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The Other Boleyn Girl (PG-13) BUY THE:Poster!
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More than a spiritual cousin to Shekhar Kapur's popcorn-accessible Elizabeth, Justin Chadwick's adaptation of Phillippa Gregory's best-selling bodice-ripper actually is basically a prequel more or less, dovetailing visually with the introductory scenes of Cate Blanchett's young proto-Queen in the first film. But if Kapur's film turned the traditional British period piece into The Godfather, then Chadwick's film turns it into irresistibly salacious soap opera, teeming with lust, scheming, backstabbing, and some outrageously overheated plot twists. No, this isn't exactly high art (despite the nice production values), but it's a lot of fun, and it helps to have real acting talents lathering up in the suds. Natalie Portman has a ball vamping it up as the sexy, manipulative vixen Anne Boleyn as she while giving her shades of emotional truth and depth (shades of Sarah Michelle Gellar's legendary, Emmy-winning, star-making 1993-1995 stint raising hell on All My Children--and, yes, that is a compliment); Scarlett Johansson is effective as the doormat sister; and a charismatic Eric Bana holds his own as the royal penis they fight over.
Penelope (PG) BUY THE:Poster!
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| Soundtrack! Penelope has been kicking around the shelf for two years, but it was likely more due to flummoxed indie distributors not having a clue how to market it rather than an issue of quality--a sad conclusion, actually, as this quirky, snarky contemporary fairy tale could have been a family blockbuster, completely as is and unaltered, if Disney released it. The tone and approach of this contemporary fairy tale about a young woman (Christina Ricci) cursed with a pig snout nose is not too far removed from the affectionate irreverence of Enchanted and actually has a more charming central couple in Ricci (who completely sells the fanciful conceit of her character) and James McAvoy (who does an impeccable American accent) make a charming pair, fitting the charming whole.
Step Up 2 the Streets (PG-13) BUY THE:Poster!
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The main drawing card of a film named Step Up is the dancing, and in that respect Jon M. Chu's film certainly does not disappoint as the dance
sequences here are far more electrifying and impressive as a whole than the sleeper hit original. Too bad much crap is needed to be waded through to get to the gems and the rather terrifically done finale. The writing here reminds of the lazy formula often employed by Disney's (now thankfully discontinued) line of direct-to-video animated sequels: "let's do the opposite!" And so we have a Bizarro World version of the first film: this time, a girl (Briana Evigan) from the streets and a guy (Robert Hoffman) with the performing arts school background link up! Instead of the street dancer wanting to prove himself in the school, the trained hoofer wants in on the world of street dancing! There is some painfully on-the-nose dialogue (often scored with the most overblown cues imaginable); Will Kemp, who plays the Evil!Uptight!School Director delivers a "performance" that is beyond embarrassing; some skilled dance performers and genuinely charismatic presences, such as Black Thomas (playing a cohort in Evigan's crew), ultimately don't have enough to do; and in his cameo appearance, Channing Tatum again proves he's just an adequate dancer at best. But Demi Moore soundalike Evigan is likable enough in the lead (not to mention she rather strikingly sports a fairly normal girl body, given the prevailing images of young women in media), and she and the rest of the cast deliver where it matters most in the film: on the floor--er, the streets.
Damages The Complete First Season Disc: BUY THE:Poster!
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Glenn Close's series starring vehicle on the FX network proved to be worthy of her larger-than-life stage and screen talents, as series creators Todd A. Kessler, Glenn Kessler, and Daniel Zelman crafted a juicy role she plays to the hilt: ruthless, respected, reviled legal diva Patty Hewes, whose latest case targets a powerful CEO (Ted Danson). Caught up in all the ever-escalating corruption and intrigue is, of course, an idealistic young up-and-comer (Rose Byrne) who gets a trial-by-fire education under Hewes's wing. Twists and turns galore in these 13 episodes, leading to an entertaining finish that paves the groundwork for a promising season two.
Sony's nicely done three-disc set features insightful commentaries by the creators on the pilot and one other episode; a selection of deleted scenes; an interactive primer on class action lawsuits; and, best of all, a pair of unusually informative retrospective featurettes, which go beyond the usual EPK fodder found on TV on DVD packages and delve deep into characterizations, story arcs, and plot points (and hence should only be viewed after viewing the season proper due to spoilers).
Specifications: 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen; English 5.1 Surround; French subtitles; English closed captioning. (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
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