As the movie weekend nears with 10,000 B.C. and College Road Trip, the hardcore film enthusiast has only one defense: hunker down with the best of today's DVD releases until the shitstorm ends, hopefully sometime this year.
PICK OF THE WEEK: Into the Wild
I ask you: How did Sean Penn's magnificent odyssey into one young man's yearning heart fail to be Oscar nominated as Best Picture, Best Actor (Emile Hirsch), Best Adapted Screenplay (Penn), Best Director (Penn) and Best Score (for the songs of Eddie Vedder)? Did Academy voters not see the passion in what Penn worked nearly a decade to get on screen? Did they side with Robin Wright Penn in her split with the volatile Penn after eleven years of marriage? Or are they just blind, deaf and stupid? I have to go with the last reason.
If you've never seen Into the Wild, or even you have, grab the 2-Disc Collector's Edition and let it work its magic. The film rewards multiple viewings. The "making of" features on Disc 2 aren't much, but the transfer of image and sound to DVD are staggering. Hirsch (see photo) takes you under the skin of Chris McCandless, an honors grad from Emory University who walked into the Alaskan wilderness in 1992 to find himself outside the confines of estranged family, well-meaning friends and any governing impulse besides his own questing heart. If you read Jon Krakauer's book and pegged Chris as a wacko narcissist who died out of arrogance and stupidity, then Penn's film version is not for you. If, like Penn, you mourn Chris' tragedy and his judgment errors but also exult in his journey and its spirit of moral inquiry, then this beautiful, wrenching film will take a piece out of you.
GREAT PERFORMANCE ALERT: Benicio del Toro in Things We Lost in the Fire
You might side with the critics who dissed this addiction-and-recovery saga as a safe, formulaic tearjerker. But there's no way to dismiss Benicio del Toro as Jerry Sunborne, a junkie who shows up at the funeral of his architect friend (the excellent David Duchovny), knowing that Brian's widow (Halle Berry) hates his guts. The film, the first in English from acclaimed Danish director Susanne Bier (Open Hearts, Brothers, After the Wedding), pivots on the uneasy truce forged between Jerry and this woman who is impatient to have him "accept the good. " Berry does what she can with a contrived role, but del Toro is the film's force field. His is the great forgotten performance of 2007. This DVD shows you what you missed.
CLASSIC REVISITED: 12 Angry Men
Director Sidney Lumet, also skunked at this year's Oscars—the voters ignored his brilliant handling of Before the Devil Knows You're Dead— gets the 50th Anniversary DVD treatment for his first film, the still consummate legal thriller 12 Angry Men. The black-and-white picture looks newly minted, though the sound has gotten a bit ragged with time. But the power of the film, starring Henry Fonda as the jurist who must sway the other eleven not to jump so quickly at convicting the defendant, is unabated. The audio commentary from film historian Drew Casper intrigues, but why not Lumet himself? At eighty three, he's still ready to give em hell. That missed opportunity aside, this is must viewing. Daniel Ratcliffe, Harry Potter himself, recently told me 12 Angry Men was his favorite film of all time. The kid has taste.
AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE: Awake
Hayden Christensen picked up some horribly bad reviews in the recent Jumper, but at least audiences are paying to see that one. In Awake, he plays a rich young stud who suffers anesthesia awareness during a heart transplant. He's conscious but the doctors don't know it. The condition is a metacritique of his own performance—a definition of lifelessness only surpassed by his portrayal of Anakin Skywalker in the Star War trilogy. If you get the DVD as a gift, use it as a Frisbee and aim it directly at the empty head of the giver.
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charlton heston | March 28, 2008 6:40 PM
The kite runner was best picture and Robert downey jr should have been nominated for supportin actor for zodiac..
david fincher is the new scoresese he dosn't get any respect as a young director but that will change as he gets older
AR | March 17, 2008 10:25 PM
Agreed. The Academy overlooked plenty this year. Zodiac anyone?! Must've been outside the length of their attention spans.
Steve G. | March 15, 2008 4:09 PM
These movies are good, but you are forgetting the kinds of movies that ignore studio's expectations and go straight for both the hearts and minds of what makes us all human. Every soul has that one connecting vision that, in perhaps one or two movies per decade, is indescribably transferred onto film via deep-felt acting, a stunning script, crisp editing and the kind of visual directing that can only be described as necemic. A good example, for instance, is the film that studio execs said would be impossible to make: Police Academy Four: Citizens on Patrol. Now THAT was straight genius.
Marc Daneker | March 14, 2008 10:48 PM
Worst snub since Pulp Fiction!
I haven't seen all the films nomiated, but it's obvious the acadamy likes to recognize one or two new faces each year and then give Daniel Day Lewis yet another nod for doing what he can do in his sleep. The acadamy hasn't had any balls since it awarded Silence of the Lambs. It's just like how the Grammy's ignore Hard Rock and Rap, the Acadamy ignores Art and Talent. The last time they gave the right award to the right person was when Anna Paquin won for the Piano, I think she was 9 or 10.
movies | March 13, 2008 5:51 PM
I read Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild before I saw the movie. I loved the book and the ,movie was well adapted, Penn adding some parts. But it was still an amazing film. It was not Emile Hirsch's fault that Chris McCandless died the way he did. I personally find that the most tragic thing about the whole story. Just to think if Chris had walked for another two or so miles he would have found food and most likely beeen saved. Chris McCandless was just born in the wrong time period. If he lived during the Trancendentilist Movement with Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Therau he would have fit in. Don't blame the movie for the character it is depicting!!!!!!!!!
movies | March 13, 2008 5:50 PM
I read Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild before I saw the movie. I loved the book and the ,movie was well adapted, Penn adding some parts. But it was still an amazing film. It was not Emile Hirsch's fault that Chris McCandless died the way he did. I personally find that the most tragic thing about the whole story. Just to think if Chris had walked for another two or so miles he would have foound food and most likely beeen saved. Chris McCandless was just born in the wrong time period. If he lived during the Trancendentilist Movement with Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Therau he would have fit in. Don't blame the movie for the character it is depicting!!!!!!!!!
Mike Cowie | March 6, 2008 10:01 PM
I totally agree that "Into The Wild" was one of the best films of 2007. In fact, I wrote a full rave about it on my site, MikesAndDislikes.com
tiny tim | March 6, 2008 4:54 PM
i read the book when it came out in the late 90's, and invisiond terry malick directing as i saw joaquin phoenix in the lead ,sean added some stuff thats not in the book but does a splendid job, this story is so important when you just turn on your t.v are look outside to see society and it's falsness, chris was breaking away from false idenity he was becoming free and finding his true self along the way , to discover chris either in the book are in the movie will be a revelation either way ,the movie i envisiond was more poetic but none the less i think sean is a hero and it's a shame that he is despise by American's when he is a true American for caring for the humanity of others in Iraq or New orleans and bringing that to the public eye ...
ben | March 6, 2008 3:16 PM
hey matt you forgot ryan reynolds now that guy is a terrible .....
the most overrated director Robert rodriguse this guy is cheesy mess b-movie director
he does it all but nothing good
what a hack if this guy is acclamed director than im the next spilberg i just hope johnny depp dosen't work with this hack in sin city 2
emile | March 6, 2008 3:09 PM
cris did not use a map that was the whole idea , i think the line when he says something
like instead of love ,fame ,or money give me truth
get real | March 6, 2008 3:03 PM
The movie sucked because Hirsch's personality was dim and annoying and he was too stupid to save his own life: he died something like a mile away from a huge lodge on his side of the river. I'm liberal and all about sticking it to the man, going off and doing your own thing, but "Alexander Supertramp" .....? What a tool. Of course RS is gonna go for the Sean Penn-Eddie Vedder combo but please look at the movie objectively (even though it's hard when you know Penn is behind it trying to tell you how to think). Did you see "No Country?" Now there's a movie
matt damon | March 6, 2008 2:06 PM
This is my list of worst actors
1. Hayden cristiensen ( can't find his light sabor)
2. paul walker( i met a wall with more entuisiasm)
3. josh harnet( whats the deal with sleeping with Heath's ex's and dressing up like him and calling it a tribute)
4.ryan phillipe and freddie prinze ( They still don't know what they did last summer)
5. freddie rodriguize ( when he's not copying cristian bale whats left)
6. cris evans ( this guy hasn't broken character since playing the obnoxious teen in not another teen move or maby thats just him)
7. jessica alba and lindsey lohan( studios stop giving these people that can't act out of a bag anymore deals there are far more talanted people out there this is a travesty)
jim | March 6, 2008 1:41 PM
Peter i would say your about 90% right about your reviews.
The sad part is people don't have any taste and studios don't care what they put out as long as it makes money and there audience is 13 yr old girls ... the Academy is a joke
you pay for your oscar now Bobblehead george clooney peformace was not better than Benicio and Emile ...but yes Daniel is the new Brando and this year it went to the right person.. In to the wild i gave that 3 and a half stars
this was an a extrodinary movie
I think the year the tommy lee jones directed picture The three burials of marquis estrada was nominated for best picture for oscar and it's a good film 3 stars but if that film gets nominated and intothewild does not that is a crime i'ts all Juno's fault!!!
Chet Sanders | March 6, 2008 1:40 PM
Not a good movie. Main character was none too bright either. He should of stayed at Burger King flipping Whoppers.
Cristian | March 5, 2008 6:15 PM
I agree that Into the Wild was criminally overlooked by the Academy for Best Picture and Sean Penn's sensitive direction. This film will stand the test of time.
Also, I agree about Benicio Del Toro's performance in Things We Lost in the Fire. It was wrongfully overlooked during awards season. He gave a powerful and unforgettable performance. Halle Berry did her best work since Monster's Ball. The performances are what make the film resonate with the viewer.
Satya | March 5, 2008 1:38 PM
I served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA member in Sitka, Alaska, from 1998 to 1999, and another AmeriCorps*VISTA member recommended Into the Wild as a must-read since I was in Alaska. Almost ten years after I read the book, Sean Penn's movie hit theatres. I give Penn all the credit in the world for shooting on locations where Christopher McCandless traveled, including Alaska. Into the Wild was a gorgeous, heartfelt film, and it was great to see Alaska on the big screen.
Also, thank you for recognizing Benicio del Toro. His performance in 21 Grams alongside Into the Wild writer/director Sean Penn remains a favorite of mine.
Archis | March 5, 2008 10:31 AM
I loved the message and the soul of the movie.
Emile Hirsch DOES deserve a nod, no matter what academy voters say.
And i really hoped Catherine Keener would get nominated too. She's so under-rated.
Angela | March 5, 2008 10:25 AM
I hate the Academy after ignoring this movie. By far the best movie of 2007, after seeing most of the best picture nominations, you see what a gross injustice this was.
Let it grow by word of mouth! I have given each of my children a copy of the book, soundtrack, & DVD. They'll tell 2 friends and so on...
Thank You Mr Penn for such a beautiful, heartwrenching masterpiece!
Esteban007 | March 4, 2008 7:26 PM
Into The Wild was too good to be ignored by the Academy. Sean Penn and Emile Hirsh did fantastic jobs as director and lead acts respectively. At least Holbrook was honored with a deserved nomination.
Jason | March 4, 2008 4:18 PM
After reading and really enjoying the Krakauer book, I actually found the movie to be flat and kinda boring. I did have my hopes up, though.
Question | March 4, 2008 4:10 PM
So... buy the 2 disc set, even though the second disc's features aren't much?
David | March 4, 2008 3:43 PM
I was engranged when Into the Wild was hardly recognized by the Academy. this movie was incredibly moving, and the acting by Emile Hirsch and company was outstanding, the Score was beautiful, and even the cinematography took it to another level. Sean Penn made a masterpiece. this film is such a standout in the specturum of my life, and may very well be for any who watches it.
JP | March 4, 2008 2:52 PM
I saw one YouTube clip where one Oscar voter derisivedly dismissed "Into The Wild" as an updated version of "Easy Rider". I guess old Academy Awards members still hold a grudge against hippies and anyone that seems to act like one to them.
Richard Dryer | March 4, 2008 2:19 PM
The fact that neither Penn, Hirsch or Vedder recieved nominations from the Academy is the sole reason Ill never watch or trust the Academy Awards again !
Kevin Norris | March 4, 2008 1:53 PM
Good point on Into the Wild. I was so surprised it wasn't nominated for more than two oscars, especially best adapted screenplay.