DVD/VIDEO REVIEWS week of March 1, 2010

This week's DVD and Blu-ray releases

The following are capsule reviews of new and recent DVD and Blu-ray releases from the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Theatrical movies have a USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification and Motion Picture Association of America rating. These classifications refer only to the theatrical version of the films below, and do not take into account the discs' extra content.

Frances

Impassioned film biography of Frances Farmer, the 1930s Hollywood starlet who bucked the system, got involved with alcohol, drugs and strange men and whose mother had her placed in a mental institution where she was abused, raped and received a lobotomy. Jessica Lange's fine performance makes this sincere, nonexploitative but rather plodding and episodic movie worth seeing. Director Graeme Clifford's depiction of Frances' suffering and fate is so unremittingly cruel, that the movie will be too harsh for many viewers.  L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. (R) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) 1982

My Neighbor Totoro
 
Mildly entertaining animated feature from Japan recounts the adventures of two small girls when their family moves to an old rural house where they discover, among other things, the fat, furry creature of the title whose magical powers at first frighten, then delight them. Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the 1988 production does best with its fantasy of spirit creatures, some spooky but most benign, and there are some lovely vistas of nature, especially when Totoro flies them over the countryside, but like the dubbing, the story line is rather forced and artificial. Some fun for the very young and those young in spirit.  A-I -- general patronage. (G) (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment) 1993

Ponyo
 
Enchanting English-language version of a Japanese animated fable about a determined goldfish (voice of Noah Cyrus) who escapes from the underwater realm of her domineering wizard father (voice of Liam Neeson) to explore the world beyond, and comes under the protection of a plucky, affectionate 5-year-old boy (voice of Frankie Jonas), whose love for her is tested both before and after her mysterious transformation into a little girl. Originally written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the mythic tale, inspired by Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Mermaid," uses masterful artistry to recapture the innocence and wonder of childhood, while deftly delivering a warning against environmental carelessness. Spanish titles option.  A-I -- general patronage.  (G) (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment; also available on Blu-ray.) 2009

2012

In the disaster movie to end all fiasco flicks, a doomsday cataclysm results in billions losing their lives as the earth's crust breaks apart, dismantling civilization and rearranging the continents. Director Roland Emmerich gives his special-effects wizards license to test the limits of the technically plausible and morally palatable, while asking moviegoers to take heart as the scenario affords a White House geologist (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and a divorced science-fiction writer (John Cusack) the chance to exhibit altruism, even as their exploits are interspersed with disturbing apocalyptic imagery, including the destruction of St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. Considerable crude and crass language, much profanity, a rough gesture and a few instances of sexual innuendo.  A-III -- adults. (PG-13) (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; also available on Blu-ray.) 2009

Where the Wild Things Are

Intriguing though melancholy fantasy in which a rambunctious young boy (Max Records) quarrels with his divorced mother (Catherine Keener) and runs away from home, eventually sailing to the island abode of the Wild Things, a close-knit but emotionally unstable community of giants (voiced, most prominently, by James Gandolfini and Lauren Ambrose) whose personalities reflect various aspects of the youth's real-life experiences and of his unsettled psychological state. While objectionable elements are minimal, director and co-writer Spike Jonze's subtle adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic 1963 children's book -- which combines live action, puppetry and computer-generated animation -- far from being a film for kids, is instead a wistful adult meditation on the interior struggles of childhood. Occasional menace and a few mild oaths.  A-II -- adults and adolescents. (PG) (Warner Home Video; also available on Blu-ray.) 2009

The Wraith (Special Edition)

Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating, the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief synopsis of the movie.

The classifications are as follows:

• A-I -- general patronage;
• A-II -- adults and adolescents;
• A-III -- adults;
• A-IV**
• L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
• O -- morally offensive.
  

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