Jude Law and Julia Roberts in "Closer"
courtesy of Columbia Home Video
"The Closer You Get, the Worse It Looks"

Everyone expected "Closer" to be a great movie. It had a famed director, Mike Nichols; a brilliant cast - Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Natalie Portman and Jude Law - and it had a script based on an acclaimed play. How could it go wrong! Well it did. And when you see it on DVD you realize just how bad it is.

"Closer" is a movie about life's losers. All four actors play totally unlikable people who fall in and out of love at the drop of a hat. None of them have a single moral between them, and you watch in disgust as they ruin their lives.

"Closer" is and will always be a loser of a movie. On DVD it is just more apparent.

When Imelda Staunton was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar this year a lot of people didn't even know who she was, much less what the film "Vera Drake" was about. Now you can see her performance and learn about the movie as it is being released on DVD this week.

Staunton is brilliant in her role as an English woman living in 1950's England. During the day she cleans houses and tends to her family, but she also has a secret vocation as an abortionist. Her family knows nothing about this but when a tragedy occurs in her "other" career, Vera's world comes tumbling down around her.

Mike Leigh directed this strong film and he knew how to guide his star in this intense role. Leigh and Staunton make movie magic in "Vera Drake."

The beautiful people are on view in "After the Sunset." This movie now on DVD stars Mr. James Bond himself, Pierce Brosnan, and the "Freida" star Salma Hayek. Woody Harrelson and Don Cheadle are also featured.

The movie concerns Brosnan as an ex-jewel thief who is tempted to stage one more grand theft. Hayek is his lover, and Harrelson is the FBI agent who is after him. This is a caper movie that just never comes to life. You would think with this cast it would be exciting and energetic - but it isn't. 

"After the Sunset" is a film suffering from tired blood. All of the actors have done better work and hopefully they will again. At least on the DVD you get a pile of extras such as deleted scenes, a blooper reel, and commentaries. That makes it better than just buying the movie.

The French Alps serve as the setting for the film "The Crimson Rivers." This movie which stars Jean Reno, Vincent Cassal and Dominique Sanda is a murder mystery. Reno plays France's leading serial killer investigator and he has his hands full with the gruesome murders that are turning up in a university town in the French alps.

This is a tense drama that will have you glued to your TV. It is well made, well acted, and well written. It is a good, solid suspense film.

Now with the baseball season underway, you can watch a really great movie on DVD titled "A Player To Be Named Later." This is a documentary about four minor league baseball players and the season they have in hopes of making it to the major leagues.

The film explores the lives of the men, their families, and a collection of colorful characters who are involved in the baseball season they have. The movie is the stuff of real life and that is what makes it so watchable.

With all the reality shows on TV this is a chance to see a full collection of stories on a DVD. That way you can watch it all from beginning to end without having to wait a week or so in between the unfolding chapters.

So whether you are a baseball fan or just a fan of the human experience, this is a movie you will want to see. It is one those serendipitous movies that you have to discover for yourself. Do it now. Get "A Player To Be Named Later" and have a great movie viewing evening.

And in keeping with the baseball theme, you can also rent "Hustle" which is the story of Pete Rose. The ironic thing is this movie stars Tom Sizemore as Pete Rose and the film details Rose's struggle with gambling addiction. Sizemore, as you may know, is facing prison time because of his addiction to drugs. So maybe the performance is as brilliant as it is because it takes an addict to know how another addict feels.

In any event the match of performer and role is a good one. So whatever your feelings about Pete Rose, you will want to see what the movie says about him. Rent "Hustle" and find out.

Remember Adrienne Barbeau, the actress who played Maude's daughter on the hit TV series "Maude"? Well she is in a new movie titled "Ring of Darkness." Her co-star is Ryan Starr who was a finalist on the "American Idol" show.

In this movie there is a search for a musician to replace the lead singer of a band. As the competition heats up so does the danger. It looks like cutthroat competition is the name of the game.

Also new this week is "Remember Me, My Love" which explores a family in Italy. With the children growing up boredom steps in and the head of the household begins a torrid affair with a beautiful woman. Can the family survive? Watch the movie and see.

Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Monica Bellucci and Laura Morante star and they are all good. They bring the passion to the screen that the roles require.

For the kids there is the "Disney's Learning Adventures" series. There are two new titles out which are "Mickey's Around the World in 80 Days" and "Mickey and the Beanstalk." In the first one geography is explored and in the second it is reading and math.

This is a fun way to learn so make sure you get them for your kids. Disney makes learning an adventure.

 

 

 

 

 

©2005 Jackie K. Cooper

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