R.S. Murthi Reviews His Favorite DVD/Video Releases
Last Update: April 15, 2001
BEN-HUR
(US, 1959, DVD, Part One: 39 Chapters, Part Two: 30 Chapters)
Directed by William Wyler
Starring Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet, Hugh Griffith
Running time: 212 minutes
GIA
THE TIC CODE
THE RED VIOLIN
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
BULWORTH
DARK CITY
THE THIN RED LINE
BLADE
STEPMOM
THUNDERHEART
THE TRUMAN SHOW
James Woods is the kind of intense actor who may occasionally appear over-the-top but often turns in memorable, power-packed performances. And he's in fiery form here, playing a lawyer who seeks spiritual redemption by defending a Korean-American serving time for murder in this compelling court drama.
Once a radical idealist and fiery champion of civil rights issues, Eddie Dodd (Woods) has gone to seed, fleeing his inner demons by smoking dope and defending drug dealers and other low-lifes.
But his admiring assistant Roger Baron (Robert Downey Jr) tries to help Eddie regain his moral focus by persuading him to take on the case of young immigrant Shu Kai Kim (Yuji Okomoto) who says he's been convicted of a crime he didn't commit.
Eddie is cynical and distrusting at first, but as he digs deeper into the case with Roger's help, he soon realizes that Shu Kai Kim could be telling the truth.
However, his efforts to reopen the case are undermined by politically ambitious district attorney Robert Reynard (Kurtwood Smith) who's hell-bent on keeping the case wrapped up.
There're plenty of interesting plot turns and twists, and you really have to be a widely-read whodunnit nut to guess the surprise ending.
Besides Woods' remarkable characterization (as always, he get some great one-liners in), there's Downey's effectively subdued performance and director Joseph Ruben's (Dreamscape, Sleeping With The Enemy) brilliant handle on suspense to keep you enthralled from start to end.
A Western that plays like an extended Twilight Zone episode, Purgatory is an absorbing fantasy about an isolated town in the Old West, called Refuge, and its unusual residents.
Outlaw Blackjack Britton (Eric Roberts) and his men have just robbed a bank and are being pursued by a posse of lawmen and bounty-hunters.
After an exhausting journey, they end up in the town of Refuge where they receive a warm welcome from Sheriff Forrest (Sam Shepard) and other residents who also offer free food and lodging.
In return, the sheriff asks only one favor: that they shouldn't swear while they're in town.
But Blackjack and his cohorts think the whole place is a joke, especially since nobody in town seems to be carrying guns except them. They also find this peaceful paradise too boring and decide to have some fun.
That's when things turn rough and the outlaws are spooked into the realization that they've seen everything the wrong way.
Telling anything more than that will spoil your enjoyment of the film as much of its effect depends on the thrill of gradual discovery.
The cast is in splendid form and while there's really nothing believable about the story, much can be made of its moral message.
A flawed but often compelling cinematic adaptation of Jay McInerney's bestselling novel about a young aspiring writer's descent into self-destructive hell after the death of his mother and desertion by his wife.
Jamie Conway (Michael J. Fox) is a research assistant at a major New York literary magazine who seems to have a weakness for drugs and alcohol.
But when his work begins to suffer as a result of his excesses, it becomes clear that Jamie is being dragged down by personal demons. He has a hard time coming to terms with the death of his mother (Dianne Wiest) from cancer a year earlier. He also can't face the fact that his wife Amanda (Phoebe Cates), an aspiring model, has left him for good.
When his fastidious boss Clara (Frances Sternhagen) gives him his walking papers, Jamie goes on a wild buzz-chasing binge, helped along by drinking buddy Tad (Kiefer Sutherland) who happens to be his wife's cousin.
Will he find the salvation he desperately wants to avoid or will he end up being gobbled up by his demons?
There's enough dramatic tension to keep you watching right up to the end, though anyone who has read McInerney's book will know that there's more in the story than is depicted in the film, even though he also wrote the screenplay.
Fox does a pretty good job in a role that's quite a departure from the feelgood ones he's best remembered for. And the fake glamour of New York's glitter set and the city's mercilessness are effectively conveyed in many a scene.
Jason Robards makes a notable uncredited appearance as a drunken fiction writer who gives Jamie some hard advice about hacking it in the literary world.
BULLITT
BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID
THE DOCTOR
(US, 1991, VHS)
( These reviews were first published in the New Straits Times )
* Real Swell
YOU may have been awed by the epic sweep and special effects of last year's 'Gladiator' but despite its technical brilliance, the Oscar-nominated Ridley Scott film hardly matches the conceptual scale of this unforgettable classic.
And now that it's been visually and sonically enhanced for DVD (wonderful widescreen anamorphic transfer with enveloping Dolby Digital 5.1 audio), the sheer grandeur of the action and intensity of the drama here make for a truly absorbing cinematic experience.
That's not all. There's commentary by Charlton Heston, a documentary titled 'Ben-Hur: The Making Of An Epic', cast screen test footage, additional music and an on-the-set photo gallery. Which makes this a DVD every serious film buff should have in his/her collection.
If you've still into VCDs, just toss out your old machine, get a DVD player (a decent one can be had for under RM1,000 now) and order up a copy of this (it's going now for US$18.74 at
Amazon.com). You'd be astonished at the revealing improvement in quality.
As for the story, it is set during the time of Jesus Christ and centres on Jew Judah Ben-Hur (Heston) who makes an enemy of his Roman childhood chum Messala (Stephen Boyd) when he refuses to help the latter capture a group of dissidents for the Emperor.
Messala then plots Ben-Hur's downfall by having him framed for attempted murder and throwing his mother (Martha Scott) and sister (Cathy O'Donnell) in prison.
Condemned to the Roman galleys, Ben-Hur saves the life of commander Quintus Arrius (Jack Hawkins) during a sea battle. The grateful leader then adopts Ben-Hur as his son and puts him in charge of his stable of horses.
But all the while Ben-Hur thoughts turn are of his family and of avenging his betrayal. He finally gets his chance in a major chariot race where he is challenged by Messala in a drive to the death.
That chariot race, one of the most spectacular and exciting action sequences ever filmed, will have you on your seat's edge no matter how many times you watch it.
And although he wasn't the first choice for the title role (it was first offered to Paul Newman and then Rock Hudson), Charlton Heston gives a bravura performance that won him a Best Actor Academy Award.
(US, 1998, DVD, 15 Chapters)
Directed by Michael Cristofer
Starring Angelina Jolie, Elizabeth Mitchell, Faye Dunaway, Mercedes Ruehl, Kylie Travis
Running time: 120 minutes
This compelling biograpical drama, based on the life of supermodel Gia Carangi, is so relentlessly intense at times that you'd find yourself unsettled by the stunningly realistic scenes.
And Angelina Jolie's powerful characterization of the doomed and emotionally conflicted Gia is gripping from start to finish.
Spotted in her hometown in Philadelphia, the brash and self-confident Gia soon finds herself in New York, impressing top agents like Wilhelmina Cooper (Faye Dunaway) with her wild beauty and irrepressible personality.
With a dizzying schedule of photo shoots, she soon realises that fashion is not all glam and glory. But she becomes on the most sought-after faces after making the covers of Vogue and Cosmopolitan.
While her career takes off in a big way, Gia's personal life turns out to be a mess. When her affair with photographer's assistant Linda (Elizabeth Mitchell) goes through a difficult phase, she desperately turns to drugs.
And as her craving for more and more potent mood-altering substances increases, the habitual pill-swallower soon becomes a self-destructive needle-shooting junkie.
Things get worse when Gia's attempts to reconcile with her self-centered mother fail, and although her "heroin chic" look still gets her jobs, her worsening habit soon leads to ostracism by the fashion community.
Then, just when she seems to have cleaned up her act and is eager to re-launch her career, Gia finds out that she has contracted AIDS from using an infected needle.
It's a harrowing cautionary tale that doesn't sensationalize its subject matter, thanks to an intelligent script by director Michael Cristofer and author Jay McInerney.
The DVD, which offers first-rate print and audio, includes a photo gallery and other standard features.
(US, 1998, DVD)
Directed by Gary Winick
Starring Gregory Hines, Polly Draper, Christopher Marquette
Running time: 90 minutes
Touching but unsentimental story of a jazz-loving 10-year-old afflicted with Tourette's Syndrome (a disorder that causes physical and facial tics) who struggles to find his place in life.
Miles (Christopher Marquette) shows a lot of promise as a jazz pianist, and he gets much encouragement from his single mother Laura (Polly Draper). He makes friends with the bartenders at a jazz club who allow him to sit at the piano just before opening time.
One day, he meets saxophonist Tyrone Pike (Gregory Hines), who invites him up on stage to jam with him. But their first session together doesn't get anywhere when a nervous Miles gets a serious tic attack.
As Tyrone and Miles get to know each other better, they realise that both of them have something in common -- Tyrone also has Tourette's Syndrome, though he has managed to hide it with a series of mannerisms.
The relationship between the musicians gets complicated when Tyrone and Laura begin dating. Laura, eager to know more about her son's affliction, tries to get Tyrone to share some personal insights into the condition. However, she doesn't realize that he has been coping with it over the years through wilful denial, and her persistence soon drives him away.
It's a well-developed drama that may not have a big message but still reveals much about how people with physical and emotional disabilites strive for a state of normalcy.
Christopher Marquette's performance is remarkably realistic, and his range of emotional expression in many of the scenes will fill you with admiration.
Hines and Draper offer persuasive support though this is clearly Marquette's movie.
The DVD offers audio/video quality that's more than acceptable but the lack of bonus material makes this a better deal rented than bought.
(Canada/Italy, 1998, DVD, 19 Chapters)
Directed by Francois Girard
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Don McKellar, Carlo Cecchi, Irene Grazioli, Jean-Luc Bideau, Christoph Koncz, Jason Flemyng, Greta Scacchi, Sylvia Chang, Liu Zi Feng, Colm Feore, Monique Mercure
Running time: 132 minutes
This is the kind of film you should watch on DVD to enjoy the format's astounding superiority over LD, VCD and VHS. The colors are breathtakingly vivid and the sound is stunningly clear and full-bodied.
Actually, there's not much of a human story here, but musical instrument collectors will be fascinated by the account of how a violin lovingly built by a master luthier dramatically affects the lives of its various possessors through the ages.
The film flashes back and forth between a present-day auction, where the famous "Red Violin", made in 1681 by Italian violin-builder Nicolo Bussotti (Carlo Cecchi), is up for sale, and a series of events revolving round it over a 300-year period.
Conceived to embody the soul of Bussotti's wife, who dies at childbirth, and painted with blood, the violin with the haunting tone is looked after by 18th-century Austrian monks who encourage a talented orphan to play it.
Then it passes into the hands of British composer/violinist Frederick Pope (Jason Flemyng) who scales the heights of inspiration with it, though the instrument also plays a part in ending his relationship with novelist Victoria Byrd (Greta Scacchi).
Spirited away to Shanghai by Pope's servant, the Red Violin survives the Cultural Revolution, eventually ending up at a Montreal auction.
Authenticator Charles Morritz (Samuel L. Jackson) is the first person to identify the violin, but his obsessive fascination with it leads to an act of deception.
Shot on location in various countries, the film has some visually compelling scenes though the various tales are somewhat bitty and the characters, rather undeveloped.
John Corigliano's moody score is brilliantly performed by violinist Joshua Bell and the Philharmornia Orchestra.
The extras on the DVD -- 'Soundtrack Presentation', production notes -- aren't all that exciting but the great sound and picture makes up for that.
(US, 1998, DVD, 20 Chapters)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Cast: Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Jeremy Davies, Vin Diesel, Adam Goldberg, Barry Pepper, Giovanni Ribisi, Matt Damon, Dennis Farina, Ted Danson
Running time: 169 minutes
Steven Spielberg's stunningly realistic depiction of war will probably leave you somewhat shocked and depressed, but its unglorified examination of the horrors of the Second World War has much to be admired and will give you plenty to reflect on.
The first 24 minutes feature relentless action that will never leave you unaffected, with the focus falling on Capt John Miller (Tom Hanks) who leads a company of American soldiers in a landing craft on D-Day, June 6, 1944. As they approach Omaha Beach, they're greeted by a barrage of German artillery fire. It's a bloody slaugther whose nauseating effect is brilliantly captured on hand-held cameras in desaturated color -- you can actually see blood spattering on the lenses during some scenes -- and with an Oscar-winning sound mix that keeps startling you out of your seat.
Miraculously, Miller and his men manage to disable the enemy and take the upper hand. And when he swiftly gets his next assignment -- basically an army PR mission to locate Pvt James Ryan (Matt Damon), whose three brothers have been killed in combat, and give him a ticket home -- Miller accepts the task as a matter of course.
With a squeamish translator, Cpl. Upham (Jeremy Davis), and an experienced squad comprising Sgt. Horvath (Tom Sizemore), privates Mellish (Adam Goldberg), Wade (Giovanni Ribisi), Reiben (Edward Burns), Caparzo (Vin Diesel) and Jackson (Barry Pepper), a sharpshooter who quotes from the Bible while taking aim, Miller enters hostile territory in search of Pvt. Ryan.
It's a mission fraught with danger and Miller's men have a hard time coming to terms with the skewed logic of putting their lives on the line to save one ordinary soldier. After a false call and various skirmishes, they eventually find their man. But they have a major battle on their hands before then can get him out.
Hanks, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role, is as persuasive as ever in the somewhat stereotyped role of a battle-hardened squad leader, but it's the tight ensemble performance of the main cast that really adds to the power of the human interaction in the film.
This is really the kind of collectible classic you should have on DVD -- even worth the exorbitant price it's being sold at here -- as through C-Reality, a process that offers top-grade resolution, you get to enjoy Janusz Kaminski's Oscar-winning cinematography in all its evocative glory.
The non-DTS Special Limited Edition includes a discussion by Spielberg (he won the Best Director Oscar) on D-Day and the National D-Day Museum. There's also a behind-the-scenes featurette which includes some actual D-Day footage and a segment where the cast, crew and WWII historian Stephen Ambrose talk about the contributions to the film.
(US, 1998, DVD, 20 Chapters)
Directed by Warren Beatty
Starring Warren Beatty, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Oliver Platt, Paul Sorvin
Running time: 107 minutes
While it seems like an absurdist fantasy at times, this satire on political deceit is often entertaining and funny, thanks to a fine if slightly over-the-top performance by Warren Beatty.
Jay Bulworth (Beatty) is a US senator with a big problem: he just can't deal with the lies and the scheming that are a part and parcel of his job. So he flips out and plans his own assassination during a weekend trip home to California.
Things are not helped by the fact that he is running for re-election, but when he makes scheduled speeches that mock the hypocrisy of politicians and reveal some unpleasant truths about money politics and corruption in high places, Bulworth discovers a new purpose in his calling that gives him to impetus to push on.
Around this time, Bulworth also becomes immersed in hip-hop culture through his attraction for a young street-wise African-American Nina (Halle Berry). Soon, he's making speeches in rap about racism, poverty and other social ills that politicians often skirt, putting his flummoxed speech-writer Dennis Murphy (Oliver Platt) in a terrible tizzy and alienating prospective campaign donors.
But the senator's novel, blunt and refreshingly musical approach also makes him popular with the masses, much to the annoyance of his detractors. And as he becomes more attached to Nina, he makes a desperate attempt to cancel the contract on his life.
It's a film that may seem weird at first but actually gets more intriguing as the plot thickens. Beatty does a great job attacking the corrupt nature of contemporary American politics while at the same poking at his own establishment image.
Berry, who seems to be every director's favorite flavour these days, is not so convincing, though hers is basically an underwritten role.
The DVD does not offer any extras apart from the theatrical trailer and a cast index, but it still comes with a first-rate print.
(US, 1998, DVD, 16 Chapters)
Directed by Alex Proyas
Starring Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Frank Bumstead, Richard O'Brien, Ian Richardson
Running time: 96 minutes
A sometimes absorbing but generally entertaining futuristic thriller about a colony of sun-fearing aliens trying to master the secrets of the human soul.
If you can't appreciate movie plots that stretch credulity to preposterous extremes, you won't find the film all that enjoyable. But it'll be hard not to be impressed by the atmosphere-rich production design and the slick special effects.
John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) wakes up in a strange hotel and realizes that the police are after him for a series of murders he has no memory of. He also doesn't remember that he has a wife -- Emma (Jennifer Connelly) who's dealing with problems in their marriage.
As he runs from the law, he also becomes aware of strange telekinetic powers within him, especially in his encounters with a vicious breed of bald-headed beings who're also hunting him down.
When Murdoch finds out that a demented genius, Dr Daniel Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland), is the key to getting his memory back, he forces him to help seek the source of his memory-loss and regain his love for Emma.
The characters are straight comicbook types so there's really not much you can expect from the actors, though Sewell, Sutherland, Connelly and William Hurt as a sympathetic detective do a decent job.
But the imaginative sets in many of the scenes, realized with seamless technical artistry, are often brilliantly conceived. And on DVD, the sound and picture quality are truly state of the art.
Bonus features include audio commentaries by the production team, an isolated music track, a photo gallery of stills and set design sketches, and an interactive game.
(US, 1998, DVD, 31 Chapters)
Directed by Terrence Malick
Cast: Sean Penn, James Caviezel, Ben Chaplin, Elias Koteas, Nick Nolte, Adrien Brody, Jared Leto, Dash Mihok
Running time: 170 minutes
More a meditation on the horrors of war and a character-driven drama than a World War II action film, Terrence Malick's moody and somewhat meandering 'The Thin Red Line' is no easy watch.
The movie, based on James Jones' 1962 autobiographical novel about the World War II battle at Guadalcanal which was first adapted for cinema by Andrew Marton in 1964, shifts uneasily between philosophical reverie and action footage. And at almost three hours long, it's plodding and wearying in parts.
But there's a striking visual poetry about many of the scenes as the story of Charlie Company, a US army unit deployed on the Pacific island of Guadalcanal to take on Japanese soldiers, unfolds. And while the jumps between mind-trip and bloody action can be confounding at first, you learn to appreciate the innovative and highly effective approach to the subject matter more on a second viewing.
As seen through the eyes of Private Witt (James Caviezel), Private Bell (Ben Chaplin) and Capt. James "Bugger" Staros (Elias Koteas), the war is a nightmare that awakens cherished memories and feelings of guilt and remorse. Their scenes bring a sense of spiritualism to the proceedings, while those that focus on the ambitious, battle-hardened Lt. Col. Gordon Tall (Nick Nolte) and the tough First Sgt. Edward Welsh (Sean Penn) underscore the reckless courage of true fighting men.
It's a contrast that's beautifully achieved even if some of the visual symbolism is more stylish than substantial.
Besides the uniformly compelling performances by the actors mentioned above, there're some great turns by Woody Harrelson as the heroic Sgt Keck and John Cusack as the opportunistic Capt John Gaff.
Less effective, and often somewhat miscast, are the other big names -- John Travolta as Brig. Gen. Quintard (he struts a bit too cockily to make his part anything more than a parody) and George Clooney as Capt. Charles Bosche.
It's a shame that the DVD, stunningly spectacular in its widescreen anamorphic format with crisp Dolby Digital sound, doesn't include anything more than a standard menu. But the eight-page booklet on the director and actors and the 'Melanesian Songs' are interesting.
(US, 1998, DVD, 38 Chapters)
Directed by Steve Norrington
Starring Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson, N'Bushe Wright
Running time: 120 minutes
Another Marvel Comics character is brought to life brilliantly on the big screen in this well-structured adaptation. It's a briskly paced, hi-tech action thriller that has Wesley Snipes as a tainted hero battling the forces of evil to save the world.
Blade (a 1973 creation by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Gene Colan) is a vampire hunter who's half-vampire himself, though he uses an antidote to suppress that side of his nature.
Out to avenge the death of his mother, Blade relentlessly seeks out the blood-suckers, turning every encounter into a blood bath, as he does when he crashes into a vampire nightclub and takes out a whole tribe.
One of the vampire corpses ends up in hospital but when curious skin specialist Karen Jenson (N'Bushe Wright) takes a closer look, she gets bitten.
Blade takes her to his hideaway and gets his mentor Abraham Whister (Kris Kristofferson) to make sure she doesn't turn into a vampire. Then, when evil Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff), a young and brainy vampire upstart, finds a way of tapping into an ancient vampire book to unlock world-conquering secrets, Blade prepares for the ultimate challenge.
It's a very stylish production with lots of smooth high-intensity action that's reminiscent of the balletic fighting scenes in John Woo's and other recent Hong Kong martial arts films, though without the effect-exploiting slo-mo stylization.
Snipes does a pretty good job, and although none of the characters has depth, there's plenty to please action fans here.
Th DVD is full of specials, including commentaries by Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff and others involved in the production, four featurettes -- 'La Magra', which has the original ending, and 'Designing Blade', 'The Origins Of Blade' and 'The Blood Tide' -- and an isolated music score with commentary by composer Mark Isham.
(US, 1998, DVD, 28 Chapters)
Directed by Chris Columbus
Starring Julia Roberts, Susan Sarandon, Ed Harris, Jena Malone, Liam Aiken
Running time: 125 minutes
A tearjerker in the mould of Terms of Endearment and Kramer vs. Kramer that examines the theme of divorce and the devastating effects it can have on children. And thankfully, it doesn't overwhelm you with sentimentalism.
Former book editor Jackie (Susan Sarandon) does her best to care for her two kids at her New York ranch during weekdays, and reluctantly sends them over to ex-husband Luke (Ed Harris) during weekends.
Luke is living with fashion photographer Isabel (Julia Roberts), a woman half his age whom the kids resent for being an intrusive presence in their lives.
Then, just after Jackie finds out that she has cancer, Luke tells her that he and Isabel are getting married. The thought of dying and losing her kids to their stepmom, for whom she has no high regard, proves agonising to Jackie at first.
But she soon starts rationalising and facing the realities of the situation. Realising that Isabel will step into her shoes whether she likes it or not, Jackie becomes noble-minded.
Director Chris Columbus, who explored a similar theme in Mrs. Doubtfire though with a lighter touch, keeps the pacing brisk and lively.
And though Roberts does some pretty neat work here, she's outclassed by Sarandon who's stunningly effective as a woman about lose both her life and her kids.
The DVD's special features include theatrical thrillers, a "making of" short and bios and filmographies.
(US, 1992, DVD, 28 Chapters)
Directed by Michael Apted
Starring Val Kilmer, Graham Greene, Sam Shepard, Sheila Tousey, John Trudell, Fred Ward
Running time: 119 minutes
Don't expect easy pleasures here. This is not the typical Hollywood whitewash of a controversial incident.
What you get is a provocative and sometimes disturbing re-enactment of a series of events at the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota in 1975 pitting Native Indians against their own kind.
Val Kilmer plays cocky FBI agent Ray Levoi, assigned to investigate a murder on the Oglala Sioux reservation, mainly because he is part Sioux.
Levoi has a problem accepting his Indian heritage and he shows little sensitivity to the local Indian coummunity at first in his search for clues.
But as he digs deeper into the case and discovers what may be a conspiracy involving senior FBI agent Frank Coutelle (Sam Shepard) and a bunch of trigger-happy vigilante white residents led by Jack Milton (Fred Ward), Levoi's sympathies start shifting.
He also discovers that there's more Sioux spirit in him than he had ever imagined, and with help from sly local lawman Walter Crow Horse (Graham Greene) and village elder Grandpa Sam Reaches (Chief Ted Thin Elk), he starts looking at things from a more enlightened perspective.
Much of the film was shot on the actual reservation where the events took place and there's no silly romanticism in the way the lives of the Indians are treated. Indeed, the gritty tone of the film, and its sometimes relentless realism, may put off viewers with a weak stomach.
But that's what makes this movie such a powerful statement of truth. It's also helped by first-rate performances from Kilmer, Greene and Shepard. There's also a cameo by singer-songwriter David Crosby as a bartender.
The film was co-produced by Robert De Niro and before beginning work on it, director Michael Apted made a documentary about the whole thing called Incident At Oglala.
Unfortunately, it's not included in the DVD which features nothing more than subtitles and a theatrical trailer.
(US, 1998, DVD, 24 Chapters)
Directed by Peter Weir
Starring Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Ed Harris, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone
Running time: 102 minutes
This unusual comedy-drama, that skewers the pervasive influence of television, may has its little lapses of plotting. But it's wonderfully sustained by Jim Carrey's bravura performance as Truman Burbank.
Truman's whole life is a 24-hour TV series and the film plays like a documentary detailing every aspect of his life with hidden cameras for a global audience.
An insurance executive living an idyllic existence on the paradisical island of Seahaven with wife Meryl (Laura Linney), Truman, now 30, isn't aware that he's the star of a billion-dollar TV show, one who has been ceaselessly filmed from the time he was a baby.
And since the entire show, which has grown into a major cash-generating franchise, will collapse if Truman discovers that he's living in a make-believe world or leaves it, he's often reminded of the dangers outside his picture-perfect environment.
But Truman soon suspects that things are not as they seem. He decides to make his escape, even though he has to overcome his fear of water to achieve that.
That's when the show's director Christof (Ed Harris), who has been taking charge of the production from a space station, uses his bag of tricks to prevent Truman's escape by sea.
The message of the film is simple: contemporary society is imprisoned by a culture of media and consumerism that threatens to strip away every shred of individualism. And it's effectively conveyed by the excellent cast and through Peter Weir's superby paced direction.
The DVD doesn't have that many extras -- there's a teaser trailer in addition to the theatrical trailer -- but the quality of the sound and picture is impeccable.
TRUE BELIEVER
(US, 1989, VHS)
Directed by Joseph Ruben
Starring James Woods, Robert Downey Jr, Yuji Okumoto
Running time: 103 minutes
PURGATORY
(US, 1999, VHS)
Directed by Ulrich Edel
Starring Sam Shepard, Eric Roberts, Randy Quaid, Donnie Wahlberg
Running time: 94 minutes
BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY
(US, 1988, VHS)
Directed by James Bridges
Starring Michael J. Fox, Kiefer Sutherland, Phoebe Cates, Swoosie Kurtz, Frances Sternhagen, Tracy Pollan
Running time: 110 minutes
(US, 1968, DVD, 22 Chapters)
Directed by Peter Yates
Starring Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, Robert Duvall
Running time: 114 minutes
Arguably one of Steve McQueen's finest films, Bullitt is a gritty, absorbingly realistic crime thriller that not only features one of the most exciting car chases ever filmed but also has some evocative scenes of San Francisco in the late '60s.
Detective Frank Bullitt, a respected lieutenant on the San Francisco Police Department, is handpicked by ruthlessly ambitious politician Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn) to guard a mob witness from Chicago whose testimony at a scheduled hearing could bring down the Frisco crime underworld.
But when the witness ends up dead in a daring pro-style attack that also leaves one of Bullitt's men severely wounded, the tough-nosed cop goes on the trail of the duo responsible for the hit.
Unfazed by the mounting pressure from Chalmers -- McQueen's character is expressionlessly cool and polite most of the time -- who thinks the witness is still alive, Bullitt pursues all possible leads to the motive for the attack and discovers that there's a lot more to the case than he had bargained for.
That incredible car chase through the hilly streets of the Windy City is galvanising, even if it's a bit crudely filmed. McQueen, who raced stock cars and motorbikes as a hobby, actually did his own stunts in a Mustang GT, reaching speeds of up to 115mph (about 180kph).
Also exciting is the airport chase scene at the end which has some compellingly realistic stunts.
The only moments the film lags is during McQueen's romantic scenes with Jacqueline Bisset which are a bit too contrived.
Lalo Schifrin's brassy jazz score captures the mood of the era wonderfully besides adding punch to the action scenes. And Peter Yates' low-key direction establishes him as master of slow-building suspense.
Special features on the widescreen anamorphic DVD include 'On Location' and 'Bullitt: Steve McQueen's Commitment To Reality'.
(US, 1969, Special Edition DVD)
Directed by George Roy Hill
Starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross
Running time: 110 minutes
This widescreen anamorphic Special Edition DVD is the ultimate collectable for those who regard George Roy Hill's revisionist Western as a classic.
It features a 45-minute making-of documentary, interviews with Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross, William Goldman and Burt Bacharach, a DVD-ROM interactive history of Butch and Sundance, production notes, commentaries by the filmmakers and theatrical trailers.
Tinged with sardonic humour, the film chronicles the story of the famous outlaws whose train-robbing exploits soon inspire the formation of a relentless posse.
Running from the law, Butch (Newman) and Sundance (Redford) take refuge at the farm of Sundance's schoolteacher girlfriend Etta (Katharine Ross) -- that's the setting for the perfunctory but entertaining bicycle ride scene featuring the Bacharach tune Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.
On the run again with Etta in tow, the wild boys settle down in Bolivia but their luck finally runs out there.
The film has its weak spots, especially the scenes where things get a bit too jokey, but it's still more than just a fun outlaw adventure.
There are few Western character studies that come close to matching it for wit and intelligence, and the screenplay is first-rate. Newman and Redford toss some great lines at each other and generally make for highly believable partners in freewheeling crime.
Directed by Randa Haines
Starring William Hurt, Christine Lahti, Elizabeth Perkins, Manndy Patinkin, Adam Arkin
Running time: 125 minutes
A compelling role-reversal drama that documents the doubts and fears of a cocky surgeon who, after being diagnosed with throat cancer, finds himself a patient mistreated by the very system he supports.
Jack McKee (William Hurt) is proud of his work but hardly makes an effort to connect emotionally with his patients. He also seems distant in his relationship with his wife Anne (Christine Lahti) and son Nicky (Charlie Korsmo).
Coughing up blood one morning, Jack goes in for a check-up and is told that there is a malignant tumor in his throat for which he needs regular treatment.
But he soon realises that as a atient, he has to go through all the indignities normal sick people experience as a matter of routine -- long waits to see the doctor, filling in countless forms, being given the run-around etc.
He starts seeing how cold and unfeeling medical professionals can be, and falls into a deep funk when he finds out that he could be dying.
It's only with help from terminal cancer patient June (Elizabeth Perkins), whose positive outlook on life soon infects him, that Jack learns the importance of optimism and fighting back.
Eating humble pie, he asks ENT specialist Eli (Alan Arkin), whom he had previously ridiculed for being emotionally attached to his patients, to operate on his throat.
And when he recovers, he uses the new insight he has gained from his traumatic experience to not only make the doctor-patient relationship more meaningful but also to reassert his love for his wife and son.
The film conveys its message with great effect and the fact that it's based on the real-life memoir of a surgeon (A Taste of My Own Medicine by Edward Rosenbaum) only makes it more credible.
The cast does an excellent job, especially Hurt who shines in his demanding portrayal. Also commendable are Lahti, Arkin and Mandy Patinkin as a surgeon facing a malpractice suit. Those last three actually went on to play doctors more regularly in the acclaimed TV series, Chicago Hope.
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