New On DVD – May 18, 2010

The Messenger CityNews.ca Pick of the Week – The Messenger tells the story of Sergeant Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) — an American soldier who is placed on a “casualty notification team” after being sent home from Iraq due to an injury. He heads out with Captain Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) and together they notify loved ones of the death of their husbands, wives, daughters, and sons. It’s heavy material that is far from a typical war movie. There are no bombs going off, guns being shot, or people in trenches hiding from the enemy. Instead it focuses on the demons Montgomery and Stone face from the memories of their time serving, and the strong performances by Foster and Harrelson give it such raw emotion you forget they are acting. If you want to see one of the greatest contemporary dramas in recent memory do yourself a favour and check out The Messenger as soon as you can. Special features include audio commentary, behind-the-scenes footage, plus more. Also available on Blu-ray. Film **** DVD *** (out of 5 stars).

Valentine’s Day (Blu-ray) – Following the lives of many different Los Angelians on the most romantic day of the year, Valentine’s Day brings together one giant ensemble cast in the style of 2003’s Love Actually. While not as bad as I expected it to be there was one glaring continuity error I couldn’t shake. Do I recommend it? If you have the slightest interest in seeing it you will most likely enjoy it. If not avoid at all costs. Starring Ashton Kutcher, Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, Bradley Cooper, Anne Hathaway, Topher Grace, Taylor Lautner, Taylor Swift, Jamie Foxx, Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba, and Queen Latifah. Directed by Garry Marshall. Special features on the Blu-ray include audio commentary with Marshall, additional scenes, blooper reel, plus more. A regular DVD and digital copy of the film is also included. Film *** Blu-ray *** (out of 5 stars).

GravyTrain – GravyTrain follows Gypsy Creek’s top cop, Charles Gravytrain (Tim Doiron), along with his sexy new partner, Uma Booma (April Mullen), as they investigate a string of murders by the mysterious Jimmy Fish Eyes (who was also responsible for the death of Gravytrain’s father many years ago). Gypsy Creek is a bizarre town full of interesting characters that have more secrets than a Hollywood starlet. The pair is met with resistance around every corner until, eventually, they are framed for the murders themselves. On the road to clearing their names and busting Fish Eyes, they end up in an avant-garde snuff film and an array of other wacky situations. If Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! director Russ Meyer sat down with Quentin Tarantino to come up with a concept, and then brought in the Broken Lizard troupe to inject their style of humour, I imagine the result would be something like this. Special features include deleted scenes, commentary with Mullen and Doiron, blooper reel, plus more. Film *** DVD *** (out of 5 stars).

Click here to watch an interview with GravyTrain stars and creators April Mullen and Tim Doiron

Extraordinary Measures – Based on the true story of John and Aileen Crowley (portrayed by Brendan Fraser and Keri Russell) who believed so strongly in researcher Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford) to find a cure for Pompe disease — a rare genetic disease both their children have — that they put forth their life savings to fund his work. While I found some of the film to be overly sentimental it does work for the most part and made me aware of Pompe disease, which I had no knowledge of before. Keep the tissue close while watching. Special features include deleted scenes, a featurette on the real John Crowley, and more. Also available on Blu-ray. Film *** DVD *** (out of 5 stars).

Read the CityNews.ca interview with Harrison Ford about Extraordinary Measures

Invictus (Blu-ray) – After Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) was elected President of South Africa in 1995 he turned his attention to the South African rugby team the Springboks in an attempt to unite the country, which was heavily divided between the white and the black population. The Springboks were a team made up of all white players (except for one), led by captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon). The team rarely won and the players were hated by the black population (who would cheer for their opponents to show their disdain). But Mandela saw their potential and believed that he could bring the country together if they won the World Cup. While Invictus should have been inspirational it instead came across as a cheesy, corny, and bland movie with weak performances and direction by Clint Eastwood. Special features on the Blu-ray release include a 22-minute version of Richard Schickel’s feature length documentary The Eastwood Factor, a picture-in-picture commentary, deleted scenes, and more. Film ** Blu-ray *** (out of 5 stars).

The Spy Next Door – Jackie Chan stars as a former CIA agent who must babysit his girlfriend’s three children who all hate him. Predictably, real trouble happens and Chan must save the day, winning over the kids in the process. It’s stupid and annoying and proves that Chan’s career has tanked worse than Eddie Murphy’s (who at least still has the Shrek films). Special features include a blooper reel, a featurette on Chan’s stunt work, and more. Also available on Blu-ray. Film * DVD ** (out of 5 stars).

More New DVD releases this week: North Face, Céline Dion: Through the Eyes of the World, Defenders of the Earth: The Complete Series, Carlito’s Way (Blu-ray)

brian.mckechnie@citynews.rogers.com

Top image: A scene from The Messenger. Courtesy Alliance Films.