TNMC

DVD Written by Drew Morton   

The annual countdown of the year's best DVDs.

Movies Written by John Shea    I imagine most people are not going to enjoy sitting through this movie. That's not to say it is a bad movie, but instead to say that it is the sort of keenly observational film that will put people at unease by showing off parts of life and behavior that a lot of people would rather not admit were there.
 

Movies Written by John Shea    Sidney Lumet is 83 years old and not only still proving himself a masterful director but also proving himself as someone willing and able to work on the edge technologically, shooting the film digital instead of film. I only mention that detail because you probably won't notice, which says an awful lot.

Movies Written by John Shea    It's hard to imagine a much more convoluted tale than that of Jacques Vergès' career. He is the lawyer who has defended and spoken for pretty much the worst people on earth. The idea that everyone deserves a fair trial with legal representation is a noble one that Vergès pushes to the most disturbing extremes. His list of clients is a rogues gallery of terrorists, thuggish dictators and warlords, with standout names like Carlos the Jackal, Slobodan Milošević and Klaus Barbie. The movie even starts off with Pol Pot giving Vergès a character reference.

Movies Written by John Shea    Lars is a determined loner. His sister-in-law literally has to tackle him to get him to come to dinner. He dodges would be friends with a goofy smile and awkward silence. Lars wants very badly to be left alone, if only people would let him. His solution is to order Bianca online. She's one of those sex dolls that aspires to look real. Apparently she's fully equipped for whatever kinky stuff Lars might want to try with her. Except he doesn't want any of that. He introduces her as a parapalegic immigrant and moves her in with his family.

Movies Written by John Shea    Former US President Jimmy Carter has long been a punching bag for the right, but watching this documentary makes it hard to understand why.  He seems to spend virtually every waking moment trying to facilitate peace and help people in need.  What could be so offensive about a guy like that?

Movies Written by John Shea    Early on it is easy to think of Things We Lost In the Fire as potentially edgy material.  It has strong cinematography, non-linear storytelling and an offbeat performance from Benicio Del Toro.  Sadly that stuff is a cover that can only mask material best suited for a Lifetime channel movie for so long.

DVD Written by John Shea    I can't say that I was a big fan of the previous Fantastic Four movie but despite that I was still fairly gung ho to see the sequel.  The reason?  Very simply, I always dug the Silver Surfer/Galactus story.