The week’s DVDs begin again in Rome:
DVDs for Oct. 28 by Boo Allen
This week, we begin in Rome:
The Last of the Unjust (***1/2)
In 1975, documentary filmmaker Claude Lanzmann traveled to Rome for an interview that would serve as a follow-up to his monumental 1985 Holocaust examination Shoah. In Rome, he interviewed Benjamin Murmelstein, the last president of the Jewish Council in Theresienstadt, a show place for the Nazis, a so-called “model ghetto.” Murmelstein became one of the Jewish men selected to help the Nazis run what was in actuality a concentration camp. He relates his regular battles with Adolf Eichmann about trying to improve living conditions. He was the only one of these “Elders” to survive the war. After the war, he was accused of collaboration and was not allowed to immigrate to the new state of Israel. Lanzmann probes the willing Murmelstein, asking so many pertinent questions, it took nearly four decades for the director to assemble his materials. Lanzmann also tours the pertinent sites, reads from topical materials, and mixes in still photos and descriptive art work of the concentration camps.
Rated PG-13, 220 minutes.
Extras: a four minute interview with Lanzmann, and a large bundle of still photos.
Chinese Puzzle (***)
Inexplicably popular French actor Romain Duris stars again as Xavier Rousseau in the finale to writer-director Cedric Klapisch’s trilogy, following L’Auberge Espanole and Russian Dolls. As Xavier approaches 40, his wife Wendy (Kelly Reilly) divorces him and moves to New York City with their two young children. The simian-browed Xavier follows. In New York, he lives with Isabelle (Cecile de France), his free-spirited lesbian best friend. But while in town, Xavier’s former girlfriend Martine (Audrey Tautou) visits, causing anguish and doubts for everyone. The director brings together many of his former characters as they finally mature and fade away. Empty and slight but fast paced with rapidly clipped dialogue.
Rated R, 117 minutes.
Extras: cast and crew interviews, a “making of” featurette.
Yankee Doodle Dandy (****)
Warner Archives releases on Blu-ray an all-time favorite, the 1942 bio-pic of George M. Cohan. James Cagney landed his only Best Actor Oscar by calling on his formidable singing and dancing skills to portray Cohan. Director Michael Curtiz (Casablanca) follows Cohan throughout his eventful life as he composes some of the country’s best known and most patriotic songs. Nominated for eight Oscars and winner of three, the film flies along with an energetic Cagney taking the center stage and then dancing off.
Not rated, 125 minutes.
Extras: commentary, a 45 minute “making of” featurette, a five minute featurette with John Travolta reminiscing about Cagney, the wartime short “You, John Jones” starring Cagney and directed by Mervyn Leroy, the vintage Warners cartoon “Yankee Doodle Daffy,” and much more.
Satellite (**1/2)
Returning for a second appraisal is this 2006 indie-romance written, edited, and directed by Jeff Winner and set in New York City’s world of singles. Kevin (Karl Geary) meets Ro (Stephanie Szostak) cute, or, more precisely, after she follows him (yes, like Amelie). They quickly bond, so much so they quit their jobs and take off on an unplanned adventure. Everything goes well, until it doesn’t. Entertaining enough, if crudely made.
Not rated, 100 minutes.
Extras: commentary, eight minute interview with the producers.
Free Fall (**1/2)
Corporate intrigue gives way to the stuck-in-the-elevator gambit. Sarah Butler stars as Jane Porter, a promising young executive whose boss commits suicide by throwing himself off a building. When she discovers possible embezzlement and various misdeeds, a so-called “crisis manager” (D.B. Sweeney) arrives to eliminate Jane, even if it means fighting through elevator entrapments.
Rated R, 90 minutes.
Extras: a 25 minute “behind-the-scenes” featurette.
Breaking at the Edge (**)
Routine, derivative horror flick set in Savannah about a woman, Bianca Wood (Rebecca Da Costa), who believes something is amiss with her pregnancy. Her husband, Ian (Milo Ventimiglia), initially offers little help. But, being a horror flick, he eventually shows his dark side. Predrag Antonijevic directs at a funeral pace but never passes up a chance to insert some cliché of the genre.
Rated R, 86 minutes.
A Golden Christmas Triple Feature: A Tail of Puppy Love, The Second Tail, Home For Christmas
Three unrated films with a Christmas theme and starring irresistible Golden Retriever puppies are included in this set. And, in all three, youngsters play an important part while also enjoying their Christmas mornings with the pups.
265 minutes.
Family and Romance Holiday Collection: Holiday Engagement, Holiday Baggage, Christmas in Canaan, Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Christmas Pageant, Moonlight and Mistletoe, Annie Claus, Merry In-Laws, A Christmas Proposal, 12 Days of Christmas.
Ten unrated, family and romance films, all with holiday themes and from the past decade, have been packaged on a single set of three discs. The collection features a wide range of recognizable performers, such as: Cheryl Ladd, Barry Bostwick, Nicole Eggert, Billy Ray Cyrus, Shelly Long, Melissa Gilbert, Tom Arnold, Barbara Niven and others.
888 minutes.
The Magic School Bus: Season’s Greetings
This latest release from Scholastic offers eight animated episodes on two discs of the popular science-adventure series for kids. Ms. Frizzle boards her magic bus for her personal guide to exploration and discovery but this time with a holiday theme.
Rated TV-G, 156 minutes.
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX—season one
Matthew Charles and Wayne Grayson supply most of the English language voices for the collected 52 episodes of the first season of this Japanese anime manga series originally created by Kazuki Takahashi. The season takes place a few years after the original series when young GX wants to become the next King of Games. To accomplish his goal, he follows Jaden Yuki into the harsh competition of the Duel Academy for training. There, he confronts challenges from traps, mystical spells and ferocious monsters.
Not rated, 19 hours, four minutes.
Also on DVD: App, Begin Again, Beneath, Child of God, Falcon Rising, Nuclear Nation, The Prince, Wish I Was Here.