Susan Granger’s DVD Update for week of Fri., Sept. 10th:
Discovering a new Tennessee Williams screenplay is a ‘find,’ even if it turns out to be only a minor work. Set in Memphis in the 1920s and drenched in Southern Gothic atmosphere, “The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond” revolves around an arrogant, impetuous heiress (Bryce Dallas Howard) who loses a $5,000 heirloom belonging to her great-aunt (Ann-Margret) at a party given by her school chum (Mamie Gummer), where she bonds with a bed-ridden, elderly adventurer (Ellen Burstyn).
From the sublime to the ridiculous, “Killers” is a clumsy action comedy with Katherine Heigl as an unsuspecting naïf who marries a former superspy/assassinAshton Kutcher. Equally idiotic is “MacGruber,” stretching a SNL sketch into a raunchy, inane spoof, featuring Will Forte as the only American ever to become a Green Beret, Navy SEAL and Army Ranger and to cavort naked with a celery stalk sticking out of his derriere.
Set in the volatile, dangerous world of Rio de Janeiro’s Favela do Pavao, the documentary “Rio Breaks” features two surf-obsessed friends, 13 year-old Fabio and 12 year-old Naama. “For My Wife” is the story of Charlene Strong’s evolution into an equality activist after the tragic death of her partner. And with the recent UN resolution declaring access to clean water and sanitation as a fundamental human right, “Water Wars: When Drought, Flood and Greed Collide” gives a prescient glimpse into the future of water access and control.
For children, there’s “Shaun the Sheep: Party Animals,” “Thomas & Friends: Misty Island Rescue – The Movie,” and the live-action movie “Marmaduke” about a huge, galumphing Great Dane and his hapless human family.
PICK OF THE WEEK: In “Solitary Man,” Michael Douglas plays a deeply disturbed car dealer whose corporate malfeasance has decimated his business, whose persistent philandering has destroyed his marriage to his college sweetheart (Susan Sarandon) and whose perpetual unreliability has strained his relationship with his daughter (Jenna Fischer) and grandson. Also supported by Mary-Louise Parker and Danny DeVito Douglas delivers an unforgettable performance, representing a beacon of quality in a summer filled with popcorn pictures.