Mogambo (DVD)

Mogambo (1953) starring Clark Gable, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly. Directed by John Ford. Gable, as Victor Marswell, captures wild animals in Africa for sale to zoos, circuses and trainers. Eloise Kelly (Gardner) shows up as an uninvited guest, expecting to go on safari, but her "date" stands her up; and at first she proves to be a nuisance. When Mrs. Nordley (Kelly) shows up, it is apparent that Marswell is drawn to her -- and Eloise Kelly is jealous. The result is an awkward sort of love triangle that may have been interesting in 1953, but in 2010 seems stilted and dated. The movies back then had to adhere to different rules, of course, and as an artifact of the '50s this one has its good points. The gorilla safari, however, isn't one of them. It's embarrassingly retro by today's standards. "Mogambo" was a remake of "Red Dust," a 1932 film in which Gable also starred. The subtitles are just barely adequate. Grade: C+

As It Is in Heaven (DVD)

As It Is in Heaven (2005) starring Michael Nyqvist, Frida Hallgren. A famous conductor suffers a heart attack, ending his performing career, and decides to move back to the small village where he grew up. He has changed his name, however, so no one knows that he is from the village. He ends up in charge of the local church choir; as he says, "Music is all I know." It's a thankless job, at a menial wage, but he throws himself into it with vigor. His passion for music stirs up a lot of suppressed emotions in the choir members, however, and some in the village aren't happy with what he's doing. The many little dramas that are thus played out make up the bulk of the movie. It was fun to watch. The film was nominated for Best Foreign Language Picture at the Oscars. In Swedish, with very good English subtitles. Grade: B+

Artists of the 20th Century: Paul Klee (DVD)

Artists of the 20th Century: Paul Klee (2004). This documentary is the video equivalent of an art book, with reproductions of many of Klee's paintings, accompanied by a running commentary. I happen to really like Klee's work, so I enjoyed this DVD immensely -- even though it has no subtitles, which in this rare case are not needed. If I have a complaint about this disc, it is that it is too short, and Klee's works are not placed in historical context. For example, he continued to work through World War I, but no indication of how the war may have affected him is given, even though he is German. The disc could have used some added depth. Grade: A-

Fantastic Mr. Fox (DVD)

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) with the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray. Mr. Fox (Clooney) decides he wants to pull "one last job" before quitting his chicken-stealing ways. But he arouses the ire of three mean farmers, who set out to kill him. It's basically the wild animals against the humans in this stop-motion fantasy, which makes for passable entertainment. It's good clean fun, with the word "cuss" used everywhere a curse word might appear. Rated PG, I think it would be fine for kids. Good subtitles. Grade: B

The Young Victoria (DVD)

The Young Victoria (2009) starring Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent, Paul Bettany. Blunt plays 18-year-old British royal Victoria, who in 1837 ascends to the throne whilst court intrigue swirls around her. She proves to be a firm but inexperienced queen, and has a lot of learning on the job to do. Young Victoria soon (1840) marries Prince Albert of Germany (Friend), who has difficulty fitting in as the husband of the Queen. Interesting factoid: They had nine children, and Albert died 20 years later, at age 42, from typhoid. This is not a bad movie, by any means, but it covers such a short span of Victoria's life and covers it in such a shallow manner that the film seems a mere trifle. The subtitles are excellent. Grade: B

The Ox-Bow Incident (DVD)

The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) starring Henry Fonda, Harry Morgan, Frank Conroy, Dana Andrews, Anthony Quinn. Well told story of a lynch mob in the old West, pursuing three men who have the misfortune to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Only a few in the mob (including Fonda) have the courage to stand up to the majority and oppose a hanging without a trial. The story is very economically told in 75 minutes. The subtitles are pretty good. Grade: A

The Pajama Game (DVD)

The Pajama Game (1957) starring Doris Day, John Raitt. Old-fashioned musical has its charms, but the disc fails to deliver since it has no subtitles, not even closed captions. Furthermore, the DVD is not indexed -- you can't stop it to take a break and return to the spot where you stopped. This is a disc of the very poorest quality. Grade: F

Over the Edge (DVD)

Over the Edge (1979) starring Michael Kramer, Pamela Ludwig, Matt Dillon, Vincent Spano. Disaffected teenagers plus incompetent cops adds up to trouble in this distinctly period drama. Alcohol and drugs flow freely for these kids -- and then one of them turns up with a gun. You just know no good can come of that. When all the parents meet at the high school "cafetorium" to discuss the problem, the kids' reaction is unexpectedly violent and chaotic. Unfortunately, the movie has a kind of cartoonish apocalypse for a climax. Not the most effective ending, although the film's prologue claims it's based on actual events. Good subtitles. Grade: B-

Owning Mahowny (DVD)

Owning Mahowny (2003) starring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Minnie Driver, Maury Chaykin, John Hurt. Dan Mahowny (Hoffman) is a successful bank manager who also happens to be a compulsive gambler. When he wins a large account at the bank, he starts embezzling big chunks of money (starting with $100,000) to support his gambling habit. His supportive and loyal girlfriend Belinda (Driver) has figured out that he has a problem, but she doesn't know how deep in it he is. Meanwhile, the police have a wiretap on Mahowny's bookie. The movie is made more interesting by the fact that it is based on true events, although Mahowny's name has probably been changed. The disc has absolutely no subtitles, but is saved by the closed captions, which are quite good. Grade: A-

Out of the Past (DVD)

Out of the Past (1947) starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming. Mitchum plays a former private detective who is trying to escape his past. Greer fills the femme fatale role as Kathie, the dame who keeps pulling him back into danger -- and who has a bad habit of shooting men who get in her way. The dialogue is snappy and the action is pretty much non-stop -- and everybody, especially Mitchum, drinks freely and smokes like a chimney. The plot of this movie is really a little too complicated to be enjoyed, but it makes up for it with atmosphere. It's the quintessential noir for film students. The subtitles are good. Grade: B

East of Eden (DVD)

East of Eden (1955) starring James Dean, Julie Harris, Raymond Massey, Jo Van Fleet, Burl Ives. Dean plays Cal, "bad" son to his father Adam (Massey), in this drama set in 1917 in California. When Adam loses all his money in a scheme to sell refrigerated lettuce, Cal resolves to earn the money back by raising beans to sell in the coming war. Meanwhile, Cal and his brother, Aron, compete for the love of a young woman (Harris) -- and for the love of their father. Cal uncovers a dark family secret, which sets the plot in motion. The obvious parallel is to the biblical story of Cain and Abel. The film, based on a John Steinbeck novel, packs a real emotional punch. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, and won one (Supporting Actress for Van Fleet). The subtitles are good. Grade: A

Avatar (DVD)

Avatar (2009) starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez. Written and directed by James Cameron. Evil, corporate humans and their military minions try to destroy the natives on the alien moon Pandora -- all to get at a big deposit of a valuable mineral called unobtanium. A human wearing an alien body (Worthington) turns out to be the fly in the ointment when he falls in love with the Na'vi people and with one female named Neytiri (Saldana) in particular. There are many elements in Avatar that are derivative, but it's still a big thrill-ride of a movie, and I can only imagine what it must have been like to see it in 3D. The special effects are phenomenal. The subtitles are excellent. Grade: A-

Crazy Heart (DVD)

Crazy Heart (2009) starring Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall. Bridges stars as a washed-up, alcoholic country music star named Bad Blake, who has been reduced to playing bowling alleys and bars in small towns to make ends meet. Gyllenhaal plays Jean, a small-town journalist who interviews him -- and sleeps with him. Blake sees a chance for salvation in Jean, who cares about him; but when he is entrusted with the care of her young son, Buddy, he pulls the boneheaded move of stopping for a drink and losing the boy. This film isn't a tragedy, of course -- nothing bad happens to Buddy. But after that point the movie just kind of fizzles out. It's still interesting, but it lacks some sort of creative spark that would make it really shine. Bridges did win a Best Actor Oscar for his performance, but that's about the only reason to see the movie. The subtitles are very good. Grade: B

The Blind Side (DVD)

The Blind Side (2009) starring Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Kathy Bates. Bullock won the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance as Leigh Anne Tuohy, an affluent Memphis mom who takes a homeless African American teen under her wing. The teen in question is Michael Oher (Aaron), who goes on to become a football player in the NFL. It's a pretty entertaining movie. The subtitles are OK. Grade: B+

The Messenger (DVD)

The Messenger (2009) starring Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone. The Messenger is an intense, emotionally charged movie about two soldiers (Harrelson and Foster) who are assigned notification duty. It is their job to inform the next of kin of fallen comrades who have been killed in the line of duty. It's a tough job, and it takes an emotional toll on the pair. This is a somber film, but an oddly upbeat one, especially towards the end. Morton and Malone provide the romantic interests. The subtitles are very good. Grade: B+

Our Town (DVD)

Our Town (1940) starring William Holden, Martha Scott. Based on Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning play. The picture is of poor quality, the sound is muddy, and there are no subtitles for the hearing-impaired -- not even closed captions. Grade: F

Orlando (DVD)

Orlando (1993) starring Tilda Swinton, Billy Zane. Swinton plays the title character, who lives for 400 years, first as an English nobleman, then as a woman. That's right, he/she changes sex halfway through the film. And there's no real mechanism for the change, it just happens one day. This movie is a real oddity, and if you like that sort of thing, it might be for you. The subtitles are fine. Grade: B-

Ordinary People (DVD)

Ordinary People (1980) starring Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, Timothy Hutton, M. Emmet Walsh, Elizabeth McGovern. Directed by Robert Redford. Now thirty years old, this movie has lost none of its power to move me. The conflict is timeless, as an American middle-class family struggles to deal with the death of one of two sons. The surviving son (Hutton) has to overcome feelings of guilt about living through the boating accident that killed his brother. His father (Sutherland) worries about him, and his mother (Moore) resents him. The film won four well-deserved Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. The acting is good all around. It's McGovern's screen debut. The subtitles are quite good. Grade: A

The Hurt Locker (DVD)

The Hurt Locker (2008) starring Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, Guy Pearce. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. This is another of those annoying rental DVDs that force you to sit through ten or 15 minutes of previews before you can access the movie. When you press the "menu" button, you get a little symbol in the top right corner of the picture that says "ah-ah-ah, you can't do that." It's extremely aggravating. ... In "The Hurt Locker," an Army bomb disposal squad in Iraq struggles with the conditions of the war and with each other. The movie captures the chaos of war as the men count down the days until they can go home. The film won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. But overall, it left me feeling dissatisfied. The subtitles are good. Grade: B

Ordet (DVD)

Ordet (1955) starring Henrik Malberg, Emil Hass Christensen, Cay Kristiansen, Preben Lerdorff Rye. Danish film set in 1925 about two families with differing religious beliefs, who must deal with the love between two of their children. Even though both families are Christian, they believe in different flavors of Christianity. When one father turns down an offer of marriage for his daughter, the other father comes to his house to argue with him about theology. Every crisis is discussed in terms of faith. The ending is quite a surprise. This film won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film in 1956. The subtitles are ... necessary. Grade: B

Operation Petticoat (DVD)

Operation Petticoat (1959) starring Cary Grant, Tony Curtis, Dina Merrill. Grant stars as the World War II captain of a crippled submarine who is determined to make it seaworthy again. Curtis plays his "creative" supply officer. Unfortunately, this DVD has no subtitles for the hearing-impaired, not even closed captions. What a shame. Grade: F

The Sound of Music (DVD)

The Sound of Music (1965) starring Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker, Peggy Wood. Utterly captivating fictionalization of the story of the true-life von Trapp family, who fled Austria in 1938 to escape the Nazis. The whole movie is buoyed by the infectious charm and lovely voice of Andrews, who stars as Maria, the postulant who fails as a nun and becomes the governess for the von Trapp children. The songs are practically all winners, and some have gone on to become standards. While the real story of the von Trapp family has been altered and sanitized for dramatic effect, the movie is nevertheless a grand entertainment. It won five Oscars, including Best Picture. The subtitles are very good. Grade: A-

On the Waterfront (DVD)

On the Waterfront (1954) starring Marlon Brando, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Pat Henning, Eva Marie Saint. The Longshoreman's Union is dominated by the mob in New York. Terry Malloy (Brando), a has-been boxer, works on the docks and becomes involved in the murder of a "cheese eater." When he becomes involved with the victim's sister (Saint), he begins to have a change of heart. The film won eight Oscars, including Best Picture. The subtitles are excellent. Grade: A

On the Town (DVD)

On the Town (1949) starring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Vera-Ellen, Betty Garrett, Ann Miller. Directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen. Musical in which three sailors have 24 hours to explore New York City on shore leave. Their primary goal, of course, is to pick up some good-looking young ladies -- and to break out in song and dance every few minutes. This movie is extremely short on plot, long on music and choreography -- but it's surprisingly entertaining. Highlight is rousing "New York, New York." Unfortunately, the last 10 or 15 minutes devolve into silliness. The subtitles are very good. Grade: B

On the Beach (DVD)

On the Beach (1959) starring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, Anthony Perkins. Directed by Stanley Kramer. American submarine, captained by Dwight Towers (Peck), docks in Australia in the aftermath of a nuclear war. Australia has been spared from the bombs, but a radioactive cloud is believed to be five months away. Gardner plays Moira, Captain Towers' love interest. Astaire plays Julian, a scientist who wrestles with guilt, and Perkins plays a young Navy lieutenant who's worried about what to do when the end nears. Everyone deals with the end of the world in his or her own way. Some go mad, some turn to religion, some commit suicide. The movie gets a little preachy toward the end, but still puts in a good effort in dealing with a somber subject. No subtitles, but does have closed captions. Grade: B+

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (DVD)

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) starring George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas. Lazenby takes over the role of James Bond, Agent 007, for one film. Some 007 fans are said to believe that this is the best of the Bond films, but I can't see it. It's mostly chase scenes, sometimes in cars, sometimes on skis, and ultimately in bobsleds. The script is bland and so is Lazenby. The DVD has no subtitles, except for closed captions, which are adequate. Grade: C

One, Two, Three (DVD)

One, Two, Three (1961) starring James Cagney, Arlene Francis, Horst Buchholtz, Pamela Tiffin. Directed by Billy Wilder. Dumb Cold-War comedy has Cagney playing a Coca-Cola executive in 1961 in West Berlin. Assigned to baby-sit his boss' wild 17-year-old daughter (Tiffin), he is dismayed to discover she has secretly married an East Berlin Communist (Buchholtz). Some of the situations and jokes are good for a smile or a chuckle, but basically the whole thing seems awfully dated. Cagney, born in 1899, seems a little old for his role, and I don't find him especially funny. The subtitles are very good. Grade: C+

Blood Simple (DVD)

Blood Simple (1984) starring John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, Samm-Art Williams, M. Emmet Walsh. Directed by Joel Coen. Cuckolded bar owner Marty (Hedaya) hires slimy private eye Loren (Walsh) to kill his wife Abby (McDormand) and her lover Ray (Getz). And that's in the first 20 minutes. From that point on the movie takes numerous bizarre twists and turns, some of which knocked me out, others of which left me confused. I've seen this movie before, and I seem to remember it as being better than this. The final showdown between Abby and Loren is still great, though. This film marks McDormand's cinema debut. The subtitles are a big help. Grade: B+

Out of Sight (DVD)

Out of Sight (1998) starring George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez. Bank robber Jack Foley (Clooney) and federal marshal Karen Sisco (Lopez) meet in the trunk of a getaway car. Although they are on opposite sides of the law, there is no denying that there is a mutual attraction between them. They are soon separated by circumstances, but they keep running into each other -- since she is part of the FBI task force pursuing him. The film ends as it has to end, but I found the denouement a little disappointing. Good subtitles for the hearing-impaired. Grade: B

Selena (DVD)

Selena (1997) starring Jennifer Lopez, Edward James Olmos, Jon Seda. Abraham (Olmos) is the patriarch of a Mexican-American family living in a gringo neighborhood. After he hears his young daughter Selena sing, he decides to buy instruments and start a family band. The going is rough at first (of course), but out of his dreams is born the Hispanic singing sensation Selena (Lopez). Whether you like the movie or not will probably depend on whether you like Jennifer Lopez, and I'm kind of on the fence about her. The film is pretty much a standard rags-to-riches biopic, until the shocking climax. The subtitles are generally good. Grade: B-

Friendly Persuasion (DVD)

Friendly Persuasion (1956) starring Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire, Anthony Perkins. Jess and Eliza Birdwell (Cooper and McGuire) are devoted Quaker parents living in southern Indiana during the Civil War. They are opposed to violence and war because of their religion, but their son Josh (Perkins) feels compelled to get into the fight. Fortunately, the Birdwells' war is very short. The movie has adequate subtitles. Grade: B+

Five Minutes of Heaven (DVD)

Five Minutes of Heaven (2009) starring Liam Neeson, James Nesbitt. This is another one of those DVDs which make you sit through 15 minutes of previews of coming attractions before you actually get to the movie. It's very irritating, even if you like previews, which I do. But on to the film: Neeson and Nesbitt play two men who were once on opposite sides of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Alistair Little (Neeson) is a killer, Joe Griffin (Nesbitt), is the brother of the man he killed. Long after the conflict is over, the two are set to meet as part of the reconciliation process. But Griffin is not after reconciliation -- he seeks revenge. The climactic confrontation is fairly satisfying. I was thankful for the subtitles -- everyone in the movie speaks with a heavy Irish accent. Grade: B

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (DVD)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) starring Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher. Directed by Milos Forman. R.P. McMurphy (Nicholson) wreaks havoc on a mental ward presided over by the evil Nurse Ratched (Fletcher). Several now-familiar actors appear as mental patients, including Brad Dourif, Danny Devito and Christopher Lloyd. Every scene is memorable, and the movie maintains a steady clip. The film performed the rare feat of winning all five major Oscars: Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Actor and Actress. The subtitles are OK. Grade: A

One Fine Day (DVD)

One Fine Day (1996) starring Michelle Pfeiffer, George Clooney. Pfeiffer and Clooney play divorced single parents who, we know from the start, are destined to fall in love. How do we know this? Because from the start, they don't like each other. This is a very nice movie with two likable stars, and a good supporting cast. The subtitles are good, too. Grade: B+

Once Were Warriors (DVD)

Once Were Warriors (1994) starring Rena Owen, Temuera Morrison, Mamaengaroa Kerr-Bell. Lower-class, urbanized Maori family in New Zealand struggles with poverty, crime, abuse. The wife (Owen) finally decides that she's not going to take it anymore, but it's too late for her daughter Grace (Kerr-Bell), who has been raped by one of her father's friends and hangs herself. There can be no happy ending, of course, but there is a kind of rough justice. This is a movie that really packs a punch. It has good subtitles, too. Grade: A-

Once Upon a Time in the West (DVD)

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) starring Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards. Directed by Sergio Leone. The widow McBain (Cardinale) holds the title to land the railroad wants, and she faces the murderous outlaw Frank (Fonda), who would just as soon take it away from her. "Harmonica" (Bronson) becomes her protector, for reasons which are not at first clear. The movie's length, at two hours, 45 minutes, works against it; but it ultimately has a satisfying climax. Grade: B

The Lovely Bones (DVD)

The Lovely Bones (2009) starring Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon, Stanley Tucci. Directed by Peter Jackson. Ronan plays Susie Salmon, the 14-year-old girl who is murdered early in the movie. We, the viewers, know how it happened and we know who did it: George Harvey (Tucci), a solitary man who lives in the neighborhood. Two questions arise: One, does the movie work as a movie, and two, does the movie live up to the book? The answer to the first question is, Pretty well, and the answer to the second question is, Not quite. There's a whole subplot that involves Sarandon as the crazy, alcoholic grandmother who comes to "help" -- which is amusing enough, but the movie could have done without her. Major changes have been made to the book -- characters have been added, and Susie has a romantic interest. More importantly, the film just can't capture the complexity of emotion that is experienced in reading the book. The subtitles are very good. Grade: B

Summer Hours (DVD)

Summer Hours (2008) starring Juliette Binoche, Charles Berling, Jeremie Renier, Edith Scob. When the matriarch (Scob) of a French clan dies, her children (Binoche, Berling and Renier) must decide how to deal with her estate -- which includes a country house and a substantial art collection. Their decision is complicated by the fact that only one of them (Berling) lives in France. One son (Renier) lives in China, and the daughter (Binoche) lives in New York. Meanwhile, the son who lives in France starts having trouble with his daughter. This film shares a common flaw of foreign films, in that when a character speaks in English, even if in heavily French-accented English, the subtitles stop. Ironically, when the characters speak in English, that is when the movie is hardest to understand and follow. Otherwise, the subtitles are fine. Grade: B+

Once Upon a Time in America (DVD)

Once Upon a Time in America (1984) starring Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Tuesday Weld. Directed by Sergio Leone. Sprawling, violent epic of Jewish mobsters in the 1920s in New York. Directed by Leone and with a score by Ennio Morricone, it often has the feel of a spaghetti Western. It is told in flashback fashion, with De Niro returning 35 years after his heyday to do one last job. Extreme length of film works against it -- at three hours, 45 minutes, I can't imagine sitting through it in a theater. The subtitles are pretty good. Grade: C

O Lucky Man! (DVD)

O Lucky Man! (1973) starring Malcolm McDowell, Rachel Roberts, Arthur Lowe, Ralph Richardson. This movie is an oddity, in that it is so long (three hours) that it comes on two discs. The really odd thing is that Netflix sent me two copies of Disc 1, so that I had only the first half of the movie. I wasn't enjoying it that much anyway, but Netflix definitely gets an F.

Old Yeller (DVD)

Old Yeller (1957) starring Dorothy McGuire, Fess Parker, Tommy Kirk. Corny Disney tale of pesky old stray who turns out to be a pretty darn good dog. Good family fare. Watch out for the tear-jerker ending. The subtitles for the hearing-impaired are excellent. Grade: B

Oliver Twist (DVD)

Oliver Twist (1948) starring Alec Guinness, Robert Newton, John Howard Davies, Kay Walsh, Francis L. Sullivan, Anthony Newley. Directed by David Lean. The Charles Dickens story gets the movie treatment, with young Davies in the title role. Orphan Oliver Twist, born and raised in a workhouse for the destitute, is apprenticed at age 9 to an undertaker. He soon finds himself in trouble at his new post, however, and runs away to London. There he meets up with the Artful Dodger (Newley), who introduces him to the despicable Fagin (Guinness, with a big fake nose). Complications ensue, as those familiar with Dickens can imagine. All ends well, of course. The subtitles are a little hard to find, but adequate. Grade: B+

Up in the Air (DVD)

Up in the Air (2009) starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Jason Bateman. Clooney stars as Ryan Bingham, a corporate weasel whose job it is to fly all over the country and fire people for companies who don't want to do their own firing. During his travels, he meets Alex (Farmiga), who is a female version of himself. Meanwhile, a young hotshot named Natalie (Kendrick) comes up with a plan to do the firing via teleconference, which would ground Clooney and ruin his dream of accumulating ten million frequent-flier miles. But Natalie finds that firing people is not so easy. This is one film that gives the viewer plenty of food for thought. The movie was nominated for several Oscars, including Best Picture, but won none. The subtitles are very good. Grade: A-

Oliver! (DVD)

Oliver! (1968) starring Mark Lester, Ron Moody, Jack Wild, Oliver Reed. Directed by Carol Reed. Orphan Oliver Twist (Lester) escapes from the workhouse, falls under the tutelage of the crooked Fagin (Moody). Through Fagin, Oliver meets (and runs afoul of) the brutal Bill Sikes (Reed). As befits a musical, the movie features lots of singing and dancing, most of it quite forgettable. The phrase, "They don't make 'em like this anymore" comes to mind. The film is a bit too long at two and a half hours. It won six Oscars, including Best Picture. The subtitles are excellent. Grade: B

Braveheart (DVD)

Braveheart (1995) starring Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Catherine McCormack. Directed by Mel Gibson. When Murron (McCormack), his new bride and the love of his life, is murdered by the English, William Wallace (Gibson) reacts by leading his village in an uprising against the local English garrison. From that point on, the Scots under Wallace are in full rebellion against the heinous English rule. But the Scottish noblemen cannot be counted on, and in that may lie Wallace's downfall. The battle scenes are thrilling, but the movie's extreme length (two hours, 57 min.) works against it. "Braveheart" won five Oscars, including Best Picture. The subtitles are very good. Grade: A-

Old Gringo (DVD)

Old Gringo (1989) starring Jane Fonda, Gregory Peck, Jimmy Smits. Self-described spinster Harriet Winslow (Fonda) travels to Mexico to be a governess in 1913, becomes entangled in the Mexican revolution. Smits plays a revolutionary general; and Peck plays Ambrose Bierce, the "old gringo" of the title, who travels to Mexico to witness the revolution firsthand. It makes for a pretty good story, enhanced by the fact the Bierce was a historical figure, a famous American author who did, in fact, travel south to observe the Mexican revolution. He disappeared, never to be heard from again. The movie hints at a solution to the mystery. The subtitles are pretty good. Grade: B

Oklahoma! (DVD)

Oklahoma! (1955) starring Gordon MacRae, Shirley Jones, Charlotte Greenwood, Rod Steiger. Classic musical movie version of stage show has songs, dancing, romance, conflict and the threat of violence. Many of the song and dance numbers are forgettable, but there are plenty of familiar winners thrown into the mix. Main flaw: The film is unnecessarily long at two hours, 25 minutes. The subtitles are excellent. Grade: B-

Oh, God! (DVD)

Oh, God! (1977) starring George Burns, John Denver, Teri Garr, Paul Sorvino. Directed by Carl Reiner, who also appears in a small role. God, in the person of Burns, comes down to Earth to tell grocery store manager Jerry (Denver) to deliver his message to the world. But of course nobody believes Jerry, not even his wife Bobbie (Garr). Nobody believes him, that is, until he appears on the Dinah Shore show. The movie manages to take a light-hearted look at a serious subject, and in some way it's comfort food for the mind. A very young-looking Sorvino has a delicious role as an evangelical preacher. The subtitles are good. Grade: B+

Of Mice and Men (DVD)

Of Mice and Men (1939) starring Burgess Meredith, Lon Chaney Jr., Betty Field. I have a feeling this is a really good movie, but it's hard to tell since it lacks subtitles or captions of any kind for the hearing-impaired. Grade: F

The Bad Lieutenant (DVD)

The Bad Lieutenant (2009) starring Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer. Cage plays a post-Katrina New Orleans policeman who starts out good, injures his back, becomes addicted to pain killers and various illegal drugs, and becomes a bad cop. In the course of the movie, he hallucinates singing iguanas (not as entertaining as it sounds) and loses a witness to a murder. He smokes crack and terrorizes old women. Ultimately, he goes rogue. Cage plays his role like some crazed dope fiend from Reefer Madness. Then, suddenly, all the trouble he has gotten himself into evaporates and the film has, strangely enough, a happy ending. Kilmer, billed as a co-star, barely makes an appearance. The subtitles are very poor. Grade: C-

Off the Map (DVD)

Off the Map (2004) starring Valentina de Angelis, Sam Elliott, Joan Allen, J.K. Simmons. In 1974, a family retreats to the boondocks of New Mexico, where the 12-year-old daughter, Bo (de Angelis), is puzzled by her father Charley's (Elliott) depression. Soon, an IRS agent shows up to ask why they haven't filed a tax return for seven years. But the agent falls in love with Bo's mother (Allen), and with New Mexico, and never returns to his job at the IRS. Interesting movie. Top-notch subtitles. Grade: B

La Strada (DVD)

La Strada (1954) starring Anthony Quinn, Giulietta Masina, Richard Basehart. Brutish traveling entertainer Zampano (Quinn) buys services of simpleton Gelsomina (Masina) from her mother for the equivalent of about $15. He takes her on the road to "teach her a trade" as an itinerant clown. But it soon becomes clear that he will treat her as his stooge. She falls for him, but he mistreats her. She tries to leave him, but he won't let her go. The film develops naturally until a surprisingly devastating conclusion. This movie won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In English, la strada means "the road." The subtitles are a little hard to read. Grade: A

The Time Traveler's Wife (DVD)

The Time Traveler's Wife (2009) starring Eric Bana, Rachel McAdams, Ron Livingston. This is one of those infuriating DVDs that makes you sit through several previews of coming attractions before you can access the movie. I find this quite irritating, and I won't be swayed to see any of the films advertised just because I have been forced to sit through the preview.... But that doesn't necessarily have a bearing on "The Time Traveler's Wife." In the movie, Henry (Bana), due to a genetic defect, travels through time at random and unpredictable times and places. His soul mate is Clare (McAdams), whom he meets as a young girl when he's older, but doesn't remember when they meet as adults (it's complicated). The time travel has the odd effect of making their love inevitable from the start, so that the movie can't end with a happily ever after. Some will find the time travel aspect of the film to be too gimmicky, but I found it fascinating. The subtitles are very good. Grade: B+

The Official Story (DVD)

The Official Story (1985) starring Norma Aleandro, Hector Alterio. Aleandro plays an Argentinian woman named Alicia who has a comfortable life, untouched by the political turmoil that surrounds her, until she begins to suspect that her adopted child Gaby may have been stolen from one of "the disappeared." Alicia goes searching to find the truth, and the closer she gets to it, the more miserable she feels. This is a powerful movie, with no happy ending. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The subtitles are not very good, but are adequate to the job. Grade: A-

October Sky (DVD)

October Sky (1999) starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper, Laura Dern. It's 1957, and Homer Hickam (Gyllenhaal) lives in the small town of Coalwood, West Virginia. The Russians have just launched Sputnik, and Homer is inspired to build his own rocket. But his father (Cooper), who works in the coal mines, thinks Homer is prone to flights of fancy. In Homer's corner is his teacher, Miss Riley (Dern), who longs to see someone besides a football star escape the fate of working in the mines. She sees an opportunity for Homer to go to a national science fair and win a scholarship. The soundtrack is filled to bursting with popular songs from the '50s, giving the movie a strong undertone of nostalgia. The fact that it's based on a true story, and the Homer Hickam is a real person, only adds to the impact. The subtitles for the hearing-impaired are excellent. Grade: A-

An Education (DVD)

An Education (2008) starring Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Emma Thompson. In 1961 London, 16-year-old, Oxford-bound Jenny (Mulligan) meets the much older, worldly David (Sarsgaard). David proves a master at manipulating Jenny's father (Molina), and she is soon motoring off with David for a weekend at Oxford, then for a visit to Paris; Jenny gets a different sort of education in David's company. Her teachers and headmistress (Thompson) think she is throwing away her future, but of course she sees things differently. Mulligan was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in this, her first film. The subtitles are really very good. Grade: A

Objective: Burma! (DVD)

Objective: Burma! (1945) starring Errol Flynn. World War II actioner in which a group of American commandos, led by Flynn, parachute into Burma to destroy an important Japanese radar installation. The main mission proves to be a piece of cake, but extracting the commandos and getting them back to home base proves a grueling ordeal. Leaving by air proves impossible, so they face a 200-mile hike through Japanese-infested jungle to get home. Not surprisingly, things do not go as planned. Made before the end of WWII, this film has several strong elements of propaganda in it, but nevertheless provides ratcheting tension and serious entertainment. The battle scene toward the end is especially memorable. Subtitles are provided for the hearing-impaired. Grade: B

Nurse Betty (DVD)

Nurse Betty (2000) starring Renee Zellweger, Morgan Freeman, Chris Rock, Greg Kinnear. Betty Sizemore (Zellweger) is in love with a soap opera star (Kinnear) whom she has seen only on TV. When she sees her husband killed while she is watching a tape of the soap, it pushes her over the edge, and she decides she must travel to Los Angeles to find the soap star -- who, she is convinced, is her ex-fiance. But wait, there's more! Due to circumstances beyond her control, she is pursued from Kansas to California by two hit men (Freeman and Rock) who think there are stolen drugs in her car. The script takes unexpected twists and turns, right up until the end. All of the actors deliver very good performances, and the film gets funnier and funnier as it goes along. Main shortcoming is the lack of subtitles for the hearing impaired -- but the DVD does have closed captions, which are adequate. Grade: A-

The Nun's Story (DVD)

The Nun's Story (1959) starring Audrey Hepburn, Peter Finch, Edith Evans, Peggy Ashcroft, Dean Jagger. In 1930, the young nun Sister Luke (Hepburn) works to find her way in her religious order. Her first assignment, because she has shown a lack of humility and obedience, is to a mental hospital in Brussels. But she soon earns a posting to the Congo, which is her true desire. Once there, she continues to struggle with pride and disobedience. Then the true test comes -- she is reassigned to Europe and World War II breaks out. The nuns are not supposed to take sides, but can Sister Luke obey? The answer may surprise you. Good subtitles. Grade: B+

High Noon (DVD)

High Noon (1952) starring Gary Cooper, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges, Katy Jurado, Grace Kelly. Classic Western has Cooper starring as Will Kane, marshal of a small town. On his wedding (and retirement) day, he learns that Frank Miller, a man he sent to prison for murder, has been released and is returning to town. Cutting short his honeymoon, Kane soon learns that he will have to face the Miller gang alone. Even his wife Amy (Kelly), who is a Quaker, makes plans to leave town because he won't back down from the fight. This is one of the greatest Westerns -- one of the greatest American movies -- ever made. The DVD has no subtitles, but it is saved by closed captions, which can be accessed on most TVs. Grade: A

The Informant! (DVD)

The Informant! (2009) starring Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Joel McHale, Melanie Lynskey. Directed by Steven Soderbergh. An executive with Archer-Daniels Midland (Damon) is prodded by his wife (Lynskey) into telling the FBI about price-fixing in the vast food-processing industry. But the informant turns out to be a schmuck who was taking bribes and kickbacks the whole time he was cooperating with the government. As the story unfolds, we discover lies within lies, until it's hard to know what to believe. I finished the movie with smiling eyes, just purely astonished by the extent and magnitude of the crimes that had been revealed. Although this movie started slowly, it just got better and better as time went by. The subtitles are good. Grade: B+

Seraphine (DVD)

Seraphine (2008) starring Yolande Moreau, Ulrich Tukur. In 1914 France, an uneducated housekeeper (Moreau) is discovered to be a talented painter by visiting German art critic Willhelm Uhde (Tukur). But before Uhde can bring Seraphine's artwork to the attention of the public and other critics, World War I breaks out, and he is forced to flee France and return to Germany. Fast-forward to 1927, and the critic has returned to France to try to rebuild his art collection. He is astonished to find that Seraphine is still alive and still producing art. This movie tells the true story of Seraphine de Senlis, a self-taught French painter who lived from 1864 to 1942. It's truly a revelation -- though not with a happy ending. The subtitles are very good. Grade: A-

The Hangover (DVD)

The Hangover (2009) starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha. Four friends go to Las Vegas for a bachelor party, and the morning after they find that they have "lost" the groom (Bartha). A variety of circumstances too bizarre to enumerate here generate the comedy as the three remaining friends zoom around Las Vegas looking for him. The principles are distinct enough to each bring something different to the movie, which is intermittently amusing. There are some very funny situations and characters, along with some jokes that didn't quite work for me. If you're looking for a comedy to rent and you're in the mood for something light and not too deep, this could be the film for you. Grade: B

Lawrence of Arabia (DVD)

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) starring Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins, Claude Rains, Anthony Quayle, Arthur Kennedy, Omar Sharif. Directed by David Lean. True-life story of T.E. Lawrence, British officer who helped unite Arab tribes to fight against the Turks during World War I. It was O'Toole's first leading role, and made him an instant star. The film won seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Main shortcoming of the movie is extreme length, at nearly four hours. I had to watch it over two nights. Also, a film of this epic sweep really should be seen on a large screen; TV hardly does it justice. The movie loses focus somewhat during the second half, but is still stirring. The subtitles on the DVD are excellent. Grade: A-

Now, Voyager (DVD)

Now, Voyager (1942) starring Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains, Gladys Cooper, Bonita Granville, John Loder, Janis Wilson. Unhappy spinster Charlotte Vale (Davis) is brought out of her shell by a psychiatrist (Rains), then falls in love with a handsome married man (Henreid) on a cruise. But will she be able to stand up to her domineering mother? And when she gets a serious proposal of marriage, will she be able to accept, despite the memory of her love affair? I don't really care much for Bette Davis -- can't say why -- but this is still a grand soap opera. The subtitles are adequate to help the hearing-impaired follow the action. Grade: B

Good Hair (DVD)

Good Hair (2009) starring Chris Rock. Actor and stand-up comic Rock explores the weird and wonderful world of African-American hair, including relaxer, perms and weaves. Various celebrities contribute insights on what it means and why black people want to have hair that looks like white-people hair. Rock brings his unique way of looking at things to the exploration, and it's a fun ride. The subtitles are good. Grade: B

Zombieland (DVD)

Zombieland (2009) starring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Abigail Breslin, Emma Stone. The United States has become Zombieland due to a virus run rampant. Four survivors, two male (Eisenberg and Harrelson) and two female (Breslin and Stone) find themselves teaming up to head west and seek an abandoned amusement park that is supposedly a zombie-free zone. Luckily, the zombies are not too smart. Unfortunately, they're not slow, as they've been in most other zombie movies. This movie is freakin' hilarious -- and it never really drags. The subtitles are good, too. Grade: A-

Broken Embraces (DVD)

Broken Embraces (2009) starring Penelope Cruz, Lluis Homar, Blanca Portillo, Jose Luis Gomez. Basically a Spanish soap opera writ large, this movie manages to entertain without being compelling. The last half hour seems tacked on, and there's a movie-within-the-movie that just confuses things. The subtitles are pretty good. Grade: B-

Nowhere in Africa (DVD)

Nowhere in Africa (2001) starring Juliane Kohler, Merab Ninidze, Matthias Habich, Sidede Onyulo, Karoline Eckertz, Lea Kurka. Directed by Caroline Link. In 1938, a Jewish family -- father, mother and young daughter -- escape Germany in the nick of time, just before the Nazis begin open persecution of the Jews. The family settles in Kenya, and are obliged to start their lives over again from virtually nothing. Things do not go smoothly -- quite the contrary. It's yet another untold story from World War II, and it is told well. The film only lacks a dramatic soundtrack to give it real heft. The movie won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. One quibble: When, occasionally, a character speaks English, there are no subtitles. This has the odd effect that only when English is spoken is the movie hard to follow. Grade: A

Rome Open City (DVD)

Rome Open City (1945) starring Aldo Fabrizi, Anna Magnani. Directed by Roberto Rossellini. During the waning months of World War II, the Italian populace struggles against the German occupation of their homeland. The movie is mostly talk until the halfway mark, when the Germans and the Fascists come and take away all the men in one apartment building. During the transport, Resistance fighters fire on the trucks and the men escape -- only to become fugitives. Naturally, the Germans are shown to be inhuman brutes, and the Italian rebels are brave men who do not break even under torture. Not quite as great as its reputation, this is still a landmark film, especially for those with Italian sympathies. The subtitles are good enough for the task. Grade: B

Great Expectations (DVD)

Great Expectations (1946) starring John Mills, Valerie Hobson, Bernard Miles, Francis L. Sullivan, Alec Guinness, Jean Simmons. Directed by David Lean. The novel by Charles Dickens becomes a movie, and a grand one at that. I confess that I have not read the book, but I get the sense that this is a pretty faithful adaptation -- and that a lot has been left out, of necessity. The film seems a bit dated by now -- it's in black and white, and the actors are for the most part unfamiliar. But it's still a good entertainment, and worth spending an evening with. Simmons, who recently died, appears as the young Estella. The subtitles are hard to find, but they are quite adequate. Grade: B

Capitalism: A Love Story (DVD)

Capitalism: A Love Story (2009) by Michael Moore. The maker of "Sicko" and "Fahrenheit 9/11" is back with a look at America through economic goggles. Surprise! Moore comes to the conclusion that capitalism is evil and should be eliminated. After watching this movie, you may be inclined to agree. What I have no trouble believing is that we live in a plutocracy -- government by the rich, for the rich. Moore says capitalism should be replaced with democracy. It's a nice dream. (His film has adequate subtitles for the hearing-impaired.) Grade: B+

The Stoning of Soraya M. (DVD)

The Stoning of Soraya M. (2008) starring Mozhan Marno, Jim Caviezel, Shohreh Aghdashloo. Set in 1986 Iran during Khomeini's reign, the true story of a man who plots to have his wife falsely accused of adultery, so that he can get rid of her and marry a young girl of 14. The catch? "Getting rid of her" consists of having her stoned to death. A French journalist (Caviezel), passing through the village where they live, finds himself pulled into the story. The film's climax is shocking in its barbarity. The subtitles are rather poor -- hard to read at times. Grade: A-

Moon (DVD)

Moon (2009) starring Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey. Astronaut Sam Bell (Rockwell) is stationed on the far side of the Moon with only Gerty (voice of Spacey), an artificial intelligence, to keep him company. Things soon start to go wrong with the mining equipment, and then Sam is injured. Subsequently, the mysteries begin to mount. Why is there suddenly another copy of Sam running around? Why is there no link for sending messages directly back and forth to Earth? These and other questions are answered fully and satisfyingly before the end of the film. This is, of all things, a serious sci-fi movie. (The subtitles deserve an A+; they could not be improved.) Grade: B+

North Dallas Forty (DVD)

North Dallas Forty (1979) starring Nick Nolte, Mac Davis, Charles Durning. Nolte plays a receiver in the National Football League who can't get with the program. He refuses to toe the line, no matter how hard management comes down on him. He also smokes, drinks, and freely indulges in other drugs. But his talent, and his willingness to play through pain, keeps him in the game -- for now. The subtitles are good. Grade: B+

Cradle Will Rock (DVD)

Cradle Will Rock (1999) starring Hank Azaria, Ruben Blades, Joan Cusack, John Cusack, Cary Elwes, Bill Murray, Vanessa Redgrave, Emily Watson. Written and directed by Tim Robbins. Portrait of the 1930s as seen through the eyes of theater people of the time. A theater troupe is trying to put on a play titled "The Cradle Will Rock," but they run into government opposition because the theme of the play is too "radical." Meanwhile, a WPA clerk (Joan Cusack) goes in front of Congress to testify against Communists and others. Ambitious effort at social commentary doesn't quite make the grade. Good subtitles, though. Grade: B

No Name on the Bullet (DVD)

No Name on the Bullet (1959) starring Audie Murphy, Charles Drake, Joan Evans. Gunman John Gant (Murphy) rides into a small town to kill someone, but only he knows who his target is. Murphy, who went from war hero to actor after World War II, here gives a fine performance as the gentlemanly gunslinger. With a minimum of words and no actions to speak of, Gant by his mere presence has the men of the town at each others' throats. The movie seems more akin to an episode of "Gunsmoke" than to a major motion picture, but it's entertaining enough. It's captioned for the hearing-impaired, and the subtitles are unobtrusive. Grade: B

Look, Up in the Sky! (DVD)

Look, Up in the Sky!: The Amazing Story of Superman (2006), directed by Kevin Burns. Only a kid (like me) who grew up in the '50s, during Superman's heyday, could appreciate the rich history of the Man of Steel as told in this documentary. We see him all the way from his creation in the '30s through several decades, including his emergence in the movies (played by Christopher Reeve) in the '70s, and later struggles by DC Comics to keep Superman relevant in changing times. It really is amazing to see how many incarnations the superhero has had -- and to anticipate what might be coming from him next. (The disc does not include subtitles in English, but it is saved by closed captions.) Grade: A

Ponyo (DVD)

Ponyo (2008). Japanese anime, translated into English, about a boy who captures an enchanted fish which he names Ponyo. Ponyo loves the little boy and wants to become human, but her wishes threaten to upset the balance of nature. I could detect no subtext which would make this movie especially appealing to adults -- it seems like a straight magical tale for children, well and beautifully told. It does have good subtitles, however. Grade: B+

Nobody's Fool (DVD)

Nobody's Fool (1994) starring Paul Newman, Jessica Tandy, Bruce Willis, Melanie Griffith, Dylan Walsh. Newman stars as ne'er-do-well Sully, a 60-year-old who deserted his family years ago, then unexpectedly finds himself spending time with his grown son, Peter (Walsh), and grandson, Will. Tandy plays the elderly lady he rents a room from, and Willis plays the mush-for-brains owner of the construction company Sully works for. The plot of the movie takes many delightful, unexpected turns. Based on a novel by Richard Russo. The subtitles are the best kind -- yellow letters outlined in black. Grade: B+

The Ninth Configuration (DVD)

The Ninth Configuration (1980) starring Stacy Keach, Scott Wilson, Jason Miller, Ed Flanders, Neville Brand. Promising movie about Vietnam-era psychiatric hospital is marred by the fact that it has no subtitles for the hearing-impaired, not even closed captions. Grade: F

Ninotchka (DVD)

Ninotchka (1939) starring Greta Garbo, Melvyn Douglas, Ina Claire. Soviet apparatchik Ninotchka (Garbo) arrives in Paris to negotiate the sale of confiscated royal jewels. By coincidence, she meets the lawyer for the other side (Douglas), and they fall in love. But then she learns who he is and tries to distance herself from him. Although much of the banter seems dated, Garbo and Douglas together make a charming couple. One scene, where they get drunk together, is particularly memorable. Garbo was nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance, and the movie was nominated for Best Picture. The subtitles are OK. Grade: B

The September Issue (DVD)

The September Issue (2008). Directed by R.J. Cutler. Documentary follows Vogue editor Anna Wintour and creative director Grace Coddington as they work on the annual September issue -- a really big deal in the fashion world. As I have no interest in fashion as such, I had to wonder what I had gotten myself into. Could a movie like this engage my interest? The answer is -- just barely. Every once in a while there is something to grab your interest -- a photo shoot, perhaps, or a visit to Paris. But overall my feeling was, Who cares? It's a fashion magazine being made. Whoop-de-do. I give the movie credit for having good subtitles, however. Grade: C

Nights of Cabiria (DVD)

Nights of Cabiria (1957) starring Giulietta Masina, Francois Perier. Directed by Federico Fellini. Waif-like prostitute Cabiria (Masina) dreams of fortune and love, but finds only heartbreak and misery. Alternately comic and tragic, the movie won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. Masina won Best Actress at Cannes Film Festival. The subtitles are white on a black-and-white background -- merely adequate. Grade: A-

A Night at the Opera (DVD)

A Night at the Opera (1935) starring Groucho, Chico, Harpo Marx, Kitty Carlisle, Allan Jones. The Marx Brothers take on the world of opera, and opera will never be the same. Filled with classic scenes, this movie is considered by many to be the Marx Bros. best. The script is razor-sharp, with scarcely a dull moment. Even the music works; even the romantic subplot, between Carlisle and Jones, works. The subtitles are fine. Grade: A

Surrogates (DVD)

Surrogates (2009) starring Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Rosamund Pike, Ving Rhames, Boris Kodjoe, Michael Cudlitz, James Cromwell, James Francis Ginty. It's sometime in the future, and something like 98 percent of the population are living their lives vicariously, through robotic surrogates. The "surries" or "synths," as they are known, allow one to look any way one wants, to take risks one normally wouldn't take, without risk to the human body. Willis plays Tom Greer, an FBI agent who gets involved in a case where someone has invented a weapon that kills, not just the surrie, but the human operator. Through a series of events, he also loses his synth, so he must face the world in his original human body (or "meatbag"). It's all kind of creepy, and maybe it was meant to be. But I also found it chaotic, compressing too much action into too little time -- the rare instance of a movie being too short -- and it was hard to keep the characters straight and to make sense of it all. The subtitles are rather good. Grade: C+

The Invention of Lying (DVD)

The Invention of Lying (2009) starring Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner. Right off the bat, this disc puts you in a bad mood by forcing you to sit through 15 minutes of previews and advertisements. You have no choice -- pressing the Menu button on the remote control produces no results. ... The movie itself, however, improves on this state of affairs. Mark Bellison (Gervais) lives in a world in which no one fibs. As an unsuccessful screenwriter, he finds himself unable to impress the girl of his dreams (Garner) and fired from his job. Then the idea occurs to him -- if you say something that is not true, people will believe you. At first he uses his gift to make small amounts of money. Then he ends up inventing a new history of the 1300s; and then he invents religion, God, heaven and hell. Will all this help him win Anna, the girl of his dreams? Well, maybe. This is a sweet little movie, with loads of stars in small roles. I enjoyed it. Grade: B+

The Remains of the Day (DVD)

The Remains of the Day (1993) starring Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, James Fox, Christopher Reeve, Hugh Grant. Directed by James Ivory. Novelistic story, set in the 1930s, about servants at a great English manor house. The home in which they labor is fabulous -- practically a character in the film itself. The dutiful butler, Stevens (Hopkins), and the efficient head housekeeper, Miss Kenton (Thompson) clash early on. But they soon grow comfortable with each other. Lord Darlington (Fox), the head of the household, has unfortunate Nazi sympathies. Later, the action shifts to the postwar period, at which time Stevens and Miss Kenton try to reconnect. The film was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture. It has exemplary subtitles. Grade: A-

The Last Picture Show (DVD)

The Last Picture Show (1971) starring Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Ben Johnson, Cloris Leachman, Ellen Burstyn. Beautifully realized, absorbing portrait of life in the early '50s in a small Texas town -- and how the lives of its inhabitants intertwine. Based on the novel by Larry McMurtry. Johnson and Leachman won well-deserved Oscars for their supporting roles. The subtitles are very good, although certain songs aren't captioned. Grade: A-

Julia (DVD)

Julia (1977) starring Jane Fonda, Vanessa Redgrave, Jason Robards, Hal Holbrook, Maximilian Schell. On the heels of her first play's success, playwright Lillian Hellman (Fonda) journeys to Europe, where her friend Julia (Redgrave) enlists her help in antifascist activities. Julia wants Lillian to travel through Berlin on her way from Paris to Moscow -- a considerable risk, since Lillian is Jewish, and Hitler has risen to power. Travel in those days (the '30s) was mainly by rail, and the train ride from Paris to Berlin and beyond is harrowing. The film was nominated for several Oscars, and won three. Meryl Streep has a brief appearance -- her first movie role. The subtitles are unobtrusive. Grade: A

Never on Sunday (DVD)

Never on Sunday (1960) starring Melina Mercouri, Jules Dassin. Directed by Jules Dassin. Homer Thrace (Dassin) arrives in Greece from the States, meets free-spirited prostitute Ilya (Mercouri). Ilya is happy with her carefree life, but Homer decides she must be educated, she must be reformed. He briefly succeeds, but then his plan backfires on him. The film received several Oscar nominations, including a win for Best Song. The movie is now 50 years old. Some of the magic, and some of the shock value, has been lost. The subtitles are very good -- even though the film is multilingual, the captions never miss a beat. One quibble: The songs, in Greek, are not subtitled. Grade: B

Terminator: Salvation (DVD)

Terminator: Salvation (2009) starring Christian Bale, Sam Worthington. The year is 2018. John Connor (Bale) leads the Resistance as the humans fight Skynet. When Marcus Wright (Worthington) appears, he poses a puzzle: Is he human or machine? Does he come from the past or the future? Meanwhile, Kyle Reese has been captured by Skynet and transported to headquarters in San Francisco. What the heck is going on? Will anybody watching this movie really care? Much to my surprise, I did care -- a little bit. And there is one dynamite cameo that makes the movie. The subtitles are good. Grade: B

A Serious Man (DVD)

A Serious Man (2009) starring Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed, Sari Lennick, Aaron Wolff, Jessica McManus, Adam Arkin. Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Larry Gopnik (Stuhlbarg) is suffering a spot of bother. His wife wants a gett (ritual Jewish divorce), a student where he teaches is trying to bribe him, and his children (Wolff and McManus) are constantly bickering; he gets into a car accident, and he has nightmares. He finds himself consulting a series of rabbis and smoking pot with one of his suburban neighbors. He sees a lawyer (Arkin) about the divorce. What does it all mean? I couldn't tell you, because the movie comes to an abrupt and maddening end. What the ending means, or what it is supposed to mean, I couldn't figure out. Grade: B-

Network (DVD)

Network (1976) starring Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall, Ned Beatty, Beatrice Straight. Written by Paddy Chayefsky. Directed by Sidney Lumet. Prophetic movie about Number Four TV network that will put anything on the air for ratings, including the ravings of a news anchor (Finch) who has gone slightly mad. This movie features one of the most famous quotes in film, as people stick their heads out the window and yell, "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore." Chayefsky, Finch, Dunaway and Straight won Oscars. The subtitles are just barely adequate -- but essential. Grade: A

Nashville (DVD)

Nashville (1975) starring Henry Gibson, Karen Black, Ronee Blakley, Keith Carradine, Geraldine Chaplin, Lily Tomlin, Michael Murphy, many more. Directed by Robert Altman. Giant jigsaw puzzle of a movie features a couple of dozen lead characters, all of whose paths cross continuously. Set in Nashville, it blends the music scene with politics, circa 1975, with often hilarious results. Now seems a little dated. Main drawback of film is length, at two hours and forty minutes. The subtitles are excellent. Grade: A-

The Naked Spur (DVD)

The Naked Spur (1953) starring James Stewart, Janet Leigh, Ralph Meeker, Robert Ryan, Millard Mitchell. Bounty hunter (Stewart) is forced to team up with two strangers to capture wanted outlaw (Ryan). Trouble is, they have to take the outlaw back to Kansas, where he is wanted, and he is clever enough to sow dissension among his captors along the way. Leigh provides the love interest, and a lot of the tension. Ryan makes a suitably despicable villain. The movie was beautifully photographed on location in the Rocky Mountains. Subtitled in English for the hearing-impaired. Grade: B

My Left Foot (DVD)

My Left Foot (1989) starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Brenda Fricker, Ray McAnally, Hugh O'Conor, Fiona Shaw. True story of Christy Brown (Day-Lewis), Irish artist and writer who was born with cerebral palsy and could only write and draw with his left foot. Not some happy-ending fairy tale, but a powerful and fascinating portrait of an artist who could only overcome some of his shortcomings. Fricker and McAnally play Christy's mother and father. Day-Lewis and Fricker both won Oscars for their performances. The subtitles are very good -- and absolutely essential, since everyone talks in an Irish accent, except Christy, who can only speak in what frequently sounds like grunts and moans. Grade: A-

Cold Souls (DVD)

Cold Souls (2009) starring Paul Giamatti, Emily Watson, Dina Korzun, David Strathairn, Lauren Ambrose. To begin with, you have to accept the premise that the technology exists to extract a human soul -- and that the subject goes on living after his or her soul has been removed. Giamatti plays an actor named Paul Giamatti who decides that his soul is weighing too heavily on him, and he decides to have it removed and stored by a company called Soul Storage. He soon comes to regret his decision, but his soul has gone missing. He rents the soul of a Russian poet instead. Meanwhile, there is a sub-plot concerning the illegal trafficking in souls by the Russian mob. Turns out, the Russians have stolen Giamatti's soul -- not a pleasant prospect, when you think about it. The movie is intermittently amusing, mostly entertaining, but ultimately pointless. The subtitles are barely adequate -- but kudos to the disc-makers for including subtitles for the hearing-impaired. Grade: C+

My Brilliant Career (DVD)

My Brilliant Career (1979) starring Judy Davis, Sam Neill. Young woman named Sybylla (Davis) lives in 19th-century Australia, bucks social conventions in pursuit of her dream of doing "great things" with her life. She is determined that her career will take precedence over all things, including marriage. Then she meets Harry (Neill), and her feelings are thrown into turmoil. Based on the true story of Australian writer Miles Franklin. The disc does not offer subtitles, but it does have closed captions. Grade: B

Patton (DVD)

Patton (1970) starring George C. Scott, Karl Malden. Stirring biographical war drama about General George S. Patton (Scott) and his drive for glory -- and victory -- in World War II. Patton was a great general, but he also got in trouble because of his rigidity and his temper -- and because he loved war too much. Malden makes a good foil for Scott in his role as Gen. Omar Bradley, who ultimately gets the assignment that Patton craves. The movie won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Actor, Director, Screenplay. Good subtitles. Grade: A