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New DVD releases include ‘Gone Baby Gone’
By admin | February 13, 2008
‘Gone Baby Gone’
Ben Affleck returns to his hometown of Boston with a sweeping crime drama that undoubtedly leaves viewers in a haze of moral uncertainty. Decisions don’t come easy in “Gone Baby Gone,” Affleck’s highly successful directorial debut. Of course, Affleck isn’t the only reason to check this one out. Shining performances from Ben’s brother, Casey, and Amy Ryan stand out in a film full of twists and turns. The younger Affleck handles the role of Patrick Kenzie, a small-time private investigator asked to look into the kidnapping of a local 4-year-old girl. Along with his girlfriend, Angie (Michelle Monaghan), and two veteran detectives (Ed Harris and John Ashton), Kenzie starts to piece together evidence to find the youngster. Eventually, though, he realizes that this single kidnapping is wrought with controversy. “Gone Baby Gone” is bound to draw comparisons to Clint Eastwood’s hit “Mystic River,” and not just because both films are set in and around the dark corners of Beantown. Dennis Lehane, who penned the 2003 thriller, also wrote this one. Through its authenticity and intelligence, “Gone Baby Gone” is a superb achievement for Affleck and his stellar cast. The drama continues onto DVD with an exclusive extended ending that leaves more questions. A featurette on casting the film is second-best, as Affleck used a ton of townies for the film. A mix of routine featurettes, interviews and commentary also are available. R, 2007. Our Take: 3.5 Stars.
Buy It: To witness a controversy that rivals New England’s own spygate. — Garrett Conti/Tribune-Review
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‘No Reservations’
Starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart, “No Reservations” is a dish best ignored. The romantic story finds a stubborn and talented chef (Zeta-Jones) falling for an easy-going saucier (Eckhart). When Nick moves into Kate’s kitchen, he quickly warms to the rest of the staff. This angers Kate, and a good bit of arguing ensues on the way to opposites attracting. In that respect, “No Reservations,” directed by Scott Hicks, is a run-of-the-mill romance movie. One sidebar to the story is another new addition to Kate’s life. When her sister dies, she assumes the responsibility of her daughter — played by the talented Abigail Breslin. The youngster’s involvement in the film seems wasted and, at times, shallow, as her story is simply dropped for the blossoming romance between Nick and Kate. “No Reservations” might have displayed more depth if it focused on one storyline. As it is, the romance and adoption angles tend to ring hollow with not enough commitment. The lone extra is the Food Network show “Unwrapped,” which takes a closer look at the film and its recipes. PG, 2007. Our Take: 1.5 Stars.
Skip It: Expect a loss of appetite with this reservation. — GC
‘Becoming Jane’
Biopics always have had a place on the movie landscape. Lately, though, they’ve become cliches. Those responsible are happy to mask an unremarkable script with interesting costumes and beautiful settings and send them up for Oscar consideration. Credit “Becoming Jane,” directed by Julian Jarrold, for breaking out of that cycle. This moving celebration based on the famed British author Jane Austen entices the viewer with its depth and cleverness. Starring Anne Hathaway — as Jane — James McAvoy and James Cromwell, the film takes a close look at Austen’s personal life with little concentration on the writer’s classic novels. Before she became one of the giants of English Literature, Austen had quite a tumultuous love life. That’s covered here warmly, as Hathaway and McAvoy share a wonderful chemistry in a forbidden fling. Next to deleted scenes and commentary from Jarrold, writer Kevin Hood and producer Robert Bernstein, quality special features give the viewer a more historical look into Austen’s life and the inspiration her work still has today. PG, 2007. Our Take: 2.5 Stars.
Rent It: Sense and sensibility point to this one as a quality rental. — GC
‘We Own the Night’
This stylized drama from director James Gray is highlighted by explosive action and quality cinematography. But, as “We Own the Night” shines on the outside, key components like story and plot are lacking. Depth and key characteristics of the film — which stars Mark Wahlberg, Robert Duvall, Eva Mendes and Joaquin Phoenix — are simply left out, and characters ascend on twisting storylines with little intro. The story focuses on two brothers, one a decorated cop (Wahlberg) and the other a nightclub manager (Phoenix) surrounded by criminal elements. When a new outfit of drug dealers takes shots at his family, Bobby (Phoenix) has to take the next step in his life. The aforementioned action is covered tremendously among the film’s extras. “Police Action: Filming Cops, Cars and Chaos” covers the exceptional chase scene and plenty of other sequences. Another quality featurette — “A Moment in Crime: Creating Late ’80s Brooklyn” — highlights the quality settings on display. Commentary and a making-of featurette also are available. R, 2007. Our Take: 2 Stars.
Rent It: Check it out on the short term, but don’t own the night. — GC
Other releases
• “Martian Child”: A single sci-fi writer (John Cusack) opens up his life to a child with heavy emotional issues in this heartwarming drama made for families. Based on a novel of the same name by David Gerrold, the feature film comes with plenty of extras. Correlations between the book and movie are covered in individual featurettes. Deleted scenes and commentary by some of the crew also are available. PG, 2007. Our Take: 2 Stars.
• “Romance & Cigarettes”: An all-star cast (Kate Winslet and Steve Buscemi to name a few) delivers an entertaining time in this original musical directed by standout actor John Turturro. Extras include commentary and an introduction from Turturro, deleted scenes and a pretty cool making-of feature that covers the fresh aspects of the movie. R, 2007. Our Take: 3 Stars.
• “I Could Never Be Your Woman”: Romance emerges between an older women (Michelle Pfeiffer) and a young man (Paul Rudd) in this sweet romantic comedy that never made it to the big screen. The film’s production problems have been publicized — most recently in Entertainment Weekly. Deleted scenes and commentary make up the extras. PG-13, 2007. Our Take: 2.5 Stars.
• “Dedication”: Mandy Moore, Billy Crudup and Tom Wilkinson star in the dark and artsy love story. “Dedication” marks the directorial debut of actor Justin Theroux, and it’s highlighted by a quality score. No special features are included. R, 2007. Our Take: 2.5 Stars.
• “Blue State”: Liberal thinking and a developing romance are at the center of “Blue State,” starring Breckin Meyer and Anna Paquin. Directed by Marshall Lewy, this one goes to the heart of political dedication. Commentary is the lone extra. R, 2007. Our Take: 2 Stars.
• Re-releases: Two old titles have a new day, as “The Wiz” (1978, G, Diana Ross) and “Imitation of Life” (1933 and 1959, Unrated, Lana Turner) make their way onto DVD today. Both titles include extensive special features that highlight the production of the films.
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