Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (DVD)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson. The fourth installment in the Harry Potter series is a bit of a disappointment. Michael Gambon, as Dumbledore, just lacks the charm and sparkle of the late Richard Harris. Great chunks are missing from the book, an effect not so apparent in the earlier Harry Potter films. The music, too, is less magical. Grade: B-

Capote (DVD)

Capote (2005) starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener. Hoffman won an Oscar for his turn in the title role, but otherwise this movie isn't an especial standout. It tells the story of Truman Capote's writing of his famous book, "In Cold Blood," and of what it costs him to write it. While the movie was intellectually engaging, I didn't find it especially moving emotionally. Neither Capote, nor the killers he writes about, elicit much sympathy. Capote's high, whiny voice, as portrayed by Hoffman, is just plain irritating. Grade: B

The Squid and the Whale (DVD)

The Squid and the Whale (2005) starring Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg, Owen Kline. Directed by Noah Baumbach. "The Squid and the Whale" is an exquisite miniature, a portrait of a family disintegrating before our eyes. It takes place in 1986 in Brooklyn, and many scenes were filmed on location in Brooklyn. All the characters are interesting, especially Jeff Daniels as the consummate, self-involved jerk, and the father in the family. This is one of the few movies I've seen where I felt it was too short and wanted to see more. There was Oscar buzz about this low-budget indie, and it was well deserved. Grade: A-

The Door in the Floor (DVD)

The Door in the Floor (2004) starring Jeff Bridges, Kim Basinger, Jon Foster, Mimi Rogers, Bijou Phillips, Elle Fanning. Based on John Irving's novel "A Widow for One Year," "The Door in the Floor" tells the story of one summer in the life of a family that is breaking up. Ted, the father, is a famous writer of children's books. Marion, the mother, has been turned to stone by the tragedy of a car accident in which both her sons were killed. Elle Fanning, Dakota's younger sister, plays Ruth, the four-year-old daughter. Eddie, the writer's assistant hired for the summer, is played by unknown Jon Foster. Ted and Marion, played by Bridges and Basinger, are not admirable characters. Both have flaws that make them unlikable. Foster, as Eddie, should be the center of the story, as it is told from his point of view. But his presence on screen is so weak that he seems to fade into the background of nearly every scene he's in. Many viewers will find "The Door in the Floor" unpleasant to watch, as there are no characters to admire. But I found it to be an absorbing study of dysfunctional people, and it was interesting to note the points of connection between the book and the movie. Grade: B

The 40 Year Old Virgin (DVD)

The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005) starring Steve Carell, Catherine Keener, Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks. Some reviewers really liked this movie, but I'm not one of them. It falls into the "OK" category with me -- passable but not transcendent. The basic structure of the movie is good and works rather well, but it is overlong and has a few too many tiresome, tasteless jokes thrown in to fill out the running time. Catherine Keener is a delight as the main love interest of the title character, and the last 10 minutes of the film are enjoyable. It's just a long journey to get there. Grade: B-

The Weather Man (DVD)

The Weather Man (2005) starring Nicolas Cage, Michael Caine, Hope Davis. A relentlessly downbeat movie masquerading as a comedy, "The Weather Man" leaves the viewer feeling slightly let down, despite a (somewhat) happy ending. The running joke in the movie is that Nicolas Cage, as weather man David Spritz, keeps getting hit by items of fast food thrown by "fans." It's not a very funny joke, and it gets old early on. The rest of the movie is consumed by David's campaign to get back together with his ex-wife (Davis), who clearly has no desire to try to make their marriage work again. Grade: C

Welcome to Sarajevo (DVD)

Welcome to Sarajevo (1997) starring Stephen Dillane, Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Emira Nusevic, Kerry Fox, Goran Visnjic, Emily Lloyd. Directed by Michael Winterbottom. With the present war in Iraq, it is easy to forget the horrors that came about in the 1990s. "Welcome to Sarajevo" reminds us of the tragedy that occurred when Yugoslavia broke up into warring nations, including Bosnia and Serbia. Peoples who had lived side-by-side in peace for centuries turned on one another in savage "ethnic cleansing." This movie tells the story of one journalist (Dillane) who is covering the siege of Sarajevo, and his decision to try to save one orphan from life in the war zone. The film is hard to watch at times, but worth the effort for those who are willing to remember. Grade: B+

Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (DVD review)

Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005). Animated. Mildly amusing, but mostly aimed at children. Won the Oscar for an animated film. Grade: B

In Her Shoes (DVD review)

In Her Shoes (2005) starring Toni Collette, Cameron Diaz, Shirley MacLaine. Two sisters are polar opposites, except for their shoe size. Collette plays Rose, the button-down lawyer who has her professional life together but her love life not so much. Diaz is Maggie, the ditzy party girl who gets drunk, has sex in the public bathroom, and ends up sleeping on her sister's couch. MacLaine is the long-lost grandmother who ends up bringing the two sisters back together after they have a horrible fight. It's tempting to brush this movie off as a chick flick, but it probably deserves more than that. It didn't quite work for me because the story was told in a herky-jerky fashion wherein big changes take place suddenly without explanation. And at 130 minutes, the movie is long enough to spell things out for us. Collette should get props for her acting. Grade: B

The Best of Youth (DVD review)

The Best of Youth (2003) features a cast that no one in America will recognize. Airing originally as a miniseries on Italian television, it is now available on DVD, in Italian with English subtitles. The six-hour running time will seem forbidding to some, but it is well worth the investment of time. The story follows the lives of two brothers, Matteo and Nicola, from the 1960s to 2003. The sweep of the narrative follows their lives as they mature from youths to men, form relationships with women and have children. Parallel to their individual stories is the development of Italian society and politics over the same period of time. Both of their lives are suffused with love and tragedy, but "The Best of Youth" rises above soap opera. Also notable are numerous scenes featuring beautiful scenery and beautiful Italian actresses. Grade: A