Little Manhattan (DVD)
$20.85
»
Little Manhattan (DVD)
Mark Levin, who penned the film WIMBLEDON and was a co-producer of 80 s staple THE WONDER YEARS, makes his directorial debut with LITTLE MANHATTAN. Simultaneously heartwarming and grueling, the film is a charming depiction of urban puppy love, set to a backdrop of landmarks New Yorkers will enjoy spotting. Gabe (Josh Hutcherson, ZATHURA) is a precocious 11-year-old who has a happy life on the Upper West Side, playing ball with his friends and preparing for a football career someday under the eye of his doting dad (Bradley Whitford, THE WEST WING, THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS). The only wrench in the works comes from his parents` long road to divorce, and his mom`s (Cynthia Nixon, SEX & THE CITY) decision to start dating while Dad still lives in the apartment. When Gabe decides to sign up for karate class, his world is turned upside down by Rosemary Tesescoe (newcomer Charlie Ray), the
third-prettiest girl
in his class. Rosemary is good at karate while Gabe struggles with it, and her offer to help him practice leads to a chance for the kids to get to know each other. This gives rise to Gabe s eye-opening shift in how he sees Rosemary--and girls in general--as he discovers feelings he didn t even know existed. The halting evolution of their relationship avoids sentimentality, guided by Gabe s internal monologue that is both hilariously uncertain and surprisingly wise. The kids do things like get lost together in Central Park, and ride the subway alone for the first time--braving the terrors of the West Village, no less--exploring the city and their newfound feelings with a refreshing sincerity. Gabe s grand gestures manage to inspire the adults around him to rethink some things and take some risks of their own, while his discoveries about the meaning of love are something to which viewers of any age can relate.
Drama
Ushpizin (DVD)
$20.85
»
Ushpizin (DVD)
A devout Hasid is forced to come to terms with his criminal past in this fascinating film by Gidi Dar. The secular Isreali filmmaker teamed up with Orthodox Jewish actor/screenwriter Shuli Rand to portray Hasidic life as authentically as possible.
Drama
Last Days (DVD)
$20.85
»
Last Days (DVD)
Inspired by the true story of Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of the popular Seattle-based rock band Nirvana who committed suicide in 1994, director Gus Van Sant (ELEPHANT) presents this meditative journey through the last days in the life of fictional musician Blake (Michael Pitt). In a bewildered state of drug withdrawal, Blake stumbles through deep woods groaning and mumbling quietly. His words are only occasionally coherent, and even less occasionally audible. Thus, the focus is on Blake`s tortured, slow-motion movements and his tangle of chin-length blond hair, which hangs like a mask over his face. Reaching a clearing, Blake enters a dilapidated mansion where he lives with four similarly confused young rockers. A string of foggy events follows in partially chronological order. Scenes overlap, allowing for minor details to be added later. This style hints at the insignificance of time--and of everything--from Blake`s perspective.Avoiding human contact, taking long walks, playing music, and hiding in the greenhouse, Blake nears his inevitable end. He digs up a parcel from the backyard, smokes a cigarette and painstakingly pours a bowl of Cocoa Krispies, changes into a black evening gown and grabs a rifle, answers the phone and says nothing when a voice asks him about an upcoming tour. Blake then descends into a bizarre, barely conscious state during which people come and go from the house. But none of it seems to register, as he is already lost. LAST DAYS finds melancholic beauty in green trees reflecting in window panes, and the sound of rippling lake water echoing the ambient noise in Blake`s head; and Pitt shows chameleon expertise in his mutely charismatic depiction of the unreachable Blake, whose resemblance to Cobain is both haunting and magical.
Drama
Millions (DVD)
$20.85
»
Millions (DVD)
It is rare that a family film is both visually sophisticated and emotionally nuanced. MILLIONS, the fantastical tale of two British brothers and the large sack of cash literally dropped onto them from the sky, is just that--a multi-layered, majestic feast for both the eyes and the mind. Young brothers Anthony and Damian Cunninham, whose initial response to their unexpected fortune is a Robin Hood-esque spree of charity, have only one week to spend their 265,000 British pounds before their nation switches over to the Euro. Though the premise may seem trite or predictable, unexpected details--including Damian s ability to see visions of saints and the recent death of the boys` beloved mother--add complexity to the story. As the 7- and 9-year-old Cunningham brothers, lead actors Alex Etel and Lewis McGibbon prove to be those exceptional child actors who are appealing without being precious and their understated, mature performances add gravity to a largely whimsical film.Danny Boyle, the director best known for stylishly violent films TRAINSPOTTING and 28 DAYS LATER, might seem an odd man to helm this comparatively innocent movie. However, Boyle`s visual and narrative gifts turn out to be perfectly suited to this modern day fable, adding much-needed flavor to a genre that is all too often ignored by cinematic talents.
Drama
Eros (DVD)
$20.85
»
Eros (DVD)
Three award-winning directors take a look at eroticism, sex, and love in different ways in the international omnibus film EROS. Hong Kong`s Wong Kar-Wai (IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, CHUNGKING EXPRESS) contributes
The Hand,
a moving, poignant tale of a simple tailor, Zhang (Chang Chen), who becomes obsessed with an elegant, demanding, beautiful call girl, Ms. Hua (Gong Li), as he makes special dresses for her, knowing that she will wear them while being with other men. As her life dovetails, Zhang is faced with the choice of remaining her friend or leaving her to drown in the gutter. In
Equilibrium,
writer-director Steven Soderbergh (TRAFFIC, ERIN BROCKOVICH) tells a black-and-white noir farce starring Robert Downey Jr. as an ad man relating his erotic dream to a psychiatrist (Alan Arkin) who appears to be more interested in peeping out his office window. And in
The Dangerous Thread of Things,
Italian master Michelangelo Antonioni (BLOWUP, L`AVVENTURA) relates the story of fast-living rich people who toy with sex and romance as if they`re games, as a husband (Christopher Buchholz) and wife (Regina Nemni) both become curious about a woman (Luisa Ranieri) who rides her horse across the beach. EROS is a tribute to Antonioni--he was 89 years old when he began filming his segment in 2001--who helped choose Wong and Soderbergh because both have pointed to him as a major influence.
Drama
Separate Lies (DVD)
$20.85
»
Separate Lies (DVD)
The British actor Tom Wilkinson s astonishing performance anchors SEPARATE LIES, a nuanced adult drama packed with moral dilemmas and existential questions. Julian Fellowes, who received an Academy Award for penning Robert Altman s GOSFORD PARK, makes his first foray into the director s chair with this sophisticated film, which centers around Wilkinson s
repressed upper class lawyer James Manning. A well-groomed British society couple, James and his lovely, polished wife Anne (BREAKING THE WAVE s Emily Watson) live that sort of perfectly presentable life that John Cheever has made a literary career out of exposing. Cloaked under a veil of politeness, manners, and ultimately, self-delusion, they are so far deep into enacting their roles that they come to believe them. When their maid s husband is killed in a tragic hit-and-run accident in front of their vacation home, James immediately suspects that his dashing and suspicious neighborhood Bill Bule was behind the wheel. Upon telling Anne his intention to relay the hypothesis to the law, he receives some shocking news; Anne and Bill have been carrying out an affair for months, and they were both in the car as it turned into a tool of manslaughter.
These harsh facts that James is confronted with have the effect of years of psychotherapy; the man of perfection is suddenly aware of the morass of half-truths and societal pressures that have led him to this point in life. As a man whose work rests upon upholding the law, he now must face the difficult moral dilemma of either turning in his own wife for a horrific crime or keeping up appearances. Based on Nigel Balchin s largely forgotten mid-century novel A WAY THROUGH THE WOOD, this is a movie that builds up its impact gradually and smoothly. Elegant and unobtrusive camerawork, a minimalist
score, and performances of subtle and understated power add up to a story that is at once morality tale, social critique, and neo-noir mystery.
Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005.
For p
Drama
Stay (DVD)
$20.85
»
Stay (DVD)
A psychological thriller that glides on the gossamer threads of dream and interpersonal connection, STAY recalls MEMENTO and THE SIXTH SENSE in both its intensity and its ability to keep the audience guessing. Sam Foster (Ewan McGregor) is a young psychiatrist who is filling in for a colleague on leave. Among his new patients is Henry Letham (a brooding Ryan Gosling), a young art student who hears voices and is seriously contemplating suicide. This resonates strongly with Sam, who rescued his painter girlfriend, Lila (Naomi Watts), from a wrist-slashing. The extremely volatile Henry begins to threaten Sam s hold on his own sanity, as he races against time to figure out the truth about Henry s past, the source of his troubles, and the cause of the seemingly unexplainable things that are happening to both of them. Sam investigates the ghostly figures of Henry s life, including Athena (Elizabeth Reaser), the girl Henry loved, and also his parents (Bob Hoskins and Kate Burton), uncovering ever more disturbing idiosyncrasies along the way.
Director Marc Forster (FINDING NEVERLAND, MONSTER S BALL) delivers possibly the most thought-provoking film of 2005, with a head-spinning conclusion that, upon contemplation, proves highly satisfying. The three lead actors are unfailingly compelling in a story that`s both exciting and spiritually rewarding. It unfolds against a palette of cool gray, with scenes that slide into one another, and a mise-en-schne that, for the observant viewer, is full of reflections and clues.
Drama
Alegria (DVD)
$20.79
»
Alegria (DVD)
A feature-length film starring the Cirque du Soleil, ALEGRIA is a beautifully filmed fantasy about the strange world inhabited by circus performers and their interpersonal relations. Veteran thespians Mako, Langella and Cox provide the acting chops while members of the famed Canadian troupe do their inimitable thing.DVD Features:Region 0 EncodingSnap CaseAudio Commentary by Director Franco DragoneMaking-Of ALEGRIA FeaturetteMusic Video of LOVE LEAVES SOMEONE BEHIND by Irene MarcMusic Montage of A CHILD and LET THEM LEAVETheatrical Trailer
Drama
Boyz N the Hood (DVD)
$20.79
»
Boyz N the Hood (DVD)
John Singleton emerged from USC film school with his passionate script already written, and at age 23 he made the film that spawned a score of ghetto dramas. From the opening shot--a sign reading Stop--to the final message of Increase the Peace, Singleton's desire to galvanize his audience is clear. The violence destroying South Central Los Angeles is seen through the eyes of Tre Styles (Cuba Gooding Jr.), whose intelligence and common sense would be wasted in the'hood if not for his father, Furious (Laurence Fishburne), who imparts discipline and responsibility to his son. Tre's friends aren't so lucky, though, especially Doughboy (Ice Cube), who has been in and out of institutions since childhood and now sits on his porch with a forty in his hand and a pistol in his waistband. Singleton is ambitious enough to tackle a host of problems, from African American business practices to the bias of the SAT test, but the real power of the film lies in the performances of its principals. Cuba Gooding, in his first role, doesn't let Tre come off like a goody two-shoes, while Ice Cube gives a tragic nobility to a young man who knows he's doomed.DVD Features:Region 1Keep CaseWidescreen - 1.85Full Frame - 1.33Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 - English Dolby Digital 2.0 - French Dolby Digital 2.0 - SpanishAdditional Release Material: Trailer - 1. Original TheatricalInteractive Features: Interactive Menus Scene Selections
Drama
The Billy Wilder Collection (DVD)
$20.79
»
The Billy Wilder Collection (DVD)
Three Hollywood classics from director Billy Wilder--SUNSET BOULEVARD (Collector's Edition), STALAG 17, and SABRINA--are collected in this special 3-DVD set. See individual titles for details.DVD Features:Region 1Keep Case3-Disc SetSABRINAFull Frame - 1.33Single Side - Dual LayerAudio: Dolby Digital Mono - English Dolby Digital Mono - FrenchAdditional Release Material: Documentary Trailers - 1.Original Theatrical TrailerInteractive Features: Interactive Menus Scene SelecionSUNSET BOULEVARD:Full ScreenAudio: Dolby Digital Mono - English Dolby Digital Mono - FrenchAdditional Release Material: Audio Commentary - 1. Ed Sikov - Author of ON SUNSET BOULEVARD: THE LIFE
AND TIMES OF BILLY WILDER Trailer - 1. Theatrical Featurettes - 1. EDITH HEAD - THE PARAMOUNT YEARS
2. THE MUSIC OF SUNSET BOULEVARD
3. Making OfInteractive Features: Interactive Menus Scene SelectionText/Photo Galleries: Hollywood Location Map Photo Galleries Morgue Prologue Script PagesSTALAG 17:Full Frame - 1.33Audio: Dolby Digital Mono - EnglishInteractive Features: Interactive Menus Scene Access
Drama
Enduring Love (DVD)
$20.74
»
Enduring Love (DVD)
While enjoying a romantic picnic in the English countryside, Joe (Daniel Craig) and Claire (Samantha Morton) become party to a tragic accident involving a hot air balloon. Haunted by the incident, and guilt-stricken that he wasn't able to do more, Joe begins to distance himself from Claire. But more disturbing is the behavior of Jed (Rhys Ifans), another stranger who lent a hand during the accident and begins stalking Joe. At first, Joe thinks that Jed is just suffering from posttraumatic stress and needs to talk about what they've been through together. But with each encounter, as Jed admonishes Joe to let go and admit his feelings, Joe feels more and more uneasy, confused and irritated. This psychological thriller from director Roger Michell (NOTTING HILL) explores how one experience can affect many people in different ways while also examining the subtleties of love and relationships. Craig is superb as Joe, a natural-born leader and rational college professor whose life is turned upside down both by his inability to prevent the accident, and by his interactions with Jed. Ifans is super creepy as the disturbed stalker, a far cry from his turn as the lovable goof Spike in NOTTING HILL.
Drama