| by
Ivana Redwine
Here's a selection of new movies on DVD for August, 2005.
August
2, 2005 "Alexander"
Oliver
Stone's biopic about Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) stars Colin Farrell and
Angelina Jolie. Farrell plays Alexander, and Jolie portrays Alexander's mother.
The movie shows Alexander and his army in a series of battles as they carry out
the greatest conquest of ancient times. Alexander is attracted to Hephaistion
(Jared Leto), and he weds Roxane (Rosario Dawson) to try to sire an heir. Philip
II, Alexander's father, is played by Val Kilmer, and the story is told by Ptolemy
(Anthony Hopkins). "Downfall"
This
German-language drama chronicles the final days of Hitler, so it takes place mostly
in a Berlin bunker. Among those with Hitler in his claustrophobic quarters are
his mistress Eva Braun, Joseph and Magda Goebbels and their six children, and
a secretary named Traudl Junge. Bruno Ganz ("Wings of Desire") plays
Der Führer, and Hitler is somewhat more humanized than we are accustomed
to seeing, although to many that makes him all the more horrifying. "Guess
Who"
Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher star in this comedy, a remake of
"Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (1967). In the earlier film, a white
woman brought her black fiancé (Sidney Poitier) home to meet her parents
(Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn). In the remake, an African-American woman
(Zoë Saldaña) brings her white fiancé (Kutcher) home to meet
her parents (Mac and Judith Scott). The story centers mainly around the father
and the fiancé coming to terms with each other. August
9, 2005 "Because
of Winn-Dixie"
Adapted from the children's novel by Kate DiCamillo,
this warmhearted drama is about a 10-year-old girl called Opal (AnnaSophia Robb).
Opal has just moved to the small town of Naomi, Florida, with her preacher father
(Jeff Daniels) and is having a difficult time adjusting. But things change for
her when she adopts a stray dog and names him after the grocery store where she
encountered him. Through Winn-Dixie, Opal befriends various locals and begins
to enjoy her life in Naomi. "Kung
Fu Hustle"
Stephen Chow co-wrote, directed, and stars in this Chinese-language
martial arts comedy, which is set in a Chinese city in the late 1940s. The story
centers around an apartment complex called Pig Sty Alley. Sing (Chow) is a lowlife
who tries to set up a shakedown racket in the complex, but runs into stiff resistance
from the residents. The resulting commotion brings in the feared Axe Gang. But
this is all just an excuse to stage a series of comic action sequences.
"Look
at Me"
"Look at Me" ("Comme une image") is a French
drama that has found favor with the overwhelming majority of critics. The central
relationship is between a chubby young singer (Marilou Berry) and her father (Jean-Pierre
Bacri), a famous novelist and powerful publisher. Other key characters are the
singer's voice teacher (Agnès Jaoui), the teacher's not-so-famous novelist
husband, and the publisher's trophy wife. The film is a closely observed study
of flawed people in a fascinating milieu. August
16, 2005 "Sin
City"
This pulpy, noirish movie is adapted from Frank Miller's graphic
novels and tells three interconnected tales, all unfolding in a metropolis steeped
in corruption. Bruce Willis plays a cop who goes after a pedophile. Mickey Rourke
sets out to avenge the murder of a hooker. And Clive Owen and Benicio Del Toro
find themselves caught up in a situation involving prostitution. The film's cast
includes Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Elijah Wood, Michael Clarke Duncan, and
Brittany Murphy. "The
Wedding Date"
Debra Messing (from "Will and Grace") and
Dermot Mulroney are paired in this romantic comedy. Kat Ellis (Messing) is a woman
living in New York who travels to London to attend a wedding. Since she is currently
unattached and her ex-fiancé is best man, she hires male escort Nick Mercer
(Mulroney) to go with her, posing as her boyfriend. A number of complications
arise, particularly when Kat and Nick begin to fall for each other.
August
23, 2005
"Beauty
Shop"
Queen Latifah stars in this comedy, which was spun off from
"Barbershop 2." Gina (Latifah) moves from Chicago to Atlanta, where
she works as a hair stylist for Jorge (Kevin Bacon). After a falling-out with
Jorge, she opens her own beauty shop and has employees played by Alicia Silverstone
and Alfre Woodard. Gina's clients include socialites portrayed by Andie MacDowell
and Mena Suvari. Also, Gina has a romance with a man played by Djimon Hounsou.
"Layer
Cake"
This entertaining, stylish British gangster drama stars Daniel
Craig as its unnamed protagonist who narrates his own story. He's a savvy mid-level
cocaine dealer who works well in his hazardous environment and has finally reached
a point where retirement is in sight. But when he's forced to try to salvage an
Ecstasy deal gone bad and track down a powerful evildoer's missing daughter, he
must navigate treacherous waters inhabited by brutal thugs and Serbian killers. "A
Lot Like Love"
This romantic comedy pairs Ashton Kutcher and Amanda
Peet. Oliver (Kutcher) and Emily (Peet) meet on a cross-country flight, during
which they join the Mile-High Club. They spend a day together, but end up going
their separate ways. After three years apart, Oliver and Emily again become romantically
involved briefly, but again they let their relationship lapse. Over a seven-year
period, they enjoy a series of flings with each other and gradually begin to think
they should stay together. "The
Ring Two"
This horror movie is the sequel to "The Ring"
(2002), and Naomi Watts and David Dorfman are back. This time around, Rachel Keller
(Watts) and her young son Aidan (Dorfman) have moved from Seattle to a small town
in Oregon. However, the ghost of Samara, the murdered girl seen crawling out of
a well in the cursed videotape, follows them. Soon water pours out of various
places, undead deer are seen, and Samara's ghost tries to take over Aidan's body. August
30, 2005 "Monster-in-Law"
Jennifer
Lopez and Jane Fonda star in this comedy. Charlie (Lopez) is busy working several
low-level jobs and not dating anyone when she meets Kevin Fields (Michael Vartan),
a surgeon. Charlie and Kevin quickly fall in love and plan to wed, but the marriage
is opposed by Kevin's mother Viola (Fonda), who thinks Charlie isn't good enough
for her son. Viola does everything she can to sabotage the marriage, but Charlie
has a few tricks of her own.
"Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior"
This
Thai-language martial arts movie stars Tony Jaa, and the filmmakers claim no wires
or computer-generated images were used. Ting (Tony Jaa) is a martial arts expert
who lives in a remote village. When the severed head of a sacred Buddha statue
is taken to Bangkok, Ting goes after it. In the big city, Ting tangles with bad
guys, and he also battles opponents at an illegal martial arts club where huge
sums are wagered. But the movie is really about the choreography of the fight
and chase sequences.
"Sahara"
This action-adventure
film stars Matthew McConaughey, Steve Zahn, and Penélope Cruz. Treasure-hunter
Dirk Pitt (McConaughey), accompanied by his sidekick Al Giordino (Zahn), goes
to Africa in search of an American Civil War ironclad ship he believes to be buried
in the Sahara Desert. On their journey, they meet Dr. Eva Rojas (Cruz), who is
investigating a dangerous plague. Soon Dirk, Al, and Eva uncover some dastardly
goings-on and work to prevent an environmental catastrophe.
Free
Newsletter About Movies on DVD and Video
Sign
up and stay up-to-date!
|
