Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2012)

[This is a review of the film, not the Blu-Ray itself, which has not yet been released.]

A beautifully shot, deliberately paced existentialist meditation on crime, relationships, and truth. Shot mostly in gorgeous long takes that take full advantage of the widescreen aspect ratio, the film requires (and rewards) patient viewing. The first half of the film, in which a late-night caravan of law enforcement officials drive two murder suspects to a series of nearly identical rural wells, looking for the location of a buried body, is brilliant. It echoes Waiting for Godot, as the seemingly endless search for the body fades into the background, and the focus turns to conversations about personal problems, petty bureaucracy, differing values, and the meaning of life. As the film continues, different members of the caravan wax and wane in importance, each offering a different perspective on life and one's place in the world. The final act of the film -which occurs back in town the following day -drags a bit, but contains powerful revelations.

Despite it's subtle metaphysical explorations, this film is also a highly realistic police procedural. It is very faint praise to say that this film is the anti-CSI, but it's cynical views of truth and justice contrast starkly with TV procedurals. A vain prosecutor basks in his role and makes up facts for convenience, no one has remembered to bring a body bag (or a hearse) for the corpse, the gendarmes are more concerned about where municipal boundaries fall than anything else, a critical medical discovery is fudged, there are rumors the murder victim has been seen alive in neighboring towns, and nothing is wrapped up in an hour, let alone 150 minutes...

This is a film for patient viewers who enjoy the liesurely-paced works of Malick, von Trier, Kiarostami, Tarkovsky or other auteurs of so-called Contemporary Contemplative Cinema.

Anatolia is not an easy film, and those expecting a mystery will probably be disappointed. It is a dark, atmospheric movie--the night scenes are claustrophobic and spattered with little beauties; the dialog is at times funny (especially during a heated argument about yogurt), but as the story progress it becomes oppressive (intentionally, I think). The landscape, which is often mentioned in reviews, is not necessarily beautiful, but desolate and repeating, marked by landmarks which are almost indiscernible from one another, especially in the dark (this old bridge, or that one, this fountain or that one, this plowed field or that plowed field). In the end, I found the movie difficult to sit through, almost exhausting, and I think much of the meaning is to be found the critique of language, and its place in the process of law and order in this small Turkish community. I felt like I was supposed to understand what being a man or woman means in this narrative (gender seems important, and desire), but I come up without any surprising answers to that question. In fact, the film doesn't reach many conclusions, and outside of a scene where the search party is served tea, by the beautiful daughter of a local village head, there weren't many moments in Anatolia where it felt like there was something really glimmering below the surface. It is an interesting film, and all the performances are strong. It is less eventful, grittier, and more cerebral than I thought it would be. I will probably watch it again.

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It is by complete coincidence that only 3 months ago, I watch one of director Nuri Bilge Ceylan's earlier movies, the beautiful "Climates" movie from 2007, on DVD (see my review posted here on Amazon). When I saw that his latest movie hit the theatre, I couldn't wait to see it (saw it the Landmark E Street theatre in Washington).

"Once Upon a Time in Anatolia" (2011 release from Turkey; 150 min.) bring the (apparently based on true events) story of a group of men trying to finish off a murder investigation by locating the body of the victim in the Anatolian region of Turkey. The movie starts at dusk and covers the next 24 hrs. The group (traveling in 3 cars) go from one geographic area to the next as the confessed killer tries to remember where exactly he buried the victim, but he has trouble recalling the exact setting, as he was drunk when he murdered the victim. But eventually, they come to the right spot. The body is taken to the village for a final autopsy. I am leaving some details out, but that is pretty much the main story of the movie. Generally, I don't post the entire plot of the movie in my reviews but I make an exception here, because the story line is not the main point of the movie. Indeed, the movie is instead a study of characters, and simply observes. Check out the scene where, when the group takes a break and has dinner in a local outpost, the beautiful teenage daughter of the houselord brings out tea for the group. That scene alone (which probably takes about 10 min. or so) is worth watching the movie for in and of itself, just outstanding.

I don't know how well this movie will translate onto DVD as seeing it in the theatre transfixes you on the incredible job that Ceylan does in bringing this character study into focus, and the Anatolian scenry plays a huge part in the movie and surely will get lost some on the small screen. With this movie, Ceylan takes "slow developing" to another level, but I thought it worked beautifully. This movie was a co-winner of the Grand Prix at the 2011 Cannes film festival (the other winner being Belgium's Le Gamin au Velo, check out that movie too!). Bottom line, this movie is MILES away from your standard Hollywood fare, and then some. But if you like a good slow-developing character study movie, by all means check this out!

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A unique group of men with a murder suspect among them are driving together in a car in the middle of the night, just using their headlights to search for a corpse. The murder suspect states that he was drunk, and didn't remember where he buried the body. During the course of the evening, secrets are revealed among the group, bringing many more questions to light after finding the victim. Acting performance is Superb, the mystery of the murder and all evidence found through investigation was very interesting and you waited with a curious mind to find out final conclusions. Thrilling, images are fantastic in scenes, and this is one I'd watch again. Highly Recommended for all mystery lovers!

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I really appreciated the night photography of lights and shadows in the first half of the film. It was beautiful and soulful, though very slow and lingering. This is the photographer in me writing and the main reason for wanting to rate it high. The photography in the second half in daylight was just fine and interesting, but not exceptional as in the first.

This film was very slow and I think culturally imbedded and best for the "foreign film" audience and not just the "art film" audience. I had a lot of trouble relating to small town Turkey and I am sure I missed a great deal that I wanted to understand about the story itself. Part of that was that a lot was going on in people's faces as they talked and I needed to read the subtitles while they were talking and so could not pay as much attention to their expressions as the words were spoken as I felt I needed to.

Yet I think enough did get through about rural Turkish sociology and psychology that the film was satisfactory and instructive even if I missed a lot of the implied reality beneath the surface. And I think that was one point of the film -that there are layers of reality hidden beneath endless formalities and efforts to be polite. As in poetry, a lot is left to the subverbal insights of the reader/viewer. This film was quite poetic in this sense, in my opinion.

People were endlessly preoccupied with the "form" of things and how they should do this and that and what they should say and write and always looking to authority. And yet it was clear, to me at least, that this was in a sense "adaptive" in that it allowed them to just get on with lives that were commonly beneath it all sad, boring, confusing, and uncertain.

I would just be guessing about what actually was going on under the surface in terms of "plot" or "story." Part of my own difficulty is that the interactions were subtle and at critical points I was not sure if I should trust the translations in the subtitles. Maybe all this would not even be clear for all I can say if I were a Turkish viewer. Actually I doubt that even for sophisticated movie-going Turks this is a "mystery movie" in the American sense where a mystery is revealed and clues all fit together by the end, at least with a little thought or conversation over strong coffee after leaving the theatre. So I am not going to share my guesses here, because I am tending right now to think they (any!)would be idle speculation. A Turkish viewer might be able to say for certain that there was an obvious solution to "the mystery."

But I do think -right now -that this was more a portrait and a meditation. I can best appreciate it if I look at it this way. It will stick in my mind as such.

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Howl (2011)

How do you bring the written word alive on the screen? "Howl," in depicting the famous Allen Ginsberg poem, does so ingeniously. But the beauty of the poem is interspersed with scenes of a much more conventional nature as well. The film is divided into four specific segments--the 1957 obscenity trial, a famed 1957 interview with Ginsberg (played ably by James Franco), the 1955 public unveiling of the masterwork "Howl," and an animated representation of the work in question. Then there are some flashbacks that accompany the various segments as needed. It is a lot of material for a film that runs less than ninety minutes. It is a credit to "Howl" that it works so well--but I also wonder if more impact might have been made by limiting the focus somewhat. Sometimes less is more. Also, by being so reverent to Ginsberg and the source material (the interview, most noticeably)--ultimately, I felt less emotionally connected to this fascinating character than I'd hoped.

It is actually the animation in "Howl" that stands out the most. On some level, I felt that the filmmakers had this inspired idea of how to present "Howl" (the poem) in a visually compelling style--but then had to come up with other secondary material to round out a feature film. The film comes to life with these sequences. Franco's interpretation as he reads "Howl" can be distracting, however. I know he is channeling Ginsberg, but the awkward cadence of his delivery disrupts the smooth flowing imagery. A small point, though, because I found the animation in "Howl" extraordinary and interesting. As a small film, on its own, I think it would have been a rousing success and brought "Howl" (the poem) to a new generation.

The other segments are nice enough. The 1955 reading and flashback scenes, done in black and white, provide context to Ginsberg and his era (that good ole "Beatnik" generation). We see glimpses of Ginsberg with the various loves of his life--they are fleeting moments, not particularly developed, but they do help to enhance the meaning of "Howl" (the poem). The obscenity trial, which was leveled against the publisher and not Ginsberg (Franco is not even in this part of the film), is pretty standard courtroom fare. It's well done, if not especially revelatory. With Jon Hamm, David Strathairn, and Bob Balaban as the court officials and Mary-Louise Parker, Treat Williams, Alessandro Nivola, and Jeff Daniels on the stand--you know it's impressively acted. It is the interview sequence in which Franco gets to shine. Franco's frankness is both convincing and illuminating to how Ginsberg conceptualized his poem. But again, as it is based on transcripts, we learn only as much about Ginsberg personally as he tells us.

"Howl" is a good film with elements of greatness. My only real disappointment is the biographical element in the film. Ginsberg's interview documents his journey from normalcy, to a mental institution, to a life in the professional world, to his acceptance of a counterculture. I'm sure it would make a terrific film in its own right. But "Howl" introduces us to Ginsberg, the man, but never really lets us get close to him. So as much as I admired the film--ultimately, I was not very connected to it. Interesting and intellectual, "Howl" succeeds best when dealing with "Howl" but lacks some of the insight into its author that would have taken the film to the next level. There were just too many aspects in "Howl" introduced to follow them all through. Courtroom drama, biography, artistic interpretation--it's a lot for a little film. But I did very much enjoy "Howl" and recommend it--especially to those interested in the subject matter! KGHarris, 10/10.

HOWL is a well-chosen name for this excellent movie. Yes, it indeed is a study of the creator of that significant poem Allen Ginsberg but the film seems to be more focused on bringing the audience to a level of appreciation of the impact that particular poem had on the world of censorship, of bringing to the attention the parameters of varieties of sexuality and emotions, of the so called concept and rise of the Beat Generation than it is in portraying the life history of the poet himself. Writers/directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman have combined archival footage of the real Allen Ginsberg and moments in the cafés where Howl was read along with very fine animation to relate the grotesque feelings of the poem in a way that enhances our understanding of this important work, and with that they have gathered an exemplary cast of actors to recreate the people that surrounded Ginsberg's life and experience with the courts.

The film begin with the 1957 obscenity trial held for the 1955 creation of the poem Howl: the Judge Clayton Horn (Bob Balaban) hears the prosecutor Ralph McIntosh (David Strathairn) bring testimony from a variety of 'experts' Gail Potter (Mary-Louise Parker), Professor David Kirk (Jeff Daniels), Luther Nichols (Alessandro Nivola), and Mark Shorer (Treat Williams), and then hears rebuttal from Ginsberg's attorney Jake Ehrlich (Jon Hamm) who is also defending Ginsberg's publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti (Andrew Rogers). And while the trial proceeds the audience is taken back to the year of the poem's creation with Allen Ginsberg portrayed with exceptionally fine acting by James Franco. Ginsberg relates his mother's insanity and the effect of him, his own hospitalization for insanity, and his coming out with lovers Neal Cassady (Jon Prescott), Jack Kerouac (Todd Rotondi), and Peter Orlovsky (Aaron Tveit). Each of these actors offer polished portrayals and truly give a sense of the meaning of a counterculture that emerged as a result of Ginsberg's masterpiece poem.

One of the beauties of this film is that it offers the audience all the information about this period and this event and this poet with astute brevity (the film lasts only 84 minutes), making the impact all the more personal. James Franco as Ginsberg, whether reading Howl or responding to an off camera interviewer, is a completely realized performance. Time will prove what an important film this is. Grady Harp, January 11

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"Howl" is the story of the obscenity trial surrounding Lawrence Ferlinghetti publishing Allen Ginsburg's Howl. Told from Ginsberg's perspective it isn't formatted like a usual movie, but more like a poem with different alternating stanzas.

The stanzas breakdown into an interview with Ginsberg circa 1957, an animated rendition of Howl, the trial, the Six Gallery reading that brought the beats and Howl to mass public awareness, Ginsberg writing Howl, and his meeting and falling in love with Peter Orlovsky.

James Franco plays Ginsberg and while not a nuanced or fiery performance you do get the feeling of what it would be like at the time of the obscenity trial to sit down with Ginsberg and talk about Howl, from how it got started to what it meant to him to write it, and the literary merits of it.

The stanzas mesh seamlessly, and intricately. For instance, the animated Howl that is interspersed with the live action works very well on its own but also in the context of the movie. If you're not familiar with the poem it provides a reference point as to what the controversy was in the first place. The trial scenes with Jon Hamm as Ferlinghetti's defense lawyer, and David Strathairn as the prosecutor provide comic relief, especially more so because the dialog was taken right from the trial transcripts. If obscenity trials are good for anything it's getting straitlaced attorneys to say things that in a different context would be considered obscene.

The movie also doesn't avoid or ignore Ginsberg's homosexuality. As a matter of fact, it's an intricate part of the movie since Howl was Ginsberg's first flash of accepting that within himself as being a part of himself, and normal.

All the performances in "Howl" are good. Everyone delivers even if they aren't asked to do much except "be" the characters they`re supposed to be. Most of the attention is focused on Franco as Ginsberg and he proves that there's more to his acting than what's seen in franchise movies such as "Spiderman."

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This is a shorter length feature film in the style of a documentary drama. Essentially it is Allen Ginsberg (James Franco) telling the story of writing his book of poems 'Howl', and the court case that decided whether or not it was considered obscene material. The film cuts between interviews with Ginsberg, scenes from his memory, scenes of the court case, and is broken throughout with scenes of his first reading of 'Howl'. The poetry reading is also interpreted through animation.

James Franco plays Ginsberg very well and at times his imitation of Ginsberg's vocal cadence and delivery are spot on. He refrains from a caricature of Allen Ginsberg and portrays a real, endearing and human man. The court scenes can be dry and prime to be over dramatic or cliche. They serve mostly to show the conservative and censored backdrop on which 'Howl' was published. The film doesn't have a strict chronology and doesn't need one. It is generally structured by the beginning and end of the poetry reading and a brief biography of Ginsberg's life. I thought the animation was aesthetic and interesting and I really liked the piano score that accompanied it.

There are really beautiful moments in this film. Ginsberg reading the letter of love and rejection from Neal Cassady. Gingsberg relating his revelation that he would always be loved and that he could live life happily as himself, even as a gay man in the 1950's. At the end of the film it is touching and almost thrilling as the voice over of a man singing sweetly transitions to footage of the real Allen Ginsberg.

I was inspired to write a poem while watching this film! It was a very enjoyable and satisfying experience to see 'Howl'. The best aspect of the film is that it brings to your attention the wisdom and poignancy of Ginsberg's story, and the simple beauty of living honestly and free.

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As a journalist, I spent time covering Allen Ginsberg during a tour he made in the early 1980s, a time when he almost seemed to have turned himself into a popular little lawn gnome in American culture. Ginsberg always loved to celebrate and poke fun at himself and the culture that both rejected and eventually enjoyed him. He loved to dance, play his little harmonium as he performed and when I encountered him, he drew a big crowd of university students mostly curious to see the '60s celebrity who had managed to survive.

But Ginsberg, years before Harvey Milk, was a subversive genius and "Howl" finally puts the howl back in Ginsberg's work.

I agree with most of the other reviews on the Amazon page, but would stress a few helpful things: First, you get to experience the entire performance of "Howl" in the course of this film. That's a rare experience these days. James Franco performs it in scenes that recreate that first explosive reading in San Francisco in 1955. In the Extras, Ginsberg himself reads it. Plus, this is the entire version of "Howl," including the "Footnote to Howl," which I think and most literary scholars think is an essential part of the poem. It's amazing that sometimes "Howl" is read or assigned in classes without that Footnote.

The truly subversive choice in "Howl" was casting two of the hottest heartthrobs in America as the leading characters. The courageous defense lawyer at the "Howl" trial is played by Jon Hamm, better known to millions as Don Draper in the hit "Mad Men" TV series. The defense lawyer Hamm plays in "Howl"---from his looks to his prophetic message to the court about American values---is almost a twin to the character of Don Draper. Then, to portray Ginsberg, the producers chose Franco. While Franco may not rank with Brad Pitt on tabloid covers, he's certainly hot today. For example, he appears as one of the hunkiest heartthrobs in Julia Roberts' new movie version of "Eat Pray Love." Trying to place Franco in "Eat Pray Love"? He's the knock-em-dead young actor who tells a girlfriend: "When I look at you, I can hear dolphins clapping." Obviously, that sappy line wasn't penned by Ginsberg. Watching those two actors at the helm of "Howl"---that casting choice alone---drives home the film's plea for diversity. Two of the coolest hearthrobs in America right now see the enduring value in what Ginsberg achieved more than half a century ago.

Ginsberg certainly was as much a self-styled clown as a prophet. But, he realized years before many others of his generation that--even from the margins of our society--words are a perpetual source of power. He shouted out this truth at the very end of Howl. Even the language of the Footnote is R-rated, but those final lines should echo on for years to come. The passage includes:

Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy!

The world is holy! The soul is holy! The skin is holy!

Everything is holy! everybody's holy! everywhere is holy! everyday is in eternity! Everyman's an angel!

The bum's as holy as the seraphim! the madman is holy as you my soul are holy!

...

Holy forgiveness! mercy! charity! faith! Holy! Ours! bodies! suffering! magnanimity!

Holy the supernatural extra brilliant intelligent kindness of the soul!

This is a great film. And those are great words to remember as the credits roll.

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Crazy on the Outside (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) (2010)

i wasn't sure if this film would be any good hadn't heard of it before but it was REALLY great fun! very enjoyable. many funny moments. very cute!

I'll call this 'The Little Movie That Could', as in make my family laugh uncontrollably. I think the funniest part of this film is Tim Allen's relationship with his 'off the wall' and hilarious sister, Sigourney Weaver. The two of them had us in stitches from the minute she picks him up from prison and takes him back to her house to put him on a sort of familial display.

The 'tall tales' she's spun compulsively while her brother was away in "France" trip them both up constantly (she actually cannot control herself!). This is what she starts out lying to their family members with and these hilarious lies never cease, they just get more and more absurd. She has his life all fashioned out everywhere and in every possible situation to 'save face' for him, accounting for the years being in prison. He has no idea ahead of time what excuse or reason she has concocted as he walks into these impossible scenarios right and left. It's all ludicrous and wildly funny.

Allen underplays all the overtly comical moments in this film. He seems to let all the rest of the cast shine and they do as the cheap shots are abounding. I hadn't even heard of this movie being released to theaters, let alone for a new rental on Amazon. I just wonder where this one was hiding out. You get what you pay for with this one and that's one funny time with a movie. We all loved it in our family.

There is an ensemble cast in this movie also. It was unexpected but extremely fun to view along with a witty script backing all these actors. Each and everyone shows up in their roles for good measure. A new go to movie that you will not regret if you appreciate the comedy of Tim Allen or are just beginning to.

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i love this movie it real funny i think every one should watch it trust me you wont go wrong

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This movie captured my attention. Very good plot and I wasn't offended by political correctness and unnecessary sexual content. Tim Allen showed he is still very funny. The cast was exceptional. The movie starts out sort of slow but builds up and I was absorbed toward the end.

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I expected more from Tim Allen. At least from the movies I've seen, he has put out some classic comedy. In this case, the movie has all the right stuff, but just doesn't come off that well.

The cast was great with Sigorney Weaver and Jeanne Tripplehorn, but every step was predictable. I was not surprised once. I don't mind that at all, but at least there should have been funnier gags to go along with it. In this case, it was at best mildly amusing. It didn't really have an "at worst," which in this case isn't really a compliment.

I can say I've wasted time on far worse movies.

If you are into very mild rom-coms, I'd recommend it. If you are expecting more, I'd look elsewhere.

50 Dead Men Walking (2008)

This story is based on the true story of a northern Irish man (Jim McGArtland) who joins the IRA and is also a informant for the government who is trying to stop the IRA's often random slaughter of people (terrorism) that was occurring during the late 1980's. To be fair the IRA was enforcing law when things were breaking down as well; but often they would target whole pubs or such for a murderous attack. And they were a terrorist organization who tortured people to death. (touts or informants in particular). The informant working the police is able to stop many attacks and he saves at least 50 men who were personally targeted. Hence the title of the movie. "50 dead men walking", men who were doomed but still alive because of the informant. Will the informant survive?, and what happens when MI-5 acts just as brutally against a IRA man? This story is one that deserves to be told and the acting is excellent. This is a solid movie featuring the always excellent Ben Kingsley as the man who oversees the informant. Rose McGowen shines in a supporting role as the ruthless head of IRA intelligence who will use her assets to kill or gain information. Every actor including the young lead Jim Sturgess play believable people who are driven by the hideous conditions (economic poverty, violence, racial intolerance, political fanaticism) of Northern Ireland that existed then. One IMPORTANT thing about this movie is that you may want to use the English subtitles because the northern Irish speak very quickly in their own slang English which is understandable but not that easy to follow without the subtitles. The bluray print is excellent and is well mastered so you won't have a problem with it in anyway. This was made by the Irish but it is as professional as any movie made by anyone else. In other words this is a gritty realistic drama that pulls no punches and is well made. It features a number of deleted scenes as well that were cut from the flick , some should have stayed in but most are character building scenes. This is not a low budget badly made movie at all, it's a good mostly TRUE story about sacrifices and about the hard choices that the informant is facing while he infiltrates the IRA. This was directed by Kari Skogland who knows how to direct a decent movie and lets hope she keeps directing and continues to improve as a director.

3.3 stars

50DMW was enjoyable on some fronts, especially Kingsley's acting and some great moments in the script, but I just couldn't buy Sturgess as Martin. He never made me feel for him one way or the other, I saw no real motivation for selling his friends out, and he just didn't seem at all believable.

Skogland's directing is solid, as is the script for the most part, but the occasionally brutal violence and tortures left me disliking both sides of the conflict equally. If Sturgess had been more sympathetic this film would have worked so much better for me. But maybe that's the point: he was what he was, neither good nor bad (or very bad, if you're pro-IRA).

I don't know enough about the "Troubles" to say who's right or wrong. My heart tends to side with home rule, but when one looks at all the innocent people dead on both sides it adds up to nobody being right. This movie could have made me feel so much more but Sturgess just seems on the fence in every way throughout, and by the end I was happy to see it all end, leaving me feeling that nothing had really been accomplished but more pain and death, despite the claim he saved 50 lives.

He sure didn't come off as much of a hero here, and ultimately all the violence just felt pointless. The film raises many questions and answers none, which may be the point. But I didn't feel like I learned much, or enjoyed it much, and without one or the other I can't say I loved any film, no matter how competent it may be. I did enjoy some of the supporting acting a fair bit, in any case, and Kingsley is excellent as always.

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Knowing the history behind this film I was looking forward to watching it. I was to be very disappointed. The film is very slanted in it's account of the war. It starts by doing a voice over amid pictures of violence suggesting that the British army was sent into act as peacemakers. This period of the conflict relates to a series of marches (inspired by the civil rights marches in the US) Irish nationalists engaged in to demand equal civil rights. The British army reacted with violence against the marches most famously in Derry when they murdered 13 innocent people and lied for years afterward about what happened. Just last year the new British government admitted the truth and apologized. This sets the films tone with the British portrayed as just trying to keep the peace and as good guys which simply isn't truthful and not backed up historically. At the end there is some additional information given about things that happened after the time frame of the film. They state that after the good friday agreement the British army withdrew it's troops. This is not true. There are still in the region of 5,000 British troops there.

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50 DEAD MEN WALKING is an unusually powerful film that brings to the screen the real life story of Martin McGartland on whose book it is based (with co-writer Nicholas Davies). Director Kari Skogland has managed to recreate the flavors of the 1980s in Ireland at war with the British. The violence in the film may be difficult for some viewers but it so integrated with the story that it would not seem as fine a film without it.

Martin McGartland (Jim Sturgess) was a fly-by-night, door-to-door salesman in Belfast in the 80s. He is bonded with mates such as Sean (Kevin Zegers) among others and they manage to get into all manner of trouble until they are united with the IRA (Irish Republican Army) to defeat the British: of note at the end of the film, the British were in Ireland as occupiers for a total of 38 years, ending only in 2008 with a peace treaty! Martin feels a sense of duty with the IRA and is observed by the British intelligence, namely one Fergus (Sir Ben Kingsley) who convinces Martin to join forces as a 'tout' or informer within the IRA. It is this play of double lives that brings McGartland to a terrifying life, a life made whole only by his love for his girlfriend Lara (Natalie Press) and their children (born and unborn). The struggle Martin endures between loyalty to his mates and loyalty to the British who see Martin's role as one that could save the lives of at least '50 Dead Men Walking' is the line of the film that never lets up for a moment of rest in its demonstration of the futility of 'war', no matter what level.

Jim Sturgess is superb as Martin and the large supporting cast is as fine as any casting director could find. This is a very intense film, a film so true to the Irish brogue that subtitles are necessary to understand much of the story. It is a film well worth viewing, especially if the confusion about the long Irish/British war is not clearly understood by the viewer. Grady Harp, January 10

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American gangster movies tend to either glorify the mafia, or make it into a joke (Joe Pesci in "Goodfellas", etc.). This movie is a very brutal and realistic view of the IRA and the situation in northern Ireland. The acting is first rate. Ben Kingsley is excellent, and I wanted to write down some of his statements (on the IRA men: "They are killers who just found something to kill for"). The violence is brutal and realistic. We see men shot dead drinking pints of ale and blown up in vans and shot dead in front of their children. We see the British military bashing teenagers with rifle butts. I agree though, that this movie, although VERY informative about the situation in Ireland in the 1980s, is really ultimately a human story, and not a political one. This story could easily be transposed to Algeria, or Israel-Palestine, or Tibet, or anywhere that there is a conflict. I think also that any American who "supports" the IRA should be "forced" to watch this movie. I now know why my local Irish pub owner where I live from Dublin and who has seen this story up close refuses to serve "Irish Car bombs", but will serve you an "Irish Peacemaker" instead !

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Back to 1942 (2012)

I like books and movies that can make me feel the story being portrayed. This movie sure did that for me. The suffering that these people experienced was awful. But their selfless understanding and love for each other made me feel good and hopeful about humanity. In the midst of all that misery many of them were able to put their own needs aside and give of themselves to others. I would like to recommend a similar story "Behind the Beautiful Forevers" by Katherine Boo

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Bought this as a recommended movie because I'm primarily a WWII and history buff. I must say, I was stunned at how truly EPIC this movie is. The cinematography is absolutely spectacular some of the best work I've ever seen from a foreign film and it rivals anything I've ever seen from any movie for that matter. Unlike most foreign movies, this one doesn't have that "Gee, I'm watching a foreign movie" feel to it.

If you do not like reading subtitles, STAY AWAY FROM THIS MOVIE. THIS IS A MOVIE YOU MUST READ, UNLESS YOU SPEAK CHINESE. It is 2-1/2 hours long, so watching it and reading it at the same time is challenging at times and I did pause the disc and go back a few times just to catch everything there are many scenes where incredible scenes are unfolding but you're busy reading the text so you can't fully appreciate what's going on. I personally don't mind doing that, but if it bothers you, then that's something to consider.

The story is just what people have said, so I'll not rehash that it is a horrifying and tragic chapter of WWII history that has been completely glossed over and forgotten, but perhaps thanks to this remarkable film, it will get some long overdue attention. The roles played by Adrien and Tim Robins are bit parts, so their contribution to the movie is minimal, which is also great for me, personally, because I don't particularly care for either of them. Anybody could've played their parts and the movie would've been just as good the Chinese characters carry this film and they are OUTSTANDING.

The CG work on the aerial attack scenes is slightly sub-par compared to most modern movies and has a bit of a video game look to it, but I've seen much worse and that is the only thing I can even halfway criticize this film for. They had a cast of thousands for this movie, used actual locations instead of doing a ton of CG work, the explosions are real (and there are a lot of them), the wounds are gruesome and realistic to the point of being just as disturbing (if not more so) as what you see in Saving Private Ryan.

I cannot recommend this movie highly enough it is a REMARKABLE achievement in every possible respect. The story line is incredible, and even better, it apparently is largely true because it is based on interviews with a Chinese girl who lived through the experience, which was conducted by an American reporter who was there first-hand in 1942 and witnessed it himself. If I understand it correctly, this collaboration of their record of events was published in 1964, and that work serves as the story line for this movie thus the name, "Back to 1942" it was a return to a horrifying time in their lives for both the reporter and the woman he was interviewing.

If you're a WWII history fanatic, this is an essential movie you MUST have in your collection. They NAILED all the details of the Chinese and Japanese weapons, uniforms, vehicles, and everything else throughout the movie incredible attention to detail. If you're just a fan of truly sweeping huge scale movies, this one will also impress you why this movie didn't win numerous awards is beyond me. Whomever is responsible for paying attention to amazing foreign movies wasn't paying attention here.

BUY THIS ONE it is the "Ben Hur" of Chinese suffering and chaos during WWII.

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Before you load this Blu Ray into your player make sure you have a box of tissues next to you for surely you will need them to view this masterpiece for truly it is the saddest film I have ever watched. It is certainly the darkest of times in China's World War 2 history, and a film that will remain with you long after its 151 minutes have ended. The plight of the peasants, the richness of their family history, the unbelievable courage of their lives in this blackest of historical times brought to "spectacular epicness" as only Well Go USA can in this pristine not soon to be forgotten Blu Ray pressing. If you have the stomach for this, and I sincerely hope you do, buy it and sit back and learn about a very tragic time. You will not soon forget any of it, and maybe that is what great films do for this is surely one GREAT film. Thanks for reading.

Read Best Reviews of Back to 1942 (2012) Here

This is the story of the Henan province disaster as one of the darkest moments in 20th century Chinese history. It tells the story of the plight of 30 million Chinese affected by the great drought of 1942 and their attempted escape from hunger while being bombed by the Japanese during WW2. Over 3 million people died and this 2 1/2 hour film is a harrowing account of their misery and suffering. It is superbly done in this stunning Blu-Ray disc. This is just another reminder of the horrors of WW2.

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The film I thought on the whole was ok but not as good as it had the potential to be a great film.

It felt a little disjointed and muddled in parts but this could be down to bad editing. the special effects I thought were paticularly good and so realistic the film showed suffering in war time and gave you a first hand look at desperation and suffering in war time so it did the job it set out to do in this respect as always adrien brody

performed well ; tim robbins accent hard to tell where he was supposed to be from so little less convincing acting

here as an award winner he's definitely capable of doing better. Did the film hit home with the right message ? Definitely yes but but because of being in chinese and subtitles made it miss out on potential wider audience and perhaps lost out on recoginition for potential awards. Its a story that was told well

but lost out in editing and direction but well done to cast and crew for pulling off what looked like and epic task

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Kill Bill - Volumes 1 & 2 (Amazon.com Exclusive) (2004)

Quentin Tarantino is arguably the best film-maker of his generation. His ability and passion to tell stories through film is second to none. "Kill Bill" bears witness to Tarantino's love of film by referencing a variety of genres such as blacksploitation, marital arts, anime, spaghetti westerns, and superhero movies. Some might find it easy to dismiss him as merely a movie fan who makes movies about other movies. I argue that he's far more creative than that. He draws upon these genres for inspiration and creates stories that are fresh, intelligently written, and compelling to watch. For example, in the third act of volume 2, Bill, played by the late David Carradine, shoots [Uma Thurman's character] with a dart filled with truth serum forcing her to answer his many questions. While waiting for the serum to take effect, Bill monologues about his fascination with comic books and, in particular, superhero mythology. "The point emerges" as Bill compares [Uma Thurman's character's] alter-ego, Arlene Plympton, with Superman's alter-ego, Clark Kent. No one but Tarantino could reference comic books in a film and make the dialogue sound so interesting.

In the realm of cinematography, he "pulls out all the stops" using a variety of camera techniques like split-screens, long-shots, and fast close-ups on the eyes. Some of these techniques can be traced backed to Martin Scorsese, one of his biggest influences. Of course, do I even need to mention the music? I believe I can best describe the selection as cooler than Dante's ninth level of hell. "Kill Bill", while packed with dozens of exciting ideas, can be enjoyed simply as fun movie viewing which, in my opinion, is a trademark of an excellent director.

The Box Set isn't anything extraordinary. Based on my own copy, all that I can determine is that the Box Set contains the regular DVDs............................. in a display box. Unless you are obsessive over display boxes, you could do just as well to buy the two movies separately either online or at your local movie retail store. I personally enjoy the DVD extras but don't be deceived. The Box Set doesn't contain any additional DVD extras.

An excellent blu-ray transfer for an awesome movie. The picture quality is one of the best video transfers on blu-ray and the audio is equally pleasing. Its a must own in the collection of best blu-ray titles. Not much on the extras side, but the Movie itself is worth it.

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REGARDING THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR: First off, The Weinstein Company owns the rights to "The Whole Bloody Affair" when it arrives, so you can't fault Disney for releasing the one and only cut of this movie that they own. They do not, have not and will not have the ability to put out "The Whole Bloody Affair".

And if you're waiting for "The Whole Bloody Affair" I hope you have other things to occupy your time. "TWBA" was first mentioned in 2004, and it's since been four long years without literally ANY actual progress on the front of that cut surfacing. The cut is NOT yet finished. I think people are under the impression that foreign cuts of KB are "TWBA" and they are NOT. Quentin has NOT YET CUT "THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR" TOGETHER AT ALL. Every year he makes a promise that he's about to get to it, to no avail. I wouldn't say I'm actually skeptical it will ever come out (I'm sure Quentin wants to do it) but I'm not exactly holding my breath anymore either.

So, in conclusion: Not only is "The Whole Bloody Affair" NOT coming out tomorrow or something, but it's not likely to come out for quite a long time (especially with Quentin starting Inglorious Bastards), and when it does, it won't be through Buena Vista.

Thanks.

EDIT: In 2011, the completed "Whole Bloody Affair" did finally premiere at the New Beverly in Los Angeles for a week during programming selected by Tarantino (who owns a stake in the theater). There is still no release date for a home video version.

Read Best Reviews of Kill Bill - Volumes 1 & 2 (Amazon.com Exclusive) (2004) Here

I think a lot of reviewers are forgetting the fact that Kill Bill vol 1 and 2 are great movies. $40 for two great movies in high def isn't a bad deal.

Back when this was released on DVD years ago people kept howling not to buy it because you should wait until The Whole Bloody Affair comes out. Well guess what, years later it still hasn't come out on any format. Stop holding your breath for it. Its supposed to be what, 5 hours long?

Also, these are the theatrical versions and i'm fine with that. I own the japanese versions and theres not much difference. Definitely not enough to miss out on owning such a great movie.

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Once upon a time in El Paso, Texas a wedding party is slaughtered execution style. However, it turns out that the Bride (Uma Thurman), who is pregnant, is not dead but in a coma. Four years later she wakes up, no longer pregnant, in time to save herself from insult being added to her injury. Then the Bride puts together her list of people to kill: (1) Vernita Green (Vivica A. Fox), (2) O-Ren Ishii (Lucy Liu), (3) Budd (Michael Madsen), (4) Elle Driver (Daryl Hannah), and (5) Bill (David Carradine). In "Kill Bill, Volume 1," the Bride only gets to the first two names on her list, albeit not in that order the way the film is cut, and then proceeds to the rest in Volume 2. This does not constitute a spoiler because you cannot have a film called "Kill Bill" that does at least get to the title character, regardless of the results. But then this was a do-it-yourself "Box Set" (I bought the two DVDs and they gave me a box to put together).

There is more happening in the each film besides the kill list, such as an anime telling us how O-Ren Ishii became the Queen of the Tokyo underworld and the training sequence in which the Bride studies with the great Pai Mei. But in the first film the primary emphasis is on how the Bride takes out her first two victims and the triumph of style as substance, especially when style means fountains of blood gushing from human beings that would make Akira Kurosawa proud. With "Pulp Fiction" Tarantino made his impression upon our ears with scene after scene of great dialogue. No wonder the soundtrack for that film had clips of some of what came rolling off the tongues of the actors (usually Samuel L. Jackson, who only plays a corpse in these films). But with "Kill Bill, Volume 1" Tarantino's blood feast is mostly for the eyes. This film is not for everybody, but then what Quentin Tarantino film ever was?

The biggest complain about Volume 1 is that it has the two most memorable sequences in the entire epic, namely watching O-Ren Ishii and her posse walk glide into the House of Blue Leaves with the blasting soundtrack giving them energy and the final showdown in an exquisite garden at night with gently falling snow where O-Ren in her white kimono and the Bride in her yellow biker suit do their dance of death with Japanese steel. Nothing in Volume 2 tops either of those scenes, which is not necessarily a bad thing, just a cinematic reality.

The caveat when Mirimax decided to split this four-hour revenge film into two volumes was that those who sensed a lack of character development and motivation in Volume 1 would be appeased by what was put forth in Volume 2, and this is indeed the case. We finally get to go back and see a couple of pivotal scenes set before the "beginning" of the film's opening, such as the massacre at the Two Pines wedding chapel. The net result is that character is more important than killing in the last half of the film, which makes sense because it would really be virtually impossible for the Bride to slice and dice more opponents than she did at the House of Blue Leaves.

I watched Volume 1 on DVD again before I went to see Volume 2 in the theater, which I thought would put me perfectly in the narrative flow. However, Quentin Tarantino has set up his audience just to play with their minds, which, of course, is what he was doing from the start and at the climax of this film I was not at all sure who, if anyone, was going to come out alive. Certainly what happens with numbers 3 and 4 are not what you expected after seeing the fate of numbers 1 and 2, but that certainly puts what happens with the final name on the list up for grabs.

There are a lot of oppositions between the two halves of this film. The beautiful setting of the duel between the Bride and O-ren in the gentle falling snow is countered by the showdown with Budd (Michael Madsen) in the harsh sunlight of his trailer in the desert. Having devoted an entire chapter to Hattori Hanzo creating his most perfect sword for the Bride, it is amazing how hard it is to get the sword out of its scabbard in this one. Volume 1 was a feast for the eyes, but in Volume 2 Tarantino's dialogue becomes more prominent, although not quite up to the level of "Pulp Fiction." But the dialogue is important because before we get around to the titular business of this film, the Bride and Bill have got to have themselves a conversation. Sound also matters more in this film: there is one sequence that is effectively done in the dark.

I am barely acquainted with the genre of Hong Kong films that Tarantino was apparently weaned on, so everything is fairly new to me and consequently smacks more of homage than parody, which is no doubt the director's intent. I probably will not go out and check out some of the films that inspired Tarantino to do "Kill Bill" which have been pointed out to me, because they will undoubtedly pale in comparison to the slicked up version that he is serving for our American palates. All things considered, I have a definite preference for Volume 1, which seems to run counter to the prevailing sentiments, but it took me a while to be comfortable with how the two parts fit together. The key thing is that they do, without Volume 2 being simply more of the same, because it is definitely not. There is something to be said for Tarantino pulling out all the stops just to have fun.

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Blu-ray/DVD + Digital Copy) (2010)

This movie was actually a lot better than I expected, and had some hilarious moments. I can relate to some of the things that happened to Greg. I have not read the book, so I couldn't compare it. 12 year old Greg Heffley is nervous about starting middle school. Him and his dorky best friend, Rowley Jefferson try to fit in and become popular, but that's easier said than done. Throughout the school year, Greg and Rowley come up with weird ways to become popular like being a Safety Patrol officer, wrestling, and performing in epic school plays. In order to truly appreciate this film, you either need to be a parent, or think from the perspective of a kid. I highly recommend DIARY OF A WIMPY KID!!!

My daughter loves this book series, so my wife decided to get this DVD, and we watched it as a family. I wouldn't normally review a kid's movie, but I want to let dads know that this movie is actually watchable, and certainly better than I expected. The plot hangs together, the kids are good actors, and there are some genuinely funny moments which I can relate to from my own childhood. The only reason I'm deducting a star is that, as others have noted, the portrayal of the parents as somewhat clueless is both unnecessary and counterproductive.

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This movie brought me back to middle school times. I'm an adult now. But this movie was highly entertaining. I can still relate to a lot of it, even though I am an adult and I don't have the same situations any more. But this movie makes it easy to remember. Middle school is a simpler time in your life. And this movie paints that picture very well. I don't mean they dumbed it down. This movie was smart with a very good message: "Never turn on your friends". What I mean is it shows how kids worry about simpler things in middle school. And they are frequently hilarious, just like the entirety of this movie. Zachary Gordon did an A+ job as Greg. I can't wait to see them all back in the sequel, and the one after that and the one after that! I give this a 10/10!

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My grandson read me one of his collective books via phone. I completed his collection thru amazon. He thx you and I especially thank you for always being able to come thru with my searches!!! Honorable book for all ages I think.

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"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" was directed by Thor Freudenthal ("Hotel for Dogs") based on the book by Jeff Kinney. Zachary Gordon plays Greg Heffley, a kid entering middle school for the first time with the company of his best friend, Rowley Jefferson played by Robert Capron. Greg becomes obsessed with the idea that he needs to do something notable to get into the "Class Favorites" section of the yearbook in order to make his mark and hit the big time, if it weren't for the dorkiness of his best friend holding him back.

Greg has the curse of being a middle child so he is largely ignored by his parents in favor of his younger brother still potty training and his older brother, Rodrick (Devon Bostick) takes great delight in torturing Greg giving him rules he must follow or suffer the consequences. Incidentally, a sequel is already in the works called "Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules." Instead of keeping his head down and getting through these difficulty years, Greg fights the laws of nature in his household becoming a burden to his family and often getting in trouble.

With the situations and the way they are presented, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" feels more like an extended TV show of something like "Malcolm in the Middle" instead of a feature film. It has an amusing way of blending in the stick figure illustrations from the book into the story to represent Greg's visualization of the up and down changes in social status he and his friends experience. Greg tries several tactics to get famous in his school that fail fantastically like joining the wrestling team, auditioning for the school play, and joining safety patrol. Many of his problems stem from his own ego which is immature and underdeveloped and often places the blame on his less than cool friend, Rowley instead of turning the focus on himself.

The only times "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" feels like a movie are when Chloe Moretz (Hit Girl from "Kick Ass" who plays Angie Steadman enters the scene. She towers over the boys in height and maturity about their current situation. She tries to impart her wisdom on them that none of what happens in middle school really matters in the grand scheme of things and that it is infinitely better to sit back and watch others make fools of themselves for popularity and comment on it in the school newspaper. Greg turns down her invitation to join the paper insisting it would be a conflict of interest since the paper will be too busy reporting on him (which it does...when he makes a fool of himself). Chloe Moretz has an amazing screen presence that is such a pleasure when she is there and the movie noticeably reverts back to that TV style format again when she is gone.

The take on middle school drama, social status concerns, and the influx of made-up rules that can make or break your popularity is very familiar and a good wake-up call to kids that age. For adults, it might be a little familiar or nostalgic but no longer as engaging a problem to relate to. Director Thor Freudenthal's style is very much for kids and young families and in reaching that target demographic, it succeeds. It doesn't quite hit that sweet spot where it can be appealing to kids and adults simultaneously like "A Christmas Story" though it tries very hard.

Special Features:

There is full-length commentary by Director Thor Freudenthal and Writer Gabe Sachs where they go into detail about what was and wasn't in the book, what monologue was used to audition for the lead and how they picked Zachary Gordon. The Angie Steadman character played by Chloe Moretz was not in the original source material, but was added because there were all these diverse guy characters and no girls to even it out, like they were an alien species so bringing one into the mix clearly helped the movie.

There are 10 deleted scenes/diary pages consist of many more scenes with the scary ginger kid, Fregley and mostly consist of helpful how-to's and antidotes about the supporting cast characters.

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Clue: The Movie (1985)

Clue is Paramount Pictures' comedic film rendering of the classic Parker Brothers board game of the same name. But don't let that dissuade you from seeing this one. Although you'll recognize the chromatic character names, unlikely murder weapons, and Victorian mansion settings, tracking down the murderer in the movie version of Clue requires a good deal more than a deck of cards and a notepad. (It's a lot more fun this way, too.)

Involving the talents of seven of Hollywood's funniest funny people, including Madeline Kahn as Mrs. White, Christopher Lloyd as Professor Plum, and Tim Curry as Wadsworth, the requisite butler, the film is guaranteed to keep you laughing. The script is packed with sparklingly witty exchanges, such as this one between Wadsworth and an angry Colonel Mustard (Martin Mull):

Mustard: Are you trying to make me look stupid in front of the other guests?

Wadsworth: You don't need any help from me.

Mustard: That's right!

Later in the picture, as the by-now-blasé guests glance down at the most recent victim, Mr. Green (Michael McKean) updates the count to "Six murders." Wadsworth's grave response? "This is getting serious." And Wadsworth's explanation of "who killed whom where and with what" at the end of the picture is packed with the impersonations, facial expressions, and things not-quite-British that rank Tim Curry among the funniest Britons ever to defect to Hollywood.

Madeline Kahn, too, liberally sprinkles commentaries, both vocal and facial, into any and all situations, the sheer spontaneity of which make one wonder whether or not they're actually in the script. The line in the show which had me laughing the hardest, anyway, was not really a line at all, but rather a high-pitched, yodeling scream from Mrs. White. (You'll know it when you hear it.) And her operatic descant over the guests' chorus of "For She's a Jolly Good Fellow" had me rolling in the aisle.

Another facet of the movie, disguised by the humor, but every bit as important to one's enjoyment of the film, is the maze of leads, lies, and leaps of logic which ultimately culminates in not one, but three possible answers as to "Whodunnit." And here's the amazing part: each of the three endings (I checked) stands up to close scrutiny of the clues provided earlier in the film. From the time Wadsworth verifies Yvette's mysterious "instructions" until the last pull of the trigger, each minute detail is essential to the plot. A word of warning to the dedicated popcorn-munching detective: the guests at this dinner party are all experts at using comedy to distract. While you're busy laughing at Miss Scarlet in the ballroom, a desperate dinner guest wielding a monkey wrench is hurrying through the secret passage to the study, trying to silence that unfortunate motorist before he says too much....

The film isn't perfect-the physical humor becomes strained at times, and there are a very few lines whose comedic and textual value I question. Still, the film bears enough good comedy and old-fashioned mystery, garnished with a sound track that adds just the right spice to the flavor of both humor and suspense, to earn a "five-star comedy" rating from me.

This is one of my favorite films of all time. It's loaded with outragous, silly slapstick humor and the entire cast is superb! You'll be amazed at how many of the lines and gags get stuck in your head. I'll never be able to forget the flusterd looks of Mrs. Peacock, the wit and charm of Wadsworth or the subtle facial expressions of Mrs. White. Thankfully I'll be able to see all this and more as Clue is finally presented in anamorphic widescreen! The picture is the best yet of this film since it's initial release, but there are moments when the image appears too soft and the entire presentation leans to the dark side (no Star Wars pun intended). The darkness though, does help to heighten the mystery/suspense aspect of Clue. From a purists point of view it's good that the soundtrack is kept in it's original mono, still I'd greatly enjoy hearing a stero or, even better, a surround sound version in the future. Unfortunately there are only 13 chapter stopsincluded on the DVD. Any film requires at least double this amount to be really effective.

Without a doubt the best feature of this DVD is the multiple endings feature. After you select "play" you will be asked if you would lilke the player to randomly choose one of the three endings for you, or see all three of them at the end. Whoever thought of this feature deserves a raise as it greatly enhances the longevity of the disc and brings the film closer to it's board game roots. Now you have the option of really not knowing who did it until the final scenes play bringing suprise into the untold repeat viewings that are sure to occur.

The technical imperfections mentioned before are slight and I believe are primarilly due to original production decisions and the films age. To make a long review short (too late), this is a must own for any fan of one of the numerous stars, comedy or film firsts. You won't be disappointed.

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Almost everybody has played the game Clue. We all have heard of Mr.Green, Professor Plum, Miss Scarlett, Col.Mustard, Mrs.White, and Mrs.Peacock. Now we actually get to see the game on screen.

The story to Clue is a great mystery. Six individuals Mr.Green(McKean), Mrs.Peacock(Brannen),Col.Mustard(Mull),Mrs.White(Kahn), Miss Scarlet(Warren), and Pro. Plum(Lloyd) have all received invitations to a mysterious house. They all have been invited to dinner and have no idea while they are there. When they reach the house they discover that the master is not there, but his butler Wadsworth(Curry) and Maid Yvette(Camp) are the only poeple there. The guests are informed that they are there by the invitation of Mr.Boddy. Mr.Boddy is blackmailing them all and thats the only thing in common the six people have. Then people start dying in the home and now it's up to the whole group to see who is doing it and to see if they can get out alive.

This really was a great cast. It had a bunch of big stars from that day. All have pretty good performances in there roles as the character from the game.

Tim Curry gives the best performance of the movie. Curry is a very talented actor. He's been quite underrated in Hollywood. He really takes the role as Wadsworth the Butler and runs with it. He is such a weasal and nobody plays a character like Curry can.

The other actors in the movie really do give good performances in the movie.

The movie is quite funny and has a bunch of slapstick in it. Mull as Col.Mustard is the funniest out of the six characters because he sets himself up to be made fun of so well. The dialogue is also quite funny and when the characters start ranting it gets quite good. John Landis(Blues Brother, Animal House) wrote the story with Johnathan Lynn writing the screenplay. They've combined for a fantastic written movie.

It's a great mystery and the three different endings are fun. You get all three of them on the DVD and all are enjoyable though some are better than others. You really are kept quite clueless as to who has killed who and that again is credited to the writing skills of Landis and Lynn.

Thi is a funny movie. If you like to play Clue the game then you will definetly enjoy this movie. If you like slapstick comedies you will definetly enjoy the movie as well. This is a funny movie that can be watched by the whole family. So go get Clue and be prepared to laugh and have a good time.

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Of all the `80s comedies to apparently generate some kind of cult following, you wouldn't have imagined Paramount's holiday `85 offering "Clue: The Movie" to be one of them yet this box-office disappointment arrives on Blu-Ray this month, in a solid presentation from Paramount that suffers from the same primary issue as its DVD predecessor.

Originally a John Landis vehicle (he's still listed as an executive producer and receives co-story credit), director Jonathan Lynn's "Clue" is a fast-paced, wacky whoduneit with all the principal characters from the famous Parker Brothers board game assembled for a night of murder and mystery. The cast tries their hardest to make the frantic shenanigans of Lynn's script come to life (Tim Curry is terrific as the Butler, while Martin Mull and Michael McKean provide some laughs as iconic characters from the game), but the problem with the movie is that it often tries too hard to be funny leaving you exhausted by the time the outcome is revealed.

"Clue" was shot with three different endings (A, B, and C) and was originally released that way to theaters, with multiplexes advertising the specific version of the movie they were showing. On its initial video releases, all three endings were clumsily assembled to create a disjointed finale that didn't really work too well.

For the Blu-Ray much like the DVD Paramount has taken the three endings and presented them in a frustrating manner: you can either choose to watch the movie with all three finales (as it was released on video), OR you can choose to watch the film with a random ending selected from all three conclusions. Good idea, right? Well, not if you've seen the movie once, played one random ending, and then viewed the same finale again the next time out! A better idea would've had the viewer select which ending they'd like to see, but alas, once again that didn't happen.

One area, at least, where the Blu-Ray improves upon its predecessor outside of its generally pleasing, AVC encoded transfer which hasn't been doused with DNR is that all of the different endings (including the home video "trilogy" compilation) are available to view separate from the film in the supplemental section, along with the theatrical trailer (in HD). The DTS MA mono audio is fine for what it is (I haven't looked it up but you'd imagine this was one of the last big studio releases to be released in mono), with John Morris' score working as hard as the ensemble cast.

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OK...I've seen this movie like a million times so I feel that I can offer a fair review:

Clue is probably one of the funniest movies I've ever seen in my life. And yes, it has some plot holes and other problems, but who cares? It offers safe, intelligent fun; quick pacing, and all around murdurous laughs. The cast is perfect chemistry (Curry as butler Wadsworth is satisfying enough alone"there was a rumble of thunder and a crah of lightening") and the ensemble is great: Warren as Miss Scarlet is perfect in the role because of her laid back reactions and fun head-bobbing ("I enjoy getting presents from strange men...") ; Brennan plays the perfect neortic Mrs. Peacock ("and oh my, this soup is delicious, isn't it?"); Kahn shines as the black widow, Mrs. White ("is that chair for you, Mr. Wadsworth?", McKean plays the perfect quasi-homosexual ("we have to find out which one of YOU did it..."), Lloyd masters the uptight Prof. Plum ("What's the phone number?") and Mull personifies Col. Mustard ("I can't take anymore scares!")

This movie is quick-witted, well acted and well-paced. The physical comedy wears a bit thin at times, but is compensated by the actors abilty keep the attention of the viewer. Just as a good mystery should, the movie hides details so that watching it just once won't ruin it for the rest of the time. Pay attention to the clues in the rooms (such as the picture in the dining room, and the picture in the pile that gets thrown into the fire in the Study)and details in the dialouge, not so much to figure out the murder, but to grasp a full knowledge of the era, each characters background (such as the connection between Scarlet and the maid) and hidden tidbits of fun.

Keeping true to the format of the boardgame, there are such lines as "We have to find out who did it and where and with what", the placement of the rooms (although the movie adds 3 more floors to the housethe basement, the upstairs and the attic; and the secret passages (we know these cant really exist because of the house's floor plan, but who cares, they're essential to the movie. Watch for goofs, such as the order of the women changes when they enter the study to find mr. boddy missing, and the diappearing/reaapearing pot on the stove in the kitchen.

Iwas dissapointed, however, when the DVD came out and there were no deleated scenes included. There has to be, the choppy editing in the last 10 minutes of the 3rd ending suggests that it was edited for time, plus the trailor includes scenes that are definatly not in the released version of the movie.

Enjoy!

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The Town (2010)

Ben Affleck returns to his old stomping grounds--the working class neighborhoods of Boston--for his second directorial effort "The Town." A solidly constructed crime thriller, "The Town" is at its most successful when it's exploring the specific dynamics of the area in question. Affleck has a sense of the place, the language and rhythm of its inhabitants, that lend an authenticity to the film that elevate it beyond typical genre fare.

That's why he has achieved success working in an area and with characters identifiable to his own upbringing. His previous Boston efforts include "Good Will Hunting" (a screenplay Oscar for Affleck) and "Gone Baby Gone" (Affleck's acclaimed first feature as a director). "Gone Baby Gone," in many ways a standard detective plot, was a huge revelation for being surprisingly hard edged and cynical (it helps to be adapted from a Dennis Lehane book with similar qualities)--and it is that cynicism that made it one of my favorite films of its year.

Now adapting Chuck Hogan's "Prince of Thieves," Affleck casts himself as the stoic lead Doug MacRay. Raised in the Charlestown area, MacRay has been unable to break away from the legacy of his youth, his father, and local crime bosses. He runs a successful crew in robbing banks and armored cars. On a job gone wrong, a bank manager (Rebecca Hall) is temporarily taken hostage. When MacRay's best friend on the job (Jeremy Renner) becomes concerned she might know something to identify them--Affleck sets off to observe her as she lives uncomfortably close to the crew. But getting a little too cozy, he starts to idealize her as an opportunity to escape the life he now feels trapped in. One more big score and maybe he can get a fresh start.

Affleck plays the role with a tight lipped intensity and calm. It's left to the dynamic Renner to provide the menace and unpredictability within this tale. Turning on a dime, Renner is terrific here (as he almost always is--even in lesser films). Small roles by Chris Cooper, Blake Lively, and Pete Postlethwaite help illuminate how MacRay, while basically a decent guy, went wrong. Jon Hamm adepts himself well as MacRay's FBI foil. The cast is uniformly excellent, the action sequences are well choreographed, and the grittiness feels real and alive. However, the romance between Affleck and Hall (so inherent to the plot) is actually the least successful element of the film. The biggest lapse of logic comes after Affeck has identified that he's being tailed by the FBI. Instead of laying low--both for her sake and to appear uninvolved--Affleck continues to date Hall openly, even lunching in a sidewalk cafe. And when she learns the truth, I'm not sure her character has been developed sufficiently to make her choices appear logical.

In the scope of the picture, however, these are small gripes. "The Town" is most assuredly a successful and rich thriller for adult audiences. Affleck displays range and restraint as a director--and if that's not enough, there's a terrific cast working at the top of their game! Check it out! KGHarris 9/10.

I went into this movie knowing absolutely about it, there was little advance hoopla that I can recall, that usually accompanies a major motion picture.

The idea of mask wearing, semi automatic toting nuns at once seems invigorating and slightly surreal, but the viciousness, and sloppy impulse control of one of the robbers played brilliantly by Jeremy Renner (of Hurt Locker) immediately brings us crashing into the reality of what's happening.

These hardened ruthless criminals hide behind a funny mask, and will eliminate anyone who gets in their way. So they kidnap the attractive female bank manager played adorably by Rebecca Hall for leverage, and let her go.

Upon checking her drivers license, and discovering she lives in their neighborhood, the psycho wants her eliminated to cover their tracks. Ben Affleck's character takes the card and decides to investigate her, and discover what she knows. One thing leads to another, and the lives of everyone involved starts to move in ever decreasing circles as the FBI investigation starts closing in.

The story is brilliantly told, and the theater audience responded to the irony of the conversations between the criminal and his unknowing victim.

Ben Affleck's character seems a little at odds with his criminal life, and you wonder why he is a bank robber, nevertheless he has a well developed dark side, and is very resourceful, resourceful enough to be the the architect.

But you also get the sense that here is a guy could go straight if he chose to, and that dilemma of wonder is what makes this movie so great. He makes the good choice of distancing himself from an addicted ex girlfriend, yet makes bad choices as well. But in order to get to that place of going straight he is forced to make criminal but understandable choices, some of which may surprise you.

You can tell that this is somewhat of a passion project. The movie is set in Boston as was Goodwill Hunting for which he won the Oscar for Best screenplay with Matt Damon. Here Affleck shows he is perhaps the under admired element of that partnership as he wears not only a mask but the multiple hats of Director, Actor, and Writer, and as the architect of this movie pulls all those elements together.

The Town is one of those movies that just works on every level, without falling into the trap of just another formula caper movie. In some ways the mask wearing robbers reminded me of the the Presidential mask wearing robbers of Point Break (Pure Adrenaline Edition)starring Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves.

As I think back on the best movies of the last several months I think of the over the top antics in Machete, the intellectual stimulation of Inception, and now the mystery and dilemmas of The Town. The Town manages to convey some Indie style while not following the typical Hollywood formula.

It would be remiss not to mention the brilliant ensemble cast, Jon Hamm of Mad Men as the FBI agent, and Jeremy Renner. Particularly though I found Rebecca Hall to be an amazing and beautiful talent. According to the imdb star meter her popularity has risen 570% in the past week. She also starred as Vicky in the Woody Allen movie Vicky Christina Barcelona, and I predict her star will continue to rise.

If you like this movie I think you will also love Point Break [Blu-ray]The Bank Job, and The Lookout, a personal favorite.

And at the end of the movie the audience applauded. I hope this was helpful. This is definitely one to catch in the theater. I think you will love it.

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I've wanted to see The Town ever since I saw the first previews of it. First, the story seemed quite intriguing: what happens if a man falls in love with the woman he anonymously took hostage while robbing a bank? Another thing that made me want to see this film is that, unlike many crime dramas, this one seemed to escape the artificially polished Hollywood-ish feel. I had to see it.

...And I was correct on all counts! The Town, which was co-written, directed, and features by Ben Affleck, was every bit of what I thought it would be. The directing was very "real" feeling (especially capturing the working-class feel of Charlestown, MA very well). The script was quite good, not once seeming over-the-top or under-developed. The cast and acting was very good.

But I reserve a separate paragraph for talking about the plot and its execution. This film is somewhere between a crime thriller, a character study, and a romance. It has enough teeth to excite those who like car chases and heists but enough depth of emotion to satisfy those who want strong characters and plot lines. The story revolves around Doug McRay, who robs banks with his friends from Charlestown. On one heist (the movie opener), they deviate from the plan and take a hostage. After letting her go (she never saw them), Doug decides to follow her and talk with her. They end up starting a relationship. The questions: how can Doug keep this secret, and how can he get out of his life of crime?

The plot's execution was very well done: fast enough, slow enough. By the end, you have really identified with Doug McRay and may end up feeling as conflicted as he.

For its great story line, believable direction, and its originality, I give The Town 5 stars and recommend it highly to you.

Read Best Reviews of The Town (2010) Here

I always like to give credit where credit is due. And while Ben Affleck has been in a string of box office dissapointments after winning an Oscar for Good Will Hunting, he certainly hit his mark with "The Town". For being a first time director, screen writer as well as acting in this film, I think Affleck has hit his mark again in film and I only hope that he continues on his winning streak.

The Town opens with a quote.I'm summarizing of course, but as quoted, "No town has produced as many bank robbers as Charlestown. Robbing banks and armoured trucks became a trade passed down from father to son, from one generation to the next."If that didn't grab your interest, the film opens up with a bank robbery. A quick hit (in&out)a Townie crew leaves with the money and this time a hostage.

Doug McCray is the head of this crew,followed by his life long friend Jem who is a little more itchy on the trigger. Jem is paranoid that the the bank manager they took along for "a ride" saw more than she thinks" and he "wants to take care of business".Doug steps in to look into it instead to cool Jem's heals and put his crew at rest.

The flip side of this is the crew paying its dues to Fergi, or "The Flourist" who has a tight grip on this Charelstown crew.Well aware that the FBI is on them, in time Doug grows weary of doing any more jobs,and at the same time developes a relationship with the bank manager Clair. Possibly against his better judgent, but I think he sees her as a means to change, and to put knocking over banks and armoured cars behind him. Clair, as he sees it, is "his Eskimo."

Quiting is not as easy as it seems. Not only will Jem let him leave without doing a few more jobs, but The Flourist won't either.Not without Doug paying dearly for it in the end be it his own life, or someone very close to him.Two more jobs down the line, one nearly getting them pinched and the last...robbing Fenway Park, the biggest heist of all.

The Town is a well rounded film.It is a "heist" film on one side, but on the flip side of the coin you have layers of character and conflict.It has some great action with adrenaline pumping car chases and shoot outs. It also has a good dramma side to it.The on screen chemistry between Doug and Clair is realistic and heart felt.You realy want him to "make right" as well as the others to pull through at the end.Well acted by a great cast and well directed and adapted to the screen by Affleck, it leaves only one to pause, "I just wanted you to remember who clipped your nuts first."

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I honestly wasn't a Ben Affleck fan before this film. Now, I totally am. This is an amazing action film. Very well performed. From start to finish, this one should have you at the edge of your seat, waiting for the next thing to happen. I really thought the nun masks were creepy looking.

Ben Affleck seems to be in the shape of his life. He is such a strong character in this film. Convincingly capable of being a gentle character and the hard liner.

If you're an action fan, this is a must see. You will not be dissappointed. A+

Time to Kill & The Pelican Brief (2013)

This two disc set from Warner Brothers includes a couple of box office smash-hits, each based on a novel by writer John Grisham and featuring an incredible cast. These are the same blu-ray discs that are available for sale individually. Here they are securely packaged in a two-hubbed case, and offered at a discounted price. Each film offers a stunning blu-ray transfer, and includes its original theatrical trailer as an "extra" feature.

"The Pelican Brief" (1993) stars Julia Roberts as a law student whose research pertaining to the motive behind the assassination of two Supreme Court justices gets her in big, big trouble with some very powerful and very mercenary white collar villains. Denzel Washington plays the newspaper reporter she enlists to assist her in exposing the cover-up, and the film brilliantly shifts back and forth between their growing friendship, and the mounting danger that surrounds their investigation. Adapted and directed by Alan J. Pakula, the film co-stars Sam Shepherd, John Heard, Tony Goldwyn, James B. Sikking, William Atherton, Hume Cronyn and John Lithgow, all of whom turn in effective performances. Stanley Tucci is a standout as an assassin with many disguises, and Robert Culp makes the most of his scenes as bland and compromised POTUS who soon finds out he is not untouchable. Look fast for Cynthia Nixon (Miranda on "Sex and the City") as Roberts' "plain Jane" college friend.

"A Time to Kill" (1996) made a star out of Matthew McConaughey, here playing a struggling young lawyer in the South who is called on to defend a poor black man who has shot in cold blood the two trashy white men who raped and tortured his 10 year old daughter. Samuel L. Jackson is brilliant as the defendant, and Sandra Bullock turns in a strong supporting performance as the sexy, confident, and sometimes flippant, young law student who convinces McConaughey to let her join the defense team. Kevin Spacey gives a deliciously smarmy performance as the lead prosecutor, and Donald Sutherland shines as McConaughey's former mentor, a dissipated, alcoholic former lawyer. Kiefer Sutherland, Oliver Platt, Charles S. Dutton, Ashley Judd, Brenda Fricker, and Patrick McGoohan also contribute excellent work. Joel Schumacher directs.

Both films are taut, well-crafted, slick and enjoyable legal thrillers that hold up well after repeated viewings. Each has star power to spare. This is a highly recommended double feature.

(Trivia note: Anthony Heald, who played the pompous administrator that Anthony Hopkins decided to have for dinner at the end of "The Silence of the Lambs", has a smaller but comparable role in each of these two films. What a great character actor!)

I love Sandra Bullock and these two movies in one box was awsome. I ordered the DVD as soon as i saw it. Good price for a double feature. Both movies are great.

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Becoming Jane (2007)

The only portrait I ever saw of Jane Austen appears on countless spines of the Modern Library edition of "Pride and Prejudice." Drawn by her sister Cassandra, Jane looks, well, like one would expect the witty Miss Austen to look: poised, civilized, reflective and intelligent. With some imagination and forgiveness with regard to the talent of the artist, she could even be conceived as pretty with her large dark eyes and ringlet fringe peeking out from the typical gentlewoman's cap of that time period. How ingenious for Hollywood to cast the sumptuous Anne Hathaway with her silky brown hair, curvaceous figure, deer-in-the-headlights eyes and perfect lips as the young burgeoning author? Let's face it---no one wants to be a plain Jane and plain she is not--she's pretty much got it all: not only is she innocently stunning, she's independent, wants to work, exhibits impeccable manners, loves her family, acts upon noble ideals all of which along with her cricket skills results in attracting and snaring the deliciously boyish James McAvoy ( Last King of Scotland) as supposed ill-fated lover, Tom Lefroy.

As a film, all of this romanticism works wonderfully. The verdant countryside shimmers in the sunshine. The period clothing---all empire waists, beribboned hair, top hats and velvet frockcoats----sway and rustle delightfully as the couples dance and speak in clever well-mannered innuendo as expectant matchmaking parents play chaperone and contemplate lucrative alliances that will set their children up for life. The dialogue sufficiently reflects that Austenian repartee which the educated audience delights in as it makes them feel they are on an even keel with one of the greatest satirists in the English language. The notion of Austin's relationship with Lefroy as presented first in Jon Spence's biography from which the film gets its name, suggests that many of Austin's dream partnerships as presented in her novels were based on actual, personal and emotional incidents that although painful, gave her characters so much flesh and blood poignancy, we still discuss them today.

Whether or not any of this is actually true matters naught. The film seduces with the same charming intensity of McAvoy's blue-eyed stare as he quite openly undresses Hathaway in his mind. Is Lefroy the basis for Mr. Darcy? This is difficult to say, but I wouldn't mind bumping into this film's Tom Lefroy while I was taking my daily constitutional. Of course, I'd have to go back in time to become a few years younger---or perhaps not as flirty cousin Eliza de Feuillide certainly does have her way with Jane's rakish brother, Henry Austen (Joe Anderson)---oh, what money can buy!

With that in mind, leave the historical authenticity to the Austen scholars and enjoy the film for its performances and its visual delights. Secondary players congregate to form a veritable Austen menagerie of characters that for the most part plays a bit too conveniently to reflect reality. But take it all in fun ---the film leads one to believe that Austen needed little imagination to conceptualize her personalities; rather they were all there under her nose, just waiting to be captured on paper. Nevertheless, Maggie Smith as the formidable Lady Gresham never fails to elicit a chuckle as does her fictional counterpart Lady Catherine de Bourgh from "Pride and Prejudice." Julie Walters and James Cromwell as Jane's parents seem the perfect Mr. and Mrs Bennett clones while Laurence Fox, as Mr. Wisley (Mr. Collins again from "Pride and Prejudice") interjects just the right 21st century computer geek persona to the mix to act the perfect foil for the more glamorous but definitely shallower Tom Lefroy character.

Bottom line: After countless Masterpiece Theatre adaptations of all six of Jane Austen's novels as well as a herd of popular films set to popular music (Bride and Prejudice was one Bollywood version) it is not surprising that the author herself has come into scrutiny in this charming albeit fictionalized biopic. If you are not tired of yet another Darcy/Bennett rendition, you will most likely find "Becoming Jane" two hours worth of Jane Austen's world lovingly preserved. Recommended.

Diana Faillace Von Behren

"reneofc"

The DVD for this movie will be coming out Feb 12, 2008 and will feature deleted scenes, commentary with director Julian Jarrold, writer Kevin Hood and producer Robert Bernstein, becoming Jane Pop-Up Facts & Footnotes(ok, this is enough to make me want to buy it)and a Discovering the Real Jane Austen featurette

The actors were wonderful in this movie and it was well staged. The movie is supposed to be based on a few months of Jane's life when she was 20. H Some scenes were added to make her life more dramatic. There isn't very many facts known about Jane so any biographical movie about her will contain fiction, but I think what most people criticized about this film is it borrows too much from Pride & Prejudice.

The facts about Jane are she was a witty and lively person. We know this from her letters and her writings. She was sort of a tomboy when she was young and played baseball and cricket. She had a handsome and adventurous brother named Henry who helped publish two of her novels after her death. He did marry their cousin. Tom Lefroy was a person she knew and she did flirt with him when she was 20. Many years later he said he did love Jane but it was a "boyish love". His first daughter was named Jane. When she was 27 she was proposed to by a weathly but awkward man named Harry Bigg-Whithers, who she at first accepted but changed her mind the next day.

For people with children, there is some brief nudity (male backsides), some women that appear to be prostitutes, fist fighting and some suggestive language.

Other people have criticized this movie because they see it as another way to cash in on Jane Austen's popularity. I feel that the film does try to shed a little light on her real personality.

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My new all-time favorite movie. Some people may not like it because "it's not 100% true to Jane Austen's life"... Can you say that with 100% certainty though? No. Even if you can, just enjoy the movie for what it is, a beautiful love story! James McAvoy is so convincing as Mr. LeFroy, you can't help but fall in love with him! I already have the Region 2 UK DVD (because I simply couldn't wait forever for the movie to come out on DVD in the US), but it only plays on my laptop, so I intend on buying this DVD when it's released. :) It's worth it!

Read Best Reviews of Becoming Jane (2007) Here

Becoming Jane is the fictionalized account of Jane Austen's (a luminous Anne Hathaway) early years and supposed romance with Thomas Langlois Lefroy (James McAvoy, The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition), Rory O'Shea Was Here). The screenplay was based on real events from the book Becoming Jane Austen by Jon Spence, who also served as historical consultant to the film.

Jane is the younger daughter of Reverend Austen, and the family is in dire financial straits. Jane's older sister Cassandra has just been engaged, and Jane's family desperately wants to find a husband for her due to the family's financial circumstances. However, Jane is headstrong and turns down numerous offers, including Mr. Wisely, the nephew of the demanding Lady Gresham (Maggie Smith). When young Irish lawyer-in-training Thomas Lefroy is sent to Hampshire from London due to his "unseeming" conduct, Thomas and Jane begin a flirtatious battle of wit even as Jane struggles to escape the attentions of Wisely. Her first impression is one of Lefroy's arrogance. Throughout this period, Jane continues to work on novels, including Pride and Prejudice (Lefroy was the inspiration for Mr. Darcy).

Jane's sister Cassandra suffers a terrible blow, and Jane herself must reassess her chances at future happiness due to the fact that a woman being able to support herself based on writing was virtually unheard-of at the time. Her mother gives her a heartbreaking lecture on marriage that displays how fragile the relationship between marrying for affection (desirable) and marrying for financial solvency (indispensable). Her brother Henry is actively courting a widowed cousin who was married to a French count executed during the French Revolution. Another brother, George, is a deaf-mute (historical records show that Jane mentioned that the two talked using sign language), although he plays a very small role in the story, and I had to research him online since there is no explanation of who he is.

My impression of the film was one of disjointedness. One fact that bothered me was the inclusion of a none-too-necessary nude scene featuring Lefroy and Henry stripping down after a cricket game and jumping into the river. Also, several of the subplots could have benefitted from trimming (like the blink-and-you'll-miss-it inclusion of George). The casting was generally quite strong, but I found that McAvoy's Irish accent (which was convincing in Inside I'm Dancing) was fairly eclipsed by a nondescript British one. Many Austenites found fault with the casting of Hathaway, and more specifically, her now you hear it, now you don't English accent. However, her luminous beauty was set off wonderfully by the period costumes, and she lives and breathes the constricting customs of Jane's era with a poised, confident grace. Yes, the accent does falter from time to time, but not enough to be a constant distraction. Maggie Smith is wonderful as the frigid interfering aunt who feels that Jane's family is below her, James Cromwell brought a weathered dignity to his role as Jane's father, and Ian Richardson (who recently passed away) is utterly captivating as the sour uncle on whom Thomas's large family depends.

Special mention goes to the cinematography, filmed on location in Ireland, the period costumes by Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh, and the lush period soundtrack (Becoming Jane) by Adrian Johnston. The DVD contains several deleted scenes, a featurette on Discovering the Real Jane Austen, and pop-up facts and footnotes. Final verdict: although the film is wonderful to look at, it is ultimately a depressing look at Jane's first romantic attraction and of her subsequent fate in life. If you're looking for a feel-good Jane Austen movie, you're better off renting Ang Lee's Sense & Sensibility (Special Edition).

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"Becoming Jane" is an unexpected cinematic treasure, and one which deserves attention not only from Jane Austen fans, but from a wider audience as well. Much to my amazement, this film is remarkably true to Jane Austen's spirit, portraying her as a thoughtful, willful, almost modern, woman. I wasn't expecting a tour de force performance from Anne Hathaway, but she's absolutely perfect as Jane Austen, having successfully immersed herself in this role; perhaps her finest bit of film acting to date. James McAvoy has garnered some well-earned critical acclaim for his fine performances in "The Last King of Scotland" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe". His portrayal of the young Irish barrister Tom Lefroy, who befriends Jane, is also right on the mark, that's a very compelling portrayal of someone who could have been Jane's intellectual and romantic soul mate for a brief time in the late 1790s. While Hathaway's and McAvoy's performances are the best reasons to see "Becoming Jane", there's also excellent acting from the rest of the cast, most notably James Cromwell's Reverend Austen, Jane's father. If you're at all curious wondering why Jane Austen's fiction has endured, then "Becoming Jane" might offer some tantalizing cinematic answers.

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