Ashes of Time Redux (2008)

Ashes of Time Redux (2008) starring Leslie Cheung. In ancient China, a swordsman retreats to the desert to recover from the sting of an affair gone wrong. There, he acts as a middleman, hiring warriors for various tasks. This recut of the director's 1994 wuxia epic eventually features lots of stylized swordplay, but the Chinese philosophy, language and mindset behind the film make it confounding, at least to me. The movie is poetic and beautifully photographed, and after I saw it I felt that I had seen something, but I just wasn't sure what. Grade: B-

Little Dorrit: Disc 2 (DVD)

Little Dorrit: Disc 2 (2008) starring Claire Foy, Matthew Macfadyen, Andy Serkis. This disc includes episodes 5-8, in which the Dorrit family discover that they are heir to a large estate, and are thus saved from debtors' prison. Mr. Dorrit's reaction to his new-found wealth is quite surprising, and not very pleasant. Meanwhile, Arthur Clennam (Macfadyen) remains a good friend to the Dorrits, while they (except Amy [Foy]) turn their backs on him. The coming into wealth of the Dorrits is not the happy ending to this Dickensian tale. Grade: A-

Revolutionary Road (DVD)

Revolutionary Road (2008) starring Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Shannon. Set in the mid-1950s, this story follows the Wheelers (Winslet and DiCaprio), a young couple in suburban Connecticut who try desperately to confront the problems in their relationship while raising two children. Early on, the Wheelers decide that they will chuck their stifling existence and move to Paris. But right after the decision is made, Frank Wheeler (DiCaprio) gets an enticing business offer. And April Wheeler (Winslet) becomes pregnant. Then the two begin a series of escalating arguments; they both have affairs. If you're looking for a happy ending, forget it. The film's main weakness is DiCaprio, who doesn't seem mature enough as an actor or as a person to fill his role. Otherwise, it's a fine movie. Grade: B+

Defiance (DVD)

Defiance (2008) starring Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, George McKay. In 1941, four Jewish brothers flee the Nazi death squads in Belorussia and take sanctuary in the forest. Soon, they are joined by other surviving Jews, young and old, male and female, and a partisan community is formed. With their intimate knowledge of the countryside, the partisans are able to survive and fight back against Nazis and Nazi sympathizers who come hunting for them. But the two oldest brothers, Tuvia (Craig) and Zus (Schreiber) find that they have different philosophies on how a resistance should be fought. They go their separate ways -- but they are brothers, and end up back together. This movie is at times exciting (the battle scenes) and at times moving, and well worth renting. Grade: A-

Yes Man (DVD)

Yes Man (2008) starring Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel. Carl (Carrey) is unhappy, still pining for his ex-wife three years after his divorce. After attending an inspirational rally, he resolves to say "yes" to everything that comes his way. At first, the Philosophy of Yes seems to be working for him. He meets a girl named Allison (Deschanel) and she invites him to attend her 6 a.m. photography-jogging class. Naturally, he says yes. Things go well between them -- until Homeland Security takes an interest in Carl's varied activities. Ultimately, Carl comes to the pretty obvious conclusion that you don't have to say yes to everything for the philosophy to work, and the movie's ending is a bit of an anticlimax. Still, it's an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. Grade: B

Little Dorrit: Disc 1 (DVD)

Little Dorrit (2008) starring Claire Foy, Matthew Macfadyen, Andy Serkis. BBC miniseries based on the Charles Dickens novel; this first disc introduces all the characters and sets the stage for later events in the drama. In the first four episodes, contained on this disc, we meet Little Amy Dorrit (Foy) and her benefactor, the kindly Arthur Clennam (Macfadyen). We learn that Little Dorrit lives with her father in debtors' prison, and that Clennam does not get on well with his shrewish mother. The subtitles on this disc are very well done, and quite welcome. All in all, a promising start. Grade: B+

The Graduate (DVD)

The Graduate (1967) starring Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross. Hoffman's first major film role finds him playing Benjamin Braddock, a recent college graduate who is searching for direction in life. Seduced by the wife (Bancroft) of his father's business partner, he in turn falls in love with her daughter, Elaine (Ross). Truly a landmark film of the late 1960s, enhanced by Simon and Garfunkel's soundtrack. Oddly enough, the most poignant part of this film, for me, was Benjamin's visit to Berkeley to find Elaine. I lived in Berkeley in the late '60s, and the Berkeley in this film bears little resemblance to the living, breathing, hippie-fied place that I experienced. The landmarks are the same, but the people are different. Still, a great film. Only flaw is the DVD's lack of subtitles for the hearing-impaired. Grade: A-

Star Trek

Star Trek (2009) starring John Cho, Ben Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Winona Ryder, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, Eric Bana. This "Star Trek" is obviously aimed at young audiences ("not your father's 'Star Trek' "), and it was a miss for me. As someone who has loyally followed "Star Trek" since the '60s TV show, I found that I was basically bored with this version of the Trek universe. Seeing it in a theater did not enhance the experience for me, and it seemed like just a lot of sound and fury. Plus, it cost $6.50 for a matinee show -- that's a third of an entire month's Netflix dues! Not worth it. Grade: B-

Manny & Lo (DVD)

Manny & Lo (1996) starring Scarlett Johansson, Aleksa Palladino, Mary Kay Place. Manny (Johansson) and Lo (Palladino) are two young sisters on the run from foster care, living on whatever they can steal from convenience stores along the way. When they find out that sixteen-year-old Lo is seven months pregnant, they take desperate measures -- kidnapping a woman (Place) from a local maternity store, and holing up in a stranger's vacation cabin. From there, the plot just gets weirder and funnier. The movie's only serious flaw is that this DVD does not include subtitles for the hearing-impaired, so some bits of dialogue got past me. Grade: B+

An American Rhapsody (DVD)

An American Rhapsody (2001) starring Scarlett Johansson. During a harrowing escape from Communist Hungary in 1953, a family becomes separated; despite their plans, the baby Suzanne is left behind in the Hungarian countryside, to be raised by a peasant couple. While her family lives and thrives in Los Angeles, Suzanne (Johansson) becomes a happy little girl in Hungary. Brought to America at the age of 6, she grows into a rebellious teenager, smoking and drinking and resenting her immigrant parents. At last, she holds her father to a promise he made when she was young, and she goes back to Budapest for a visit. The events that unfold there make for a fitting and moving climax to this unusual story. Grade: A

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (DVD)

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett. Born in 1918, Benjamin Button (Pitt) ages backward from age 80. Blanchett plays Daisy, the love of his life, who ages normally -- and therein lies the dramatic tension of the movie. Benjamin and Daisy seem fated to be together, but because of his condition, they can't be. In spite of the interesting subject matter, this film left me unsatisfied. The main reason, as best I can tell, is Brad Pitt's performance. Instead of playing Benjamin Button as a young man in an old body, growing into a mature man in a young body, he does the reverse -- Benjamin as a "baby" seems unnaturally mature, and as an "old man" seems childish. It might have been difficult to play the other way, but I think it would have been more convincing and more moving. Besides, the movie is two hours, forty-five minutes long. Grade: B-

Bolt (DVD)

Bolt (2008) featuring the voices of John Travolta, Miley Cyrus. A "superdog" has to face the hard facts of life when he escapes from the TV set and finds himself in the real world, where he is just an ordinary dog. After accidentally being shipped from Hollywood to New York, he sets off on a cross-country trek to rejoin his "person." The animation is remarkable, and the story will tug at your heartstrings, in this enjoyable film. That said, seeing it at home on TV is probably not anywhere near as good as it would have been in 3D in a movie theater. The subtitles are excellent. Grade: B+

What's Eating Gilbert Grape (DVD)

What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) starring Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis. Gilbert Grape (Depp) is the "man of the house," older brother to Arnie (DiCaprio), an 18-year-old with the mind of a child. Gilbert's mother is morbidly obese, and his younger sister is nothing but trouble. They live in a tumbledown house in a small town, where not much of anything ever happens -- until one day a new girl (Lewis) arrives in town, upsetting the order of things. The result is an involving movie, with a satisfying ending. Grade: B+

Valkyrie (DVD)

Valkyrie (2008) starring Tom Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson. During World War II, there were 15 attempts within Germany to assassinate Adolph Hitler. This movie tells the story of one of them, perhaps the most dramatic one and the one that came closest to success. It's a daring plan, inherently exciting -- but if you have any knowledge of history, you know how it turns out. That is the fatal flaw of an otherwise well-made movie. Cruise's performance is a little flat, but he plays a noble character who attempts a brave deed. It's involving, if a little confusing. Grade: B

The Incredibles (DVD)

The Incredibles (2004) with voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter. A family of superheroes is in hiding because society disapproves of their use of their special powers. But of course, they are called out of retirement to fight Syndrome, a super-villain who lives on an isolated island. The animation (by Pixar) is superb, and the story is clever and funny. Grade: A

Finding Neverland (DVD)

Finding Neverland (2004) starring Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Dustin Hoffman. Depp stars as J.M. Barrie, author of "Peter Pan." Winslet plays Mrs. Davies, mother to the four boys who provide Barrie with the inspiration for Peter and the Lost Boys. It's really quite a magical movie, but with a tragic element. Definitely worth seeing. Grade: A-

The Cooler (DVD)

The Cooler (2003) starring William H. Macy, Maria Bello, Alec Baldwin. Macy stars as Bernie Lootz, a Las Vegas fixture whose luck is so bad that he can cool off lucky streaks of gamblers in the casinos. His own luck starts to turn when he falls in love with a cocktail waitress named Natalie (Bello) -- and unfortunately, when Bernie's happy, he loses his ability to perform his job. Baldwin is convincing as the crooked -- and violent -- casino chief. Grade: B+

Doubt (DVD)

Doubt (2008) starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Viola Davis. Set in 1964 in a Catholic elementary school in the Bronx -- strict Sister Aloysius (Streep) begins to have doubts about one of the priests, the personable Father Flynn (Hoffman). Streep is, as always, excellent in her portrayal of the well-intentioned but misguided nun. Hoffman and Adams both hold their own when they share the screen with her. Did Father Flynn have an improper relationship with one of his students? You will have to decide for yourself. (Note: The subtitles are excellent.) Grade: B+

The Day The Earth Stood Still (DVD)

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) starring Keanu Reeves, Jennifer Connelly. Reeves plays Klaatu, an alien in human form who has been sent to Earth on a mysterious mission. Connelly is the woman scientist who has gained his trust and ends up driving him around. I can't really recommend this movie. It's incoherent and hardly has any plot at all. Grade: C

Little Women (DVD)

Little Women (1994) starring Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, Kirsten Dunst, Susan Sarandon, Christian Bale, Eric Stoltz, Gabriel Byrne. In Civil War-era New England, the four March sisters and their mother battle the vicissitudes of life while the father of the family is away at war. If any movie ever merited the label "chick flick," this is it. And a tear-jerker, to boot. But I couldn't help becoming absorbed in the lives of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March. It was refreshing to see Winona Ryder in her pre-shoplifting days. Based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott. Grade: A-

Frozen River (DVD)

Frozen River (2008) starring Melissa Leo, Misty Upham. On a Mohawk reservation on the Canadian border, two desperate women team up to smuggle illegal immigrants into the U.S. The work provides the women with much-needed money, but each trip puts them in ever greater danger. It's a taut drama, but this DVD lacks the crucial element of English subtitles for the hearing impaired. Movie: A- DVD: F

Remember the Titans (DVD)

Remember the Titans (2000) starring Denzel Washington, Will Patton, Kip Pardue, Donald Faison, Kate Bosworth, Ryan Gosling, Earl Poitier, Hayden Panettiere. Moving, fact-based drama about the forced integration of a high school football team in 1971 in Alexandria, Va. Washington plays Herman Boone, the African-American who is given the nod to be head coach of the team. It's a well acted, well directed film with many actors who would rise to greater fame. Grade: A

Superman Returns (DVD)

Superman Returns (2006) starring Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, Parker Posey, Eva Marie Saint. After five years' absence, Superman (Routh) comes back to Earth to face a challenge from an old nemesis, Lex Luthor (Spacey). Meanwhile, Superman's true love Lois Lane (Bosworth) has moved on while he was gone, and now has a fiance and a son. There's not much new in this movie -- the special effects are OK, but the script is weak. Grade: C+

Wendy and Lucy (DVD)

Wendy and Lucy (2008) starring Michelle Williams. Homeless woman named Wendy (Williams) tries to travel to Alaska in search of a good-paying job. She becomes stranded in Oregon when her car conks out, and her dog Lucy goes missing after Wendy is busted for shoplifting. It's a sad little film, without a happy ending, but it has something to say about the plight of the homeless and the poor. There, but for the grace of God, go you or I. Grade: B

Two Weeks Notice (DVD)

Two Weeks Notice (2002) starring Sandra Bullock, Hugh Grant, Alicia Witt. Bullock plays Lucy Kelson, a socially conscious lawyer who goes to work for the enemy, developer George Wade (Grant). When she tries to give her notice, he makes it difficult for her to leave. Naturally, they fall in love. This is a moderately amusing Rom-Com, leaning heavily on the charms of its lead actors to carry the day. Grade: B

Frost/Nixon (DVD)

Frost/Nixon (2008) starring Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell, Toby Jones, Kevin Bacon, Oliver Platt. British talk show host David Frost (Sheen) scored a series of TV interviews with former president Richard Nixon (Langella) in 1977. This movie tells the story of how the interviews were arranged, the preparations by both sides, the conduct of the interviews, the strategy, and the adversarial nature of the conversations. It's a surprisingly compelling film about a series of interviews. Directed by Ron Howard. Grade: A-

What a Girl Wants (DVD)

What a Girl Wants (2003) starring Amanda Bynes, Colin Firth. Fun chick flick about an American teenager named Daphne (Bynes) who goes to England to find her real father (Firth). Bynes is adorable, of course, and she does pratfalls well. After a detour in which she tries to adapt herself to British high society, Daphne decides that it's just best to be herself. And wouldn't you know it, everyone gets their happily ever after. Grade: B

Rachel, Rachel (DVD)

Rachel, Rachel (1968) starring Joanne Woodward, James Olson, Estelle Parsons. Woodward plays an unmarried 35-year-old teacher, living with her mother. During summer vacation, she meets a man (Olson), someone she knew as a youth. She spins fantasies around him, the first man she's ever been with. But the story takes an unexpected turn. Produced and directed by Woodward's husband, Paul Newman, this movie earned Oscar nominations in several categories. Grade: B+

Milk (DVD)

Milk (2008) starring Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, James Franco, Victor Garber. Penn won an Oscar for his portrayal of Harvey Milk, the openly gay activist who was elected supervisor in 1978 in San Francisco, then assassinated. The film is a moving testimony to the beginnings of the gay rights movement. Not for homophobes. Grade: A

A Walk to Remember (DVD)

A Walk to Remember (2002) starring Mandy Moore, Shane West. Moore plays preacher's daughter Jamie Sullivan, and West plays bad boy Landon Carter, who is cast opposite her in a school play. To their friends' and families' surprise, the two fall in love. Then tragedy intervenes. It's played for maximum pathos, and it succeeds. A real tear-jerker. Grade: B

The Wrestler (DVD)

The Wrestler (2008) starring Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood. Rourke stars as over-the-hill professional wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson, Tomei is his stripper love interest Cassidy, and Wood plays his estranged daughter, Stephanie. After suffering a heart attack in the locker room, the Ram tries to reconnect with his daughter, but she doesn't want anything to do with him. When his job at a deli counter proves to be unbearable, he decides to go back to wrestling, against doctor's advice. The final wrestling bout forms the climax to the movie. It's well acted, well scripted, noble, funny and tragic. Grade: A-

The Great Dictator (DVD)

The Great Dictator (1940) starring Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin plays dual roles in his take on Adolph Hitler, made shortly after the start of the Second World War. Chaplin portrays Adenoid Hynkel, dictator of Tomainia, and also an amnesiac Jewish barber who looks exactly like Hynkel. The barber, captured and sentenced to a prison camp, escapes just in time for a case of mistaken identity -- he is taken for Hynkel, and gets his chance to deliver an impassioned speech in favor of liberty and democracy. It's a bit heavy handed, but makes for an OK film. Grade: B

Meet Me in St. Louis (DVD)

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) starring Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien. Corny but charming slice of Americana set in 1903 in St. Louis. A family struggles with the father's decision to take a job in New York -- nobody really wants to move. Songs include "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "The Trolley Song," sung by Garland. O'Brien is unforgettable as the rambunctious young Tootie. Grade: A-

Role Models (DVD)

Role Models (2008) starring Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Elizabeth Banks. A couple of slackers (Rudd and Scott) get on the wrong side of the law, and are sentenced to community service with the Sturdy Wings mentoring program. They make an odd pairing with the two kids they are assigned to, and the comedy evolves from there. This is a moderately funny, profoundly profane movie with a happy ending, and it didn't hurt me any to watch it. Grade: B

The Wizard of Oz (DVD)

The Wizard of Oz (1939) starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley. Classic fantasy has weathered the years well, and in this restored version the colors are vibrant. The flying monkeys have been known to traumatize some young children, so be warned. The subtitles are superb -- even the song lyrics can be seen. Grade: B+

Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi (DVD)

Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi (1983) starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher. Princess Leia (Fisher) in a gold bikini! A speeder chase through the forest of Endor! Ewoks! This final film in the Star Wars saga has it all, as Luke Skywalker (Hamill) heads toward his ultimate confrontation with the evil Lord Darth Vader. Though not the best of the Star Wars movies, this one packs a satisfying emotional wallop. Grade: B+

Rachel Getting Married (DVD)

Rachel Getting Married (2008) starring Anne Hathaway, Rosemarie DeWitt, Bill Irwin, Debra Winger. Hathaway plays drama-queen/recovering-addict Kym, who is released from rehab just in time to attend her sister Rachel's (DeWitt) wedding. It's pretty much a given that the family will be dysfunctional, but there is a reveal about halfway through the movie that shows there are special circumstances involved in the dysfunction of this family. It's the mark of a good film that I found myself eager to find out what would happen next. The only criticism I have is that this disc lacks the crucial feature of subtitles for the hearing-impaired, and I couldn't hear a lot of the rat-a-tat dialogue. Hathaway was nominated for an Oscar for her performance. Grade: B-

Tell No One (DVD)

Tell No One (2006) starring Francois Cluzet, Kristin Scott Thomas. "The Fugitive" with a French twist. Pediatrician Alexandre Beck (Cluzet) was the prime suspect in his wife's murder eight years ago, and when two bodies are found buried near his home, he becomes a suspect once again. He receives anonymous emails suggesting his wife is still alive, but is soon framed in another murder and ends up running from the police. Meanwhile, a shadowy organization pursues both him and his wife, using any means necessary. I was entertained, but by the end of the film I was so confused that it all seemed like one big jumbled-up mess. In French, with English subtitles. Grade: B-

Slumdog Millionaire (DVD)

Slumdog Millionaire (2008) starring Dev Patel, Madhur Mittal, Freida Pinto. Winner of the Best Picture Oscar for 2008, "Slumdog Millionaire" has a lot to like. It's not so satisfying to watch on a home TV, however, even on DVD. The scenes in Hindi have subtitles that are nearly impossible to read, and many location and time cues also appear onscreen in type that is too small to read on a home screen. This ends up making the film more confusing than it needs to be, and some plot elements appear to be unexplained. It's a shame, because I sense I might have liked it more without these shortcomings. Grade: B

Elegy (DVD)

Elegy (2007) starring Ben Kingsley, Penelope Cruz. Older man (Kingsley) starts affair with much younger woman (Cruz), with life-changing results. The movie takes unexpected turns, and ends up being deeply moving. Adapted from the Philip Roth novel, "The Dying Animal." Grade: A-

Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back (DVD)

Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, voice of James Earl Jones as Darth Vader. The second "Star Wars" movie is also the best, with nearly non-stop action, a little romance, and a startling revelation from Darth Vader. The film has been digitally mastered for the DVD, and the picture and sound are excellent. The music by John Williams is a plus. Grade: A

In Treatment (DVD)

In Treatment: Season 1: Disc 1 (2008) starring Gabriel Byrne, Melissa George, Blair Underwood, Josh Charles, Embeth Davidtz, Dianne Wiest. Psychoanalyst Paul Weston (Byrne) sees a variety of clients in the five episodes on this disc, plus -- at the end of the week -- makes a visit to his own therapist, Dr. Gina Toll (Wiest). This is a DVD treatment of an HBO series, and I'll have to see more episodes before I can evaluate it, but it looks very promising. Grade so far: B+

Run Lola Run (DVD)

Run Lola Run (1998) starring Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu. Potente plays Lola, whose boyfriend Manni (Bleibtreu) has just told her frantically over the phone that he needs 100,000 Marks to pay off a mob debt. (Marks, because it's a German movie with English subtitles.) Lola sets off on a desperate run across town to try and get the money and deliver it to him in 20 minutes. The viewer is treated to three alternate realities of how the run might have gone, all with markedly different outcomes. It's an interesting experiment in film making, and Potente is appealing. Grade: B

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (DVD)

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) starring Javier Bardem, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Penelope Cruz. Cruz won an Oscar for her supporting role as Bardem's insanely jealous ex-wife, who arrives in Barcelona to find that he has taken up with a pair of American tourists (Johansson and Hall). The Spanish atmosphere of the film has a genuine feel, but unfortunately the movie lacks a strong narrative arc. Something of a disappointment, although Cruz is good. Grade: C+

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (DVD)

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness. Thirty years later, the magic is still there. The film has a retro look now, what with the '70s hair and clothing styles, but it suits. Great music by John Williams carries the movie. C-3PO and R2-D2 are a hoot. Grade: B+

Monty Python's Life of Brian (DVD)

Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) starring the usual suspects from the Monty Python troupe. Born in Bethlehem the same night as Jesus, Brian lives a pretty ordinary life -- until he grows to manhood and joins the People's Front of Judea, an anti-Roman organization. He has a run-in with the Romans, and later is mistaken for the Messiah by a mob in Jerusalem. The usual Python nonsense transpires throughout the movie, which is only intermittently funny. There are some good bits, but it doesn't measure up to the best of Monty Python's work. Grade: B-

Play It Again, Sam (DVD)

Play It Again, Sam (1972) starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts. Allen plays a nebbish named Allan whose wife divorces him after two years of marriage, leaving him feeling lost and lonely. His friends Dick and Linda (Roberts and Keaton) try to fix him up with a replacement girl, but overanxious Allan strikes out with all of them. A brilliant, funny script -- written by Allen, based on his Broadway show -- combined with Allen's slapstick talent, makes this movie a joy to watch. I laughed out loud several times. Grade: A

Million Dollar Baby (DVD)

Million Dollar Baby (2004) starring Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Hilary Swank. Young boxer Maggie Fitzgerald (Swank) has a tough time convincing trainer Frankie Dunn (Eastwood) to take her on, but the two eventually bond while she wins a series of fights. Then, in her championship bout, the movie turns from what seems like a sports movie into a drama about life and death. The fight scenes are exciting, the script is moving, and the moral dilemma is deeply felt. The acting is superb. Grade: A

Chaplin (DVD)

Chaplin (1992) starring Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Hopkins, Dan Aykroyd, Kevin Kline, and a large, talented supporting cast. Downey won Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for his portrayal of comic icon Charlie Chaplin in this film biography. Kline is excellent as his friend and confidant, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. At two hours and twenty minutes, the movie is a bit long; it's also rather melancholy. But I enjoyed it. Grade: B+

Synecdoche, New York (DVD)

Synecdoche, New York (2008) starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener. Written and directed by Charlie Kaufman, this is a truly weird movie, and not in a good way. To top it off, it lacks subtitles for the hard of hearing, so I missed half of the dialogue. Grade: F

Changeling (DVD)

Changeling (2008) starring Angelina Jolie, Jeffrey Donovan, John Malkovich. A single mother (Jolie) reports her son missing in March of 1928. Weeks later, to her joy, the police tell her they have found her son. But the boy they present to her as her lost Walter is not her son, and she knows it as soon as she sees him. The police captain (Donovan), for public relations reasons, is determined to convince her that the boy is really her son; but she can't be convinced, for who would know her own son better than a mother? What follows is shocking, especially since it's said to be a true story. Jolie was nominated for an Oscar for her performance. On the down side, the ending lacks closure, and the film's two hour, twenty minute running time is a little outside my comfort zone. Grade: B+

Happy-Go-Lucky (DVD)

Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) starring Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan, Alexis Zegerman, Karina Fernandez. Poppy (Hawkins) is a 30-year-old primary school teacher who is perpetually, unnaturally cheerful. When her bike is stolen, she decides to take driving lessons, and she is paired with a slightly maniacal driving teacher named Scott (Marsan). The movie is like a tapestry of Poppy's life, and it is quite charming. Hawkins won a Golden Globe for her performance. Grade: B+

Australia (DVD)

Australia (2008) starring Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman. Kidman sports the most unflattering hair style I've ever seen her wear in this would-be epic Western set in 1939 in (where else) Australia. She plays Lady Sarah Ashley, who inherits a cattle ranch when her husband, Lord Ashley, is killed. It falls to her and the Drover (Jackman) to drive the ranch's entire herd across the outback and onto a ship in Darwin, where the cattle will feed the troops in World War II. That much action alone would be enough to make an entire movie, but this movie is just at the halfway point when the cattle arrive in Darwin. There's still an hour and a half to go, but luckily the movie becomes much more entertaining in the second half. It's mostly about Lady Ashley's efforts to adopt a half-caste aboriginal boy, mixed in with the Japanese bombing of Darwin, which ushered Australia into World War II. First half: D. Second half: B. Grade: C

To Kill a Mockingbird (DVD)

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) starring Gregory Peck, Brock Peters, Phillip Alford, Mary Badham. Peck won an Oscar for his portrayal of Atticus Finch, a small-town lawyer in Alabama during the Depression. Finch is called on to defend an African-American (Peters) against a rape charge, and to try to explain the ugliness of the world to the Finch children, Jem and Scout (Alford and Badham). It's a trial drama, a tragedy, and an atmospheric evocation of childhood all in one movie; it's an American classic. Robert Duvall made his film debut as Boo Radley. Grade: A-

Touch of Evil (DVD)

Touch of Evil (1958) starring Charlton Heston, Orson Welles, Janet Leigh. Heston plays Mexican detective Mike Vargas, who locks horns with corpulent American sheriff Hank Quinlan (Welles) after a car crossing the Mexico-U.S. border explodes before his eyes. The newlywed Vargas forsakes his bride (Leigh) to mount an investigation, but soon finds that Quinlan is a shady cop who's not above planting evidence or colluding with the local crime lord to keep Vargas from discovering the ugly truth. Unfortunately, it's all badly dated and doesn't live up to current standards of cinematic excellence. This movie is a laughable mess that is a chore to watch, not an entertainment. The part involving drugs is especially ridiculous. Grade: C-

I've Loved You So Long (DVD)

I've Loved You So Long (2008) starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Elsa Zylberstein. Juliette (Scott Thomas) comes to stay with her sister Lea (Zylberstein) after spending 15 years in prison for murder. The two sisters try to rebuild their fractured relationship while Juliette tries to adjust to life outside prison. Not surprisingly, the film builds to a major reveal about the "murder" Juliette was imprisoned for, and we learn that she is not quite as guilty as we had been led to believe. All in all, a well made movie and a story well told. Grade: B+

Little Miss Sunshine (DVD)

Little Miss Sunshine (2006) starring Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Abigail Breslin, Steve Carell, Alan Arkin. Dysfunctional family takes road trip so the the youngest member (Breslin) can enter the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. Each of the six members of the extended family has his or her own personality quirks, and the Volkswagen bus they travel has its own quirks, too. They interact in unexpected ways, and there are several hilarious episodes along the way. The grand finale, the beauty pageant itself, does not disappoint -- in fact it is the high point of the movie. This independent production is definitely worth seeing. Grade: A

House of Sand and Fog (DVD)

House of Sand and Fog (2003) starring Jennifer Connelly, Ben Kingsley, Ron Eldard, Frances Fisher. Connelly is almost too beautiful for this role, in which she portrays Kathy Nicolo, an alcoholic who finds herself evicted from her home -- inherited from her father -- for nonpayment of taxes. Kingsley plays an Iranian exile who sees in the house an opportunity for his family to bootstrap itself up in class. He buys the house at auction, but he doesn't anticipate Kathy's fierce determination to get her house back. With the help of a deputy sheriff (Eldard) who has taken a shine to her, Kathy brings pressure on the Iranian family to surrender the house. It's a situation that practically guarantees that there can be no happy ending to the film, and sure enough it ends in tragedy. The movie tries, perhaps a bit too hard, to be poetic. It almost gets there. Grade: B+

Written on the Wind (DVD)

Written on the Wind (1956) starring Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack, Dorothy Malone. Melodrama with Stack as Kyle, an alcoholic Texas oil millionaire who manages to sweep Lucy (Bacall) off her feet and into marriage. Hudson plays his best friend Mitch, who is also in love with Lucy, and Malone portrays Marylee, Kyle's sister, who has a lifelong crush on Mitch. The love lines get tangled as Kyle and Lucy have trouble conceiving a child, and jealous Marylee casts suspicion on Mitch. It's all a bit overwrought, and Stack in particular is unconvincing. Grade: B

It's a Wonderful Life (DVD)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946) starring James Stewart, Donna Reed, Henry Travers. If you've watched this movie during the Christmas season when it shows up on broadcast TV, you'll notice on the DVD the improved quality of the image, the lack of constant commercial interruptions, and the fact that scenes haven't been left out to fit into a time slot. If you're like me, you'll turn on the subtitles and catch all the dialogue you've been missing, too. This sentimental favorite delivers the tears and laughter every time, and who can deny its charm? Stewart stars as George Bailey, frustrated small-town banker, who thinks all is lost and contemplates taking his own life. An angel named Clarence (Travers) is sent down to show him what the world would have been like without him, and Stewart expertly plays the man who finds that his world has dissolved. Grade: A-

I Served the King of England (DVD)

I Served the King of England (2006) starring Ivan Barnev. An opportunistic young waiter in pre-World War II Czechoslovakia dreams of someday becoming rich and owning his own hotel. He survives the war and his wish is granted -- only to be snatched away by events in the post-war period. Pretty entertaining, but suffers from ever-present voice over. Grade: B

Kung Fu Panda (DVD)

Kung Fu Panda (2008) with the voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Ian McShane, Michael Clarke Duncan. Lazy Po (Black) is a panda who dreams of being a kung fu fighter, but seemingly lacks the discipline to make the grade. Destiny, however, chooses him to be the hero who will protect his peaceful valley from a master criminal. Pretty good animation, but if you're a stickler for logic, forget it. Grade: B+

Titanic (DVD)

Titanic (1997) starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet. The most popular movie of all time (based on box-office receipts) delivers on several different levels, with a sincere love story and absolutely top-notch special effects showing the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Grade: A

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (DVD)

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008) starring Michael Cera, Kat Dennings. The two stars spend a night in Manhattan sharing their opinions on music and life. Grade: B+

Wanted (DVD)

Wanted (2008) starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie. A young cubicle-dweller (McAvoy) finds himself recruited by a band of modern-day assassins (including Freeman and Jolie). The assassins refer to themselves as the Fraternity. The hook: The young man's father was a member of the Fraternity, and he has just been killed. Now the members of the Fraternity are giving the son the chance to take over where his father's work left off -- and eventually get revenge. Or so they tell him. Based on a series of comics books, this movie has some pretty great special effects but a very flimsy plot. Grade: B-

The Secret Life of Bees (DVD)

The Secret Life of Bees (2008) starring Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifa, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys, Sophie Okonedo, Paul Bettany. Set in 1964 in the American South, 14-year-old Lily (Fanning) escapes her dreary existence with her abusive father and heads to a nearby town with her friend and caregiver, Rosaleen (Hudson). Racial tensions are high, as President Johnson has just signed the Civil Rights Bill. But Lily and Rosaleen find a safe place to stay on the honey farm of three black sisters, August (Latifa), May (Okonedo) and June (Keys) Boatwright. Thanks to a strong performance by young Fanning, this is a movie which captures the spirit of the book it is based on. Adapted from the novel by Sue Monk Kidd. Grade: A-

The Terminator (DVD)

The Terminator (1984) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton. Schwarzenegger is perfectly cast as a soulless cyborg from the future who has been sent back to assassinate Sarah Connor (Hamilton), who is destined to be the mother of a human resistance leader in the future war between man and machine. Biehn is effective as the human soldier who has been sent back from the same future to protect her. The action is non-stop, with new layers of the story gradually revealed so that the viewer has the pleasure of discovering them as the movie progresses. This is a seminal science-fiction movie, and well worth seeing for fans of the genre. Grade: A-

The Pink Panther (DVD)

The Pink Panther (1963) starring David Niven, Peter Sellers, Claudia Cardinale, Robert Wagner. Princess Dala (Cardinale) arrives at a posh resort with her precious "Panther" -- a large pink diamond with a flaw in the shape of a leaping panther. A debonair thief (Niven) tries to take possession of the jewel, while the comically clumsy Inspector Clouseau (Sellers) tries to protect her. The sight of a rather mature Niven trying to seduce the young and beautiful Cardinale is rather jarringly unfunny. Plus, there are long stretches of nonsense which do little to advance the plot and which contain no moments of humor. It's all terribly dated. Grade: B-

The General (DVD)

The General (1927) starring Buster Keaton, Marion Mack. Silent film in which Johnnie Gray (Keaton), rejected by the Confederate Army at the beginning of the Civil War, ends up battling Union spies who have stolen his beloved locomotive, the General. Meanwhile, coincidentally, his beloved Annabelle (Mack) has been kidnapped by the same men who stole his train. Pursuing them in a borrowed locomotive, Gray passes the advancing armies and ends up behind enemy lines. Hilarity (and slapstick) ensue. It's not much to get excited about, but as an example of early movies, it's harmless fun. Grade: B

Snatch (DVD)

Snatch (2000) starring Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Farina, Vinnie Jones, Brad Pitt, Rade Serbedzija, Jason Statham, Alan Ford, Mike Reid, Jason Flemyng, Stephen Graham. Director Guy Ritchie juggles several interlocking plots involving a stolen 84-carat diamond and everybody's desire to possess it. Set in London, the movie has many characters, all speaking different dialects of English. Luckily, the subtitles are excellent. Grade: B

Chariots of Fire (DVD)

Chariots of Fire (1981) starring Ian Charleson, Ben Cross, Ian Holm. Long-distance runners in post-World War I England face off in a quest to bring Olympic glory to Great Britain. More than just an athletic contest, their rivalry is framed as a clash between Christian and Jew. Based on a true story. Winner of the 1981 Academy Award for Best Picture. Instantly recognizable music by Vangelis. Grade: B+

The Wackness (DVD)

The Wackness (2008) starring Ben Kingsley, Josh Peck, Famke Janssen, Olivia Thirlby, Mary-Kate Olsen. Peck plays a teenage drug dealer named Luke in '90s New York City, coping with the summer between his high school graduation and college. He trades marijuana for therapy sessions from Dr. Squires (Kingsley), and falls for Dr. Squires' stepdaughter Stephanie (Thirlby). It's kind of a coming-of-age story; in the final act, the protagonist and his family get evicted from their upper East Side apartment. To top it off, the disc lacks English subtitles. Grade: D

The Sting (DVD)

The Sting (1973) starring Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Robert Shaw. Small-time con man Johnny Hooker (Redford) hooks up with veteran flim-flam man Henry Gondorff (Newman) to fleece a homicidal racketeer (Shaw) in 1930s Chicago. The fascination of the film, other than the chemistry of the stars, lies in learning how the "big con" works and watching it carried out. The first time you see it it's a real mind-blower. The movie won seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Grade: B+

Liar Liar (DVD)

Liar Liar (1997) starring Jim Carrey, Maura Tierney, Justin Cooper, Jennifer Tilly. Lawyer Fletcher Reede (Carrey) is an expert liar. But his lying ways have destroyed his marriage to Audrey (Tierney) and threaten to damage his relationship with his son Max (Cooper). When Max makes a birthday wish that his dad can't lie, it comes true. Fletcher finds he's incapable of lying, and his uncontrollable urge to blurt out the truth threatens a case he's working on -- and his career. Carrey is at his rubber-faced best as he acts out the inner turmoil of a man striving to lie but unable to do so. In general, I like Jim Carrey; but in general, I don't like Jim Carrey movies. This one is an exception -- I loved it. Grade: A

The X-Files: I Want to Believe (DVD)

The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008) starring David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Amanda Peet. Former FBI agents Fox Mulder (Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Anderson) are drawn into a missing-persons case that soon becomes something much more sinister. It comes off as an extra long, extra gruesome episode of the old "X-Files" TV series -- not necessarily a bad thing. Grade: B

Appaloosa (DVD)

Appaloosa (2008) starring Viggo Mortensen, Ed Harris, Jeremy Irons, Renee Zellweger, Lance Henriksen. A malicious, land-hungry rancher (Irons) kills the marshal of Appaloosa and two deputies, and two guns-for-hire (Mortensen, Harris) are brought in to restore law and order to the frontier town. The two lawmen are more than up to the job, but when the widow Mrs. French (Zellweger) arrives in town, the dynamics of the situation change. The movie could have used tightening up, and runs on about a half-hour too long. Plus, I'd swear some of the plot devices are recycled from other movies. Grade: B

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (DVD)

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) starring Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen. Frodo and Sam (Wood and Astin) continue their daunting quest, to carry the One Ring to Mordor and there destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom. Meanwhile, the forces of the Dark Lord Sauron are on the move, preparing to attack Gondor, the realm of Men. It's a faithful adaptation of the book by J.R.R. Tolkien, but the battle scenes may not be to everyone's taste. Director Peter Jackson's epic fantasy won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Grade: A-

The Duchess (DVD)

The Duchess (2008) starring Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, Dominic Cooper, Charlotte Rampling. Georgiana (Knightley) marries the Duke of Devonshire (Fiennes) and thus becomes the Duchess of Devonshire. But the time is the late 18th century, and they are a poor match. She fails to provide him with a male heir, which is basically all he wants from her, and he treats her wretchedly. She rebels, but all of the power is in his hands. There's a lot of sturm und drang, but basically this is a chick flick set in historic times. Grade: B

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (DVD)

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) starring Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen. The Fellowship of the Ring is broken, and this second film in the trilogy picks up where the first left off -- with Frodo and Sam making their way to Mordor, pursued, then led, by Gollum, to try and destroy the One Ring of power. Whether anyone who has not read the book will be able to follow the movie, or will care to, I'm not sure. But it is beautifully conceived and majestically filmed -- although for some viewers the time spent on battles will be unwelcome. I find it to be the least of the three "Lord of the Rings" films. Grade: B+

Burn After Reading (DVD)

Burn After Reading (2008) starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton. A computer disk falls into the hands of a pair of not-too-bright private gym employees (Pitt and McDormand), and they conclude that it contains top-secret data. Hoping to turn a profit, they first try to blackmail the man who wrote the disk (Malkovich), then try to sell it to the Russians. It's a Coen brothers film with an all-star cast, so it is rather disappointing when it turns out to be not very entertaining or funny. Worst, perhaps, is the ending, which seems abrupt and fails to satisfy with any decisive climax. Grade: B-

Ghost Town (DVD)

Ghost Town (2008) starring Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Tea Leoni. After dying and being brought back to life, a misanthropic dentist (Gervais) finds that he has the ability to see the ghosts of the dead. More particularly, the ghosts notice that he can see them, and they have all kinds of unfinished business that they want help with. One in particular (Kinnear) manages to gain the dentist's attention, and he wants help preventing his widow (Leoni) from remarrying. It's actually a pretty standard romantic comedy, but the presence of Gervais gives it an added spark, and it's been expertly filmed. Extras: The standout is a short reel of Gervais being himself on set, and having trouble getting through takes without cracking up with laughter. Grade: A-

The House Bunny (DVD)

The House Bunny (2008) starring Anna Faris and a large supporting cast. Faris plays a Playboy bunny who gets tricked into leaving Hef's mansion and ends up briefly living in her car. She soon finds another way to survive, however, becoming house mother to an outcast sorority at a local college. If you're looking for believability, this movie is not for you, but it's actually a rather cute story that had me rooting for the girls of Zeta Alpha Zeta. Grade: B+

Mamma Mia! (DVD)

Mamma Mia! (2008) starring Merly Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Christine Baranski. Based on the stage musical featuring the songs of pop superstars ABBA, this movie demonstrates that some actors, no matter how talented, should never, ever sing and dance on screen. Particularly painful is when Brosnan bursts into "song," but he's not the only offender. This is actually kind of cute chick flick, but the musical part of it just doesn't work for me. Grade: B-

Tropic Thunder (DVD)

Tropic Thunder (2008) starring Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Matthew McConaughey, Nick Nolte, Tom Cruise. A group of dimwitted actors making a war movie are forced to become "real" soldiers when they are abandoned in the jungles of southeast Asia. They run afoul of a drug lord and his minions, who take Stiller captive and force him to re-create a movie role he once played. The movie is perhaps a bit flawed in its particulars, but overall it's a comic masterpiece. Grade: B+

Fargo (DVD)

Fargo (1996) starring Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi. McDormand won an Oscar for her portrayal of a rural Minnesota sheriff who unravels crimes while pregnant. Macy plays a car salesman at the end of his rope who hatches a plot to have his wife kidnapped. Needless to say, nothing about the plot goes smoothly. This is one of the best films I have seen, ever. It kept me interested and absorbed from start to finish. There are several moments of violence, however, which might turn some viewers off. Grade: A

The Dark Knight (DVD)

The Dark Knight (2008) starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Anthony Michael Hall, Eric Roberts. Batman (Bale) battles big time crime in Gotham City, and his chief antagonist is the psychotic Joker (Ledger, in his final performance). I suspect that this movie would have been spectacular if I had seen it in a theater, but then I (being hard of hearing) would have missed half the dialogue. The trade-off is that I have to watch it on a small TV screen, which is all I have. That being said, the movie has a constant forward drive and nearly continuous action, and for those who like Batman movies it's a can't-miss. Grade: A

The Shootist (DVD)

The Shootist (1976) starring John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, and an all-star supporting cast. Aging gunfighter (Wayne) washes up in Carson City after being told by a doctor that he is dying of cancer. His fame as a gunman creates a sensation in the town, and publicity quickly brings miscreants trying to kill him. The film builds nicely until the violent climactic scene, which is a bit of a letdown by today's standards. This was the last feature film Wayne made before losing his own battle with cancer. Grade: B

Jaws (DVD)

Jaws (1975) starring Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss. Steven Spielberg directed this nail-biter about a summer ocean resort under siege by a man-eating shark. Score by John Williams has become a classic. Movie won three Oscars. Grade: B

Closely Watched Trains (DVD)

Closely Watched Trains (1966). At a village railway station in occupied Czechoslovakia during World War II, a bumbling young man longs to liberate himself from his virginity. Leisurely pace of the film makes it a bit tedious to watch, plus the subtitles fail at several points to convey meaningful translation. This movie won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1967. Grade: C

Deliverance (DVD)

Deliverance (1972) starring Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, Ronny Cox, Ned Beatty. Four suburban buddies take a backwoods canoe trip down a Georgia river, and what they find is wilder and more dangerous than anything they had anticipated. All four of the male leads give standout performances, and the tension builds to a shattering climax. Memorable moments include Cox's "Dueling Banjos" scene and Beatty's "squeal like a pig" scene. Grade: A

The Dead Pool (DVD)

The Dead Pool (1988) starring Clint Eastwood, Patricia Clarkson, Liam Neeson. Eastwood reprises his role as "Dirty Harry" Callahan and Clarkson plays a local TV anchor who wants to "do his story." The "dead pool" of the title is a morbid game in which celebrities' names are placed on a list, betting on who will be the first to die. This was the last of the Dirty Harry series of movies, and it's not hard to see why. Eastwood is beginning to look his age, and the script is sorely lacking. Look for an appearance by Jim Carrey as a drug-addled rock star who is the first on the list to die. Grade: B-

Sleeper (DVD)

Sleeper (1973) starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton. Health-food store owner Miles Monroe (Allen) dies and is cryogenically frozen. He wakes up 200 years in the future, in a dystopian society where the doctors who revived him are classified as criminals. The doctors are arrested, and Miles becomes a hunted man. Anyone familiar with Allen's humor will anticipate that this is not a movie to be taken seriously. It's also not among his best movies, relying heavily on slapstick to get its laughs, with only a little topical humor mixed in. It may have been the cat's pajamas in 1973, but today it's only mildly amusing. Worst of all, the DVD doesn't have subtitles for the hearing impaired. Movie: B DVD: F

Quigley Down Under (DVD)

Quigley Down Under (1990) starring Tom Selleck, Laura San Giacomo, Alan Rickman. American Matthew Quigley (Selleck) answers an ad for a sharpshooter to travel to Australia and shoot dingoes. When he gets there, he finds out that the man who has hired him (Rickman) is a ruthless killer who just wants to eliminate the aborigines from his land. Quigley fights only with a long rifle and a knife, so it makes for a different kind of Western. One thing is sorely lacking on this DVD: It does not have English subtitles for the hearing impaired. Some of the dialog is hard to understand, especially the various British, Scottish and Australian accents. Grade: Movie, B; DVD, D-

WALL-E (DVD)

WALL-E (2008). A robot named WALL-E has been left behind on Earth to perform cleanup chores after humans evacuate to remote space stations. While Earth has become a wasteland, humans on space habitats live a life of excessive ease, cared for by servant-bots who take care of their every need. WALL-E's life on Earth is disturbed by the arrival of a "female" robot probe named EVE, and he follows her out to space. It turns out that the humans have been gone for 700 years, and WALL-E is destined to be the agent who prods them to return to Earth. Grade: B+

A Shot in the Dark (DVD)

A Shot in the Dark (1964) starring Peter Sellers, Elke Sommer. Sellers makes his second appearance as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau, who is intent on proving the innocence of a maid (Sommer) accused of murder. He sets new standards for slapstick, and the verbal humor has to be heard to be believed. A movie that has aged well and remains laugh-out-loud funny. Directed by Blake Edwards. Grade: A

The Usual Suspects (DVD)

The Usual Suspects (1995) starring Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak, Benicio Del Toro, Chazz Palminteri, Pete Postlethwaite, Giancarlo Esposito, Suzy Amis, Dan Hedaya. A crew of criminals pull off a few daring jobs, then find themselves involved with a master criminal named Keyser Soze, who is so evil that he killed his own family rather than give in to crimelords in his homeland. The story is convoluted and hard to follow, but the payoff in the end makes it worthwhile. Spacey gives a great performance. Grade: A-

Clueless (DVD)

Clueless (1995) starring Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy. Directed by Amy Heckerling, this modern update of Jane Austen's "Emma" is set in Beverly Hills, where high school girl Cher (Silverstone) decides to take a new girl (Murphy) under her wing and give her a fashion makeover. The movie is shot through with bons mots that an adult could never dream up, and broke ground in many ways. It's definitely worth seeing. Grade: A-

Get Smart (DVD)

Get Smart (2008) starring Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Alan Arkin, The Rock, Terence Stamp. Secret-agent farce in which Maxwell Smart (Carell) is promoted to field agent after everyone else in CONTROL gets their cover compromised. Agent 99 (Hathaway) is his reluctant partner in a silly mission to Russia, where they assault a bread factory. Later, there is some nonsense about a KAOS plot to set off a nuclear bomb in Los Angeles, but it's mostly just slapstick. Fans of the original TV series may or may not be gratified to find some of the more famous jokes recycled. Grade: B-

Matchstick Men (DVD)

Matchstick Men (2003) starring Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Alison Lohman. Professional con man (Cage) struggles comically with obsessive-compulsive disorder, eventually meets the daughter he never knew he had (Lohman), complicating his life. His partner (Rockwell) eventually proves more than he bargained for, and the film takes an unexpected turn that I did not see coming. Grade: B

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (DVD)

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) starring Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, Jim Broadbent, Karen Allen, John Hurt. Ford is showing his age as the famed archaeologist Indiana Jones, this time searching for a crystal skull and a lost city in South America. LaBeouf plays his young sidekick, and Blanchett is an evil Soviet agent in this adventure set in 1957. It mostly seems comprised of little bits here and there snipped from old Indiana Jones movies. Grade: B