It had been a long time since the film world produced a first-rate haunted house chiller that begged comparison to such long-established classics as The Innocents, The Uninvited and the original version of The Haunting, but The Others (***1/2 out of four) instantly vaulted toward the top of the standings. Set on an island off the British coast right at the close of World War II, this critical and commercial sleeper stars Nicole Kidman as a young woman living in a large estate with her two children (Alakina Mann and James Bentley), both of whom suffer from a peculiar (and potentially lethal) allergy that makes them incapable of withstanding bright light. The three spend every moment confined within the mansion walls, an undesirable situation once evidence mounts that the house may be haunted. Written and directed by Amenabar, this is the sort of muted terror tale that rarely gets made anymore: Creepy rather than scary, it builds upon an overriding sense of hopelessness and dread that's made tangible through Javier Aguirresarobe's shadowy cinematography, a wonderful music score (by Amenabar himself), and a superb performance by Kidman (whose Oscar nomination should have been for this, not Moulin Rouge). It's puzzling that this was packaged as a two-disc DVD, since there aren't that many extra features included in the set. Among the add-ons are a behind-the-scenes documentary, a feature on the special effects, and, most interesting, "Xeroderma Pigmentosum," a short piece on the real-life disease that afflicts the kids in the movie.
Certainly one of 2001's most misunderstood movies, Vanilla Sky (***1/2), Cameron Crowe's follow-up film after Almost Famous, had its genesis in Open Your Eyes, a 1997 Spanish thriller by The Others' Amenabar. An intriguing drama about a self-centered hunk who suffers from strange visions after getting disfigured in a car accident, Eyes was unpredictable in a manner that begged comparison with something as unique as Being John Malkovich: Thinking far outside the box, Amenabar provided a whiplash viewing experience akin to sitting down to watch The Big Chill and then having the film switched to Saving Private Ryan halfway through. Vanilla Sky is Crowe's risky remake, and what's most shocking about this controversial conversation starter is how faithful it remains to the original. Tom Cruise, a narcissist who nevertheless won't back away from perilous parts, shrewdly mixes both facets of his career as the pretty boy whose perfect life turns into a living hell after his face gets mangled, while Cameron Diaz, as his fatal attraction, slinks through the proceedings like a feral feline (Penelope Cruz, also in the original, reprises her role as the protagonist's dream girl, but she's mediocre at best). DVD features include audio commentary by Crowe, a feature on the film's international publicity tour, and an interview with Paul McCartney (who composed the Oscar-nominated title song).
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (***) hardly needs any introduction -- it was last year's top moneymaker, with a domestic haul of $317 million (barely beating out The Fellowship of the Ring's $310 million) -- and it's not surprising that Warner went all-out in producing a deluxe two-disc DVD. A lavish adaptation of the J.K. Rowling bestseller, this magical mystery tour admirably works on both levels: as a stand-alone motion picture and as a worthy adaptation of a novel that, while hardly a literary landmark, is nevertheless funny, inventive and full of spirit and spunk. Director Chris Columbus has a deserved reputation for making cloying films (Home Alone, Bicentennial Man), but here he has deftly allowed the movie to walk the precipitous line between being too syrupy for adults and too grave for children -- and in the process found the perfect kids (Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson) to bring Harry Potter and his classmates to life. Among the countless DVD extras are seven deleted scenes, interactive games involving wand selection, playing Quidditch and more, theatrical trailers, and an eventually tiresome tour through Hogwarts.
Ocean's Eleven (**) earned largely favorable reviews and a whopping box office gross of $183 million, meaning I'm in the minority in labeling this 2001's biggest disappointment. Certainly, the film had potential: After all, the dirty secret surrounding the 1960 Rat Pack original is that it's a remarkably mediocre caper yarn that served mainly as an opportunity for Frank and friends to party at Warner Bros.'s expense. The Rat Pack members were cast as former WWII paratroopers plotting to knock off five Las Vegas casinos, but except for a clever twist ending, there's absolutely nothing memorable in what has long been regarded as one of the most expensive "home movies" ever made. So the good news is that Steven Soderbergh's remake is indeed better than the original; the bad news is that it achieves its superiority by just the thinnest of margins. Despite scripter Ted Griffin's complete overhaul of the '60 model, this remains a shambles, with more characters than it can sustain as well as the sort of obvious double-dealings that failed to fool us when we saw them earlier last year in The Score and Heist. As team leader Danny Ocean, George Clooney is simply dull, while Julia Roberts is saddled with the film's most ill-conceived role. Coming out on top is Brad Pitt: His part doesn't look like much on paper, but through sheer personality, as well as the sound application of some offbeat character tics, he's the one who constantly commands our attention. DVD extras include audio commentary by Soderbergh, Griffin, Pitt, Matt Damon and Andy Garcia, two behind-the-scenes documentaries, and theatrical trailers.
Known for their contemporary urban dramas Menace II Society and Dead Presidents, The Hughes Brothers (aka Allen and Albert Hughes) returned last fall with From Hell (***), a box office disappointment that should find its audience on video. What makes this gruesome horror yarn about Jack the Ripper more than just a slasher flick with a pedigree is its insistence on presenting its sordid tale at ground level, exploring the social chasm that existed between the upper and lower classes as much as recreating the killer's grisly handiwork. This may not possess the macabre sense of showmanship that made Sleepy Hollow such a kinky kick (both films, incidentally, star Johnny Depp as a detective investigating bizarre murders), but on its own terms, it's an effective thriller that's densely plotted and well-paced. The two-disc DVD is a keeper, with imaginatively designed menus and a wealth of additional features such as audio commentary by the Hughes Brothers, 23 deleted scenes and a trio of documentaries.
As moviegoers watched a stiff Halle Berry gratuitously expose her breasts in last summer's dismal Swordfish, no one could have possibly predicted that they were watching that year's eventual Best Actress Oscar winner. Yet thanks to director Marc Forster and writers Will Rokos and Milo Addica (all relative newcomers on the film scene), Berry found herself with the role of a lifetime in Monster's Ball (***1/2). A relentless downer that eventually allows a few glimmers of hope to shine through, this casts Billy Bob Thornton as Hank Grotowski, a corrections officer at a Georgia prison who tolerates his racist pop (Peter Boyle), loathes his sensitive son (Heath Ledger) and enters into a relationship with the widow (Berry) of the Death Row inmate (Sean Combs) whose execution he oversaw. Monster's Ball makes very few missteps as it navigates its characters through its raw scenarios, and the ending -- both insightful and unexpected -- is especially memorable. So, too, are the lead performances: Berry has never been better -- frankly, I didn't think she had this in her -- while Thornton continues to demonstrate that he has few equals when it comes to playing ordinary joes. DVD extras include audio commentary by Forster, Berry and Thornton, deleted scenes and a feature on the movie's soundtrack.
Receiving only spotty distribution in this country, the Australian import Lantana (***1/2) is a godsend for discerning filmgoers who enjoy movies that work on multiple levels. An adult drama that could have been called Husbands and Wives or Scenes from a Marriage had Woody Allen and Ingmar Bergman not already co-opted those titles, Lantana only looks like it's a murder-mystery. In truth, it's a galvanizing study of the complexities and crises that threaten to derail any given marriage. Anthony LaPaglia, a reliable character actor who emerges as a full-blown leading man here, is superb as an Aussie detective whose strained relationship with his sexy, sensible wife (Kerry Armstrong) leads him into a reluctant affair with an emotionally unstable woman (Rachael Blake). On top of this, the cop also has to contend with a baffling case that involves yet another troubled couple: a psychiatrist (Barbara Hershey) and academic (Geoffrey Rush) coping with the death of their daughter. The events that bind all these characters might seem like a gimmick in a lesser film, but here they're merely necessary stepping stones in a powerful drama about remorse, reparation and redemption. DVD extras include a behind-the-scenes feature and the theatrical trailer.
Must-See DVDs:
Jerry Maguire The first collaboration between Tom Cruise and Cameron Crowe (before Vanilla Sky) was this wildly popular romantic comedy from 1996, about a sports agent whose crisis of conscience gets him booted out of his firm, with only one employee (secretary Renee Zellweger) and one client (struggling wide receiver Cuba Gooding Jr.) willing to tag along as he tries to make it on his own. For all its salient points about surviving in the 90s workplace and rediscovering the true measure of success, the film is ultimately an old-fashioned love story, distinguished by meaty dialogue and superlative performances from Cruise, Zellweger and Oscar winner Gooding. Extras on this enjoyable two-disc DVD include video commentary by Cruise (wearing a floppy fishing hat), Gooding, Zellweger and Crowe, deleted scenes, footage of the real sports agent on whom Jerry Maguire was largely based, and the Bruce Springsteen music video "Secret Garden."
Memento The best film of 2001 has already been released on DVD, but this two-disc Limited Edition is for the hardcore fans. As befits this twisty drama about a man (Guy Pearce) whose inability to form new memories complicates his search for his wife's killer, this edition showcases a number of menus that must be figured out before access can be gained to the various features (if you have trouble, there are several online film sites that offer detailed instructions on how to find everything). Among the hidden extras are audio commentary by writer-director Christopher Nolan, a Sundance Channel documentary, and the text of the original story by Jonathan Nolan.
S.O.B. Blake Edwards' outrageous 1981 comedy may never be held in the same regard as Sunset Boulevard or The Player, but as a searing satire about the underbelly of the Hollywood lifestyle, it still ranks as one of the best. William Holden (in his final film) and Julie Andrews head an all-star cast that gamely throws itself into the vicious story of a producer (Richard Mulligan) who decides the only way to turn his mega-flop into a mega-hit is by juicing it up with pornographic sequences. Robert Preston's performance as a cynical doctor who's never caught off-guard still ranks as one of my favorite comic turns in movie history. The barebones DVD includes only the theatrical trailer and filmographies.
Traffic Like Memento, Steven Soderbergh's multiple Oscar winner has already been released in an adequate DVD edition, but Criterion has elected to honor the film with their renowned deluxe treatment. Thus, this multi-faceted, multi-character drama about the drug trade comes equipped with a plethora of bonuses, including audio commentary by Soderbergh and writer Stephen Gaghan, 25 deleted scenes, a demonstration on how the gritty look was achieved for the Mexican sequences, and much more. *
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