| by
Ivana Redwine
Let's take a look at the best new movies on DVD for January, 2006.
January
3, 2006 "Broken
Flowers"
Bill Murray, supported by half a dozen well-known actresses,
stars in this offbeat film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. Don (Murray)
is an emotionally shut-down man who learns he may have a 19-year-old son. He visits
four former lovers (Sharon Stone, Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange, Tilda Swinton)
who may be his son's mother. Don's journey changes him a little, and there are
some laughs along the way. Also appearing in the movie are Julie Delpy, Chloë
Sevigny, Alexis Dziena and Jeffrey Wright. "Wedding
Crashers"
Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn star in this comedy that did
huge box office during its theatrical release. John (Wilson) and Jeremy (Vaughn)
are pals who habitually crash weddings to pick up women. When they crash a wedding
thrown by Treasury Secretary Cleary (Christopher Walken), they get involved with
two of his daughters (Rachel McAdams and Isla Fisher). But when John and Jeremy
visit the Cleary family back at their Kennedy-esque vacation compound, a number
of comic complications arise.
January
10, 2006 "The
Constant Gardener"
Based on the novel by John le Carré and
directed by Fernando Meirelles, this thriller stars Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz.
The story is set mostly in Kenya, where Justin Quayle (Fiennes) is a mild-mannered
British diplomat and his wife Tessa (Weisz) is a feisty social activist. When
Tessa is murdered, Justin investigates and finds out there was much he didn't
know about his late wife. He also uncovers a web of corruption involving pharmaceutical
companies and government bureaucracies. "Hustle
& Flow"
Set in the seamy parts of Memphis, this drama features
a strong lead performance by Terrence Howard as Djay, a drug-dealing pimp. His
hookers are portrayed by Taryn Manning, Taraji P. Henson and Paula Jai Parker.
But Djay aspires to become a hip-hop artist and enlists the aid of characters
played by Anthony Anderson and DJ Qualls. They set out to create a demo tape and
get it to rapper Skinny Black (Ludacris), but all does not go smoothly as Djay
tries to make the transition to recording artist. "Red
Eye"
Wes Craven directed this thriller starring Rachel McAdams and
Cillian Murphy. Lisa (McAdams), a Miami hotel manager, is on a flight back from
Dallas when she finds herself seated beside a terrorist (Murphy) who is part of
a plot to assassinate a Homeland Security official. The terrorist tells Lisa that
her father (Brian Cox) will be killed unless she arranges for the official to
be moved to a different suite at her hotel. Trapped aboard the airliner, Lisa
tries to figure out how to save the lives of her father and the official.
January
17, 2006 "Enron:
The Smartest Guys in the Room"
Based on the book by Bethany McLean
and Peter Elkind, this is an entertaining documentary about the rise and fall
of Enron, one of America's biggest corporations. Enron, whose businesses were
mostly energy-related, was flying high and much admired in the 1990's, but collapsed
in 2001 amid scandal, bringing formerly respected accounting firm Arthur Andersen
down with it. The film tells a tale of arrogance, greed and amorality, revolving
around insiders getting rich through deception.
January
24, 2006 "The
Aristocrats"
This documentary focuses on an old dirty joke about a
guy pitching an act to a talent booker where the joke-teller paints a vile, filthy,
disgusting word picture of the act. The joke ends with the talent booker asking,
"What do you call yourselves?" and the guy replying, "The Aristocrats!"
In the film, scores of professional comedians, including George Carlin, Whoopi
Goldberg, Gilbert Gottfried, Robin Williams, Jon Stewart, Drew Carey and Chris
Rock, talk about the joke, and a few dozen variations of it are heard.
January
31, 2006 "In
Her Shoes"
Directed by Curtis Hanson and adapted from Jennifer Weiner's
novel, this is an upbeat drama starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette and Shirley
MacLaine. Maggie (Diaz) and Rose (Collette) are sisters, but very different: Maggie
is a good-looking freeloader, while Rose is a career-oriented attorney who's on
the plain side. When the sisters have a falling out over a man, Maggie moves in
with her grandmother (MacLaine) in a retirement community, leading to all three
women making changes in their lives. "Tim
Burton's Corpse Bride"
This is a visually dazzling animated comedy
set in the 19th century. Everything is arranged for Victor (voice of Johnny Depp)
to marry Victoria (voice of Emily Watson) when he wanders into a graveyard. There
he comes into contact with the corpse of Emily (voice of Helena Bonham Carter)
and is transported to a lively underworld, where Emily is considered his bride.
All three of these characters are presented sympathetically, and the film features
lots of singing and dancing to musical numbers by Danny Elfman. Free
Newsletter About Movies on DVD and Video
Sign
up and stay up-to-date!
|
