Frances McDormand and Charlize Theron in "North Country"
courtesy of Warner Home Video
"Charlize" is the Real Thing"

Many people thought Charlize Theron winning the Academy Award for Best Actress a few years ago for the film "Monster" was a fluke. They claimed she bulked up and de-glamorized herself enough to win; and that it was makeup and not acting talent that got her the statue. Now Theron has been nominated for her role in "North Country" and this proves her acting is the real thing.

"North Country" is a strong, gritty film about women working in the mining plants and fields. They work with the men but are brutalized by them. Theron plays a character who is a combination of a lot of real people. She is sexually harassed to the extent she decides to do something about it. She sues and then is a pariah to her female co-workers and to her family.

Frances McDormand plays her best friend and she is excellent in her role too. This resulted in her getting a supporting Oscar nod this year. Both women break new ground in their acting careers. When you watch the DVD the preciseness of their performances is very evident.

So get the DVD of "North Country" and see if you think Theron should win the Oscar this year. At least you will have to admit she does have true talent.

Gwyneth Paltrow is another Oscar winner who has a movie out on DVD this week. Her film is titled "Proof" and it is all about fathers and daughters and how much we inherit physically and mentally from our parents. Anthony Hopkins plays Gwyneth's daddy and he is a brilliant mathematician in the movie. But he has some mental issues as he gets older.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Hope Davis are also in the film and they provide strong support, but it is really Gwyneth's movie all the way. It isn't her strongest performance to date (she is a little stilted in her portrayal) but it is a good one.

Dolph Lundgren hasn't been heard from much lately. He has made some direct to video movies that weren't very impressive. Now he has written and directed a movie titled "The Russian Specialist" and it is the best thing he has done in years.

Lundgren plays a "Special Forces" type military man in Russia. He retires from this life and goes to work as a mechanic. He is happily married and has a child, but then one day it is all taken away from him. Both his wife and his child are killed in the crossfire created by a drug deal gone bad. Lundgren gets his revenge and then moves to the United States.

In the States he once again seeks a peaceful life and works as a mechanic. But he is approached to take a job helping solve a kidnapping. He refuses until he learns the people involved in his wife and child's death are involved in the kidnapping. That brings him out of retirement again.

This is an action packed film that gives Lundgren a fully drawn role. Of course since he wrote it, he made sure to present himself in the best light.

For the little girls in your household Disney has another sing-a-long video. This one is titled "Perfectly Princess" and it features songs sung by such "princesses" as Ariel, Jasmine and Cinderella. Your girls will feel part of the group as they learn the words and tunes to a full; package of songs.

The adventures of the "Golden Girls" get more popular every day. Thanks to the "Lifetime Channel" which features these shows just about every day, the enthusiasm for the three women and one "mother" has grown and grown. Now you can watch all the fun and laughs of "The Golden Girls Season Four" as it is in your video stores now.

Blanche, Rose, Dorothy and Sophia have one comic adventure after another and you can watch the whole season straight through. Plus there are some great guest stars during this season of fun.

Kids will love the film "Spirit Bear," which is based in part on a true story. In this movie a fifteen-year-old girl fights to have the bears who live near her protected. She wants them to be able to keep their habitat, and this sparks a major battle with those who want to exploit this area for their own use.

Ed Begley, Jr, Katie Stuart and Graham Greene star in this film. It is thrilling and inspirational in its effect. Make sure you watch this one with your kids.

Finally there is "Quack Pack, Volume 1" and "Goof Troop, Volume 1." These are perfect DVD's for your 0younger kids. They focus on the comic adventures of Donald Duck and Goofy, two of Disney's most popular characters.

So gather the family around and play these beloved cartoons one more time. They are timeless and entertain now as much as they did when they were first created.

 

 

 

 

 

©2006 Jackie K. Cooper

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