ANOTHER EARTH (2011). In one of those cinematic chicken-or-the-egg conundrums, viewers are left to wonder what came first to the folks who wrote Another Earth: a storyline that led to a Twilight Zone-ish ending, or a Twilight Zone-ish ending that led to the story preceding it? After all, the film's final shot is such a fanciful gotcha moment that it's easy to believe writer-director Mike Cahill and writer-star Brit Marling conceived it before anything else and then figured it was brilliant enough to overshadow any shortcomings. Hardly. Another Earth begins with the discovery of another planet in our solar system that's just like ours. Here on our Earth, however, promising MIT student Rhoda Williams (Marling) has just been released from a jail stint for having killed innocent people — a small boy and his pregnant mother — in a drunk-driving incident. Rhoda goes to the home of the survivor, composer John Burroughs (William Mapother), to apologize, but she loses her nerve and, without revealing her identity, instead becomes his housecleaner and, eventually, lover. The movie's small-scale story about redemption is meant to dovetail with its larger one involving the newly discovered planet, but it's an uncomfortable fit, with the more fascinating aspects of the tale taking a back seat to the rote patterns of its rocky romance. As for that ending, it raises some obvious questions that are presumably answered on that other Earth, but watching it on this Earth doesn't make it any more satisfying.
Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes; discussions with Cahill, Marling and Mapother; and the music video for Fall On Your Sword's "The First Time I Saw Jupiter."
Movie: **
THE ART OF GETTING BY (2011). An appealing small fry in Finding Neverland (when he was 12) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (13), Freddie Highmore now turns up in his first significant role in years at the age of 19. To quote Fred Willard in A Mighty Wind, "Hey, wha' happened?" Of course, it would be cruel and unfair to call for a career moratorium based on one performance, but the thing that surprised me the most about this picture is that Highmore has morphed from a promising child actor into a generic, boring teen. Then again, that might simply be because he's surrounded by a generic, boring movie and has elected to camouflage himself, Rango-like, by blending into his surroundings. This shares much in common with last year's inert It's Kind of a Funny Story, right down to a co-starring role for Emma Roberts and a plotline that focuses on a self-centered twit whose problems don't amount to a hill of beans in Casablanca, Cleveland, or this film's NYC setting. Highmore's George Zinavoy refuses to do any homework and frequently skips school, all because he realizes that one day he'll die and why waste time on meaningless activities? George is committed to remaining aloof — at least until he gets to know his classmate Sally (Roberts) and starts to secretly hope that their friendship will turn into something more meaningful. The domestic sequences involving George's mom (Rita Wilson) and stepdad (Sam Robards) are even more dull than the school-set ones, though it's the many scenes focusing exclusively on the young couple that feel especially trite and shopworn. And with Highmore and Roberts both so colorless in their respective roles, it comes down to a classic case of the bland leading the bland.
Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Gavin Wiesen; a making-of featurette; an interview with Highmore; and the theatrical trailer.
Movie: *1/2
BARNEY MILLER: THE COMPLETE SERIES (1975-1982). Coming on the heels of the truly great TV shows of the early 1970s — enduring classics like All in the Family and The Mary Tyler Moore Show — but arriving well before the sitcom template fostered (and continues to foster) mostly inane achievements, Barney Miller at times feels like it's trapped in the no-man's land in between: Unique characters and situations clash with conventional ones, and some great comic set pieces and lines of dialogue bump uneasily against instantly stale ones. Still, there are admittedly many who consider this series one of television's best, meaning Shout! Factory's impressive new box set would make a fantastic (if pricey) Christmas gift for those devotees. Long hailed by actual policemen as one of the shows that best captures the real atmosphere surrounding cops — lots of tedious paperwork and rancid coffee rather than exciting car chases and perilous shootouts — the series centers on the members of Greenwich Village's 12th Precinct, fronted by Captain Barney Miller (Hal Linden). A handful of characters came and went during the program's eight-year run, the most memorable being the wheezing, deadpan Detective Fish (Abe Vigoda) and the slow-speaking but sharp-witted Detective Yemana (Jack Soo, who tragically died of cancer in 1979, during the fifth season). A perennial Emmy bridesmaid (only three wins out of 32 nominations), this finally won for Outstanding Comedy Series during its final season.
The DVD includes all 168 episodes of the show, as well as the rarely seen 1974 pilot The Life and Times of Barney Miller (with Linden and Vigoda surrounded by co-stars who were jettisoned before the series' regular run began) and Season One of the short-lived spin-off Fish. Extras include new interviews with the stars and writer/producer interviews and commentaries. The set also comes with a 40-page booklet that contains an episode guide as well as an essay by Pulitzer Prize-winning TV critic Howard Rosenberg.
Series: ***
CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS (2011) / TABLOID (2011). A new documentary from either Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man) or Errol Morris (The Fog of War) is always exciting news, but a new documentary from each of them, with both films making their home debuts within weeks of each other? It sounds like a Double Feature night to me.
Start with Cave of Forgotten Dreams, which finds Herzog (who has yet another nonfiction film, Into the Abyss, currently in limited release) taking viewers into France's Chauvet Cave, which houses cavern-wall art that dates back over 30,000 years. I wasn't able to see this theatrically — a shame, since the 3-D was reportedly superb and enhanced the viewing experience immeasurably. At home in 2-D, it's a worthy watch that doesn't quite reach transcendent heights: The imagery remains lovely, humbling and awe-inspiring, but the speculations by Herzog and some of the scientists are frequently ponderous and chip away at the mystery and magnitude of the subject.
After witnessing the gentle grace of Cave of Forgotten Dreams, ramp up the night with Tabloid, which finds Morris centering on another intriguing character to add to a docu-gallery that already includes former US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, cosmologist Stephen Hawking and Holocaust denier Fred "Mr. Death" Leuchter Jr. The focus here is Joyce McKinney, a former Miss Wyoming who, back in the 1970s, fell in love with a young Mormon named Kirk Anderson. After he leaves her for the church, she's convinced that he's been brainwashed, journeys to his new station in London, kidnaps him, and proceeds to have nonstop sex with him. Differing versions are offered (was Anderson a willing houseguest or held against his will?), and McKinney soon becomes a cause célèbre and UK tabloid queen. The ensuing events grow ever wilder, and we're left with an unpredictable story about a woman who may be crazy but isn't stupid, and who in the end is no worse that those who preyed on her sordid saga.
The Blu-ray of Cave of Forgotten Dreams includes both the 2-D and 3-D versions of the film; extras include Ode to the Dawn of Man, a short film by Herzog; and the theatrical trailer. There are no extras on the Tabloid DVD except for the theatrical trailer.
Cave of Forgotten Dreams: ***
Tabloid: ***1/2
CITY OF GOD (2003). A South American GoodFellas, City of God is a dazzling achievement that marked Fernando Meirelles as a world-class filmmaker (he would subsequently helm 2005's best film, The Constant Gardener, before stumbling somewhat with 2008's Blindness). Based on actual events, this Brazilian import takes a hard look at a Rio de Janeiro slum and dissects the lifestyle of the youthful thugs who rule with a bloody fist. Make no mistake: As depicted here, the "City of God" (the name given to the area) is nothing less than a war zone, with blood flowing as swiftly and steadily as water over Niagara Falls. Our clean-cut protagonist in this urban epic is Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues), whose desire to become a professional photographer might be just the thing to lift him out of the surrounding squalor. On the opposite end, there's Li'l Ze (Leandro Firmino da Hora), a rabid gang leader prone to killing anybody at any time — in modern cinema, he's almost up there with Ralph Fiennes' Nazi in Schindler's List and Javier Bardem's psychopath in No Country for Old Men as the ultimate word in unadulterated evil. Admittedly, it's tough to withstand 130 minutes of continuous nihilism, but Meirelles and his contributors are so completely in command of this material (the storytelling moves like mercury) that it's impossible not to get caught up in their descent into Hell on Earth. Initially bypassed in 2002 by the old fogies who traditionally vote for the Academy's Best Foreign Language Film nominees, the film was championed by Miramax head Harvey Weinstein for the 2003 race (when it actually opened stateside), a campaign that paid off when the picture unexpectedly landed four major nominations: Best Director, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography and Film Editing.
The Blu-ray includes the 1999 hour-long documentary News from a Personal War.
Movie: ***1/2
COWBOYS & ALIENS (2011). Cowboys & Aliens boasts a high-concept hook (and moniker) so obvious and promising that it's amazing this angle wasn't first tackled at least 30 years ago. Instead, this hybrid of two genres beloved by Old Hollywood (Westerns) and New Hollywood (science fiction) is based on a graphic novel that was released five years ago, and even at that, director Jon Favreau and his army of writers elected to toss out almost everything except the bare bones premise of, yes, cowboys and aliens mixing it up. The movie works best toward the beginning, before potential gives way to actual execution. In the rocky New Mexico Territory of 1875, Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) wakes up with no memory of his identity or what led him to this spot; all he knows is that there's an unusual metallic contraption wrapped around his left wrist. He stumbles into a nearby town, where he soon meets (among others) the powerful Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) and the mysterious Ella (Olivia Wilde) — and then the aliens show up to wreak havoc. Any movie teaming James Bond with Han Solo certainly sounds like a can't-miss, and the two stars ably fill their roles. But the picture rarely finds imaginative ways to merge its disparate trappings — this past spring's animated yarn Rango did a far superior job of placing fantastical characters in a Western setting — and it soon settles into a deadening, repetitive pattern of one protagonist about to be offed by an alien before being saved at the last millisecond by another of the heroes. By the time Jake and company are tangling with e.t.'s in cavernous surroundings (in scenes eerily similar to those in the more accomplished Super 8), it's apparent that the picture's authors have elected to merely plug in conventional story devices that would have worked just as well in movies named Cops & Barracudas or Doctors & Hornets or even Accountants & Amoebas.
The Blu-ray contains both the theatrical cut and an extended version. Extras include audio commentary by Favreau; five making-of featurettes; and conversations with Favreau.
Movie: **
THE DEBT (2011). An English-language remake of a 2007 Israeli film of the same name, The Debt is a compelling thriller that features a topnotch cast and able direction by Shakespeare in Love helmer John Madden. In 1966, Mossad agents Stephan (Marton Csokas), Rachel (Jessica Chastain) and David (Sam Worthington) are tasked with locating and bringing to justice Dieter Vogel (a chilling Jesper Christensen), a Nazi madman who, like Josef Mengele, conducted gruesome experiments on Jews during the war. Thirty years later, the Israeli agents (now played by, respectively, Tom Wilkinson, Helen Mirren and Ciaran Hinds) are still celebrated for their heroic achievements in East Berlin back in the day. But something is clearly troubling two members of the team, and as the film smoothly moves back and forth between eras, it becomes clear that there's more to the saga than what the world knows. For the first hour, The Debt delivers on its growing mystery and its punchy suspense, with Madden further wringing a real sense of stifling confinement as the young agents are forced to shack up in a grubby apartment with their bound captive. Once all questions have been addressed, the story's third-act shenanigans become increasingly fanciful and aren't as gripping as what preceded them, although they still bring the story to a reasonably acceptable conclusion. The entire cast is excellent — even the usually vanilla Worthington — although the MVP is clearly Chastain. Already the breakout female star of the year thanks to The Help, The Tree of Life and Take Shelter (Michael Fassbinder would nab the male honors), she's the vital center of this picture. Not just anybody can convincingly play the great Helen Mirren as a young woman, but Chastain pulls it off without breaking stride.
Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by Madden and producer Kris Thykier; a behind-the-scenes piece; and a look at Mirren's work on the film.
Movie: ***
FRIGHT NIGHT (2011). If you weren't around in 1985, the original Fright Night is worth a Netflix rental, thanks to its fleet-footed approach to the vampire genre and a lovely performance by Roddy McDowall as Peter Vincent, a late-night horror-show host who helps teenage hero Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) defeat the bloodsucker (Chris Sarandon) who lives next door. The new souped-up version isn't bad as far as these needless remakes go: It's for the most part well cast, contains some slyly wicked scenes that equal anything in the original, and expands some of the characters in interesting ways. It's a shame, then, that the movie botches its version of Peter Vincent, and even more unfortunate that the third act is a furious mishmash of unsatisfying plot developments and unexceptional confrontations. On the plus side, 22-year-old Anton Yelchin is believably conflicted as the teenage protagonist, Toni Collette nicely fleshes out her role as his mom (the part in the original was a nonentity), and Colin Farrell is aces as Jerry, the suave, sexy vampire who prefers tight T-shirts to billowy capes. Changing the setting to a Las Vegas suburb, where transient neighbors aren't as likely to be missed should Jerry elect to sup on one, is also an inspired move. Yet Peter Vincent, named in '85 as a tribute to horror legends Peter Cushing and Vincent Price, is no longer a poignant figure — a fading actor-host with nothing but memories — but has instead been reconfigured as a boozy Vegas magician (played by Doctor Who's David Tennant) who (insert eye roll here) sports a Batman-esque past that largely leads to the late-inning shenanigans. Given this character's British accent, flowing mane, boozy disposition and initial air of insouciance, it's a wonder they didn't bypass Tennant altogether and just send the limo to pluck Russell Brand off the Arthur set.
Blu-ray extras include five deleted and extended scenes; bloopers; a piece on the character Peter Vincent; a featurette called The Official 'How to Make a Funny Vampire Movie' Guide; and the uncensored music video for Kid Cudi's "No One Believes Me."
Movie: **1/2
THE HANGOVER PART II (2011). If you're one of those who consider The Hangover the greatest comedy ever made, then this review might prove to be entirely useless, as The Hangover Part II stands a wonderful chance of earning your vote as the second greatest comedy ever made. Then again, it's entirely possible you might recognize the sheer laziness that defines this cash-grabbing sequel. It displays an alarming lack of originality and drive, in essence merely copying the exact same gags, scenarios and, unbelievably, occasional camera shots from the original. It isn't as mean-spirited or misogynistic as its predecessor, and there are a couple more chuckles, but otherwise, the only way future generations will be able to tell the pair apart is that one's set in Las Vegas while the other takes place in Bangkok. In this outing, Stu (Ed Helms, again the MVP among this motley crew) heads to Thailand to get married and takes buddies Phil (Bradley Cooper), Doug (Justin Bartha) and, with much reluctance, Alan (the perennially annoying Zach Galifianakis, simply not my cup of comedic tea) with him. It's deja vu all over again, as Phil, Stu and Alan party late and wake up the next morning with no idea of what transpired the night before. Stu has a tattoo on his face, his future brother-in-law (Mason Lee) is missing, and a cigarette-smoking monkey is hanging out in their hotel room. The effeminate Mr. Chow (insufferable Ken Jeong) returns from the first picture, and there's a cameo appearance (no prize for guessing who) by a celebrity who pops up to mangle the Chess piece "One Night In Bangkok." Those yearning for some DVD or Blu-ray bawdiness at home would be well-advised to rent Bridesmaids instead, as any random scene in that picture is better than anything on display in The Hangover Part II. Besides, dropping dough on that alternative expenditure means there will be less chance that you'll hate yourself in the morning.
Blu-ray extras include a making-of feature; a look at the, ahem, "comedic vision" of director Todd Phillips; a piece on Crystal the Monkey; a tour of Bangkok with Mr. Chow; and a gag reel.
Movie: *1/2
THE HELP (2011). Every summer witnesses the release of a handful of counter-programming efforts, titles designed to satisfy audiences who don't particularly care for superhero sagas or alien adventures or gross-out gags. The Help filled that slot this year with a vengeance, grossing a sizable $169 million and positioning itself as a possible awards contender. Given its central plotline — in the racially divided Mississippi of the early 1960s, a white writer (Emma Stone's Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan) gives voice to the stories of her town's black maids — it would be easy to dismiss this adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's bestseller as yet another "liberal guilt" movie, the sort that's invariably told through the eyes of its Caucasian lead rather than those of its African-American characters. Yet while Skeeter certainly clocks a sizable amount of screen time, it's never in doubt that the true protagonists are Aibileen and Minny, two domestics brought to vivid life through the extraordinary performances by Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer. Many of the conflicts play out as expected, and Bryce Dallas Howard's racist housewife proves to be about as subtle as Cruella De Vil. But interesting subplots abound — I particularly liked the relationship between Minny and her insecure employer Celia Foote, played by Jessica Chastain (see The Debt, above) — and with its influx of emotionally wrenching scenes, The Help provides assistance to adults in search of some cinematic substance.
Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes; a making-of piece; the music video for Mary J. Blige's "The Living Proof"; and the featurette In Their Own Words: A Tribute to the Maids of Mississippi.
Movie: ***
MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS (2011). Aside from Tom Popper (Jim Carrey) mistakenly believing that "BFF" stands for Big Fat Friend, the only original element to be found anywhere in Mr. Popper's Penguins is the character of Pippi, Popper's personal assistant and a Brit prone to parleying with prose that begins with the letter "p." The London-born actress with the terrific name of Ophelia Lovibond essays this role, and she provides a lift to every scene in which she appears. Unfortunately, she doesn't appear nearly enough to save this ghastly family film. A bastardization of the award-winning children's book, this finds Carrey cast as a ruthless businessman with daddy issues, spousal issues, and neglected kids issues. Mr. Popper has always placed his job above all else, but that changes after he receives a parting gift from his deceased father: six penguins (given names like Loudy, Bitey and Stinky) that take over his apartment and his life. The penguins seen in the picture are a mix of actual animals and CGI creations, and here's a quick primer for those unable to tell the difference: The ones acting normal are the real birds while the ones pooping in Popper's face or leaning over to break wind are the fake ones. Watching the real penguins, your have to feel sorry for them — in this picture, they get less respect than Rodney Dangerfield. Still, they fare better than Carrey, who's simply required to react to the wacky penguin shenanigans. Small children might get restless during the sequences in which Popper tries to patch up his relationship with his ex-wife (wasted Carla Gugino), but they'll otherwise be kept entertained by the animal antics. Adults, on the other hand, might want to stay away — as Pippi would doubtless note, this movie is putrid, puerile and painful.
Blu-ray extras include deleted scenes; a gag reel; making-of featurettes; and the all-new animated short Nimrod & Stinky's Antarctic Adventure.
Movie: *
ONE DAY (2011). The title of the film One Day refers to July 15, though in truth, it refers to over two decades worth of that date. Beginning on July 15, 1988, when Brits Emma (Anne Hathaway) and Dexter (Jim Sturgess) graduate from college, attempt a one-night stand and then decide to remain lifelong friends instead, the picture checks in on the lives of the pair every July 15 through the present day. It's a high-concept gimmick that could go either way, and this one ends up parting straight down the middle. Emma starts out gawky, reclusive and toiling in obscurity, while Dexter is confident, charismatic and famous. The ensuing years impart the expected A Star Is Born career switcheroo, but the focus is mainly on the personal lives of these two best friends and whether they'll eventually decide if they should become romantically entwined or if they should even be buddies anymore (as Emma notes during one of Dexter's obnoxious phases, "I love you, Dext; I just don't like you anymore"). Considering director Lone Scherfig's previous film was 2009's excellent An Education — one of the best films of recent years — it's impossible to consider the frequently choppy One Day anything besides a disappointment. Still, that's not to say it's a total washout: The movie nicely captures the whiplash collision of youthful optimism with strenuous reality, and Hathaway and Sturgess are fine together and even better in their individual scenes. I would be even easier on the film if it wasn't for the last-act tragedy, a grotesque and clumsy development that's less a logical procession of the story and more a shameless stab at moviewatcher manipulation and pandering.
Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by Scherfig; deleted scenes; a piece on Hathaway and her character; and a featurette on the film's look.
Movie: **1/2
VELVET GOLDMINE (1998). Writer-director Todd Haynes (Far from Heaven) earned the Best Artistic Contribution prize at Cannes for Velvet Goldmine, which relates a fictional tale inspired by the life and times of David Bowie (with a generous side helping of Iggy Pop). Haynes immerses us in the Great Britain of the early 1970s, when glam rock was hot and alternative lifestyles were suddenly thrust into the mainstream. In a clever opening, the film establishes Oscar Wilde as the forefather of the glam rock movement before introducing us to the saga's '70s protagonists: effeminate rock star Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), raging rock star Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor, looking like Kurt Cobain) and timid teenager Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale), whose own burgeoning homosexuality is drawn out by his exposure to these flamboyant icons. Cramming his soundtrack with grandiose staples from the era and playfully using his crew's contributions (notably Sandy Powell's tasty costumes) to showcase the period's garishness without any trace of condescension, Haynes has made a movie in which the characters manage to celebrate both creativity and identity without ever really grasping their own self-worth or bothering to establish a heritage beyond their immediate circumstances. Velvet Goldmine is both rueful and stimulating, a giddy motion picture filled with sharp dialogue (someone states that Curt Wild was once subjected to "electric shock therapy to fry the fairy right out of him, but all it did was make him go bonkers whenever he heard an electric guitar") but also tarnished by a clumsy framing device set in 1984 (and clearly inspired by the more accomplished one in Citizen Kane). Powell earned an Oscar nomination for her excellent costume designs but lost the award to ... herself, for her work on Shakespeare in Love. Incidentally, REM's Michael Stipe served as one of the executive producers.
Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by Haynes and producer Christine Vachon; and the theatrical trailer.
Movie: ***