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"About a Boy"

Hugh Grant does more than charm women in this comedy-drama from the Brits. He plays a London playboy pretending to have a young son so he can attend single parent meetings where he looks for a new girlfriend. His plan goes awry when he befriends a lonely 12-year-old latchkey boy (Nicholas Hoult). Man teaches boy how to be a cool kid, while boy teaches man to grow up. Based on the witty and perceptive British novel by Nick Hornby. Rated PG-13 for a little strong language and adult theme; from Universal.

Max's rating: two paws up, and some "Woo woo woos!"

"Signs"
Watch out, the aliens are back! But this time the drama is mixed with some humor while the suspense keeps building. Mel Gibson plays a disillusioned ex-parson living in contented seclusion on a farm with his family until they see signs in the fields they believe were made by extraterrestrials. To tell more of the plot would give away the suspense, but I hid under the couch watching some of this one. Rated PG-13 for some scary stuff; from Touchstone.

Max's rating: two paws up, some tail wags.

"Barbershop"
An off-beat comedy with Ice Cube divided about keeping his inherited South Side Chicago barbershop open or sell it to the
local loan shark. Most of the fun is in the candid talk among
customers in the barber's chair. Rated PG-13 for strong language, sexual content, and references to drugs; from MGM/UA.

"Innocence"
A touching romance with Julia Blake enduring a fifty-year loveless marriage. When a boyfriend from her youth re-enters her life, the flame of their past romance rekindles, requiring that she make a choice about her future. From Columbia/TriStar.

Max's rating: two paws up, some "woo woo's!"

 

From Hollywood's Classic Vault

"How Green Was My Valley"
Everyone thought Darryl F. Zanuck was nuts to film a novel about a Welsh coal mining town just as America had entered World War II
in 1941. But he and master director John Ford believed in the story's enduring message of a family surviving against great adversity, just as the nation would. The movie won five Academy Awards including best picture and director and was a tremendous success with audiences. Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara, and young Roddy McDowell star with veteran actor Donald Crisp winning a best supporting actor Oscar for his moving portrayal of the patriarch of the beleaguered Morgan family. Beautifully restored black and white DVD from 20th Century-Fox. Variety called it "A perfection of screen art and one of the finest pictures ever made." Thank you, 20th Century-Fox, for restoring such classics and presenting them on DVD. We look forward to others you announce are soon forthcoming: "Laura" and "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" both with Gene Tierney, "The Mark of Zorro" with Tyrone Power, and "Inn of the Sixth Happiness" with Ingrid Bergman, among others.

Max's rating: the highest.

Foreign Goodies

This month we highly recommend several excellent films from other countries.

"Les Destinees"
This French-Swiss epic is long (three hours) but engrossing and both beautifully acted and beautiful to look at in its recreation of Europe over thirty years before, during, and after World War I as it follows the life and loves of a French porcelain manufacturer. Charles Berling plays the Frenchman and Emmanuelle Beart and Isabelle Huppert are the two women he loves, at various times and when he is able to love anyone or anyone beyond his work. Highly recommended, but only for those who enjoy a slow-moving story enriched by its acting, beautiful classical score, and costumes, architecture, and interior design of a world long gone. From Wellspring.

Max's rating: Two paws up.

"Changi"
Changi was a notorious Japanese World War II prisoner-of-war camp to which six Australians were interred. Stephen Curry and Bill Kerr head a fine ensemble cast of young Aussie actors recreating the harrowing true story of the group's efforts to survive during three years of torment by their captors. Time says the movie
"Lifts drama to a new level," while The Australian says, "One of the finest pieces of drama ever produced in this country." From BFS Entertainment.

Max's rating: Two paws up and many long "Woo woo's!"

"Lord Peter Wimsey: Murder Must Advertise"
A very entertaining entry in the British Masterpiece Theater television series in which the aristocratic sleuth investigates the fatal fall of a young advertising copywriter in 1920s London. Ian Carmichael again stars in the stories from Dorothy L. Sayers. From Acorn Media.

Max's rating: Two paws up, lots of tail wags.

"My Wife Is an Actress"
French movie-makers have a way with romantic comedy and they do it again in this delightful romp. French actors and real-life couple Charlotte Gainsbourg and Yvan Attal star. She plays a popular French film star and he is her husband, a successful sportswriter. All goes well in their marriage until she goes to London to star in a sexy movie opposite a more mature actor known to be a legendary ladies' man, well-played by Terence Stamp. The jealous husband wonders if his wife is really having an affair with her handsome co-star, or just acting? From Columbia/Tri-Star.

Max's rating: two paws up and several tail wags.

For Puppies and Children

"The Valley Between"
For children and the entire family, this is a remarkable two-DVD movie (290 minutes) based on the novels of Colin Thiele that tell the adventures of a boy growing up in rural Australia during the 1930s. Bruno is a feisty 14-year-old immigrant living on a farm where his stern German father preaches hard work while Bruno prefers playing pranks. Aussie critics call it "Beautifully filmed, entertaining, intelligent, good old-fashioned Australian fun and humor." From BFS Entertainment.

Max's rating: two paws up and lots of "woo woo woo's!"

"The Lion King and Jungle Book Read-Along DVDs"
Disney's animated features get a delightful reprise in these two DVDs whereby children can read the stories of the two films as they are narrated with words and pictures on-screen featuring original character voices from the movies and vivid sound effects. Also music videos of popular songs from the movies, a game featuring characters from the movies, and vocabulary lessons with words from the movies in five different languages. From Walt Disney Records.

"Percy's Chocolate Crunch"
Thomas & Friends, the friendly train engine and his fellow engines try to prove they are the railway's three R's: responsible, reliable, and really useful. The adventure takes place inside a chocolate factory. From Anchor Bay.

"Families of Egypt" and "Families of France"
Two new entries in the series introducing young people to the lives of families in different countries, these are videos, not DVDs, but highly recommended for both educational and entertainment purposes. School Library Journal says, "This excellent series will give children an intriguing taste of another culture and allow them to compare and contrast it with their own."
The one on Egypt is especially timely as it follows the unique home and school lives of two Egyptian children and their families in a nation in the headlines today that is steeped in ancient tradition and Muslim culture. From Master Communications.