Rent These: Babel, The Prestige and More
Filed under: New on DVD, Brad Pitt, Hold the 'Fone
Another week, another Best Picture Oscar nominee arrives on DVD just in time to sway Academy voters. Last Tuesday, it was Martin Scorsese's masterful crime drama The Departed; today, it's Babel, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's sprawling multilingual, multicultural, multi-everything meditation on the simultaneous interconnectedness and disconnectedness that plagues intercultural relationships. Wow, that was a mouthful. On the less heavy end we have a flick in which Hollywood spoofs itself (always good times) and another in which Scarlett Johansson shows off the twins (also always good times). So let's get to it: Here are my top DVD picks for the week.
Babel
Be warned: This most assuredly is not a light romantic comedy to watch on a Friday night as you prepare a romantic dinner at home with your significant other. But it is a must-see for its unflinching depiction of the devastating ramifications of miscommunication on both the personal and global levels. And it showcases phenomenal performances by a graying Brad Pitt, an ailing Cate Blanchett and a Full-Monty-flaunting Rinko Kikuchi.
Rent, buy or get more on Babel | Download the movie
Fun Fact: Originally slated for one of the leading roles in a certain Martin Scorsese drama, Brad Pitt departed The Departed so that he could appear in Babel. Crafty guy that he is, Pitt retains a producer credit on The Departed, so he'll be happy if either flick wins Best Picture.
The Prestige
Christopher Nolan's slick thriller didn't get the love it deserved when it hit theaters this fall, thanks in part to that other 2006 magician mystery The Illusionist -- and also in part to Scarlett Johansson/Hugh Jackman overload. While Scarlett in a cleavage-sculpting bodice doesn't sound bad to me, apparently not everyone is of the same opinion. Regardless, The Prestige's strengths lie (primarily) elsewhere. Like the two dueling turn-of-the-century magicians whose tale it tells, The Prestige pulls one hell of a trick on the audience. On the surface, it appears to be the simple tale of two egomaniacs trying to one-up each other, but in reality it's a subtle meditation on the existence of God. If you didn't catch that the first time, go back and take a gander at the film's opening sequence in which Michael Caine asks, "Are you watching closely?" Apparently, you weren't.
Rent, buy or get more on The Prestige
Fun Fact: Jackman and Johansson appeared opposite each other in another 2006 flick, Wooy Allen's Scoop. Alas, there was no magician around to make that one disappear.
Best remedy for post-Babel depression: The hilarious awards spoof, For Your Consideration
Best new release starring the Dixie Chicks: Shut Up & Sing
Unnecessary sequel of the week: Open Water 2: Adrift
Other new releases (Feb. 20)
The Aura
Crossover
Flushed Away
Gandhi: 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints
A Man for All Seasons: Special Edition
Man of the Year
The Wandering Swordsman
_thumbnail.jpg)
Fan Made: Steampunk 'Return of the Jedi' Figures_thumbnail.jpg)
Exclusive: 'A Christmas Tale' Poster Premiere_thumbnail.jpg)
Cinematical's Fourth Annual Halloween Costume Contest is Coming!
Netflix Unleashes Another Batch of "Forgotten" Flicks
Geek Daily: Wolverine, 'Batman 3', 'Punisher' and 'Kick-Ass'
_thumbnail.jpg)
_thumbnail.jpg){kind=spacer}
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-20-2007 @ 8:09PM
bgdc said...
The Prestige was solid. Not as good as the book but a damn sight better than most of 2006's films.
Reply
2-20-2007 @ 8:35PM
Ian Gibson said...
Babel wasn't all that great to me - it seemed like they tried to hard to intertwine multiple story lines and ended up with an unconvincing jumble
Oh and by the way, Scoop! did have a magician, played by the amazing Woody Allen.
Reply
2-21-2007 @ 8:28AM
Ryan Sullivan said...
The Prestige rocked! I bought it last night at circuit city. They have that and The Illusionist on sale for $14.99 each, even though The Illusionist came out last week! Woot!
Reply
2-21-2007 @ 10:13AM
RC of strangeculture said...
i loved the prestige, and at the same time wish it just had an ounce more of emotion to it somehow.
Reply
2-21-2007 @ 2:41PM
Akbar Fazil said...
I don't know RC. I found plenty of emotion in The Prestige. It was subtle but I think if it was "turned up" anymore the film would have lost some of it's meaning.
Reply
2-22-2007 @ 12:43AM
bgdc said...
Just suffered through Babel. Well, I can say without a doubt that I hate Iñárritu's work. Three films now and not a single one was worth watching. Babel - talk about an interminable, pretentious dollop of PC filmmaking. This sucker almost makes Altman films watchable.
Reply
2-23-2007 @ 1:11PM
tobyism said...
Good god The Prestige was the worst, most predictable, and ridiculous pile of claptrap I've ever seen. Involving Tesla in a movie about magic? And there's a book? I can't imagine spending the time to read it. SO predictable and the Caine character holding the audiences hand the entire time, walking you through every very obvious plot point. Recapping the whole movie at the end, completely unnecessary. How can you even relate to either of these pathetic characters? If you want a good movie magician, watch The Illusionist. It allows the viewer a little room to reach their own conclusions in stead of handing it to you on a cafeteria tray.
Reply
2-23-2007 @ 3:12PM
Serg G said...
Hey guys! What do you think that Scarlett Johansson (actress) actually is a clone from original person, which has nothing with acting career. That clone was created illegally using stolen biological material. Original person is very nice (not damn sexy), most important - CHRISTIAN young lady! I'll tell you guys more, that clones (it's not only one) made in GERMANY - world leader manufacturer of humans clones, to be more detail it is in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, North Bavaria, Mr. Helmut Kohl home town. You can not even imaging the scale of the cloning activity. But warning! Helmut Kohl clone staff 100% controlling all their clones spreading around the world, they are very accurate with that, some of them are still NAZI type disciplined and mind controlled clones, so be careful get close with clones you will be controlled as well. Think wise..
Her close friend Sergei G.
P.S. H.R. 534, the Human Cloning Prohibition Act of 2003, was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives on February 5, 2003. After discussion, it was passed on February 27 by a vote of 241-155. It now moves on to the Senate for consideration. This bill makes it unlawful for any person or entity to perform or participate in human cloning, or to ship or receive embryos produced by human cloning. The penalties are imprisonment of up to 10 years and fines of $1 million or more.
Reply