What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (DVD)

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) starring Bette Davis, Joan Crawford. Camp horror classic with Davis as the former child star, Baby Jane Hudson, who faded when she reached adulthood, and Crawford as her sister, Blanche, who had a successful acting career as an adult. Blanche now lives as an invalid in a household where her chief caregiver is the increasingly unhinged Jane. Grade: B

Moonstruck (DVD)

Moonstruck (1987) starring Cher, Nicolas Cage, Danny Aiello, Vincent Gardenia, Olympia Dukakis. Directed by Norman Jewison. Delightful romance set in Little Italy in New York City, with Cher and Cage as a couple who defy logic and follow their hearts. Filled with acutely observed vignettes about Italian-American life. Cher and Dukakis won Oscars for their work. Grade: A

Jarhead (DVD)

Jarhead (2005) starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Jamie Foxx. Directed by Sam Mendes. Based on the book by Anthony Swofford. Gyllenhaal plays Tony Swofford, who wrote the book "Jarhead" about his experiences as a Marine in the Persian Gulf War. It's not really a war movie, though, because the Persian Gulf War was primarily fought from the air. This film is more concerned with the experiences of the grunts who went to the desert and waited, and waited, and waited for the war to start. Once it started, it was over in four days because Saddam's army had been decimated by the bombing campaign. The waiting, though, is made interesting because we see the Marine Corps from an insider's point of view -- and it's pretty weird. Grade: B

King Kong (DVD)

King Kong (2005) starring Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody. Directed by Peter Jackson. Watts stars as Ann Darrow, the woman who wins Kong's heart. Jack Black plays Carl Denham, the showman who conceives the idea of putting Kong on display. Andy Serkis, who inhabited Gollum in the Lord of the Rings movies, here provides the convincing ape-like motion of King Kong. At a running time of three hours, the movie seems overlong, and the climactic scene atop the Empire State Building seems to go on forever. As another reviewer has said, however, this is the definitive version of "King Kong," and there would seem to be no reason to remake it again, ever -- or at least until films go 3-D. The special effects are fantastic, and the acting, especially by Watts, is terrific. Some scenes may be too intense for young children. Grade: A-

Brokeback Mountain (DVD)

Brokeback Mountain (2005) starring Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway. Directed by Ang Lee. Known to late-night comedians everywhere as the "gay cowboy movie," this is, of course, much more. Although some viewers will be uncomfortable with the homosexual-themed love story, the movie is superbly photographed, well acted and tightly scripted. It's interesting to watch and involving. And the theme of intolerance is universal. Grade: B+

Freeway (DVD)

Freeway (1996) starring Reese Witherspoon, Kiefer Sutherland. Written and directed by Matthew Bright. "Freeway" is all about girl power. Within the rough framework of the Little Red Riding Hood story, Oscar-winner Witherspoon plays a white trash teen-ager named Vanessa who rises to the challenge when her mother and stepfather are arrested and taken away. Vanessa ends up hitching a ride with "Bob Wolverton" (get it?), played by Sutherland, who turns out to be the infamous "I-5 Killer." At first she seems to be at his mercy, but she soon turns the tables and the movie is off and running. Grade: B+

Il Postino (The Postman) DVD

Il Postino (The Postman) (1994) featuring an Italian and French cast that will not be familiar to Americans. In Italian with English subtitles. Poignant and unforgettable, the story of a feckless man (Mario) and how delivering mail to a famous poet changes his life. At first, Mario seems at best unintelligent, but later we come to realize he might be a poet himself. Still later, he takes on the dimensions of a tragic hero. Grade: B+

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (DVD)

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) starring a cast of (mostly) unknowns. Although I had mixed feelings while watching this movie, I have good memories about having seen it. While it has obvious flaws, I enjoyed seeing the four children go on their adventure. I have a strong feeling children will love this movie, and most adults who like it will like it because it is something wholesome for their children to watch. I guess the good outweighs the bad. Grade: B

The Long Good Friday (DVD)

The Long Good Friday (1979) starring Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren. British mobster Hoskins is putting together the biggest deal of his life when things start to go wrong. Close associates are killed. Bombs destroy first a car, then a restaurant he owns. Hoskins is under attack, but it takes him most of the movie to figure out where the attack is coming from. When he does figure it out, he decides to fight back, and it is not until the film's final scene that he realizes how heavily the odds are stacked against him. This is a great little gangster movie. Unfortunately, this DVD lacks the all-important (to me) English subtitles which would allow me to understand all the various British accents. On the bonus side: A couple of brief scenes by a very young Pierce Brosnan as an Irish thug. Grade: A-

The New World (DVD)

The New World (2005) starring Colin Farrell, Q'Orianka Kilcher, Christian Bale. The New World is a misnomer, since it leads one to believe that the film is going to be about the struggles of European colonists establishing settlements in the Americas during the 1600s. While that's admittedly part of the narrative, it's not the biggest part. This is really the story of Pocahontas (Kilcher), the Native American princess who provided aid to the settlers of Virginia, fell in love with Captain John Smith (Farrell), was exiled by her father, and became the dutiful wife of tobacconist John Rolfe (Bale). All of this occurs against the backdrop of the uneasy relationship that exists between the tribes of "naturals" and the English interlopers. I'm not a big fan of director Terrence Malick, and this film was no exception. The first half of the film was pretty effective, with Captain Smith being captured by the natives, being captivated by their lifestyle, and falling in love with Pocahontas, the chief's daughter. But it really falls apart after Smith returns to Jamestown and becomes re-involved with his fellow Englishmen and their plight there. There are some exciting scenes when fighting breaks out between the natives and the English, but mostly it's just confusing and boring. Grade: C

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (DVD)

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004) starring Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews. A truly awful movie. The beautiful Anne Hathaway is wasted in this unnecessary sequel to "The Princess Diaries," which was a pretty entertaining film. The only reason this one doesn't get an F is that maybe, just maybe, young girls might enjoy it. Grade: D-

Rumor Has It ... (DVD)

Rumor Has It ... (2005) starring Jennifer Aniston, Mark Ruffalo, Kevin Costner, Shirley MacLaine. I keep waiting for Jennifer Aniston to make a good movie, but this one continues the string of disappointments. It doesn't help that I don't like Mark Ruffalo, or Kevin Costner for that matter. It was really kind of creepy watching Costner seduce Aniston, especially given the plot of the movie that made him (possibly) her father. This one's a real clunker. Grade: C-

Paradise Now (DVD)

Paradise Now (2005). In Arabic, with subtitles. Two best friends, Palestinians, are recruited to be "martyrs" by becoming suicide bombers. What they propose to do is wrong, but this movie gives them human dimensions and makes us sympathize with them as people. Whether that's a good thing or not depends on your point of view. Whether this is a good film or not is a different question entirely. There's a long middle section where the two have gotten separated and are trying to find each other that could've been tightened up a bit. We don't get to see either one of them blow himself up, which some viewers will doubtless find to be a relief. I found the film to be engaging for the most part, with all sides of the moral question examined, and all points of view represented. Interesting. Grade: B-

The Family Stone (DVD)

The Family Stone (2005) starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney, Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson, Luke Wilson, Rachel McAdams. Parker plays Meredith, the uptight girlfriend of Everett (Mulroney), who goes with him to visit his family at Christmas time. The large Stone family immediately see that Meredith is not right for Everett, and they each react in their individual way. I think this was meant to be a comedy, but it's so intense that any intended jokes get lost (or just aren't funny). The ultimate "happy ending" seems forced and artificial, and didn't add to my enjoyment of the movie at all. Grade: C

Fun with Dick and Jane (DVD)

Fun with Dick and Jane (2005) starring Jim Carrey, Tea Leoni, Alec Baldwin. The thing that's missing in this "comedy" is the fun. Carrey and Leoni are two people capable of being very funny, but the script and direction let them, and the viewer, down. Grade: C

Shopgirl (DVD)

Shopgirl (2005) Steve Martin, Claire Danes, Jason Schwartzman. Based on the novel by Steve Martin, adapted for the screen by Steve Martin. Danes plays a young woman who sells gloves in a ritzy department store, and Martin plays the millionaire who shows up in her life and begins buying her gifts. It's not funny, if that's what you're looking for from Steve Martin. It's a straight-up drama about a May-December "romance." Martin, playing Ray Porter, "makes it clear" that he just wants a roll in the hay. He treats Danes' character very well, but is unable to love her. She -- and this part is a little hard to believe -- wants more from him emotionally. The movie has kind of a happy ending, but is not deeply moving. Grade: B-

Pride and Prejudice (DVD)

Pride and Prejudice (2005) starring Keira Knightley, Matthew MacFadyen, Donald Sutherland, Brenda Blethyn, Rosamund Pike. Beautifully photographed, though at two hours it has no luck including the whole of Jane Austen's novel. Knightley is luminous in the role of Elizabeth Bennet, a young lady blossoming into a woman. MacFadyen is adequate, but uninspired, in the role of Mr. Darcy, her antagonist-turned-love. As so often happens, I found the dialog difficult to understand, especially as it's all spoken with an English accent. I was saved by the subtitle feature of the DVD, however, and was able to enjoy the movie. Other viewers should be cautioned, however, that it is ultimately a romantic fairy tale, and certain men will consider it a "chick flick." Grade: A-

Match Point (DVD)

Match Point (2005) starring Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Scarlett Johansson. Directed by Woody Allen. Allen's latest effort has human drama and suspense, but it fails in the last act. Without giving away too much I can only say that the police give up way too easily when investigating a crime. Haven't they ever watched "Law and Order"? Maybe that's why the movie is set in England. Grade: B-

Breakfast at Tiffany's (DVD)

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) starring Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard. It's a little dated, but anyone who considers themselves to be a movie fan should see this one. Hepburn is perfectly cast as Holly Golightly, winsome, winning young lady from the sticks who goes mod in New York. Mickey Rooney is laughably miscast as her Japanese landlord. Theme song, "Moon River," won an Oscar. Grade: B+

Magnolia (DVD)

Magnolia (1999). Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Starring Jason Robards, Philip Baker Hall, Tom Cruise, John C. Reilly, Melora Walters, Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Indescribable. A movie that has to be seen to be believed. It seems Altman-esque to me, in that Anderson has assembled a large cast who play disparate characters, all inhabiting the same geographical space on a given day. We see the characters go through the day separately as Anderson switches back and forth among their story lines, which sometimes intersect. The characters are all vividly drawn, and even at a playing length of three hours the film has enough forward momentum to carry the viewer on inexorably to the end. Some who see this movie will feel cheated by the ending, which includes an event of Biblical proportions which affects the outcome of the story. But Anderson has laid the groundwork for his ending, and it worked for me. Grade: A-