Release Dates Apr 29 2008 @ 12:52 pm
DVD Releases for April 29th, 2008
Perhaps not as stellar a selection as last week, but not too shabby either. The pick this week is obviously The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, but those of you not in the mood for high art, you’ve got Hollywood’s sugar-coated flavors of the week to choose from. But why would you choose Bubblegum when you could get Mint Chocolate Chip instead?
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
A magnificent, life affirming film that was shamelessly snubbed by the Foreign Academy Awards Committee. It tells the true story of Jean-Dominique Bauby, who suffered from “locked in syndrome,” where his mind was fully active but his entire body was paralyzed (with the exception of his right eye). The beginning of the film is told completely from his perspective and the effect is extraordinary. Bauby went on to write (or blink, as it were) a memoir of his experiences, which served as the basis for the film. Bittersweet and touching, this is not one to be missed.
Recommended if you liked The Sea Inside
The Golden Compass
Perhaps what The Golden Compass will best be remembered for is being one of the final nails in New Line’s coffin. The studio that rolled the dice on Lord of the Rings and won big, slowly squandered their wealth on poor cinematic offerings and lawsuits with Peter Jackson, resulting in bankruptcy and subsequent acquisition by Warner Brothers. The adaptation of the first book in Phillip Pullman’s bestselling His Dark Materials trilogy had a lot to do with that. In spite of being a visual feast and discovering one of the best child actors in recent years, the film lacks focus and commits the cardinal sin of being tedious. The introduction of the magnificent polar bears nearly an hour into the film is too little, too late, and the ending suffers from crippling sequelitis. A commercial failure, books 2 and 3 aren’t going to see the light of day any time soon, making The Golden Compass a kind of mean trick. Imagine watching The Fellowship of the Ring but never being able to see The Two Towers or The Return of the King and you’ll see what I mean.
Recommended only if you’ve read the book and absolutely have to see what it looks like on the big screen.
Nanking
One of the tragic, untold stories of World War II, the Japanese rape of Nanking took nearly 200,000 lives and matched the Nazi holocaust step for step in evil and brutality. This documentary is an important look but not an easy one. Featuring interviews and rare archival photos and footage, it takes a hard, long look into the face of man’s inhumanity to man as well as the compassion and bravery that can survive in the midst of chaos.
Recommended if it was important for you to see Schindler’s List, even if you knew you wouldn’t enjoy it
27 Dresses
We’ve had wedding themed romantic comedies with wedding planners, best friends, and runaway brides, so why not one about one with a fetish for bridesmaid dresses? (guess how many she wears…just guess) Toss Cyclops into the mix (James Marsden sans totally sweet red lazer visor thingy) as an aspiring writer who decides to make Katherine Heigel (Miss Bridesmaid) his journalistic magnum opus (titled “The Perpetual Bridesmaid”), and you have the perfect recipe for Serious Romantic Complications. Yada yada yada, if chick flicks are your thing, I’m sure you’ll find something to enjoy. I, for one, am just disappointed that Marsden doesn’t fry an entire bridal party with his eyes.
Recommended if you liked The Wedding Planner, Runaway Bride, or My Best Friend’s Wedding
on Apr 29 2008 @ 1:31 pm 1. Kristena said …
Aside from some very cool design elements, The Golden Compass was one walloping waste of an hour and 45 minutes of my precious life.
That said, I kinda want to see 27 Dresses…
on Apr 29 2008 @ 2:43 pm 2. Daniel said …
I championed Compass quite a bit last year on one element only: the mind-blowing special effects. If you have a nice viewing opportunity, it could be worth it just to gaze in awe.
Nanking is a different kind of documentary (with reenacted interviews), but the story is incredibly important. Everyone gave it an A, including me, but some people may find it boring.
Excellent comparison between The Sea Inside and Diving Bell.
on Apr 29 2008 @ 2:54 pm 3. Evan Derrick said …
I agree that the effects were fabulous (especially the much lauded polar bear battle royale), but I found the story to be sooooooo tedious. The little girl playing Lyra was positively brilliant (here’s hoping she shows up in a lot more), but the story dragged and dragged and even when it started going places didn’t make much sense. As an audience member, you never knew enough to become invested in the story. Lyra is ’special’ and ‘the one the prophecy mentions,’ but you never hear once what that means, exactly. Contrast this with Harry Potter, where we know in the first act why Harry is special, or in Lord of the Rings where we understand Frodo’s destiny almost from the get-go. Here you don’t have that focal point to anchor to, and so you feel like a lifeboat cut adrift amidst a sea of pretty special effects.
The film didn’t stir my blood once until the polar bears showed up, and like I said, by that point it was too late.
I get what you’re saying Daniel - sometimes all I need is the FX candy to get my juices going. But it just wasn’t enough for me in this instance.
on Apr 30 2008 @ 9:14 am 4. Daniel said …
And I should add that I still gave it a C- or something. I really picked at in my review. Not recommended viewing, and hardly worthwhile. Just deserved to win Oscar, that’s all.
The polar bear fight was pretty amazing, but the initial cityscape/blimp stuff really impressed me as well.
on Apr 30 2008 @ 9:25 am 5. Evan Derrick said …
Daniel, just read your Compass review.
“The most tacked-on cliffhanger ending in a long time - “We have so much to do! This, this, this, this, that, and this! Just try and stop us…in the next movie!” OK, I’m paraphrasing, but still…”
Perfect description of the end. I knew, going in, that it was the first of three parts, but I still couldn’t believe how mangled and anti-climactically it was handled.
And did you notice how they didn’t even show Nicole Kidman’s face after she got nailed by that mechanical dragonfly thingy? Maybe she’s horribly disfigured and they’re saving that for the (never gonna be made) sequels, but it looked like they screwed up during principal photography and/or Kidman had scheduling conflicts, and they had to use a body double. Just another bizarre piece of the mismatched ending.
on May 01 2008 @ 12:38 pm 6. Daniel said …
Nicole Kidman horribly disfigured? That would be interesting. I feel like she looks the same in every role.
Yeah, the ending was not a good way to build a market for the next one. I’d see it for the effects, but only if I was really out of options.
on May 01 2008 @ 2:14 pm 7. Evan Derrick said …
For giggles, here is how the book actually ended (they cut the film short), from Wikipedia:
“Despite being imprisoned, Lord Asriel is so influential that he has managed to accumulate the necessary equipment to continue his experiments on Dust. After explaining the nature of Dust, an emanation from another world, and the existence of parallel universes to Lyra, he departs, taking Roger and a great deal of scientific equipment. Lyra pursues them, but Roger is killed when he is separated from his dæmon. This act releases an enormous amount of energy, which, due to Lord Asriel’s equipment, tears a hole through the sky into a parallel world. Lord Asriel walks through into the new world. Lyra decides to follow him, on the advice of Pantalaimon.”
Much darker and nastier. I wonder if my opinion of the film would have changed much if they had taken this tact with the ending.