As I was looking down the list of films hitting DVD this week, I was struck by how many good titles were being released. I didn't want to deny extra exposure for any of them, because they're all so good. So I just decided to dedicate this week's lineup of This Weekend's Film Festival to five great new titles on DVD. It's an eclectic mix to say the least. Three films are new to DVD, one is an older films getting re-released and one of them is actually a short film collection. We have animated masterpieces, a humorous and touching documentary, a fun true-life biopic and a mysterious neo-noir.
The Friday night feature is the only cheat in the overall premise for this week's lineup. TALK TO ME (which actually came out last week) didn't fit into my Halloween theme, but I feel it well deserves special attention. Don Cheadle's performance as the original shock jock, Petey Greene, is Oscar worthy. Chiwetel Ejiofor, as the radio exec that believes in the ex convict, and Taraji P. Henson, as Petey's faithful girlfriend, both reserve recognition for their work as well. The film chronicles the rise of Greene from his time in prison to his fame on the radio to his disastrous performance on the Tonight Show. Director Kasi Lemmons doesn't direct in a flashy way; she just allows the pace to naturally flow, driven by the strength of her spectacular cast. Cheadle is electric and completely convincing as the abrasive and smart DJ. As I said in my original review, "What makes Petey Greene’s story so captivating is the man’s honesty. He tells it how it is whether you want to hear it or not."
Saturday is for families and anyone who likes great films. This week, Pixar released the Pixar Short Film Collection Vol. 1, which feature all 13 of the studio's short films. It includes their masterpieces LUXO JR., GERI'S GAME and LIFTED. You also get a chance to see their other Oscar winners TIN TOY and FOR THE BIRDS. It's very interesting to see how far them have come since their first film, THE ADVENTURES OF ANDRE AND WALLY B. As a historical document of the history of the premiere American animation studio, the collection is a must for all home libraries. For This Weekend's Film Festivals, the 13 shorts show how wonderful tales can be told in a short time period. The Pixar filmmakers are masters of story and even in some of the weaker technical experiments show that their mastery of storytelling makes up for the limitations of CG at the time. Fun and entertaining, this is the best collection of animated shorts to hit DVD in a long time and you can read my thoughts on each film below.
* THE ADVENTURES OF ANDRE & WALLY B (1984) (**1/2)
* LUXO JR. (1986) (****)
* RED'S DREAM (1987) (***)
* TIN TOY (1988) (***1/2)
* KNICK KNACK (1989) (***1/2)
* GERI'S GAME (1998) (****)
* FOR THE BIRDS (2001) (***1/2)
* MIKE'S NEW CAR (2002) (***)
* BOUNDIN' (2004) (***1/2)
* JACK-JACK ATTACK (2005) (***)
* ONE MAN BAND (2006) (***)
* MATER AND THE GHOSTLIGHT (2006) (***)
* LIFTED (2007) (****)
The closing Saturday film is Pixar's RATATOUILLE. Brad Bird, who made the modern classics THE IRON GIANT and THE INCREDIBLES, has made a smart tale about a rat who dreams of becoming a chef. Pixar's films are maturing. They're dealing with more adult issues and increasing the complexity of their characters and themes. In the main character of Remy, we have a young person who is growing beyond the simple pleasures of the world where he was raised. He desires the finer things in life and has a hard time balancing between family, his career goals and how the struggle between the two makes him look to various groups of people. This isn't the kind of internal struggle you'll find in most animated features. Bird and his collaborators set up their absurd scenario, take it in a logical direction and never cheat in bringing an ending that fits reality, but still succeeds in making us smile with humor and acknowledgement. The tagline for the DVD release is "The Best Reviewed Movie of Year," which is a true statement. There's a reason for that, as I said in my original review, "RATATOUILLE is an instant classic… it will last the test of time."
For Sunday, we have more straight adult fare on the menu. Starting off, SICKO is a sobering documentary about the U.S. national health care system. From filmmaker/provocateur Michael Moore, this politically charged documentary is less sarcastic than his previous work. In using less showy stunts, Moore makes a more focused film that strongly drives home his premise that the insurance companies put profits over people at every turn. At times the film is heart breaking as it tells the stories of many Americans who have been profoundly affected by a corrupt and broken system. Moore has a pro-universal health care point of view, but he makes a great case, blowing holes in the opposition's arguments wonderfully. Unless you are exec at an HMO or a politician in the pocket of the pharmaceutical industry than it will be very hard not to be convinced that our priorities are sickeningly skewed and something needs to be done. As I said in my original review, "America is the richest country in the world, but it is the only Westernized country that doesn’t provide basic medical services to its people. It’s not a left or right issue; it’s a moral issue."
Closing out This Weekend's Film Festival, CHINATOWN is one of my favorite films. As I said in my original review, "Great performances, masterful direction and an amazingly crafted script all come together is a classic film that pays homage to its genre’s conventions while expanding on them." Director Roman Polanski was able to make a classic film noir that is drenched in the bright sunlight of Los Angeles. Here is a perfect example of how to add a twist; it's not a twist just for shock, but it's integral to the overall story. In the hands of a great filmmaker, genre films can become something grander — true art. Polanski succeeds by bringing all the pieces together in an original and profound way. Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston give amazing performances, becoming their characters so fully it is impossible to see other actors in the roles. The ending is completely original. The major twist isn't the only shocking and unexpected plot point that unfolds. CHINATOWN bleak ending makes it truly a film noir. This is one of the greatest films ever made.
Oh, this is a great week for DVD and for This Weekend's Film Festival. It's time to head to the rental store, update the Netflix queue or check out Zap2It.com for your local listings (for CHINATOWN only). Enjoy and please tell me what you think.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
