Susan Granger’s DVD Update for week of Fri., Jan. 20:
Writer/director/producer/star George Clooney’s thought-provoking “The Ides of March” is a cynical dissection of the corruption of America’s political culture – with Clooney as a charming, charismatic Presidential candidate and Ryan Gosling as his hotshot, 30 year-old media strategist.
Inspired by actual events, “The Whistleblower” is the tension-filled, true story of a United Nations peacekeeper (Rachel Weisz) who discovers friends and colleagues are involved in sex-trafficking in post-war Bosnia and Herzogovinia.
Gus Van Sant’s “Restless” is a quirky, melancholic romance about two people obsessed with death who meet at a funeral: Mia Wasikowska has a terminal brain tumor and orphaned Henry Hopper (son of the late Dennis Hopper) has befriended the ghost (Ryo Kase) of a Japanese kamikaze pilot.
In “Undocumented,” good intentions lead to a living nightmare when student filmmakers trying to document the struggle of illegal immigrants become the target of a dangerous radical group.
Despite its tantalizing title, “Dirty Girl,” set in 1980s Oklahoma, is an uneven road movie about a gay, overweight teen (Jeremy Dozier) and his slutty, bitchy classmate (Juno Temple) who flee from his dad and find hers.
Best known as the werewolf Jacob in the “Twilight” series, “Abduction” is all about Taylor Lautner’s abs, despite the ridiculous, tissue-thin story about a teenager who’s grounded by his parents and stumbles on his picture on a website for abducted
children.
With the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and the succession of his son Kim Jong Un, the threat of nuclear escalation looms once again, and “The Forgotten Bomb” is a timely, comprehensive documentary about the nuclear weapons debate.
For foreign film aficionados, Raul Ruiz’ “Mysteries of Lisbon,” based on the epic Portuguese novel, tells a sweeping, timeless tale of romance, war, passion and betrayal, covering three decades, four countries and a host of rich characters.
PICK OF THE WEEK: Joseph Gordon-Levitt scores as a 27 year-old diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in the poignant serio-comedy “50/50.” Sharing his shock, dread and bewilderment are his raunchy buddy (Seth Rogen), his self-absorbed artist girlfriend (Bryce Dallas-Howard) and anxious mother (Anjelica Huston).