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By John Larsen 05/24/2007
Pan’s Labyrinth
In Guillermo del Toro’s exceptional very grim fairy tale, a young girl looks for her destiny inside Pan’s Labyrinth. Young Ivana Baquero is prodigious as Ofelia, forced to move to the country with her pregnant mother by her sadistic father-in-law. Set in fascist Spain, the film deftly blends the harsh reality of war with a little girl’s surreal imagination, where a faun named Pan informs Ofelia she is royalty but needs to complete three tasks to prove her lineage. Director del Toro skillfully maneuvers us through this dark and disturbing fable where love and loyalty overcome evil. Baquero wins us over with her realistic portrayal of a young girl swept into a nightmarish world, forced to retreat to a fantasy realm. Haunting, beautiful, sadistic and occasionally frightening, Pan’s Labyrinth won three Oscars and arrives on DVD with a netherworld of extras, including amazingly detailed notebooks, expressive commentary, production featurettes and multi-angle storyboards. (New Line Home Entertainment)
Seraphim Falls
Traditional post-Civil War tale of revenge stars a rugged Pierce Brosnan on the run from determined Liam Neeson, hoping to reach civilization before meeting his maker. Director and co-writer David Von Ancken frames his brutal cat-and-mouse game against the beauty of the untamed West, creating visual contrast, but touches of the surreal take the viewer out of the experience. (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
Deliver Us From Evil
Amy Berg’s Oscar-nominated documentary is a searing indictment of clergy sexual abuse and sanctioned church cover-up. Focusing on Catholic priest Father Oliver O’Grady, Berg’s documentary incorporates interviews, confessions, police depositions and actual video of O’Grady to make a powerful statement that leaves you shocked and awed. What makes the film unflinching is the filmmaker’s nerve, getting up close and personal to uncover the truth. Berg goes for the jugular, ripping and shredding through the baloney to get to the heart. The filmmaker digs deeper on the DVD extras, including incendiary commentary and additional coverage. (Lionsgate)
Arthur & The Invisibles
A highly stylized blend of live action and computer animation distinguishes this family fairy tale from director and co-writer Luc Besson. Adorable Freddie High-more (Charlie & the Chocolate Fac-tory) stars as Arthur, a young boy desperate to help save his parents’ house. When Arthur learns of a treasure hidden by the Invisibles underground in his backyard, he ends up being miniaturized and recruited for the adventure of his life. Practically invisible at the box office, this colorful tale of courage, loyalty and redemption is larger-than-life fun, with Madonna, David Bowie, Snoop Dogg, Robert De Niro and Jimmy Fallon providing the voice talent. Playful DVD features include music videos, trailers and featurettes. (Weinstein/Genius)
Family Law
Writer-director Daniel Burman completes his Argentinian father-son trilogy with a heartwarming, honest and occasionally bittersweet portrait of two men who share so much yet have so much to learn. Daniel Hendler paints lawyer-teacher-son Perelman Jr. with conservative strokes, a son anxious to distance himself from the family practice. Unwilling to become his father (Arturo Goetz), Junior marries and has a son, an event which opens his eyes and the possibility of a father-son reunion. The filmmaker takes great care in creating these characters, giving them detail and depth. We connect with their desires and aspirations, seeing hope in their quest. (Genius/Weinstein)
The Fountain
Contemplative and ambitious but ultimately ambiguous, Darren Aronofsky’s quasi-sci-fi romance is a small movie
pretending to be a blockbuster. Those ambitions turn what could have been a quirky examination of man’s quest for eternal love into a tedious exercise. Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz play star-crossed lovers who bounce around time searching for immortality. Their quest raises more questions than the film is willing to answer, leaving the viewer perplexed. Pretty to look at, good cast, interesting DVD production features — but where is the filmmaker commentary making sense of all this? (Warner Home Entertainment)
Epic Movie
The team behind Date Movie aims their focus on big-budget movies in this hit-and-miss comedy. The jokes fly fast and low (sometimes under the radar) as four orphans band together to save a magical kingdom. They are aided in their quest by caricatures from blockbusters such as X-Men, The Chronicles of Narnia, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and Pirates of the Caribbean. Darrell Hammond fares best spoofing Johnny Depp. Lots of extras on the Unrated edition. (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)
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