| April "New" DVD Roundup |
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| Written by Kevin Filipski | |
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Page 4 of 4  Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium (Fox)Zach Helm’s attempt at making a fantasy film in the vein of Willy Wonka only partly succeeds. Mr. Magorium’s toy store is as magical as Willy’s chocolate factory, but the movie would be more fun if Dustin Hoffman didn’t trot out his usual annoying mannerisms, which fail to make this eccentric old man endearing. Natalie Portman is perfect as Magorium’s pixie-ish counterpart, and Zach Mills is the rare child actor who’s not hopelessly obnoxious. At least the frolicsome visuals should keep kids occupied. EXTRAS: Blooper reel; making-of featurettes; director commentary.  Othello (Kultur)Filmed at the historic Globe Theatre in London, this 2007 production of Shakespeare’s tragedy was presented as plays were in Shakespeare’s era, with much of the audience standing in front of the stage as at a general-admission rock concert. There is fine acting by Eamonn Walker as the jealous Moor, Tim McInninery as the instigator Iago, and Zoë Tapper as the tender-hearted Desdemona. EXTRAS: Interview with the director.  Reservation Road (Universal)Terry George specializes in didactic but emotional dramas about tragic events unfolding in the lives of ordinary people, including Some Mother’s Son and Hotel Rwanda. In Reservation Road, the director gets powerful performances from Joaquin Phoenix as a dad whose young son is killed by a hit-and-run driver; and Mark Ruffalo as the decent man whose decision to leave the accident scene will haunt him forever. The final showdown is contrived, but for the most part, George and his actors -- including a shattering Jennifer Connelly as Phoenix’s grief-stricken wife -- make this a worthwhile journey. EXTRAS: Deleted scenes; making-of featurette.  There Will Be Blood (Paramount)Daniel Day-Lewis won an Academy Award for his scenery-chewing portrayal of a successful oilman who’s less good as father to a boy he raised after the real dad was killed in an accident. The actor astonishingly develops his character right before our eyes, but the relentlessness of his technique can be tiresome. Still, this is Paul Thomas Anderson’s most interesting film by far, with Robert Elswit’s stunning, Oscar-winning cinematography transforming Anderson’s often-cliched compositions into something beautiful. The main drawback is Jonny Greenwood’s score, which steals from composers like Penderecki and Bartok. EXTRAS: Behind-the-scenes featurettes; vintage government newsreel.  Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (Sony)Another dopey comedy from the Judd Apatow “anything goes” school of movies, Walk Hard is a gallop through 50 years of popular music with a fictional pop star who reinvents himself through the decades. John C. Reilly is extremely funny in the title role, getting laughs even as the jokes wear thin and never overdoing the underplaying. The DVD’s extended cut is a nearly unbearable two hours in length, with the repeated jokes repeated even more; stick with the original 95-minute cut, which is more than enough of Mr. Cox. EXTRAS: Full-length song sequences; deleted and extended scenes; commentary by O’Reilly, Apatow and Kasdan; making-of documentary. |
