Venus (DVD)

Venus (2006) starring Peter O'Toole, Jodie Whittaker. Slightly creepy story of veteran actor, played by O'Toole, who falls for the niece of the daughter of a friend. He's in his seventies, she's in her twenties. It's rather entertaining to see how far they'll go (hint: not very); and O'Toole's character shows great insight into the female mind and heart. But even though it's handled with delicacy, the story of a March-December romance has a high "ewww" factor. Grade: B-

Apocalypto (DVD)

Apocalypto (2006) directed by Mel Gibson. In a time long ago, primitive natives live and hunt in the jungle, only to have their existence disrupted when a gang of slave-hunters from the great Mayan civilization which dominated Mexico sneaks up on their village and takes most of them captive, killing the rest. It's a fascinating and disturbing portrait of what life might have been like in the Mayan Empire before Europeans came on the scene. There's a lot of violence and bloodshed, but it's done as tastefully as can be expected. There's also a powerful twist at the end of the movie which, if you become as absorbed in the story as I did, you may not see coming. Also available on the DVD are a short on how the convincing look of Mayan civilization was created, and a commentary track by Mel Gibson and his co-producer. Grade: B+

The Good German (DVD)

The Good German (2006) starring George Clooney, Cate Blanchett, Tobey Maguire. Uninspiring tale of intrigue in post-World War II Berlin, not terribly well made. Army correspondent Clooney gets involved in intrigue with his prewar mistress Blanchett. Clooney gets beaten up several times and Blanchett gets her wish to escape Berlin; but her movie husband Emil Brandt, the "good German" of the title, ends up dead. Grade: B

The Dead Girl (DVD)

The Dead Girl (2006) starring Toni Collette, James Franco, Giovanni Ribisi, Mary Beth Hurt, Mary Steenburgen, Brittany Murphy. A series of vignettes shows how the body of a girl is found in a field, how those who knew her are affected, and ultimately who did the crime. Absorbing and, taken as a whole, very sad. Grade: B

Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock? (DVD)

Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock? (2006). True story of trailer park resident Teri Horton , who buys a painting at a thrift store for $5 and becomes convinced that it is a genuine Jackson Pollock. But the painting is unsigned and lacks "provenance," meaning a paper trail that shows who has owned it and can be traced back to Pollock. After 15 years, no one has been able to prove whether it is real or fake, but Horton is convinced that it is real. By the end of the movie, she is offered $9 million for the painting, but refuses it, because she believes it is worth more the $50 million. Grade: B

Army of Shadows (DVD)

Army of Shadows (1969) starring Lino Ventura, Simone Signoret, Paul Meurisse, Jean-Pierre Cassel. Director Jean-Pierre Melville's experiences as a member of the French resistance during World War II inform this movie about a civil engineer who becomes one of the chiefs of the underground movement. Apparently, the Resistance is a controversial subject in France, but it will have little resonance for American audiences. The final half-hour of the film is rather interesting. In French, with English subtitles. Grade: B

Pan's Labyrinth (DVD)

Pan's Labyrinth (2006) in Spanish with English subtitles. In 1944 in Spain, Franco's army sets up an outpost in the effort to suppress the rebellion of the left against the Fascists. Meanwhile, a young girl stumbles on a labyrinth guarded by Pan, an ancient faun who claims to know her destiny. A deeply moving motion picture. Directed by Guillermo del Toro. The commentary track by del Toro is illuminating, and the subtitles are bright and bold, easy to read. Grade: A

The Pursuit of Happyness (DVD)

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) starring Will Smith and his real-life son, Jaden Smith. Struggling single parent goes from dead-end job to unpaid internship at a stock brokerage firm. It's all about Will Smith's charm, and what a struggle life is when you're pinched for money. I loved the happy ending, but couldn't help but wonder what happened to all the other homeless who weren't so blessed. Grade: B+

Little Children (DVD)

Little Children (2006) starring Kate Winslet, Jennifer Connelly, Patrick Wilson. Sarah (Winslet) and Brad (Wilson) meet at the playground, where they have taken their respective children. Even though he has a beautiful wife named Kathy (Connelly) at home, Brad is titillated by the idea of a fling with the rather more plain Sarah. Meanwhile, Sarah's husband Richard is entranced by Slutty Kay, an Internet porn star. And woven in and out of this narrative is the story of Ronnie McGorvey, the town pervert, who was once arrested for indecent exposure.

It's all about "grown ups" who don't know how to be parents to their kids. I found the voiceover to be a bit annoying, but Winslet looks lovely and does a passable American accent. Grade: B+

Dreamgirls (DVD)

Dreamgirls (2006) starring Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, Jennifer Hudson. Hudson, an "American Idol" reject, won an Oscar in this musical about three black women who seek fame and fortune as a singing trio. Unfortunately, the songs are mostly pretty uninspired, although the performers try to make of them all they can. In a movie which should be driven by that catchy Motown sound, the music just drags it down. Grade: C

Happy Feet (DVD)

Happy Feet (2006) with the voices of Elijah Wood, Nicole Kidman, Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman. Young Mumble, an animated penguin, can dance but he can't sing -- which is a problem in this movie because every penguin must have a "Heartsong" to win a mate. It's basically a penguin musical, which is, I guess, an original concept. But the movie takes a sharp left turn into weirdness in the final half hour, and what little charm it had is lost. Grade: C+

Freedom Writers (DVD)

Freedom Writers (2007) starring Hilary Swank, Scott Glenn, Imelda Staunton, Patrick Dempsey. Idealistic young teacher (Swank) is posted to an inner-city school that is racked by gang violence. She inspires her class by getting them to read "The Diary of Anne Frank" and go to the
Holocaust Museum. The at-risk kids respond to her teaching methods, but the school administration (embodied by Staunton) doesn't. Her struggle to teach in unorthodox ways and outfox her enemies in the bureaucracy make up the meat of this movie. There's a lot of rap music involved, most of which I found hard to understand. Younger viewers might get more out of it. Grade: B

The Queen (DVD)

The Queen (2006) starring Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen. Mirren won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II, who faces an angry public after Princess Diana's death in an auto accident. Why don't the royals respond to the public's outpouring of grief? There are a few striking images in this movie, but Sheen seems a bit off as Prime Minister Tony Blair. Grade: B

Notes on a Scandal (DVD)

Notes on a Scandal (2006) starring Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett. Dench and Blanchett are both excellent in this story in which one high-school teacher has an affair with a student, and an older teacher finds out about it. Dench, as the older teacher, must decide between turning in the offender or trying to use the information to her advantage. Grade: A-

The Last King of Scotland (DVD)

The Last King of Scotland (2006) starring Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Gillian Anderson. Whitaker won an Oscar for his portrayal of brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin; McAvoy plays a Scottish doctor, Nicholas Garrigan, who becomes Amin's personal physician. The problem seems to be that the focus of the movie is on Dr. Garrigan, and Whitaker has too little screen time. There are some chilling scenes, though, and Whitaker earned his Oscar. Grade: B

Come Early Morning (DVD)

Come Early Morning (2006) starring Ashley Judd. Judd plays Lucy, a 30-something small-town southern girl who makes a habit of drinking too much and waking up next to strangers. Powered by alcohol and country music, this independent movie is more a slice of life than a story with a beginning, middle and end. We see Lucy make a little progress, but it's hard to tell if she's really going to be all right. Grade: C+

The Silent Partner (DVD)

The Silent Partner (1978) starring Elliot Gould, Christopher Plummer, Susannah York. Not-so-timid bank teller Gould manages to cut himself in on a robbery by Plummer, who then comes after him for the balance of the money. One scene of graphic violence is particularly jarring, but the rest of the film stands up well. Look for John Candy in an early screen appearance. Grade: B

Volver (DVD)

Volver (2006) starring Penelope Cruz. Single mom Cruz hears that her mother has come back from the dead and is haunting the village where she grew up. She goes back for a visit in this charming film, written and directed by Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar. Grade: B+

Sleeping Dogs Lie (DVD)

Sleeping Dogs Lie (2006) starring Bryce Johnson, Colby French. Amy, while a college student, performed a rather shocking sex act with her dog. Now, years later, the question arises: Is she obligated to be totally honest with her fiance? This film follows a mostly predictable trajectory once you get past the premise, but amuses nonetheless. Grade: B

Candy (DVD)

Candy (2006) starring Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish, Geoffrey Rush. Australian film about two junkies in love. Not a bad drama, but not top-notch. The dialog is difficult to understand because of the Australian accents, and subtitles in English are not available on this disc. Grade: B-