Susan Granger’s dvd update for week of Friday, August 29th:
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet exercises his passion for martial arts with “Redbelt,” as an idealistic jujitsu teacher (Chiwetel Ejiofor) becomes inexorably drawn into the prize-fighting circuit by a pupil (Max Martini), a movie star (Tim Allen) and his disgruntled Brazilian wife (Alice Braga).
“Son of Rambow” is a subversively eccentric, low-budget British comedy about two young boys who attempt to make the ultimate action sequel in their backyard, devising bizarre, often dangerous stunts and homemade special effects.
“What Happens in Vegas” is a tepid romantic comedy with Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher as two strangers who wake up married. Before they can divorce, they win a three million dollar jackpot which they refuse to divide, declaring open warfare on each other for the money.
“August” follows an arrogant dot-com CEO (Josh Hartnett) as he fights to keep his company afloat, reunite with his girlfriend (Naomie Harris) and deal with his father (Rip Torn) and brother (Adam Scott) – with an amusing two-minute David Bowie cameo.
Winner of the Cannes Film Festival’s prestigious Camera d’Or as most auspicious film debut, “The Forsaken Land” is an extraordinarily poetic portrait of life in Sri Lanka during a tenuous cease-fire between the Sinhala government and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam – in Sinhalese with English subtitles.
And it’s back-to-school with “Meet the Sight Words,” a new series for early learners (15 months to six years) that engages young eyes with simple, striking visuals.
PICK OF THE WEEK: In 1945, writer Primo Levi was liberated from Auschwitz concentration camp. With the war still on, he embarked on a 1,000-mile journey home to Turin, Italy. “Primo Levi’s Journey,” traced by Davide Ferrario and narrated by Chris Cooper, is an illuminating, idiosyncratic portrait of 21st century Europe.