Hitting movie theaters this weekend:
The Roommate - Minka Kelly, Leighton Meester, Cam Gigandet Sanctum - Richard Roxburgh, Ioan Gruffudd, Allison Cratchley
Movie of the Week
Sanctum
The Stars: Richard Roxburgh, Ioan Gruffudd, Allison Cratchley The Plot: An underwater cave diving team experiences a life-threatening crisis during an expedition to the unexplored and least accessible cave system in the world. The Buzz: This film looks stunning. I'm excited to see it in IMAX 3D. With a cast of relative unknowns (save Richard Roxburgh of Moulin Rouge) the star of this one looks to be cinematographer Jules O'Loughlin.
This is S.O.P. as far as Hollywood marketing is concerned, but I've always been annoyed when production credits are used to dupe the cinematically challenged populace. This film is produced by James Cameron, not directed. Direction credits go to Alister Grierson, a relatively untested director; Sanctum being only his second feature, and you've probably not heard of his first (Kokoda). With the massive success of Avatar, I suppose this makes sense, but I can't help but express my annoyance when I hear people say, "are you gonna check out the new James Cameron pic?"
But that's beside the point, this film looks awesome. I love SCUBA and I love spelunking -- this film looks to be the perfect adventure hybrid.
"As long as you are for SCUBA, I am happy."
Every Friday we'll have new reviews of the latest films. TSR's complete Film Review Database
New Blu-ray and DVDs released this week:
10 (BD) - Dudley Moore, Bo Derek, Julie Andrews An Affair to Remember (BD) - Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Richard Denning Alice in Wonderland (BD) - Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn, Richard Haydn Bad Boys (BD) - Sean Penn, Reni Santoni, Jim Moody Boys Don't Cry (BD) - Hilary Swank, Chloë Sevigny, Peter Sarsgaard Checking Out (BD) - Jeff Daniels, Melanie Mayron, Michael Tucker Cold Dog Soup (BD) - Randy Quaid, Frank Whaley, Christine Harnos Conviction (BD/DVD) - Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Melissa Leo Hatchet 2 (BD/DVD) - Danielle Harris, Kane Hodder, Tony Todd Highlander 2-film set (BD) - Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown Let Me In (BD/DVD) - Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Moretz, Richard Jenkins Lucky Lady (BD) - Gene Hackman, Liza Minnelli, Burt Reynolds Monsters (BD/DVD) - Scoot McNairy, Whitney Able Never Let Me Go (BD/DVD) - Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield Night Catches Us (BD/DVD) - Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Wendell Pierce Pleasantville (BD) - Tobey Maguire, Jeff Daniels, Joan Allen Ray (BD) - Jamie Foxx, Regina King, Kerry Washington Skin (DVD) - Sophie Okonedo, Terri Ann Eckstein, Sam Neill The Tillman Story (BD/DVD) - Pat Tillman, Richard Tillman Welcome to the Rileys (BD/DVD) - James Gandolfini, Kristen Stewart, Melissa Leo You've Got Mail (BD) - Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Greg Kinnear
Blu-ray/DVD of the Week
Boys Don't Cry (BD)
The Stars: Hilary Swank, Chloë Sevigny, Peter Sarsgaard The Plot: The story of the life of Brandon Teena, a transgendered teen who preferred life in a male identity until it was discovered he was born biologically female. The Buzz: Based on the challenging subject matter found in Boys Don't Cry, I must admit that I never wanted to see it. I dragged my feet for many years, until I finally threw it in my player, with the limiting stipulation, "I'll just give this a try for fifteen minutes, see where it takes me." In the end, though there were many tough-to-stomach scenes, I was completely riveted from start to finish. The craftsmanship of the film is solid, but what really grabbed my attention was the performance of Hilary Swank. It stands to reason that she won the Oscar for best actress that year (1999), as her performance is pitch perfect. I was surprised though at just how excellent she was, as since this film, I've been fairly unimpressed with her career. Chloë Sevigny and Peter Sarsgaard put in excellent performances here as well.
Though this film tells a story that's quite hard to take -- especially considering it's based on the true life tale of Brandon Teena -- I would say it's a must see. Boys Don't Cry illuminates, in an empathetic way, the pure conflict of the transgendered and serves as a healthy reminder of the evils that haughty ignorance can breed.
Check out our reviews of these movies and more ... TSR's complete Film Review Database