Month: March 2010

The Baader Meinhof Complex (R, 2008, MPI Home Video) If your knowledge of world history falls in line with a dog’s understanding of the U.S. Postal Service, “The Baader Meinhof Complex” might look like nothing more than a wonderful confluence of guns, blood, romance, ideology, international espionage and stuff exploding. And there’s nothing wrong with that, because for all you might care, “Complex” dabbles in a palette of all those things and tells a pretty awesome story in the process. The bonus, of course, is that it’s a true story — that of the 1967 rise of Germany’s Red Army Faction and what ostensibly became the ground floor for terrorism as we know it today. Despite running 150 minutes long, “Complex’s” reenactment of a decade of history is illustrated with surprising efficiency. More importantly, it’s admirably objective: This is neither a romanticism nor condemnation of neither revolution nor the status quo, but instead an exciting, fluid look at two completely disparate bodies of power that each find themselves completely overwhelmed by the situations in which they find themselves. A few characters fall disappointingly to the wayside, but “Complex’s” general attention to character detail is terrific, and that makes the continual payoffs even more rewarding than all the explosions, gunfire and lip-locking already make them in the first place. Who said a history lesson has to be boring? Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bleibtreu, Johanna Wokalek and Nadja Uhl, among numerous others, star. In German with English subtitles. Extras: Four behind-the-scenes features, three-part interview with “Baader Meinhof” author Stefan Aust, two-part interview with film writer/producer Bernd Eichinger.

An Education (PG-13, 2009, Sony Pictures) On paper, “An Education” — which finds 16-year-old student and book-smart Oxford University hopeful Jenny (Carey Mulligan) suddenly finding herself enchanted by an older man (Peter Sarsgaard as David) with a thirst for living in the moment by any means necessary — sounds as plain as its name. But in short order, it becomes clear the film understands the difference between what it means to just watch a movie and what it means to briefly vicariously live through one. “Education” doesn’t run wild in the twists department outside of a few good ones, and it opts more for semi-predictable authenticity over keeping viewers pinned to the edges of their seats. That, by the way, is fine — not only because contrivance would spoil the mood, but also because Jenny’s and Peter’s stories really aren’t the point anyway. The real satisfaction with “Education” is all the different things it stands to represent to all who see it and see themselves through either character’s eyes. The battle between living smart and living well, and the belief that they need not be mutually exclusive, is more than resonant enough in “Education” to make it far more engrossing than its pedestrian plot outline might otherwise suggest. Extras: Director/Mulligan/Sarsgaard commentary, deleted scenes, two behind-the-scenes features.

I Sell the Dead (NR, 200x, IFC Films) A former cohort (Larry Fessenden as Willie Grimes) just took a hard one under the guillotine, and now Father Duffy (Ron Perlman) has come to collect a confession from body parts dealer and suspected murderer Arthur Blake (Dominic Monaghan) before he, too, fulfills his hastily-arranged death sentence. Arthur’s recollection of a lifetime’s worth of misdeeds, told predominantly through flashbacks, comprises the bulk of “I Sell the Dead,” and what follows is a remarkable lesson on how to turn a story about grave-robbing, murder, deceit, literal arms dealing, arguable mutants and inarguably despicable people into a positively personable, almost feel-good comedy. “Dead” doesn’t try too hard to be unnecessarily cute or even likable, but the script is too sharp and funny and the characters too endearing in spite of themselves for likability not to happen anyway. Amidst a sea of horror and monster movies that all seem to aim for gratuitous self-seriousness or gratuitous parody, “Dead’s” credibly playful tone, and its ability to smartly nail that tone all the way to the credits, absolutely is a welcome shift. Extras: Monaghan/Fessenden commentary, director commentary, two behind-the-scenes features, 40-page color comic book.

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel: Two-Disc Special Edition (PG, 2009, Fox) First, the possible bad news: If you’re a child of the 1980s and still hold out hope that “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” won’t trample your memories of the “Chipmunks” cartoon the way the first film so thoroughly did, stop hoping. The good news, though, is that “Squeakquel” at least approaches the goofy, somewhat earnest tone of the cartoon in a way its precursor didn’t even bother trying to do. Alvin’s almost likable, Simon and Theodore completely are, the Chipettes make an entirely agreeable debut, and even the generally dependable David Cross, whose turn as greedy music producer Ian Hawke crystalized the first movie’s soulless cynicism so detestably well, is a harmlessly silly cartoon character this time around. “Squeakquel” relies on easy gags, well-worn themes and yet another plot that inexplicably has a bunch of rodents as dreamy pop idols, but the vibe is a lot more playful the second time around. It won’t appease those in the mood for some nostalgia fulfillment, but that ship has sailed anyway. As good-hearted family films go, it suffices just fine. Extras: 10-minute “Chipmunks” retrospective, eight behind-the-scenes features, Chipmunk jukebox (shudder), five music videos.

Steven Seagal: Lawman: The Complete Season One (NR, 2009, A&E) It sounds like a joke or a stunt, but it isn’t. Steven Seagal has served remarkably quietly for more than 20 years as an unpaid reserve deputy in Louisiana’s Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and while “Steven Seagal: Lawman” seems like a case of a television show tail wagging the dog of reality, it’s actually the other way around. Beyond the possible shock of discovering a movie star has been pulling this admirable double duty at no cost for this long, “Lawman” doesn’t really offer any huge surprises. It follows a similar format to “Cops,” riding along with Seagal and his fellow officers while they answer calls that sometimes are dangerous and sometimes mundane. Episodes also regularly cut away from the street to document some other facet of the job, be it Seagal passing his martial arts knowledge down to police recruits or training his dogs to act as responsible guardians of the house when he’s away. The sum total of “Lawman” occasionally feels like a bit of image rehabilitation for an actor dismissed as a has-been years after being dismissed as a single-note charismatic black hole. But Seagal’s fellow officers share the spotlight with him, and the footage captured in “Lawman” never stinks of contrivance the way almost every other celebrity-fronted reality show does, so where’s the harm in that? Contents: 13 episodes, plus bonus unaired footage.

The Men Who Stare at Goats (R, 2009, Overture/Anchor Bay)
A disclaimer at the top of “The Men Who Stare at Goats” claims that “more of this is true than you would believe,” and even if that’s there for comic purposes (it might be, it might not be), that disclaimer has a point. Maybe it has nothing to do with the story of the New Earth Army, a fantastically wild wing of the United States Military that specializes in mental harmony, psychic warfare and dancing. And maybe it has nothing to do with how the near-dilapidated remains of the NEA, the origins of which “Goats” explores in thoroughly amusing detail through a series of flashbacks, inspired two defeated men (George Clooney as former NEA soldier and current underground “Warrior Monk” Lyn Cassady, Ewan McGregor as newly-single small-time journalist Bob Wilton) to try and make it matter again. But “Goats” most certainly is rooted in truth, because the only thing more potent than all the psychic powers and fancy technology on display is the extreme need for these and other poor souls (Jeff Bridges, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Lang, Robert Patrick) to be somebody special and do something amazing before their time is up. “Goats” never lets its characters’ personal angst undermine its cheerfully funny script, but it’s the film’s ability to so thoroughly and pointedly wear its heart on its sleeve that makes it something far more treasurable than its funny exterior might initially suggest.
Extras: Director commentary, book author commentary, deleted scenes, a feature on the real men of the First Earth Battalion, one behind-the-scenes feature.

Fantastic Mr. Fox (PG, 2009, Fox)
2009 was an uncommonly special year for uncommonly thoughtful treatments of children’s books — first “Where the Wild Things Are,” and now this — that in greedier hands would have no business whatsoever being feature-length movies. Like “Things,” “Fox” looks superficially like a movie for children, and thus may as well be one: The stop-motion animation style is so classic and refined as to feel fresh all over again, and the characters (human and animal alike) are charming in their disposition as well as their animation. Visually and aurally, there’s plenty here for even preschoolers to enjoy, and “Fox’s” overlying story isn’t so complex as to completely stymie anyone. With that said, though, parents and older siblings can expect to enter a different world entirely — one full of themes about commitment, getting older and the meaning of life, and one as stitched together by its whip-smart script and sharply funny voice acting as it is its visual style. These completely divergent levels of entertainment for wholly disparate audiences work simultaneously and in tandem, making “Fox” that rare jewel of a family film — and, outside of Pixar’s reach, even rarer animated movie — that really is for everybody watching. George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray and Michael Gambon, among others, lend their voices.
Extras: Two behind-the-scenes features and a filmstrip-style introduction to the sport of Whack-Bat.

talhotblond (NR, 2009, Paramount)
What “talhotblond” has to say — that there’s potential danger lurking behind chance Internet encounters that ensnare real-world emotions and drive people to do shocking things — isn’t novel anymore. But a documentary about human behavior, when done well, doesn’t lose its ability to drop a jaw just because we all know the capacity for that behavior exists. Faux-narrated by Brian Barrett — a 22-year-old whose life ended because of the events that transpired within — “talhotblond” initially is a pretty predictable realization of what might happen when an unhappy, middle-aged man randomly exchanges pleasantries with a pretty 18-year-old girl online. 48-year-old Tom Montgomery turns into an 18-year-old Marine, 18-year-old Jessi takes notice, Tom charms Jessi, Jessi sends pictures, and a relationship unfolds. But what happens next, which the film explores in unsettling detail through chat logs and interviews with Montgomery and others, is entirely too tangled to fall prone to simple predictability. (Let’s not forget that in this story of a middle-aged man and a teenage girl, it’s Barrett who died.) “tallhotblond” weaves through the mess with a master storyteller’s touch, and the uncomfortable truth is that, for anyone savvy enough to seek this out, this operates more as morbid entertainment than cautionary cold water for the naive. So enjoy the darkness and pass it on to someone who needs it — the nearest high school classroom, preferably — to cleanse your conscience. No extras. In fact, no menu: The movie just starts playing.

Brothers (R, 2009, Lions Gate)
There might come a day when entertainment has run every theme ragged and viewers become so keenly trained to see it all before they even see it. Should that happen, it’ll be a shame for a film like “Brothers,” which does what it does supremely well but struggles mightily not to continually tip its narrative hand. As the name implies, “Brothers” (a remake of the 2004 Swedish film “Brødre”) is the story of two brothers — Sam (Tobey Maguire), a decorated Marine set to leave his wife (Natalie Portman) and two young daughters (Bailee Madison, Taylor Geare) for another tour in Afghanistan, and Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal), who faces another tour of directionless freedom after completing a stint in prison. What happens next is best left unspoiled as a common reviewer courtesy, but it also remains best unspoiled because once the first big storyline milestone happens, “Brothers” almost has no choice but to allude to what’s happening next well before it happens. A number of powerful moments and story turns define “Brothers” going forward, and some outstanding performances — from the two girls as well as the three dependable leads — work in tandem with some truly great moment-to-moment instances to leave an impact. But “Brothers” cannot control its tendency to telegraph what happens before it happens, lest it resort to deception or insulting contrivance. A little predictability beats dishonesty any day, but it’s a slightly losing proposition either way.
Extras: Director commentary, two behind-the-scenes features.

Séraphine (NR, 2008, Music Box Films)
Some movies aren’t necessarily for people who love movies so much as those who love what the movie is about. Witness “Séraphine,” which tells the story of Séraphine Louis (Yolande Moreau), a superfluously humble servant and closet artist whose life takes a significant turn during a brief period of servitude for renowned art collector and critic Wilhelm Uhde (Ulrich Tukur). On a purely quick-pitch level, “Séraphine” has it all — a rags-to-riches true story of the chance encounter that ultimately exposed Séraphine’s gift to the world around her, and the resonant ache that sets in once emotions, outsiders and other uncontrollable factors (the Great War being one) get in the way of a perfectly good Cinderella story. What “Séraphine” does not necessarily have, however, is universal accessibility. The film tells Séraphine’s story without narrative embellishment of any kind, and that translates into many, many scenes in which we’re watching her in her element while little to nothing is said. As an illustration of its subject’s methods, “Séraphine” feels masterfully authentic, and as a piece of inspiration to unconventional closet artists everywhere, it’s a must-see. But as entertainment fodder for people who simply want to be entertained, “Séraphine” is too deliberate and entrenched too deeply in its own world to merit universal recommendation. That isn’t a knock on the film — just a little bit of fair warning. In French with English subtitles. Content of extras not available at press time.

The Prisoner (NR, 2009, Warner Bros.)
What the recent “Battlestar Galactica” reboot did for its 1978 inspiration and namesake, “The Prisoner” attempts to do for the 1967 series of the same name. The difference, in this case, is that while the original “Galactica” was more beloved than actually great, the original “Prisoner” was and remains both. The sharpness of the original series’ writing, characters and even ideas holds up remarkably well in the face of four decades’ time, and an attempt to refine the original series in the span of a miniseries would have to at least take chances with the original template if not blow it away completely. But after a really strong first episode that makes anything seem possible, things go awry, and the new “Prisoner” finds itself somehow needing to fill time with visually pretentious stretches of mostly empty storytelling that do nothing to eclipse nor enhance the original series’ memory. As the wasted minutes tick by, the intrigue behind the premise finds itself neutered to the point where none of the characters’ fates, Number Six (Jim Caviezel) included, matter a great deal. And once that reality sets in, the surrounding ideology just feels like empty blather. Beyond curiosity fulfillment and some admittedly nice eye candy nourishment, nothing here merits visits, much less treasuring. Ian McKellen, Ruth Wilson, Hayley Atwell, Lennie James and Jamie Campbell Bower also star.
Contents: Six episodes, plus commentary, two behind-the-scenes features, McKellen interview and a Comic-Con panel.

Worth a Mention
— “After Dark Horrorfest: 8 Films to Die For” Wave Four (R, 2008-10, Lions Gate): Between these sets and the “Ghost House Underground” sets, Lions Gates pretty much has the indie horror compilation game all to itself. Wave four of the “After Dark Horrorfest” collection includes “Dread,” “The Final,” “The Graves,” “Hidden,” “Kill Theory,” “Lake Mungo,” “The Reeds” and the beautifully-named “Zombies of Mass Destruction.” All films are sold separately for those who want a sample, but as always, those who pick up the box set and go digging for gems — and every set has diamond-in-the-rough potential for fans of different horror bents — will have the most fun.

The Princess and the Frog (G, 2009, Disney)
A whole lot of noise was made about “The Princess and the Frog” when it first entered the public consciousness, and little of it had anything to do with the actual movie itself. The film’s premise — an impoverished black girl, Tiana, sharing princess dreams with her rich white best friend, who practically gets the nod automatically when a prince comes calling — was ripped for its covert racism, while snipers all but assumed Disney would take the film’s 1920s New Orleans setting and tear it to shreds in as exploitative a fashion as possible. But in the end, the only thing the noise did was signify why it’s better to know than assume. Per Disney tradition, “Frog” doesn’t hide from the social implications of its situation or setting. But guess what? Far, far more than a story about status or sociology, “Frog” is a funny, lovable, respectful and very clever twist on a story — a princess kissing a frog and turning him into a prince — that’s as classic and baggage-free as anything in Disney’s vault. Tiana’s story is authentically inspiring, but it’s also completely silly, and “Frog” is that pricelessly rare film that can touch real nerves while mixing in trumpet-tooting alligators and never miss a beat. “Frog’s” voice cast (Anika Noni Rose, Michael-Leon Wooley, Keith David and Bruno Campos, among others) is infectiously stellar, and if Disney exploits the setting at all, it’s merely to the tune of perhaps the best soundtrack the studio has ever produced.
Extras: Filmmakers commentary, deleted scenes, Princess Portraits game, six behind-the-scenes features, music video, art galleries.

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (NR, 2009, IFC Films)
John Krasinski may be in the director’s chair, and it may have a funny name and a picture of a guy with a paper bag on his head as the cover art, but that doesn’t mean “Brief Interviews with Hideous Men” is a comedy. It isn’t. But “Men” not being a comedy doesn’t mean it isn’t funny, because every now and then, it really is. More than anything, though, “Men” is a conversation about relationships and human behavior — a continuous, winding conversation that slips between the interview room and the subjects’ (and interviewer’s) daily experiences with only requisite respect for convention. Trains of thought sometimes continue uninterrupted while everything else in the film completely switches tracks, and one character might adopt another’s mood regardless of whether the two share any other connection at all. The bluntness of the whole thing sends “Men” careening into deep patches of harsh darkness as well as sharp comedy, and while it’s kind of disorienting and occasionally just a little heavy on pretense, just about every word is delivered with care. That combination of skill and initiative — to say nothing of the versatile talent (Krasinski, Julianne Nicholson, Ben Shenkman, Timothy Hutton, Michael Cerveris, Will Arnett, Joey Slotnick and numerous others) tasked with making it work — makes “Men” considerably more thrilling than an 80-minute dialogue would seem to have any right to be.
Extras: Krasinski interview, behind-the-scenes feature.

Astro Boy (PG, 2009, Summit Entertainment)
It was a mere matter of time before “Astro Boy,” which has reinvented itself numerous times across numerous media, got a chance to play on the computer-animated playground. Problem is, if you’re one of those folks who have been waiting for this to happen, you likely aren’t the person for whom this film ultimately was made. “Boy” follows the title character’s well-documented origins reasonably faithfully, and some of the series’ most iconic characters — namely, Dr. Tenma and Professor Ochanomizu, known here as Dr. Elefun — are accounted for as well. The film also looks terrific, staying faithful to the characters’ preexisting designs but making them pop anew with a 3D animation style that isn’t as sterile as other similar productions. But “Boy” lacks the luxury of time the original and rebooted series had, and as consequence, it can’t tell its characters’ stories with nearly the same elaborate care. So it leans instead on action sequences and so-so secondary characters who give the film a storyline that’s sufficient but, for ardent fans, arguably a little soulless compared to all that preceded it. This isn’t the same as calling “Boy” a bad film, because for a new audience of younger viewers, it’s anything but. But longtime fans who wish to enjoy this for what it is, rather than what might have been, should manage expectations in advance.
Extras: Deleted scenes, four behind-the-scenes features, image gallery.

Paris (NR, 2008, IFC Films)
“Paris” earns its name by most definitely taking place in Paris, and if we’re to make assumptions that it has designs of being the namesake film of one of the world’s most-filmed cities, then it at least justifies those designs by showing the city in a refreshing number of different lights. But “Paris” isn’t really about Paris or even what it means to its enormous ensemble cast, all of whose minds are entirely too preoccupied with problems and developments — a young man (Romain Duris) with a failing heart, a fortysomething (Juliette Binoche) who has completely lost her romantic way, a professor (Fabrice Luchini) embarrassingly smitten with a student (Mélanie Laurent) while he fumbles to connect with his overtly emotional brother (François Cluzet), a woman (Julie Ferrier) playing den mother to a group of manchildish co-workers — that could foster from just about anywhere. And that’s just fine, because it’s better to marginalize the setting than the characters living within. “Paris” occasionally makes the same mistakes most ensemble movies do by allowing the occasional character to disappear for half the movie before cutting his or her story short, but for the most part, it does all the little things right to give its cast far more life than their compartmentalized existences would suggest. And while Paris itself isn’t doesn’t really star so much as provide the story a sense of place, it looks no less alive in its secondary role. In French with English subtitles.
Extras: Behind-the-scenes feature, table reading/discussion.

Wonderful World (R, 2009, Magnolia)
Sad sack proofreader Ben Singer (Matthew Broderick) is so depressingly negative that even his young daughter (Jodelle Ferland), to say nothing of his ex-wife (Ally Walker) and co-workers, is plotting ways to avoid spending time with him. Unfortunately for “Wonderful World,” and in spite of the things it occasionally does rather well, the rest of us might be best off following their lead. “World” has its flashes of good performances and sharp dialogue, and a storyline involving Ben’s best friend (Michael Kenneth Williams as Ibu) and Ibu’s sister (Sanaa Lathan) provides a few unique backdrops for what otherwise is just another story of a washed-up grump trying to rediscover his soul. But that’s the kicker: Even with a few unique ingredients, “World” still is just another story about a guy we’ve all almost certainly seen too many times already. “World” doesn’t take any real chances in terms of dark humor or innovative observations about soul-searching, and those occasional flashes of excellence just aren’t bright enough to overcome how ordinary and overly familiar it feels the vast majority of the time.
Extras: Four behind-the-scenes features.

The Fourth Kind (PG-13, 2009, Universal)
Say, you like horror movies? How about movies about alien abductions, or films that, like “Cloverfield” and “Paranormal Activity,” try to blur the line between fiction and faux-fact? In its own mind, “The Fourth Kind” is all three of these things, and presented on paper in terms of fulfillable potential, it’s a pretty interesting idea. Unfortunately, none of that means any
thing when the finished product is as relentlessly boring in practice as this one is. “Kind” is a film about people recounting alien abductions rather than the actual abductions themselves, and in order to reconcile being a film about people talking about horrifying experiences rather than the experiences themselves, it uses the trick of showing “real” footage of “real” abductees while a cast of actors simultaneously mock-dramatizes the sessions. Presenting the mock footage as real is the only hook “Kind” has, and either you realize the footage is very obviously fake or will feel like a fool when the end credits or someone you know explain later that it’s all made up. With that dishonest illusion stripped away, what remains — a non-story about non-events, as presented by a cast of actors delivering lines with a whispery quiver that would make even Aaron Neville go a little crazy after 90 minutes — has no merit whatsoever. Milla Jovovich, Will Patton and Enzo Cilenti star.
Extra: Deleted scenes.

Worth a Mention
— “Mystery Science Theater 3000 XVII” (NR, Shout Factory): Shout Factory’s outstanding compilation of “MST3K” episodes is giving the Super Bowl a run for its money in terms of best product with a Roman numeral attached to it. “XVII” brings “The Crawling Eye,” “The Beatniks,” “The Final Sacrifice” and “Blood Waters of Dr. Z” to the DVD library. In addition to the excellent mock miniature movie posters that come packed inside, extras include a new introduction to “Eye” from “MST3K’s” own Joel Hodgson, Dragon*Con 2009 footage, a new interview with “Sacrifice” star Bruce Mitchell, a “Waters” photo gallery and original theatrical trailers and promotional material.
— History Channel DVDs: Easter is inbound, and per what seems like tradition at this point, so are a handful of History Channel DVDs that touch on religion in some fashion or another. The feature-length “Holy Grail in America” (NR, 2009) wonders aloud if the Holy Grail has been in the United States this whole time, while the two-disc, seven-hour “Christianity: The First Two Thousand Years” (NR, 2001) is pretty self-explanatory in its intentions. For something a bit more fantastical, there’s the three-disc, 10-part, eight-hour “Clash of the Gods” (NR, 2009), which explores history’s most famous mythological figures one episode at a time.

Precious (R, 2009, Lions Gate)
The difference between an unintentionally funny after-school special and a Best Picture Oscar nominee isn’t necessarily easily described on paper, but it’s pretty easy to recognize when you brace yourself for the former and come away, 109 minutes later, having experienced something else entirely. “Precious” has more than enough ammo to set itself up for mockery: Between Claireece “Precious” Jones’ (Gabourey Sidibe) abusive mother (Mo’Nique), the father who sexually abused (and impregnated) her, her imminent dismissal from one school and the fact that she’s morbidly overweight, barely literate and carrying a second child she cannot afford to raise, there’s enough here for a Lifetime miniseries and possibly an entire spinoff network. But perhaps consequently, “Precious” does all it can not to fall into the same traps that ensnarl the accidental comedies that came before it. Sidibe’s and Mo’Nique’s performances are unapologetically strong but rarely ever sympathetic, and the film works without fear in completely tearing both to pieces in tough-loving fashion. The story takes the path that best suits it, regardless of whatever compassionate or feel-good properties that brings, and everything else, from the supporting cast (Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd, Lenny Kravitz) to the shot selection, adopts the same bent. It doesn’t sound like much on paper, but in the end, that collective desire to cut to the heart of everything and leave remorse on the floor makes all the difference in the world. “Precious'” ability to toe that line the whole way through is skillful to an enviable degree.
Extras: Conversation between Director Lee Daniels and Sapphire, who wrote the novel, “Push,” on which “Precious” is based. Also: director commentary, deleted scenes, four behind-the-scenes features, Sidibe audition footage.

Up in the Air (R, 2009, Paramount)
It’s never pleasant to tell someone his or her job has been eliminated … so some bosses just don’t. Instead, they hire guys like Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) to fly in, drop the hammer for them, and do a little post-firing counseling so as to ensure a non-violent exit from the premises. Ryan relishes the job, if only because constantly being in transit is his idea of living, and when a young, up-and-coming know-it-all (Anna Kendrick) suggests replacing face-to-face firings with video teleconferencing, the gates burst open. “Air’s” overriding premise is timely for extremely obvious reasons, and the film uses it well. But more than anything, that premise is here to serve as an allegoric means (at best) and a paper-thin excuse (at worst) for unleashing a maelstrom of smart, funny and unpleasantly honest observations about what success and living really mean when life unexpectedly and inconveniently gets complicated. Some of the routes “Air” takes are completely foreseeable, but enough of them aren’t, and either way, the resolution isn’t necessarily even the point. Ryan’s story carries the weight it’s meant to carry, but it’s when “Air” touches a nerve with its observations — and if you’ve given this stuff any thought whatsoever, it will touch a nerve — that it transforms from something good to something special. Vera Farmiga and Jason Bateman also star.
Extras: Filmmakers commentary, deleted scenes.

The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (R, 2009, Sony Pictures)
Delusions of grandeur and excessive self-importance can convincingly sink a long-in-the-making sequel, and for a good five or so minutes, “The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day” looks like it might be in danger of basking a little too much in its own glow. Fortunately, the self-seriousness doesn’t last, and before long, it’s almost as if no time has passed at all. Like its predecessor, “Day’s” overlying story — in this case, a priest’s murder designed to frame the Saints (Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus and Billy Connolly) and force them out of exile — has nothing if not violent ambitions. But also like its predecessor, “Saints” carries out those ambitions with a wild mix of pageantry, self-depreciating comedy and a willingness to paint every character and scenario with all the outrageous strokes that will fit without sending the production into full-blown farce country. “Day” occasionally gets a bit too crazy or cute for its own good. But it hits far more than it misses, and the occasional missteps of a movie that’s willing to do anything in the name of entertainment are very easily forgiven. Just be sure to see the first film first: “Day” explains itself more than sufficiently for newcomers to understand, but a number of scenes — particularly later on — will mean considerably more to those who know the full back story. Clifton Collins Jr., Julie Benz and Peter Fonda also star.
Extras: Director/Saints commentary, deleted scenes, two behind-the-scenes features.

Planet 51 (PG, 2009, Sony Pictures)
There exists a bounty of scathingly ironic possibilities when it comes to telling a story about human beings invading another planet and swapping roles with the little green men who have invaded Earth in countless books, films, TV series and radio serials. Should you be planning on utilizing some of that cutting social commentary to your creative advantage one day, you’ll be happy to know the computer-animated “Planet 51,” in its quest to entertain kids first and their parents second, has left the bounty as ripe for picking as it found it. That, by the way, is perfectly fine, because “51,” which finds a solitary human astronaut touching down on an alien planet that looks strikingly like 1950s America, does what it wants to do perfectly well. The aliens are completely genial hosts, and while lazier storytellers would have turned the human invader into a full-blown meathead idiot, “51” elects instead to construct him as a likable guy who is understandably confused by his new surroundings. The storyline is conventional and the observations about the planet are more cute than anything else, but the sheer likability of the whole thing — to say nothing of how nice it looks or how awesome dogs, among other things, are in the alien world — more than compensates. Dwayne Johnson, Gary Oldman and Jessica Biel, among others, lend their voices.
Extras: DVD game, three behind-the-scenes features, animation progression reels, extended scenes, music video montage.

Fix (R, 2008, E1 Entertainment)
Some people like to interpret a filmmaker’s intentions while watching a movie play out. Some couldn’t care less. But with “Fix” — which follows aspiring filmmaker Milo (Tao Ruspoli) and his reluctant girlfriend Bella (Olivia Wilde) as they migrate from a failed film project to a daylong quest to keep Milo’s parole-violating brother (Shawn Andrews as Leo) raise money for rehab and stay out of jail — it’s almost as if there isn’t a choice. “Fix’s” plot hinges on Milo’s decision to turn this change of plans into a makeshift documentary, and with the plot goes the overall approach, which subtly morphs from traditional fiction to mockumentary and takes on all that entails. Most of the time, that means “Fix” stays trained on its characters — sometimes, as with in documentaries, for long periods of time in which nothing terribly amazing is happening. Now and then, though, it means the film pays more attention to its surroundings than it otherwise would. And when those background characters are grousing about societal issues in fairly unsubtle ways but presumably according to a script, it’s impossible not to wonder if the characters are simply a means to getting these thoughts in front of an audience that otherwise wouldn’t pay attention. No matter: The approach is clever, and even if it leads to some dry moments that emulate textbook documentary downtime a little too well, “Fix’s” story ultimately is engaging as well. Megalyn Echikunwoke a
lso stars.
Extras: Filmmakers commentary, cast commentary, interviews, three behind-the-scenes features.

Capitalism: A Love Story (R, 2009, Overture/Anchor Bay)
A box quote claims “Capitalism: A Love Story” is Michael Moore’s “magnum opus,” and hey, maybe it is. It certainly feels like a Moore production: The filmmaker narrates the action while taking viewers down a labyrinthine path though all manner of situations — pilots working for pennies, people losing their homes, seemingly harmless teenagers getting locked up for profit, large corporations cashing in on the horribly-named Dead Peasant life insurance plan — while bouncing similarly between smugness, sadness, sarcasm and anger. Mostly, the fenced-off stories achieve their desired effect, and the few examples of the little guy beating the big guy certainly make an inspiring impression. But the problem with Moore is the same as it’s been for years now: He’s a partisan lightning rod — embraced by those who likely already had a bone to pick with his targets, ignored by those whose changing stance might actually effect real change. By extension, even sight unseen, his movies take on the same life, and they’re damaged goods as result. “Capitalism” is entertaining, occasionally insightful and unafraid to unload on pretty much anything in its sights. But it’s too scattered and too hopelessly tainted by outside forces to be even remotely transformative.
Extras: 10 outtakes, repackaged as self-standing short features.

Service (NR, 2008, Regent Releasing/E1 Entertainment)
Here’s a question: Is it possible to strip a film’s pretensions so thoroughly that what’s left sort of becomes pretentious all over again? “Service” (translated from its original title of “Serbis”) tells the day-in-a-life story of an extended family that not only runs a deeply dilapidated but still-functioning adult film theater in the Philippines, but takes residence inside it as well. That family includes Nanay (Gina Pareño), who struggles to manage both family and theater at once. But it also includes her mother (Jacklyn Jose), who is in the process of divorcing her bigamist husband, and little Jonas (Bobby Jerome Go), who playfully and carelessly careens through the theater’s sketchy clientele traffic on his tricycle. The disparate ends of the age spectrum, to say nothing of the setting and additional drama surrounding the rest of the characters (Julio Diaz, Coco Martin, Kristofer King, Dan Alvaro, Mercedes Cabral, Roxanne Jordan), allows “Service” to employ some pretty unique means to tell what otherwise might be pretty conventional stories. To that end, it delivers, capturing the degradation of the crumbling theater and the world in which it exists in extremely vivid detail — so much so that the story arguably suffers by comparison. “Service” isn’t designed to begin neatly or wrap cleanly before the credits roll, but even with this in mind, it’s a little surprising how little (if any) resolution there is from beginning to end. In Tagalog with English subtitles. No extras.

We Live in Public (NR, 2009, IndiePix)
In case you weren’t there (or simply are trying your best to forget), the end of the 20th century brought with it a phenomenon where people with lots of money chased people with wild ideas down every rabbit hole imaginable in hopes of striking gold on the Internet. One of those wild visionaries was Josh Harris, who conceived Internet television when most of the public still struggled to download animated GIFs, and later parlayed those ideas into massive privacy-eroding experiments that both made the “The Truman Show” a reality and subsequently put it to shame. In documenting this with a combination of hindsight, candor and absolutely staggering footage of the experiment in action, “We Live in Public” enters documentary masterpiece country almost without breaking a sweat. Harris’ bizarre ride along the cutting edge of technology’s next great frontier presented him numerous opportunities to step on throats, burn bridges and engage in reckless experimentation with other people’s money, and his polarizing (understatement) personality (possible poor choice of word) ensured he approached every bridge with a match in hand. “Public” doesn’t try anything fancy with its storytelling, but it doesn’t need to. It comprehensively and resourcefully tells an amazing true story from all necessary angles, and it’s an absolute must-see as result.
Extras: Harris commentary, filmmaker commentary, Sundance 2009 footage, footage of Harris watching the film for the first time, two bonus segments, making-of feature.

Where the Wild Things Are (PG, 2009, Warner Bros.)
For such a humble little picture book about a mischievous boy and his imagination, “Where the Wild Things Are” sure caused a stir when it released in 1963 and promptly found itself banned from libraries everywhere. In that respect, the live-action adaptation does the source material absolutely proud. Warner Bros. marketed “WTWTA” as a kids movie based on a kids book, but the actual product is, like its inspiration, not nearly so easily classified. “WTWTA’s” opening scene, for instance, finds Max (Max Records) playing with his dog, but it’s filmed in a manner and at a volume that might send timid children running from the room. Subsequent scenes, which attempt to provide some fill-in plot past the book, occasionally engender the same reaction — or, during tranquil, dialogue-free scenes in which Max and the Wild Things let their actions and surroundings do the storytelling, the complete opposite effect. All put together, “WTWTA” steps too far outside the lines of traditional kids film norms to be something for everyone. But a little strength of conviction is never bad thing, and if the goal was to somehow bottle the aura from a 10-sentence book and expend it across 101 very pretty minutes of screen time without tearing the fabric, mission magnificently accomplished.
Extra: Four behind-the-scenes features.

Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak (NR, 2009, Oscilloscope)
Along with the film itself, perhaps the best thing about the release of “Where the Wild Things Are” was the book’s author, Maurice Sendak, telling parents to “go to hell” and kids to “wet their pants” when asked what he’d say to those who complained the film was too scary for children. “Tell Them Anything You Want” doesn’t contain this wonderfully blunt attack on the bubble-wrapping of our youth, but this portrait of Sendak — directed by the same man, Spike Jonez, who directed “WTWTA” — pretty well matches it in terms of candor and insight. Be it about his childhood, his career, his personal shortcomings or the onset of death, Sendak turns no question away, and Jonez isn’t afraid to step in front of the camera and treat the experience like a no-holds-barred conversation between close friends (which, to the film’s benefit, it is) instead of some objective piece of film journalism. The only downside? It ends too soon. “Want’s” picturesque DVD packaging implies the film runs 88 minutes long, but that tally includes the extras. Though a good portion of those extras benefit from the same volume of insight and candor, it’s still worth noting the main program is only 40 minutes long by itself.
Extras: Jonez and Sendak Q&A, Sendak birthday tribute readings and speeches, “Maurice at the World’s Fair” short starring Jonze and Catherine Keener.

Cold Souls (PG-13, 2009, Fox)
The title is considerably more literal than you might assume. Because in the world in which “Cold Souls” exists, souls not only are tangible, extractable pieces of the human body, but have become a tradable commodity for those weary and brave enough to exchange their soul, and all it entails, for another. One such person? Paul Giamatti, playing himself, and so deeply frustrated with his present actor’s block that he decides to put his soul temporarily in cold storage and try another on for size — or perhaps take a spin without any soul whatsoever and see what happens. The novel premise has no shortage of tantalizing possibilities and consequences, and “Soul” fearlessly and intelligently pounces on as many as it can, shifting from dry comedy to drama to black comedy to science fiction mind warp with great care but without any regard for classification or convention. The sum total of that energy won’t necessarily sit well with viewers who come in expecting one mood and getting another, but not taking full advantage of all these storytelling possibilities would have been a significantly bigger shame. Dina Korzun, David Strathairn, Katheryn Winnick, Emily Watson and and Lauren Ambrose also star.
Extras: Deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes feature.

Bollywood Hero (NR, 2009, Anchor Bay)
It’s fun to watch typecast, marginally successful actors play against type and have some fun with that marginal success by playing an alternate-universe version of themselves. Occasionally — say, with Jean-Claude Van Damme’s awesome dramatic turn in “JCVD” — it forever changes perceptions of what the actor can do. But the news isn’t quite that good for Chris Kattan, who stars in “Bollywood Hero” as a struggling former “Saturday Night Live” star (named Chris Kattan) whose sorry Hollywood luck finds him traveling to Mumbai in hopes of landing a game-changing role and resurrecting his career. Kattan plays Kattan pretty straight, and early in the first chapter of this three-part miniseries, “Hero” seems willing to take a dryly, ever-so-slightly-darkly funny look at the business of being famous. But that doesn’t last long, and before long, Kattan is saddled with material that leaves him looking more confused than wry as he bounces between a handful of unimaginative plot turns you’ve seen countless times before. “Hero” maintains a likable disposition throughout, and its inclination to break into song and dance every now and then is fun (if a little forced). But if Kattan was hoping for life to imitate art, he needs a gutsier vehicle than this. Neha Dhupia, Ali Fazal, Pooja Kumar and Ruma Sengupta also star.
Extras: Deleted scenes, outtakes.

Gentlemen Broncos (PG-13, 2009, Fox)
“Gentlemen Broncos” comes from the same creative mind behind “Nacho Libre” and “Napoleon Dynamite,” and boy, is it ever completely obvious that it does. The scenario is different, this time centering around a young, socially awkward would-be science fiction writer (Michael Angarano) who attends a fantasy writing convention, makes a few socially awkward friends (Halley Feiffer, Héctor Jiménez) meets his socially awkward author hero (Jemaine Clement), and promptly has his manuscript stolen by said hero. But as evidenced by the repeated use of the term “socially awkward” in the previous sentence, the constant that made “Dynamite” so bizarrely novel and “Libre” kind of annoying is back in force in “Broncos.” Every single character is weird in that same inhumanely-sheltered-from-society way, and numerous social interactions come down to one person talking or acting strangely and the other kind of blankly staring at them before returning the gesture. “Broncos” slowly gathers a pulse as the story goes somewhere, but all that early awkwardness sets the tone, and what once felt charmingly weird now comes off as overdone and too self-aware not to feel completely contrived. A few laughs sneak in, and the film occasionally ditches the contrivances for fleeting instances of sharp wit. Mostly, though, viewers can expect to return the same blank stares “Broncos'” characters almost continually flash back at them.
Extras: Deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes feature, outtakes.

Worth a Mention
— Alice in Wonderland fever: The Tim Burton/Johnny Depp re-imagination of “Alice in Wonderland” opens this Friday, and in what can only be an amazing coincidence, a handful of “Wonderland” DVDs are releasing separately this week. Among the releases: the 1933 Cary Grant/Gary Cooper/W.C. Fields film, the 1966 BBC film starring Peter Sellers and John Gielgud (and featuring a Ravi Shankar soundtrack), and the 2009 miniseries, “Alice,” that aired on Syfy. Of the three, only the BBC film comes with extras, and they’re good ones: director commentary, the 1903 “Wonderland” silent film, the 1965 biopic about the real-life inspiration for Alice, Shankar performance footage and a photo gallery.
— “Small Wonder: The Complete First Season” (NR, 1985, Shout Factory): The 1980s did its absolute best to undo all the progress the 1970s made by trotting out one gutlessly awful sitcom after another, and perhaps none were more delightfully terrible than this one. “Small Wonder’s” premise — a top-secret robot tries to fit into a family as a normal 10-year-old girl — is silly in its own right, but it’s the bonanza of bad execution — cheeseball storylines, hysterically cheap production values and some of the worst acting anyone ever paid for — that really makes this something special. Children of the ’80s looked to “Small Wonder” as their first understanding of the “so bad it’s completely entertaining” phenomenon, and a quarter century of aging has only enhanced that sensation here. Includes 24 episodes, plus commentary, original episode promos and a fan art gallery.