertainment, External Movies, Movie Dramas, Movie DVD Quicktakes, Movie DVDs, Movies

We Believe

April 8, 2010 /

You have to feel a little sorry for the makers of “We Believe,” the entertaining movie documenting the 100-year anniversary, if you want to call it that, of the Chicago Cubs’ last World Series victory. Many thought the 2008 Cubs were going to be the team that ended the heartbreak, and goodness knows they gave even the most cynical Cubs fan – of which this writer is one – reason to, well, believe. Late-inning comebacks, a no-hitter in a neutral stadium…it was a crazy year, just crazy enough to do the impossible. Director John Scheinfeld assembles a who’s who of Chicago celebrities, Cub players past and present, and assorted baseball luminaries (Bob Costas, George Will, Bud Selig) to discuss the unique relationship between the Cubs and their fans, intercutting it with history lessons of both the city of Chicago and the team they love. Their coverage of the material is most comprehensive; they even took a few minutes to talk about Steve Goodman, the folkie who penned the good-time song “Go Cubs Go” in 1984, which received a revival in 2008.

Unfortunately, Scheinfeld didn’t get the happy ending he was clearly hoping for when he began the project; the Cubs were swept out of the playoffs in the first round by the Dodgers, and about halfway through the movie, Gary Sinise’s narrative updates on the team’s performance during the 2008 season become less and less frequent, and the movie begins to wander. When they finally get to discussing the playoffs, Sinise is mum on the outcome; they just show people discussing the aftermath. No one mentions the Dodgers by name, and only one person uses the word ‘sweep.’ What begins as a celebration of baseball and its loyal fans ends as a surprisingly insular, fans-only event.

Ah, but those Cubs fans will lap this up. The interviews with the 2008 players are refreshingly candid – best of the bunch was Ryan Dempster, who does a pitch-perfect Harry Caray impression – and the local celebs (Jeff Garlin, Bonnie Hunt, Joe Mantegna, Billy Corgan and Dennis Franz, to name a few) are upfront about their love for, and frustration with, their team. While “We Believe” may not chronicle the breaking of a century-old streak that they had hoped, it is a heartfelt tribute to arguably the most steadfastly loyal fans in baseball, if not all of sports.

Click to buy “We Believe”

Documentaries, External Movie DVDs, Movie DVD Quicktakes, Movie DVDs, Video

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