DVD Confidential: Matchpoint, Dog Whisperer, Barbie Diaries
DVD Confidential
DVD Confidential Monthly Newsletter
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Edition 10: May 27, 2006
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DVD Confidential
Finding The Best Movies On DVD
http://www.dvdconfidential.com
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"The man who said "I'd rather be lucky
than good" saw deeply into life. People
are often afraid to realize how much of
an impact luck plays. There are moments
in a tennis match where the ball hits
the top of the net, and for a split
second, remains in mid-air. With a little
luck, the ball goes over, and you win.
Or maybe it doesn't, and you lose."
- Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers)
in Match Point
Wow, the month of May has flown by.
Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and
the summer block bluster season is here.
Is it just us, or are the summer blockbuster
films especially weak this year?
However, we are hard at work seeking out
small indie films for you to see instead.
This summer we plan to offer several sneak
peek reviews from the Waterfront Film
Festival. This indie fest is a a great
little festival based out of Saugatuck,
Michigan.
In the meantime, we have some great picks
for you on DVD. Enjoy!
- Scott Standish Editor, DVD Confidential
http://www.dvdconfidential.com
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LATEST REVIEWS FROM DVD CONFIDENTIAL
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Match Point (2005)
Directed by Woody Allen
Starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers,
Alexander Armstrong, Scarlett
Johansson, Penelope Wilton,
Brian Cox, Matthew Goode
MPAA: R
Grade: A-
Review by Sebastian Francis Kennedy
For fans of Woody Allen, Match Point
will come as a bit of a surprise.
Serious, erotic and at times,
thrilling, Match Point is a wonderful
film. However, it has few of the trademark
Woody Allen comic elements and it has a
restrained visual style that works
extremely well.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays Chris, a
tennis pro that is drawn in to the inner
circle of a wealthy London family. He is
initially smitten by Chloe, and the affluent
lifestyle that she brings to the mix. However
he is also tragically in love with his brother
in-law's fiancee Nola, played wonderfully by
Scarlett Johannson. What appears to be a
simple love triangle unfolds into a much more
complicated story.
The way in which Match Point unfolds is
masterful. Slow and concise, the film plays
out like... well, a long, wonderful tennis
match. It is no wonder that Woody Allen was
nominated for an Oscar for the screenplay.
The true crime is that Match Point was
not nominated for Best Director, Best Film
and Best Actor for Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
Scarlett Johannson (Ghost World, Lost In
Translation) is also wonderful
and she shows serious range in the role of
Nola, the frustrated actress.
Full Review:
http://www.dvdconfidential.com/2006/05/review-match-point.html
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Dog Whisperer (Complete First Season) (2006)
Starring Cesar Millan
MPAA: UR
Grade: C-
Review by Sebastian Francis Kennedy
Dog ownership is on the rise in the U.S. and
more dog owners are turning to professional
trainers to help understand how to
communicate better with their pet. This is
a positive trend. However, there are many
different dog training philosophies out there.
Some are more effective than others and some
are not appropriate for all dogs.
Cesar Millan, who stars on National
Geographic Channel's television show the
Dog Whisperer is an efffective dog trainer
that obviously has a knack for understanding
dogs and their problems. His method of breaking
dogs of bad habits such as biting, growling,
or being afraid of shiny floors is consistent
from dog to dog: force them to be subservient
to him as the "pack leader" and then force
the dog to confront their fears. Millan's
natural talent for understanding when to
ease back makes him successful in this mode
of training. However, it is often heartbreaking
to see dogs forced into stressful situations
that quite possibly could have been avoided
through alternate training methods, such as
Positive Reinforcement Dog Training.
Full Review:
http://www.dvdconfidential.com/2006/05/review-dog-whisperer-complete-first.html
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The Mudge Boy (2003)
Directed by Michael Burke
Starring Emile Hirsch, Tom Guiry, Richard
Jenkins, Pablo Schreiber and
Zachary Knighton
MPAA: R
Grade: B+
Review by Mark Focus
A very unusual film, The Mudge Boy was
a surprise hit at Sundance back in 2003
and it is finally out on DVD. The film
stars Emile Hirsch (Girl Next Door,
Lords of Dogtown) as 14 year old Duncan
Mudge and Richard Jenkins (the father
on the HBO series Six Feet Under) as
Duncan's father. The two are in chaos
in the wake of the death of Duncan's
mother. A sensitive story with unusual
twists, The Mudge Boy is a wonderful
piece of cinema.
Emile Hirsch was quite a nice
surprise in the Girl Next Door and he
shows a much wider range here in the
Mudge Boy. Duncan is a bit of a loner,
but he takes up with a group of country
kids that love to drink beer, raise a
little hell and drive around town. He
sparks up a friendship with a boy named
Perry, and although their relationship
is tense, they develop a bond that is
surprising and at times touching. Tom
Guiry is outstanding in the role of
Perry, and he is certainly an actor to
watch in the years ahead. The acting
throughout The Mudge Boy is first rate,
and the excellent script is engaging,
thoughtful and down to earth.
Full Review:
http://www.dvdconfidential.com/2006/05/review-mudge-boy-b.html
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Barbie Diaries (2006)
Animated
MPAA: Not Rated
Reviewed by Ellyn Elm.
Ok, I confess. I did not want to like
this movie. Barbie has been my mortal
enemy for quite some time now, and I'm
not particularly ready to give up this
battle. But, as your intrepid DVD
reviewer, it's my duty to give
everyone (even Barbie) a fair shake.
Barbie Diaries pays homage to one of
my all-time favorite DVDs, Heathers.
In fact, I suspect the writers were
watching Heathers while they wrote the
script for this one. So, the Barbie
Diaries actually has some pretty
crisp dialogue. The story is
relatively simple, with Barbie going
through the ups and downs of being a
teenager and all that entails. The
writers go to great lengths to promote
the idea that Barbie, contrary to
everything little girls around the
world have been told, is not the most
popular girl.
Full Review:
http://www.dvdconfidential.com/2006/05/review-barbie-diaries-c.html
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Who Gets To Call It Art?
Directed by Peter Rosen
Starring Henry Geldzahler, Andy Warhol,
Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Francesco
Clemente, David Hockney and Ellsworth Kelly
MPAA: UR
Grade: B+
Review by Scott Standish
Perhaps the best documentary on the
60's New York art scene, Who Gets To
Call It Art is interesting, funny and
it actually educates. The film shows
the fantastic art of legends Andy Warhol,
Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg and
more. But the center piece of Who Gets
To Call It Art is the famous art curator
Henry Geldzahler.
Henry Geldzahler was the first modern
art curator for the Metropolitan Museum
of Art. His taste helped to shape what
would become an international wave of
modern art that dominated the art
scene. Artists like Ellsworth Kelly,
Andy Warhol and David Hockney were
brought to the world's attention in
part through the hard work of
Geldzahler. Geldzahler is smart,
engaging and a bit mysterious.
Full Review:
http://www.dvdconfidential.com/2006/05/review-who-gets-to-call-it-art-b.html
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Nanny McPhee (2005)
Directed by Kirk Jones
Starring Emma Thompson, Colin Firth,
Angela Lansbury, Kelly Macdonald, Thomas
Sangster, Eliza Bennett, Jennifer Rae
Daykin, Raphaël Coleman, Sam Honywood,
Holly Gibbs.
MPAA: PG
Grade: B
Reviewed by Ellyn Elm
Surprisingly warm and charming, Nanny
McPhee stars Emma Thompson as a grotesque
and mysterious governess who puts the
reigns on her seven unruly young charges.
The plot line is fairly simple but its
execution offers up a rich palette of
colors, several spooky scenes and some
delightful performances.
Emma Thompson gives us a smart, solid
performance that exudes a creepiness
appropriate to the role. As Nanny McPhee,
Thompson's cleverness comes across without
any of the patronage I usually feel in
her performances. Angela Lansbury stands
out as the penurious aunt in her brief
time on screen. Colin Firth's role as
the bumbling, ill-equipped father of
seven is adequate. But, the children
really shine in this movie, especially
Thomas Sangster's, Simon, and the
scullery maid, Evangeline, played by
Kelly Macdonald.
Full Review:
http://www.dvdconfidential.com/2006/05/review-nanny-mcphee-b.html
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Scott, Sebastian, Bobby, Ellyn & Mark
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DVD Confidential
Finding The Best Movies On DVD
http://www.dvdconfidential.com
=======================================