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A Look At This Week’s Curious Case Of DVD Releases

May 8, 2009

By Diana Srougi, staff writer


MONTREAL (RPRN) 05/08/09- Very interesting films are out on DVD this week, including the much-anticipated Oscar winning motion picture “The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button”. A feel-good romantic comedy and a heartfelt independent drama are also on the menu to enjoy.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button

From the Oscar-nominated director of  “The Game”, “Fight Club” and “Zodiac”, David Fincher, comes “The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button”, this week’s most anticipated DVD release. Eric Roth and Robin Swicord wrote the screen story, which they adapted from the 1920’s tale by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Then Roth himself made the film into a screenplay which holds quite the cast: two-time Oscar nominee Brad Pitt (“recently seen in Coen brothers’ “Burn After Reading” as an entirely different type of character), Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett (“I’m Not There”, “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”), who play alongside Oscar winner Tilda Swinton (“Michael Clayton”, “Burn After Reading”), Oscar-nominee Taraji P. Henson (“Hustle & Flow”) and Julia Ormond (“Sabrina”, “Inland Empire”). This drama mixes fantasy, mystery and romance, which all come together to build the touching story of a man who is born in his eighties and who gets younger with time. By his side stands a life-long friend whose age matches his at one point. “The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button” was nominated for almost every category at the Oscars this year, and took home three wins for Art Direction, Makeup and Visual Effects. It was also nominated for nine Saturn awards at the Academy Of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, for five Golden Globes, and won in three categories (Makeup & Hair, Production Design and Special Visual Effects) out of eleven nominations at the BAFTA Awards. Swinton earned a ALFS Awards at the London Critics Circle Film Awards for her performance, as well as Fincher for his outstanding direction. Henson also won prizes at the Image Awards and at the Austin Film Critics Association.

DVD release date: May 5th 2009
Distributor:
Rating:

Last Chance Harvey

“Last Chance Harvey” is this week’s romantic comedy, written and directed by English filmmaker Joel Hopkins. He only has two other films behind him (“Jorge” in 1998 and “Jump Tomorrow” in 2001), yet he managed to line-up a remarkable cast: two-time Academy Award winners Dustin Hoffman (for “Kramver vs Kramer” and “Wag the Dog”) and Emma Thompson (for “Howard’s End” and “Sense and Senability”), supported by Golden Globe nominee Eileen Atkins (“Evening”), Liane Balaban (“Definitely, Maybe”), and Golden Globe winners James Brolin (“Catch Me If You Can”) and Kathy Baker (“All the King’s Men”). This is the story of Harvey Shine, a man who flies to London to attend his daughter’s wedding, only to find out that she chose her stepfather to give her away. This overseas trip leads Harvey to lose his job, but also to unexpectedly meet a lovely woman who is quite unhappy herself. This chance encounter becomes their last hope to change their lives around, and they inspire each other to do so. Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson were both nominated at the 2009 Golden Globes for their performance. “Last Chance Harvey” also screened at several film events, including the Dublin Film Festival, the Glasgow Film Festival and the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

DVD release date: May 5th 2009
Distributor: Anchor Bay Entertainment
Rating: 7.2/10

Wendy and Lucy

Another prestigious DVD release is “Wendy and Lucy”, a drama directed by Jonathan Raymond as well as Kelly Reichardt, who is also the director. This films stars Oscar nominee Michelle Williams (“Me Without You”, “Brokeback Mountain”, and of course the television series “Dawson’s Creek”), who plays Wendy, a young woman who’s financial situation deteriorates when her car breaks down while on her way to Alaska with her dog (Lucy) to find work for the summer. Michelle Williams was nominated at the Chlotrudis Awards and at the Independent Spirit Awards for her performance, and won at the Toronto Film Critics Association Awards and at the Online Film Critics Society Awards. Kelly Reichardt was also nominated for many awards, and won a Russell Smith Award at the Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards, as well as a TFCA award. “Wendy and Lucy” was also nominated for Best Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards, and toured all over the world in several festivals including Cannes, Toronto, New York, Woodstock, Montreal, London, Turin, Hong Kong and Buenos Aries.

DVD release date: May 5th 2009
Distributor: Oscilloscope Pictures
Rating: 7.4/10

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